Decision-making on maternal pertussis vaccination among women in a vaccine-hesitant religious group: Stages and needs.

Introduction: As of December 2019, pregnant women in the Netherlands are offered pertussis vaccination to protect their newborn infant against pertussis infection. However, the manner in which pregnant women decide about this maternal pertussis vaccination is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the decision-making process regarding maternal pertussis vaccination, and to explore the related needs among the vaccine-hesitant subgroup of orthodox Protestant women.

Risk factors for persisting measles susceptibility: a case-control study among unvaccinated orthodox Protestants.

Background: Measles is an infectious disease providing lifelong immunity. Epidemics periodically occur among unvaccinated orthodox Protestants in the Netherlands. During the 2013/2014 epidemic, 17% of the reported patients was over 14 years old.

Climate change and public health policy: translating the science.

Public health authorities are required to prepare for future threats and need predictions of the likely impact of climate change on public health risks. They may get overwhelmed by the volume of heterogeneous information in scientific articles and risk relying purely on the public opinion articles which focus mainly on global warming trends, and leave out many other relevant factors. In the current paper, we discuss various scientific approaches investigating climate change and its possible impact on public health and discuss their different roles and functions in unraveling the complexity of the subject.

Barostat testing in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Children and adolescents with chronic defecation disorders and chronic abdominal pain without obvious organic etiology form a challenging group of patients for pediatric health-care professionals. The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying such functional gastroenterology disorders are poorly understood. Research studies on the use of the barostat have been aimed to increase our knowledge in this area.

Longitudinal follow-up of children with functional nonretentive fecal incontinence.

Background & Aims: Functional nonretentive fecal incontinence (FNRFI), incontinence in the absence of signs of fecal retention, is a frustrating phenomenon in children. No data on long-term outcome are available. The aim was to investigate the long-term outcome of FNRFI patients after intensive medical treatment.

New insight into rectal function in pediatric defecation disorders: disturbed rectal compliance is an essential mechanism in pediatric constipation.

Objective: To evaluate rectal sensitivity in patients with pediatric constipation (PC) and nonretentive fecal soiling (FNRFS) using pressure-controlled distention (barostat).

Study Design: Thresholds for rectal sensitivity (first sensation, urge to defecate, and pain), and rectal compliance were determined using a barostat.

Results: A total of 69 patients with PC (50 males; mean age, 10.

Childhood constipation: longitudinal follow-up beyond puberty.

Background & Aims: Sparse data exist about the prognosis of childhood constipation and its possible persistence into adulthood.

Methods: A total of 418 constipated patients older than 5 years at intake (279 boys; median age, 8.0 yr) participated in studies evaluating therapeutic modalities for constipation.