Measuring the Effects of an Animal-Assisted Intervention for Pediatric Oncology Patients and Their Parents: A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial [Formula: see text].

Objective: This multicenter, parallel-group, randomized trial examined the effects of an animal-assisted intervention on the stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life for children diagnosed with cancer and their parents.

Method: Newly diagnosed patients, aged 3 to 17 years (n = 106), were randomized to receive either standard care plus regular visits from a therapy dog (intervention group), or standard care only (control group). Data were collected at set points over 4 months of the child's treatment.

Neonatal cyanosis due to a novel fetal hemoglobin: Hb F-Circleville [Ggamma63(E7)His-->Leu, CAT>CTT].

Neonatal cyanosis can result from a multitude of acquired and inherited causes. Cyanosis resulting from fetal M hemoglobin (Hb) variants is very rare. Only two (G)gamma variants causing methemoglobinemia and cyanosis in the newborn have been reported to date.

Two new hemoglobin variants: Hb Sinai-Greenspring [beta34(B16)Val-->Ile, GTC > ATC] and Hb Sinai-Bel Air [beta53(D4)Ala-->Asp, GCT > GAT].

Neonatal screening for hemoglobinopathies occasionally results in the detection of novel hemoglobin (Hb) variants. Two heterozygous infants were found with different beta chain mutations, neither of which produced obvious clinical or laboratory abnormalities on routine examinations. The variants were characterized by cation exchange high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), reversed phase HPLC, and sequencing of amplified beta-globin genes.

Rare occurrence of Hb Lepore-Baltimore in African Americans: molecular characteristics and variations of Hb Lepores.

Hb Lepore is the hybrid hemoglobin (Hb) composed of two alpha-globin chains and two deltabeta hybrid chains and is associated with the clinical findings of thalassemia minor in its heterozygous form. Hb Lepore can be found in many ethnic groups, commonly in southern European countries, but rarely in African Americans. The first Hb Lepore case in an African-American individual was named Hb Lepore-The Bronx (Hb Lepore-Boston).

Mortality in sickle cell patients on hydroxyurea therapy.

The efficacy of hydroxyurea (HU) and its role in the reduction in mortality in sickle cell patients has been established. Nevertheless, many patients still die of complications of this disease while on HU. Of the 226 patients treated with HU at our center, 38 died (34 of sickle cell-related causes).

Interaction of sickle cell trait with hereditary spherocytosis: splenic infarcts and sequestration.

The association of sickle cell trait (SCT) and hereditary spherocytosis (HS) has been reported in only 18 patients. Three of these 18 patients experienced splenic infarct or acute splenic sequestration. We report here a 46-year-old African-American male, the oldest reported case to date, who experienced episodes of hemolysis and severe left upper quadrant pain for the past 26 years.

Molecular characterization of Hb D-Ibadan [beta87(F3)Thr-->Lys] in combination with Hb S [beta6(A3)Glu-->Val] and with beta+-Thalassemia: report of two cases.

Hb D-Ibadan [beta87(F3)Thr-->Lys] is a common variant in the Nigerian population, which has been reported in association with Hb S [beta6(A3)Glu-->Val] and with beta-thalassemia. Unlike the Hb S/Hb D-Los Angeles [beta121(GH4)Glu-->Gln] combination, compound heterozygosity for Hb D-Ibadan and Hb S does not result in a sickling disorder. We report the first case of a combination of Hb D-Ibadan with beta+-thalassemia, and the first observation of Hb S/Hb D-Ibadan in the African-American population.