Background: Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness. Repeated or persistent ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in childhood leads to conjunctival scarring, usually in adulthood but often earlier in areas with greater disease burden. There are limited longitudinal data examining change in scarring in children, especially where trachoma rates are low.
Methodology/principal Findings: A cohort of children, ages 1-9 years, were randomly selected at baseline from 38 communities in Kongwa, Tanzania and followed for 2 years. Rates of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) were <5% over the survey period. At baseline, 1,496 children were recruited and 1,266 (85%) were followed-up. Photographs were obtained at baseline and follow-up and graded for the presence and severity of scarring using a four-point scale ranging between S1-S4. In children without scarring at baseline, 1.6% (20/1,246) were found to have incident scarring, and incident scarring was more common among girls compared to boys. Among children with scarring at baseline, 21% (4/19) demonstrated progression.
Conclusions/significance: In this formerly hyper-endemic district, the incidence of new scarring in children ages 1-9 years is low, although 21% of those who had scarring at baseline progressed in severity over the 2-year follow-up period. These data provide support for the thesis that while incident scarring more closely reflects ongoing exposure, progression may involve factors independent of ongoing transmission of trachoma.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008708 | DOI Listing |
Obes Surg
January 2025
Division of Upper Gastrointestinal and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Keck Medical Center of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Background: Bariatric surgery is the most effective intervention for severe pediatric obesity, but a subset of youth experience suboptimal weight loss and/or recurrent weight gain. Early re-initiation of obesity pharmacotherapy postoperatively may improve outcomes, though this has not been evaluated in pediatric populations.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care children's hospital evaluated the safety and efficacy of reintroducing obesity pharmacotherapy within six weeks after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).
Eur J Pediatr
January 2025
Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Unlabelled: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosomal aneuploidy in males (47,XXY karyotype in 80-90% of cases), primarily characterized by hypergonadotropic hypogonadism and infertility. It encompasses a broad phenotypic spectrum, leading to variability in neurocognitive and psychosocial outcomes among affected individuals. Despite the recognized correlation between KS and various neuropsychiatric conditions, studies investigating potential sleep disorders, particularly in pediatric subjects, are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChilds Nerv Syst
January 2025
Ph.D. Human Genetics Program, Molecular Biology and Genomics Department, Human Genetics Institute "Dr. Enrique Corona-Rivera", University Center of Health Sciences, University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Background: Central nervous system tumors (CNSTs) represent a significant oncological challenge in pediatric populations, particularly in developing regions where access to diagnostic and therapeutic resources is limited.
Methods: This research investigates the epidemiology, histological classifications, and survival outcomes of CNST in a cohort of pediatric patients aged 0 to 19 years within a 25-year retrospective study at the Civil Hospital of Guadalajara, Mexico, from 1999 to 2024.
Results: Data was analyzed from 273 patients who met inclusion criteria, revealing a higher incidence in males (51.
Eur J Pediatr
January 2025
Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development (GENUD) Research Group, Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Zaragoza, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009, Saragossa, Spain.
Unlabelled: Most of the available tools to assess adherence to Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) were constructed for adults, having limited applicability to children and adolescents. The aim of this study is to validate a specific questionnaire to assess adherence to MedDiet in children aged 3 to 6 years (MED4CHILD questionnaire). The validation was performed in a baseline examination of a cohort of children who were recruited in schools in seven cities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Struct Funct
January 2025
Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Western Ontario, 1137 Western Rd, London, ON, N6G 1G7, Canada.
Children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be more susceptible to early life stress compared to their neurotypical peers. This increased susceptibility may be linked to regionally-specific changes in the striatum and amygdala, brain regions sensitive to stress and critical for shaping maladaptive behavioural responses. This study examined early life stress and its impact on striatal and amygdala development in 62 children and adolescents (35 males, mean age = 10.
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