Outcomes of Calcaneal Lengthening Osteotomy in Ambulatory Patients with Cerebral Palsy and Planovalgus Foot Deformity.

Background: To date, no studies have evaluated the longevity of calcaneal lengthening osteotomy (CLO) in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and pes planovalgus. This study aimed to explore the changes in foot alignment following CLO in patients with CP, utilizing both radiographic evaluations and dynamic foot-pressure assessments.

Methods: A retrospective study of 282 feet in 180 ambulatory patients was performed.

Bone Marrow Stem Cell Population in Single- and Multiple-Level Aspiration.

Background: Bone marrow aspiration concentrate (BMAC) has garnered increasing interest due to its potential for healing musculoskeletal injuries. While the iliac crest remains a common harvest site, the aspiration technique's efficacy in offering the highest yield and prevalence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is controversial. This study aimed to compare two different techniques of bone marrow aspiration over the anterior iliac crest from a single level versus multiple levels.

Role of Genetic Testing in Diagnosis and Prognosis Prediction in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in Korea.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) needs careful differentiation from other cardiomyopathies. Current guidelines recommend genetic testing, but genetic data on differential diagnoses and their relation with clinical outcomes in HCM are still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of genetic variants and the proportion of other cardiomyopathies in patients with suspected HCM in Korea and compare the outcomes of HCM according to the presence of sarcomere gene mutation.

Characteristics of Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis at Diagnosis in Korea: Results From a Multicenter, Registry-Based, Inception Cohort Study.

Background: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC) at diagnosis in Korea.

Methods: This was a multicenter, registry-based, inception cohort study conducted in Korea between 2021 and 2023. Children and adolescents newly diagnosed with UC < 18 years were included.

Prevalence, management, health-care burden, and 90-day outcomes of prolonged mechanical ventilation in the paediatric intensive care unit (LongVentKids): an international, prospective, cross-sectional cohort study.

Background: The number of children requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) has increased with the advancement of medical care. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of PMV worldwide, document demographic and clinical characteristics of children requiring PMV in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and to understand variation in clinical practice and health-care burden.

Methods: This international, multicentre, cross-sectional cohort study screened participating PICUs in 28 countries for children aged >37 postgestational weeks to 17 years who had been receiving mechanical ventilation (MV; invasive or non-invasive) for at least 14 consecutive days.

Factors associated with transition readiness among adolescents and young adults with spina bifida in South Korea.

This study aimed to examine the factors associated with transition readiness based on the healthcare transition model among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with spina bifida (SB) in the individual (self-management and self-efficacy), family or social support (family function and social support), healthcare system, and environmental (transition environment) domains. Using face-to-face and online surveys, we conducted a cross-sectional study on AYAs with SB in South Korea. The participants were aged 13-25 years.

Clinical profile of Korean children with spina bifida: a single-center prospective cohort study.

Background: Spina bifida (SB) is a chronic condition requiring lifelong self-management, underscoring the need to establish a dedicated cohort for longitudinal monitoring of health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to describe the development and initial implementation of a single-center prospective cohort study of children with SB and their parents living in South Korea and to describe demographics, clinical outcomes, psychosocial characteristics, and family data for this cohort.

Methods: This cohort was established through expert panel formation, identification of health indicators based on the Life Course Model for Spina Bifida, creation of a cohort database system, and quality control planning.

Efficacy and safety of everolimus for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of everolimus in treating seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2).

Methods: A prospective, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03198949) enrolled patients aged 4-40 years with pathologically confirmed FCD 2 and a history of ≥3 seizures per month for two out of the 3 months prior to screening.

Long-term outcome of transanal irrigation for individuals with spina bifida: a 12-year experience study.

Background: Transanal irrigation (TAI) effectively addresses fecal incontinence and improves quality of life in individuals with spina bifida. Given the scarcity of follow-up studies lasting > 5 years and reports of numerous TAI discontinuations, we assessed the enduring effectiveness and impact of TAI > 10 years after its initiation on the quality of life in individuals with spina bifida.

Methods: We recruited individuals with spina bifida enrolled in a bowel management program who initiated TAI in 2010 and participated in 4-month and 3-year follow-up studies at a spina bifida clinic.

Big data-based reference centiles for body composition in Korean children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The changes in body composition during puberty not only contribute to the differences in body composition between adult males and females but also have associations with growth problems and metabolic disorders, including obesity. Therefore, understanding the changes in body composition during the pubertal period and analyzing reference values based on race and gender are essential research resources. The objective of this study was to generate reference centiles for body composition on a monthly basis using an extensive dataset of body composition information from Korean children and adolescents.

Vertebral Body Morphology in Neuromuscular Scoliosis with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy.

: The distorted vertebral body has been studied in scoliosis; however, there is little knowledge about the difference between neuromuscular and idiopathic scoliosis. This study aimed to investigate the vertebral body morphology in patients with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and scoliosis (CP scoliosis) and compare them with those of apex- and Cobb angle-matched patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). : Thirty-four patients with CP scoliosis and thirty-two patients with AIS were included.

Clinical Effectiveness of Biological Immunomodulators in SARS-CoV-2-Associated Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children: A Systematic Review.

Background: Although there is consensus to use immunoglobulins and corticosteroids as first-line treatments for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), the effectiveness of biological immunomodulators in patients refractory to standard therapy remains unclear. We aimed to outline real-world data on biological immunomodulators.

Method: A literature search using Ovid-Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane CDSR, and KMBASE was conducted from September 2021 to August 2022; certainty of evidence was assessed via GRADE.

Baseline characteristics and associated factors for hypertension in children with chronic kidney disease: results from the Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease study.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as it exacerbates disease progression in children. The aim of this study is to identify characteristics and factors associated with hypertension in children with CKD.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using baseline data from the 10-year ongoing cohort study named KNOW-PedCKD (Korean Cohort Study for Outcome in Patients with Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease).

Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic with HbA1c Testing and Complication Screening in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission levels and undergoing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) test and complication screenings among patients with diabetes mellitus.

Materials And Methods: We included a total of 3601 diabetes patients' data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey to analyze the extent of the HbA1c testing and fundus examination, and 3592 diabetes patients' data to analyze kidney disease screening. COVID-19 transmission levels were classified into low transmission (Busan, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, and Sejong) and high transmission (Daegu, where the first large outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Korea).

Real-world experience of emicizumab prophylaxis in Korean children with severe hemophilia A without inhibitors.

Purpose: Hemophilia A is a genetic disorder characterized by a lack of factor VIII (FVIII). Emicizumab, a recombinant humanized bispecific monoclonal antibody, mimics the function of FVIII. In this article, we present data on an initial real-world evaluation of emicizumab use in Korean children with severe hemophilia A without inhibitors.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes among children with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies using Korean National Health Insurance claims data.

This study investigated neurodevelopment and risk factors in children surgically treated for congenital gastrointestinal anomalies (CGIA), excluding those with known high-risk factors such as low birth weight or chromosomal anomalies. Data of children born between 2008 and 2015 who underwent surgical treatment for CGIA were retrieved from the Korean National Health Insurance Database. CGIA included esophageal atresia, duodenal atresia, jejunoileal atresia, anorectal malformations, and congenital megacolon.

The estimation of pubertal growth spurt parameters using the superimposition by translation and rotation model in Korean children and adolescents: a longitudinal cohort study.

Objectives: Understanding the characteristics of the pubertal growth spurt in Korean children and adolescents can serve as crucial foundational data for researching puberty and growth-related disorders. This study aims to estimate the key parameters of pubertal growth, specifically the age and magnitude of the pubertal growth spurt, utilizing longitudinal data from a cohort of Korean children and adolescents.

Methods: This study used mixed longitudinal height data from a cohort of Korean elementary, middle, and high school students aged 7-18 years.

Surgical management of pancreatic neoplasms in children: a single-institution experience over 15 years.

Introduction: Pancreatic neoplasms are rare among children and very few studies have reported on surgical outcomes for pediatric pancreatic neoplasms. Therefore, we aimed to describe patient and tumor characteristics and report on the surgical outcomes of pediatric pancreatic neoplasm.

Methods: In this retrospective single-center study, we reviewed and analyzed the data of patients who underwent surgery for pediatric pancreatic neoplasms at Severance Children's Hospital between January 2007 and December 2022.

Impact of Respiratory Motion on the Quantification of Pediatric Hepatic Steatosis Using Two Different Ultrasonography Machines.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of respiratory motion on hepatic steatosis quantification using ultrasound attenuation imaging (ATI) or ultrasound-guided attenuation parameter (UGAP) in pediatric patients.

Materials And Methods: Pediatric patients (aged ≤18 years) who underwent liver ultrasonography (US) with ATI or UGAP between May 2022 and February 2023 were included retrospectively. Median, interquartile range (IQR), and IQR/median values were calculated in both free-breathing (FB) and breath-holding (BH) states.

Public and Clinician Perspectives on Ventilator Withdrawal in Vegetative State Following Severe Acute Brain Injury: A Vignette Survey.

Background: The vegetative state (VS) after severe acute brain injury (SABI) is associated with significant prognostic uncertainty and poor long-term functional outcomes. However, it is generally distinguished from imminent death and is exempt from the Life-Sustaining Treatment (LST) Decisions Act in Korea. Here, we aimed to examine the perspectives of the general population (GP) and clinicians regarding decisions on mechanical ventilator withdrawal in patients in a VS after SABI.

Long-term tracking of glycosylated hemoglobin levels across the lifespan in type 1 diabetes: from infants to young adults.

Purpose: Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is commonly used as a monitoring tool in diabetes. Due to the potential influence of insulin resistance (IR), HbA1c level may fluctuate over a person's lifetime. This study explores the long-term tracking of HbA1c level in individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) from infancy to early adulthood.