Helicobacter pylori infection found during upper endoscopy performed for the diagnosis of celiac, inflammatory bowel diseases, and eosinophilic esophagitis: A multicenter pediatric European study.

Background: Helicobacter pylori may be found during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) performed to diagnose celiac disease (CeD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). We aimed to describe the frequency of H. pylori in children undergoing UGE for CeD, IBD, and EoE and the number of children receiving eradication treatment.

Point-of-Care Screening for Coeliac Disease in Schoolchildren Reveals Higher Disease Prevalence in Croatia.

Coeliac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease triggered by dietary gluten and related proteins in genetically predisposed individuals. Point-of-care (POC) methods are non-invasive and easily performed tests, which could help to reduce the diagnostic delay of CD. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of CD using rapid POC test in first-grade schoolchildren in Zagreb, Croatia.

From Chilblains (Pernio) to Coeliac Disease-Should We Still Consider It Random?

Coeliac disease (CD) is a gluten-triggered, immune-mediated inflammatory disease occurring in genetically predisposed individuals, causing a variety of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms. The most common cutaneous association of CD is dermatitis herpetiformis, although recent reports have sought to link CD with other dermatological and autoimmune diseases. Chilblain, also called pernio, is usually a benign, superficial and localized inflammatory skin disorder that results from a maladaptive vascular response to non-freezing cold.

Management of Helicobacter pylori infection in paediatric patients in Europe: results from the EuroPedHp Registry.

Purpose: The EuroPedHp-registry aims to monitor guideline-conform management, antibiotic resistance, and eradication success of 2-week triple therapy tailored to antibiotic susceptibility (TTT) in Helicobacter pylori-infected children.

Methods: From 2017 to 2020, 30 centres from 17 European countries reported anonymized demographic, clinical, antibiotic susceptibility, treatment, and follow-up data. Multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with treatment failure.

First-line treatment with infliximab versus conventional treatment in children with newly diagnosed moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease: an open-label multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objective: In newly diagnosed paediatric patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease (CD), infliximab (IFX) is initiated once exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN), corticosteroid and immunomodulator therapies have failed. We aimed to investigate whether starting first-line IFX (FL-IFX) is more effective to achieve and maintain remission than conventional treatment.

Design: In this multicentre open-label randomised controlled trial, untreated patients with a new diagnosis of CD (3-17 years old, weighted Paediatric CD Activity Index score (wPCDAI) >40) were assigned to groups that received five infusions of 5 mg/kg IFX at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14 and 22 (FL-IFX), or EEN or oral prednisolone (1 mg/kg, maximum 40 mg) (conventional).

Obesity in Adolescents Who Skip Breakfast Is Not Associated with Physical Activity.

It has been hypothesized that breakfast consumption is generally associated with healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as increased physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the relations between breakfast consumption, adiposity measures and physical activity among adolescents. This investigation is a part of the Croatian physical activity in adolescence longitudinal study (CRO-PALS).

Malnourished children acquire nosocomial infections more often and have significantly increased length of hospital stay.

Background And Aims: A positive correlation between malnutrition and length of hospital stay has been shown previously. However, the impact of malnutrition on an incidence of nosocomial infections and their effect on the duration of hospitalization has not been established among paediatric patients in developed countries. We investigated the correlation between malnutrition, nosocomial infections and LOS in hospitalized children in our University Children's Hospital.

Prevalence of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children and Adolescents in the Mediterranean Region of Europe.

Background & Aims: Little is known about the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in children from the Mediterranean area of Europe. We aimed to assess the prevalence of FGIDs in children and adolescents in this region.

Methods: We collected data on 13,750 children (4-18 years old) enrolled in the Mediterranean-European Area Project, a school-based health study performed in Croatia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Serbia, and Spain.

Diagnosis of coeliac disease in children younger than 2 years.

Background And Aim: To diagnose coeliac disease (CD) in children younger than 2 years, the old ESPGHAN criteria based on 3 small bowel biopsies were recommended until recently. The aim of the present study was to investigate the applicability of only 1 small intestinal biopsy plus positive serology for the diagnosis of CD in children younger than 2 years.

Methods: A prospective cohort study included 81 patients younger than 2 years with symptoms suggestive of CD, who all completed the diagnostic procedure based on 3 small bowel biopsies.

Infant nutrition and allergy.

Over the past several decades, the incidence of atopic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergies has increased dramatically. Although atopic diseases have a clear genetic basis, environmental factors, including early infant nutrition, may have an important influence on their development. Therefore, attempts have been made to reduce the risk of the development of allergy using dietary modifications, mainly focused on longer breast-feeding and delayed introduction or elimination of foods identified as potentially most allergenic.

Epidemiology of coeliac disease in children in one Croatian county: possible factors that could affect the incidence of coeliac disease and adherence to a gluten-free diet (Part II).

Coeliac disease is a life-long disorder characterised by small-intestinal mucosal damage caused by gluten. The treatment, gluten-free diet, leads to mucosal restoration and reduces the risk of malignant and non-malignant complications. According to our recent results, cumulative incidence in Croatian children is 1:519 life-births.