Positive Effect of Large Birth Intervals on Early Childhood Hemoglobin Levels in Africa Is Limited to Girls: Cross-Sectional DHS Study.

Background: Short birth intervals are independently associated with increased risk of adverse maternal, perinatal, infant and child outcomes. Anemia in children, which is highly prevalent in Africa, is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Birth spacing is advocated as a tool to reduce anemia in preschool African children, but the role of gender differences and contextual factors has been neglected.

A dietary fiber mixture versus lactulose in the treatment of childhood constipation: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Constipation is a common problem in children. As first-line treatment, increased dietary fiber is often advocated. To our knowledge, however, no large studies evaluating the effect of dietary fibers in childhood constipation have been published.

Pediatric median neuropathy due to pruritus in Alagille syndrome.

Median entrapment neuropathy or carpal tunnel syndrome is uncommon in children. The majority of cases are related to genetic conditions which result in skeletal dysplasia or altered connective tissue characteristics, direct injury to the median nerve caused by intensive sports or trauma, or hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies. This report describes a 10-year-old patient with Alagille syndrome who presented with poor fine motor skills because of an entrapment neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist.

Bifidogenic effects of solid weaning foods with added prebiotic oligosaccharides: a randomised controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: Breast-fed infants have relatively high proportions of faecal bifidobacteria. This bifidogenic microbiota is at least partly explained by the high levels of prebiotic oligosaccharides in human milk. The present study aimed at testing the effect of solid foods with added prebiotic galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides (GOS/FOS) on the composition of the intestinal microbiota of fully formula-fed infants during the weaning period.

Effects of infant formula containing a mixture of galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides or viable Bifidobacterium animalis on the intestinal microflora during the first 4 months of life.

Adding prebiotics or probiotics to infant formula to improve the intestinal flora of formula-fed infants is considered to be a major innovation. Several companies have brought relevant formulations onto the market. However, comparative data on the effects of pre- and probiotics on the intestinal microflora of infants are not available.

Allergic colitis presenting within the first hours of premature life.

Unlabelled: A prematurely born infant developed rectal blood loss several hours after birth, after his first formula feeding. Discontinuing the feeding resolved symptoms, but after resuming feeding rectal blood loss reappeared. There were no signs of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Enteral drug absorption in patients with short small bowel : a review.

Drug therapy may become difficult when a significant amount of the small intestine is resected, as happens in patients with a short small bowel. Drug absorption from the gastrointestinal tract is altered in these patients; however, this effect is variable in patients and differs with each drug. Literature regarding clinical outcomes of normal or alternative administration routes in patients with a short small bowel is limited.

Infliximab therapy in 30 patients with refractory pediatric crohn disease with and without fistulas in The Netherlands.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical experience with the anti-tumor necrosis factor chimeric monoclonal antibody, infliximab, in pediatric patients with Crohn disease in The Netherlands.

Design: Descriptive.

Methods: Clinical response and adverse effects of infliximab were recorded for pediatric patients with Crohn disease treated from October 1992 to January 2003.