Neighbourhood-level deprivation indices and postpartum women's health: results from the Community Child Health Network (CCHN) multi-site study.

Background: Area-level socioeconomic characteristics have been shown to be related to health status and mortality however, little is known about the association between residential community characteristics in relation to postpartum women's health.

Methods: Data from the longitudinal, multi-site Community Child Health Network (CCHN) study were used. Postpartum women (n = 2510), aged 18-40 were recruited from 2008 to 2012 within a month of delivery.

Early life environment and social determinants of cardiac health in children with congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease is a significant cause of infant mortality. Epidemiology and social context play a crucial role in conditioning disease burden and modulating outcomes, while diagnosis and treatment remain resource intensive. This review will address the role of social demographics, environmental exposure, epigenetics and nutrition in the aetiology of congenital heart disease.

Poverty and pediatric palliative care: what can we do?

It has been recognized that families of children with life-limiting health conditions struggle with significant financial demands, yet may not have awareness of resources available to them. Additionally, health care providers may not be aware of the socioeconomic needs of families they care for. This article describes a mixed-methods study examining the content validity and utility for health care providers of a poverty screening tool and companion resource guide for the pediatric palliative care population.

Magnitude of income-related disparities in adverse perinatal outcomes.

Background: To assess and compare multiple measurements of socioeconomic position (SEP) in order to determine the relationship with adverse perinatal outcomes across various contexts.

Methods: A birth registry, the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database, was confidentially linked to income tax and related information for the year in which delivery occurred. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine odds ratios between multiple indicators of SEP and multiple adverse perinatal outcomes in 117734 singleton births between 1988 and 2003.

Effect of teenage motherhood on cognitive outcomes in children: a population-based cohort study.

Objective: To examine the association between teenage motherhood and cognitive development at 5 years.

Design: Data from Millennium Cohort Study, a prospective, nationally representative UK cohort of 18 818 infants born between 2000 and 2001.

Participants: 12 021 (64%) mother-child pairs from white, English-speaking, singleton pregnancies were included.

Paediatric obesity research in early childhood and the primary care setting: the TARGet Kids! research network.

Primary paediatric health care is the foundation for preventative child health. In light of the recent obesity epidemic, paediatricians find themselves at the frontline of identification and management of childhood obesity. However, it is well recognized that evidence based approaches to obesity prevention and subsequent translation of this evidence into practice are critically needed.

Horizontal transmission of group B streptococcus in a neonatal intensive care unit.

The incidence of early-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) sepsis in the neonatal population has decreased substantially since the introduction of maternal intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis and routine prenatal screening. However, these strategies have not reduced the incidence of late-onset GBS infections. Additional research pertaining to the transmission of late-onset GBS infections is required to develop effective preventive methods.

Laparoscopic partial vs total splenectomy in children with hereditary spherocytosis.

Background: Open partial splenectomy provides reversal of anemia and relief of symptomatic splenomegaly while theoretically retaining splenic immune function for hereditary spherocytosis. We recently developed a laparoscopic approach for partial splenectomy. The purpose of the present study is to compare the outcomes in a group of patients undergoing laparoscopic partial splenectomy (LPS) with those in a group of children undergoing laparoscopic total splenectomy (LTS) over the same period.