Second-generation immigrant children: health prevention for a new population in terms of vaccination coverage and health assessment.

Background: In recent years the total number of foreigners taking up residence in Italy is increasing: the number of children born in Italy to foreign parents currently account for 15% of all babies born in the country. This population is generally referred to as "second-generation immigrants". We evaluated the health conditions of this particular population by investigating the vaccination coverage and auxological data in a group of foreign children living in a foster care setting and by comparing them to those regarding a group of foreign children living with their own parents.

A twenty-year retrospective study of pediatric tuberculosis in two tertiary hospitals in Rome.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is among the top 10 causes of child death worldwide. Nevertheless, childhood disease has been neglected by tuberculosis control programs.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients < 16 years of age diagnosed with active TB in 2 tertiary hospitals in Rome (Italy), between 1990 and 2009.

Maternal and neonatal characteristics of an immigrant population in an Italian hospital.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the maternal and neonatal immigrant population and to compare it with the Italian population in the Agostino Gemelli Hospital (Rome).

Methods: This study was a prospective population-based study. We compared 595 newborns from immigrant mothers with 2413 newborns from Italian mothers.

An uncommon presentation for a severe invasive infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone USA300 in Italy: a case report.

Background: Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been considered for many years a typical nosocomial pathogen. Recently MRSA has emerged as a frequent cause of infections in the community. More commonly, community-acquired (CA)-MRSA is a cause of infections of the skin and soft-tissues, but life-threatening infections such as necrotizing pneumonia and sepsis can occasionally occur.

Candida albicans endocarditis diagnosed by PCR-based molecular assay in a critically ill pediatric patient.

A young Down's syndrome patient developed tricuspid valve endocarditis several years after undergoing surgical closure of a congenital ventricular septal defect. Fungal etiology was established by PCR amplification of the Candida albicans ERG11 gene. Although antifungal therapy was administered, surgical replacement of the infected valve was required to eliminate the infection.