Evaluation of a distribution, education and awareness intervention for child passenger safety in Lebanon: a low-income and middle-income country setting.

Background: The Eastern Mediterranean Region suffers disproportionately from paediatric traffic-related injuries. Despite governmental laws, Lebanon-an eastern Mediterranean country-has low child restraint (CR) use prevalence. This study examined the impact of using car seat distribution, and child passenger safety education and awareness intervention to improve child passenger safety knowledge and practices among caregivers.

Aeroallergen sensitization in Lebanese asthmatic children: the results of a cohort national study.

Atopic asthma is characterized by the presence of sensitization to common aeroallergens, which tends to have a worse prognosis than non-atopic asthma. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of aeroallergens sensitization in the Lebanese pediatric asthmatic population and determine the relationship between allergens sensitization (indoor and outdoor) and age, area of residence and altitude. A sample, consisting of 919 asthmatic children (aged 1 to 18 years, from 2010 until 2017), underwent skin prick testing (SPT) with 21 common allergens: 5 grasses (cocksfoot, sweet vernal-grass, rye-grass, meadow grass, timothy), Parietaria, olive, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina (DP-DF), dog and cat dander, Alternaria longipens, Aspergillus fumigatus and nidulans, Cupressaceae, pine, German cockroach, and 4 cereals (oat, wheat, barley, maize).

Vitamin D supplementation in children with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Epidemiologic studies suggest an association between vitamin D deficiency and atopic diseases, including asthma. The objective of this study was to systematically review the benefits and harms of vitamin D supplementation in children with asthma.

Methods: We used standard Cochrane systematic review methodology.

Association between low vitamin D levels and the diagnosis of asthma in children: a systematic review of cohort studies.

Background: There is conflicting evidence about the association between low vitamin D levels in children and development of asthma in later life. The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence for an epidemiological association between low serum levels of vitamin D and the diagnosis of asthma in children.

Methods: We used the Cochrane methodology for conducting systematic reviews.

Pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease.

The pulmonary complications of sickle cell disease are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in affected patients. The acute chest syndrome (ACS) is a leading cause of death in patients with sickle cell disease and has a multifactorial etiology. Hydroxyurea (HU), stem cell transplantation (SCT) and chronic transfusions are known to prevent the recurrence of ACS.