Publications by authors named "Simona Di Mario"
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected breastfeeding rates, examining data before, during, and after strict lockdown measures.
- Overall, the prevalence of full breastfeeding at 3 months slightly decreased, while it increased at 5 months from 2019 to 2021, showing varying effects over time.
- Although the pandemic did not significantly affect breastfeeding rates, it did highlight that the number of children in high vulnerability categories increased, indicating a need for targeted support for these vulnerable groups during crises.
Background: Breastfeeding can be challenging in neonates born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation (late preterm).
Methods: This prospective cohort study aims to evaluate exclusive breastfeeding at discharge, at three and six months of life in late preterm infants, and to identify facilitators and challenges to it. We included late preterm neonates eligible for the rooming-in.
Article Synopsis
- Antibiotic prescriptions for children with acute otitis media and sore throat in Emilia-Romagna decreased significantly (37% from 2005 to 2019) after implementing evidence-based guidelines from the ProBA project.
- The study investigated whether this reduction in antibiotic use led to an increase in complications such as acute mastoiditis and acute rheumatic fever, finding that rates of mastoiditis and surgical treatments declined, while ARF rates remained stable.
- The findings support the ProBA project's approach to treating AOM and streptococcal pharyngitis with recommended durations of amoxicillin, showing that less antibiotic use did not result in increased complications.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted in Italy to examine the health risks associated with infant formula use, specifically focusing on antibiotic prescriptions among infants from 2015 to 2017.
- It was found that infants who were solely formula-fed received 138 more antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 children per year compared to fully breastfed infants, while those fed both breast milk and formula received 106 more prescriptions.
- The research concluded that there is a significant association between formula feeding and increased antibiotic usage, indicating potential health risks related to infections in infants.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated a quality improvement project in Italy aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing practices in pediatric primary care from 2005 to 2016.
- Multilevel interventions, including developing guidelines and public campaigns, led to a significant drop in overall antibiotic prescriptions for children, specifically decreasing from 1307 to 881 per 1000 children.
- The results showed a better preference for amoxicillin over other antibiotics and suggested that the project's effectiveness may not be the same in other regions of Italy.
Objective: An efficient breast-feeding monitoring system should be in place in every country to assist policy makers and health professionals plan activities to reach optimal breast-feeding rates. Design/Setting/Subjects From March to June 2015, breast-feeding rates at 3 and 5 months of age were monitored in Emilia-Romagna, an Italian region, using four questions added to a newly developed paediatric immunization database with single records for each individual. Data were collected at primary-care centres.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Congenital toxoplasmosis is a rare but serious infection, and the effectiveness of prenatal education as a preventive strategy is uncertain.
- Two cluster-randomized controlled trials involving 5,455 women were reviewed, but their low quality and differing measurement methods made meta-analysis impossible.
- Both trials reported that prenatal education improved hygiene behaviors among pregnant women, but high rates of follow-up loss raised concerns about the reliability of their findings.
Background: When the bivalent and the quadrivalent HPV vaccines were marketed they were presented as having comparable efficacy against cervical cancer. Differences between the vaccines are HPV types included and formulation of the adjuvant.
Method: A systematic review was conducted to assess the efficacy of the two vaccines against cervical cancer.
Background: The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative aims at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding. Cesarean section is known to represent an obstacle to breastfeeding. In this observational study we compared Baby-Friendly and non-Baby-Friendly hospitals (BFHs and non-BFHs, respectively) in terms of cesarean section rate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Congenital toxoplasmosis is considered a rare but potentially severe infection. Prenatal education about congenital toxoplasmosis could be the most efficient and least harmful intervention, yet its effectiveness is uncertain.
Objectives: To assess the effects of prenatal education for preventing congenital toxoplasmosis.
Introduction: A two phases post authorization safety and effectiveness study of individuals vaccinated with the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, Focetria (Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Siena, Italy), was conducted in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy during the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic. The second phase study aim was to detect short- and long-term adverse events of special interest (AESIs) following vaccination, and to measure vaccine effectiveness in term of hospital admissions.
Study Design And Method: A population-based cohort study using record linkage of automated healthcare databases is described.
Introduction: An observational, non-comparative, prospective, surveillance study of individuals vaccinated with the MF59-adjuvanted A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, Focetria, (Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics, Siena, Italy), was performed in Italy during the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Method: This study assessed the short-term (six-week) safety profile of the investigational vaccine in real time. After vaccination (N=7943), adverse events (AE) were assessed using both active (telephone) and passive (healthcare database) follow-up in enrolled vaccinated subjects, including infants (6-23 months), pregnant women, and the immunosuppressed.
Background: To investigate determinants of antibiotic prescription in paediatric care, as a first step of a multilevel intervention to improve prescribing for common respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in a northern Italian region with high antibiotic prescription rate.
Methods: A two-step survey was performed: in phase I, knowledge, and attitudes were explored involving all family and hospital paediatricians of Emilia-Romagna and a sample of parents. In phase II, patient care practices were explored in a stratified random sample of visits, both in hospitals and family physician's clinics; parent expectations were investigated in a sub-sample of these visits.
Background: Congenital toxoplasmosis is considered a rare but potentially severe infection. Prenatal education about congenital toxoplasmosis could be the most efficient and least harmful intervention, yet its effectiveness is uncertain.
Objectives: To assess the effects of prenatal education for preventing congenital toxoplasmosis.
Background: The cesarean section rate has increased worldwide over the past 20 years; in Italy, it is now more than 35 percent. Although clinical factors are important, the attitudes of health practitioners toward cesarean section need further investigation to correctly identify facilitators and barriers to changes. The objective of this study was to explore the attitudes toward cesarean section of midwives and obstetricians who worked in the same geographical area.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To identify risk factors for stillbirth in developing countries and to measure their impact by calculating the population attributable fraction (PAF) for each risk factor.
Study Design: Systematic review of published studies on risk factors for stillbirth within 3 broadly defined categories: infections, other clinical conditions, and context-dependent conditions such as socioeconomic status, maternal literacy, and receipt of antenatal care. Where statistically significant associations were found between a risk factor and occurrence of stillbirth, the PAF (the proportion of cases occurring in the total population that would be avoided if the exposure was removed) was calculated.
Aim: To compare the use and cost of health care in infants with different feeding patterns.
Methods: Observational study on a cohort of 842 infants born in ten hospitals in northern Italy and followed up to age 12 months. Data on feeding gathered through telephone interviews with 24-hour recall.