Communication within families about advanced pediatric cancer: A qualitative study.

Objectives: This qualitative study examined how families share information and feelings about advanced pediatric cancer from the perspective of both parents and children, as well as how these perspectives vary by child developmental stage.

Methods: Participants (24 mothers, 20 fathers, 23 youth [children and adolescents]) were from a larger longitudinal study at an academic pediatric hospital. Eligible youth had advanced cancer (physician-estimated prognosis of <60%, relapse, or refractory disease), were aged 5-19 years (>8 years old to participate independently), had an English-speaking parent, and lived within 140 miles of the hospital.

Pediatric oncofertility care in limited versus optimum resource settings: results from 39 surveyed centers in Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II.

Purpose: As a secondary report to elucidate the diverse spectrum of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer around the globe, we present and discuss the comparisons of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer in limited versus optimum resource settings based on data collected in the Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II.

Methods: We surveyed 39 oncofertility centers including 14 in limited resource settings from Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I), and 25 in optimum resource settings from the USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part II). Survey questions covered the availability of fertility preservation and restoration options offered in case of childhood cancer as well as their degree of utilization.

Sports Team Participation and Vaping Among High School Students: 2015-2019.

Background And Objectives: Electronic vapor products (EVPs) have gained popularity among adolescents despite the health risks. This study aimed to evaluate whether sports team participation, a well-established protective factor against cigarette use, is similarly associated with decreased EVP use.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the 2015-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey cohorts.

Characteristics of Critically Ill Infants at the End of Life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

About 16,000 infants die in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) each year with many experiencing invasive medical treatments and high number of symptoms. To inform better management, we characterized diagnoses, symptoms, and patterns of care among infants who died in the NICU. Retrospective electronic medical record (EMR) review of 476 infants who died following admission to a large regional level IV NICU in the United States over a 10-year period.

Design and Evaluation Challenges of Conversational Agents in Health Care and Well-being: Selective Review Study.

Background: Health care and well-being are 2 main interconnected application areas of conversational agents (CAs). There is a significant increase in research, development, and commercial implementations in this area. In parallel to the increasing interest, new challenges in designing and evaluating CAs have emerged.

Preliminary Validation of the Psychosocial Assessment Tool in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Objective: Research suggests families whose infants are admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience elevated distress and may have pre-existing risk factors for maladjustment. This study sought to validate the newly developed Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT-NICU/Cardiac Intensive Care Unit [CICU]), a comprehensive screening measure for family psychosocial risk in the NICU.

Methods: The sample included 171 mothers, who completed the PAT-NICU/CICU and other related measures within 2 weeks of their infant's NICU admission at a level 4 unit within a large pediatric hospital.

Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8.

Transgender healthcare is a rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field. In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number and visibility of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seeking support and gender-affirming medical treatment in parallel with a significant rise in the scientific literature in this area. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is an international, multidisciplinary, professional association whose mission is to promote evidence-based care, education, research, public policy, and respect in transgender health.

One-Year Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Purpose: The aims of this study were, in a cohort of children with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), (a) to report 1-year neurodevelopmental outcomes and specifically characterize speech, language, and hearing outcomes and (b) to report the prevalence of cleft lip and/or cleft palate.

Method: This prospective observational cohort study includes newborns with confirmed in utero opioid exposure who received pharmacological treatment for NOWS. During 1-year-old developmental visits, we administered standardized assessments (Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-Third Edition [Bayley-III] or Developmental Assessment of Young Children-Second Edition [DAYC-2]-due to COVID-19 restrictions).

Emotional Well-Being of Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors and Comparison Peers: Perspectives From Children and Their Parents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the emotional well-being of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) from the perspective of children's self-reports and parents' reports relative to matched comparison peers (COMP) and their parents. It was hypothesized that PBTS would self-report more depression symptoms, loneliness, and lower self-concept than COMP. We also hypothesized that mothers and fathers of PBTS would report more internalizing symptoms and lower total competence for their children.

Relation Between EEG Measures and Upper Limb Motor Recovery in Stroke Patients: A Scoping Review.

Current clinical practice does not leverage electroencephalography (EEG) measurements in stroke patients, despite its potential to contribute to post-stroke recovery predictions. We review the literature on the effectiveness of various quantitative and qualitative EEG-based measures after stroke as a tool to predict upper limb motor outcome, in relation to stroke timeframe and applied experimental tasks. Moreover, we aim to provide guidance on the use of EEG in the assessment of upper limb motor recovery after stroke, suggesting a high potential for some metrics in the appropriate context.

Psychosexual Development and Sexual Functioning in Young Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer.

Background: Childhood cancer and its treatment can impair survivors' development throughout life, particularly psychosexual development, which can be affected in complex ways and is crucial for survivors' well-being. Yet, research is scarce.

Aim: This study assessed psychosexual development (milestone attainment, age at attainment, perceived timing) in young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Pilot Study of Associations Among Functional Connectivity and Neurocognition in Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumor and Healthy Peers.

This pilot study examined the associations among functional connectivity in the salience, central executive, and default mode networks, and neurocognition in pediatric brain tumor survivors and healthy children. Thirteen pediatric brain tumor survivors (9 boys, M = 12.76 years) and 10 healthy children (6 boys, M = 12.

Associations between maternal exposure to surgery or pregnancy exposure to fluorinated anesthetics and children's cognitive development and educational outcomes.

A transgenerational, epigenetic effect of anesthesia, particularly fluorinated agents, has been examined in rat models, but translation to humans is unclear. This study examined associations of maternal lifetime exposure to anesthesia and pregnancy exposure to fluorinated anesthetics with child cognitive and educational outcomes. Women in the US Collaborative Perinatal Project (1959-1963) reported lifetime history of surgeries, and the obstetric record captured pregnancy exposure to anesthetics.

Multicenter Analysis of Cardiometabolic-related Diagnoses in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth: A PEDSnet Study.

Context: Studies on cardiometabolic health in transgender and gender-diverse youth (TGDY) are limited to small cohorts.

Objective: This work aimed to determine the odds of cardiometabolic-related diagnoses in TGDY compared to matched controls in a cross-sectional analysis, using a large, multisite database (PEDSnet).

Methods: Electronic health record data (2009-2019) were used to determine odds of cardiometabolic-related outcomes based on diagnosis, anthropometric, and laboratory data using logistic regression among TGDY youth vs controls.

Caregiver Concern About Child Overweight/Obesity in Grandparent Versus Parent-Headed Households in the United States.

Objective: To examine the association of caregivers' concern about children's overweight and obesity status with family structure (grandparent versus parent-headed households).

Methods: Caregivers reported their relation to the child aged 10 to 17 years and the child's weight and height (National Survey of Children's Health 2016-20). Overweight/obesity was calculated using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts.

Patient-reported outcomes in the aging population of adults with congenital heart disease: results from APPROACH-IS.

The congenital heart disease (CHD) population now comprises an increasing number of older persons in their 6th decade of life and beyond. We cross-sectionally evaluated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in persons with CHD aged 60 years or older, and contrasted these with PROs of younger patients aged 40-59 years and 18-39 years. Adjusted for demographic and medical characteristics, patients ≥60 years had a lower Physical Component Summary, higher Mental Component Summary, and lower anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety) scores than patients in the two younger categories.

Screening for Academic Risk Among Students With Cleft Lip and/or Palate: Patterns of Risk and Qualities of Effective Tools.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of academic screening measures in relation to parent-reported diagnoses. Multicenter, retrospective cohort study including structured interviews, questionnaires, and chart reviews. Six North American cleft centers.

A synopsis of global frontiers in fertility preservation.

Since 2007, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference has brought together a diverse network of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and professional levels to disseminate emerging basic and clinical research findings in fertility preservation. This network also developed enduring educational materials to accelerate the pace and quality of field-wide scientific communication. Between 2007 and 2019, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference was held as an in-person event in Chicago, IL.

An mHealth App to Promote Adherence to Immunosuppressant Medication and Track Symptoms in Children After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Usability Study.

Background: In the United States, poor adherence accounts for up to 70% of all medication-related hospital admissions, resulting in $100 billion in health care costs annually. In pediatrics, adherence is largely dependent on caregivers. In a high-risk hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) population, caregivers are isolated with their child due to infection risk and must manage challenging treatment regimens at home, often with limited time and support.

Mental health and parenting demands among grandparent caregivers of young U.S. children.

Substance abuse epidemics and changes in incarceration and foster care policies have recently placed more young children in grandparent custody. Grandmothers bear much of this caregiving responsibility. Our objective was to compare grandparent caregivers of preschool-aged children (grandparent(s) only or in multigenerational households) to parent caregivers, by caregiver sex, in their mental health, available emotional support, and capacity to manage parenting demands.

Hepatic abnormalities in youth with Turner syndrome.

Background & Aims: Liver disease in children with Turner Syndrome (TS) is poorly understood relative to associated growth, cardiac and reproductive complications. This study sought to better characterize hepatic abnormalities in a large national cohort of youth with TS.

Methods: Using electronic health record data from PEDSnet institutions, 2145 females with TS were matched to 8580 females without TS on eight demographic variables.

Slow oscillations promote long-range effective communication: The key for memory consolidation in a broken-down network.

A prominent and robust finding in cognitive neuroscience is the strengthening of memories during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, with slow oscillations (SOs;<1Hz) playing a critical role in systems-level consolidation. However, NREM generally shows a breakdown in connectivity and reduction of synaptic plasticity with increasing depth: a brain state seemingly unfavorable to memory consolidation. Here, we present an approach to address this apparent paradox that leverages an event-related causality measure to estimate directional information flow during NREM in epochs with and without SOs.

Preemie study protocol: a randomised controlled factorial trial testing web-based parent training and coaching with parents of children born very preterm.

Introduction: Children born very preterm (VPT; gestational age <32 weeks) are twice as likely to demonstrate behaviour problems such as aggression, non-compliance, temper tantrums and irritability compared with their term-born peers. While behavioural parent training (BPT), also referred to as behaviour therapy is a gold standard for prevention and treatment of childhood problem behaviours, there are limited accessible and effective BPT interventions for families with children born VPT. The purpose of this paper is to describe a multicentre, randomised controlled protocol for a factorial design trial evaluating the independent and combined effects of the Parent BPT intervention plus brief, weekly coaching calls on parent and child outcomes for families with toddlers born VPT.