Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Childhood Obesity: The Role of Diet and Its Impact on Microbiota.

Introduction Emerging evidence suggests an association between obesity and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs). Childhood obesity and FGIDs share many common features, such as high prevalence in the pediatric population, risk factors related to diet and lifestyle, gut microbiota impairments, and psychological distress. This narrative review aims to summarize the main evidence regarding FGIDs in childhood obesity, with a specific focus on the role of diet and its impact on the microbiota.

Planetary Health Diet for Childhood Obesity Prevention: Integrating Nutritional Health with Environmental Stewardship.

Background: Childhood obesity is a critical public health challenge with a rising prevalence worldwide, contributing to numerous health risks and long-term societal burdens. Concurrently, climate change and environmental degradation demand sustainable approaches to dietary patterns. The Planetary Health Diet (PHD), initially designed for adults, emphasizes plant-based foods and sustainable practices.

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in anorexia nervosa; an underestimated endocrine dysfunction among adolescents.

In patients affected by anorexia nervosa (AN) different endocrine abnormalities have been described, but, among them, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) dysfunction, although associated to important side effects, is underestimated and has no therapeutical options. We present a narrative literature review to investigate the HPA axis in patients with AN, in order to highlight HPA dysfunction and its effects. We also described the crucial role of HPA monitoring, and to consider eventual therapeutic and preventive strategies in AN patients.

Comparison of qPCR protocols for quantification of "Candidatus Saccharibacteria", belonging to the Candidate Phyla Radiation, suggests that 23S rRNA is a better target than 16S rRNA.

Background: Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) is a large monophyletic group encompassing about 25% of bacterial diversity. Among CPR, "Candidatus Saccharibacteria" is one of the most clinically relevant phyla. Indeed, it is enriched in the oral microbiota of subjects suffering from immune-mediated disorders and it has been found to have immunomodulatory activities.

Value Co-Creation in Telemedicine: A Qualitative Study of Pediatricians' Expectations Regarding Telehomecare Implementation in an Italian Pediatric Hospital.

Purpose: The widespread adoption of telemedicine tools poses new and little-known challenges for healthcare professionals, who are required to adapt their knowledge, skills, and work practices to this innovative scenario. Understanding healthcare professionals' expectations and concerns about adopting telemedicine can facilitate its effective integration. Therefore, drawing upon the Value Co-Creation in Healthcare model, the current study aims to investigate pediatricians' expectations regarding antecedents, outcomes, and management activities relevant to the implementation of a telehomecare service.

Cerebral baseline optical and hemodynamic properties in pediatric population: a large cohort time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Significance: Reference cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) data on the pediatric population are scarce, and in most cases, only cerebral oxygen saturation ( ) measured by continuous wave spatially resolved spectroscopy NIRS is reported. Absolute data for baseline optical and hemodynamic parameters are missing.

Aim: We aimed at collecting baseline cerebral optical parameters [absorption coefficient, ; reduced scattering coefficient, ; differential pathlength factor (DPF)] and hemodynamic parameters [oxy-hemoglobin content ( ), deoxyhemoglobin content (HHb), total hemoglobin content (tHB), ] in a large cohort of pediatric patients.

Relationship between thyroid function and lipid atherogenic profile in pediatric patients with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19.

Introduction: Concurrent alterations in the metabolic profile and thyroid dysfunction, including non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) has been reported in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Considering the influence of thyroid hormones (TH) on lipid metabolism, we explored the relationship between thyroid function and the atherogenic lipid profile in children with MIS-C at admission and during a 12-month follow-up.

Patients And Methods: we considered children admitted for MIS-C.

Reference values for cerebral and peripheral tissue oximetry in children: A clinical TD-NIRS study.

Aim: Current non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) tissue oximetry suffers from suboptimal reproducibility over probe repositioning, hindering clinical threshold establishment. Time Domain-NIRS (TD-NIRS) offers higher precision but lacks sufficient paediatric data, preventing effective clinical application. We aimed to establish reference ranges for cerebral and mid-upper arm (MUA) tissue haemodynamics in paediatric subjects using TD-NIRS and explore correlations with auxological variables.

The impact of hormones on lung development and function: an overlooked aspect to consider from early childhood.

The impact of hormones on the respiratory system constitutes a multifaceted and intricate facet of human biology. We propose a comprehensive review of recent advancements in understanding the interactions between hormones and pulmonary development and function, focusing on pediatric populations. We explore how hormones can influence ventilation, perfusion, and pulmonary function, from regulating airway muscle tone to modulating the inflammatory response.

Vitamin B12 deficiency in newborns: impact on individual's health status and healthcare costs.

Objectives: The identification of vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency in the newborn may prevent neurological damage and a delay in the normal growth. In this study we characterized the incidence of B12 deficiency in newborns, the costs associated to the clinical diagnosis and management, and the relevance to optimize the use of cobalamin biomarkers during treatment follow-up.

Methods: Starting from a continuous case series of 146,470 screened newborns (November, 1st 2021- December, 3rd 2023), the Regional Reference Laboratory for Neonatal Screening identified 87 newborns having altered levels of biomarkers of cobalamin metabolism measured by Newborn Screening.

How Can Promoting Skeletal Muscle Health and Exercise in Children and Adolescents Prevent Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes?

Skeletal muscle secretome, through its paracrine and endocrine functions, contributes to the maintenance and regulation of overall physiological health. We conducted a narrative review on the role of skeletal muscle and exercise in maintaining glucose homeostasis, driving insulin resistance (IR), and preventing type 2 diabetes in pediatric populations, especially in the context of overweight and obesity. Myokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-15, as well as irisin, myonectin, and myostatin, appear to play a crucial role in IR.

Menstrual Dysfunction in Adolescent Female Athletes.

Despite the benefits of exercise on mental and physical health, excessive training loads can lead to health problems in the long term, including a wide spectrum of menstrual dysfunction (MD). This narrative review aims to analyze the relationship between physical exercise and MD in adolescent female athletes to support regular menstrual health monitoring and promote educational programs on reproductive risks. When dealing with MD in young athletes, several factors entangled with maturation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis should be considered.

Telemedicine in nutritional management of children with severe neurological impairment: implication for quality of life.

Children with severe neurological impairment (SNI) frequently present feeding problems requiring a close monitoring of their nutritional status. In addition to constant clinical monitoring of body composition and nutritional indexes in these patients, frequent reports of dietary intake and weight gain variations are useful to ensure proper nutritional management. Furthermore, non-oral feeding is often needed to avoid malnutrition or aspiration pneumonia, constantly necessitating medical assistance.

Sex- and gender-based medicine in pediatric nutrition.

Consistent evidence increasingly highlights the significance of integrating sex and gender medicine to ensure a precision approach according to individual patient needs. Gender discrepancies emerge across various areas, even from pediatric age. The importance of recognizing these differences in pediatric nutrition is critical for the development of targeted nutritional strategies and interventions, particularly in cases of associated pathologies, including obesity, metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, eating disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Long-term cytokine profile in multisystem inflammatory disease among children.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory disease in children (MIS-C) is a post-infectious condition following coronavirus disease-19 infection. Long-term follow-up data suggests that initial clinical severity does not necessarily correlate with long-term outcomes. The long-term immunological response in children with MIS-C remains poorly understood.

Mastication and oral myofunctional status in excess weight children and adolescents: A cross-sectional observational study.

Background: Masticatory function seems to play a role in the aetiology of obesity. However, literature on the association between oral myofunctional status and overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is scarce and contrasting.

Objective: To compare masticatory performance, orofacial myofunctional status and tongue strength and endurance between children and adolescents with overweight and obesity and those with normal weight.

Eating disorder risks and psychopathological distress in Italian high school adolescents.

Background: Psychopathological disorders are often comorbid diagnosis in eating disorders (EDs). We aimed to assess the presence of psychopathological traits and symptoms associated with EDs in an Italian high school adolescent population.

Methods: A sample of high school adolescents was enrolled, and demographic and clinical data were collected.

Desensitization of olipudase alfa-induced anaphylaxis in a child with chronic neurovisceral acid sphingomyelinase deficiency.

Unlabelled: Olipudase alfa is indicated for the non-central nervous system manifestations of Acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD). Anaphylaxis is a very rare and life-threatening adverse reaction described for this drug. Here, we report the case of a 2-year-old boy affected by chronic neurovisceral ASMD who experienced signs of hypersensitivity reactions to olipudase alfa since the administered dose of 1 mg/kg during dose escalation and a proper anaphylactic reaction during the second administration of the target therapeutic dose of 3 mg/kg.