Complications that arise with nasogastric tubes after hospitalization in the pediatric population: A mixed methods systematic review.

Children use nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to ensure optimum nutrition and medication delivery when oral feeding fails or when they experience faltering growth. Although this method is less invasive, children may experience complications associated with NGTs. There is a gap in the literature regarding the types and prevention of complications of NGTs in the pediatric population at home.

Assessing the impact of the iPeer2Peer program for adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial.

Background: Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is a chronic pediatric illness, whereby youth experience physical, emotional and psychosocial challenges that result in reduced health related quality of life (HRQL). Peer mentoring has been shown to improve disease self-management in adults with chronic conditions, with mixed results in younger populations. Building on our pilot work - which supported the feasibility and initial effectiveness of the iPeer2Peer program - the objective of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness of the program in youth with JIA through a waitlist randomized controlled trial.

Vascular air embolism in neonates: a literature review.

Background Neonatal vascular air embolism is a rare but often fatal condition. The literature comprises mostly case reports and a few dated systematic reviews. Our objective was to review all case reports of neonatal vascular air embolism to date, and provide up-to-date information about patient characteristics, clinical presentations, outcomes, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, treatment and prognosis.

Urban environment during pregnancy, cognitive abilities, motor function, and externalizing and internalizing symptoms at 2-5 years old in 3 Canadian birth cohorts.

Background: More than 80% of the Canadian population lives in urban settings. Urban areas usually bring exposure to poorer air quality, less access to green spaces, and higher building density. These environmental factors may endanger child development.

FISPGHAN statement on the global public health impact of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

As rates of obesity rise worldwide, incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly referred to as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is increasing, worsening the burden of healthcare systems. The council of the Federation of International Societies for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (FISPGHAN) identified the topic of MASLD epidemiology, treatment, and prevention as a global priority issue to be addressed by an expert team, with the goal to describe feasible and evidence-based actions that may contribute to reducing MASLD risk. The FISPGHAN member societies nominated experts in the field.

Optimizing Drug Selection in Children with Multiple Sclerosis: What Do We Know and What Remains Unanswered?

Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) refers to multiple sclerosis with onset before 18 years of age. It is characterized by a more inflammatory course, more frequent clinical relapses, and a greater number of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions compared with adult-onset MS (AOMS), leading to significant impacts on both disability progression and cognitive outcomes in affected individuals. Managing POMS presents distinct challenges due to the unique needs of pediatric patients and the limited number of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved for pediatric use.

Sociodemographic Factors and Utilization of Pediatric Oncology Satellite Clinics in Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Pediatric cancer care services in high-income nations are mainly centralized in metropolitan cities. To allow treatments closer to home, patients across Ontario, Canada, a geographically large province, are offered decentralized care via satellite clinics; however, it is unclear whether the utilization of these pediatric oncology satellite clinics differs by area-level sociodemographic factors.

Objective: To examine whether sociodemographic factors, such as area-level income and rurality, are independently associated with the odds of satellite clinic visit and the hazards of time to first visit among pediatric oncology patients receiving cancer treatment.

Head Circumference Versus Length and Weight Deficits up to 2 Years of Age in Bangladesh.

Infant undernutrition, defined by length- and weight-based indices, is common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but corresponding deficits in head size have received less attention. In a cohort of term newborns in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we compared the severity of deficits (vs. World Health Organization Growth Standards) in head circumference (HC), length and weight at birth and every 3 months until 2 years of age (n range across timepoints: 843-920).

Early engraftment and immune kinetics following allogeneic transplant using a novel reduced-toxicity transplant strategy in children/adolescents with high-risk transfusion-dependent thalassemia: Early results of the ThalFAbS trial.

Background: Allogeneic transplant for patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia is challenging once there has been iron overload and chronic transfusion support.

Objective(s): A transplant strategy that reduced intensity of the preparative regimen and tailored immunosuppression to both support donor engraftment and prevent GVHD was developed for this population. The combination of a pretransplant immunosuppression phase with reduced dosing of fludarabine/prednisone, treosulfan-based preparative regimen with reduced cyclophosphamide dosing, and introduction of a calcineurin/methotrexate-free GVHD prophylaxis/engraftment supporting regimen with abatacept/sirolimus/ATG was tested.

Do the provisional PRINTO Enthesitis/Spondylitis-Related JIA criteria capture youth with axial spondyloarthritis?

Background: The Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation (PRINTO) recently undertook an effort to better harmonize the pediatric and adult arthritis criteria. These provisional criteria are being refined for optimal performance. We aimed to investigate differences between patients who did and did not fulfill these PRINTO criteria amongst youth diagnosed with juvenile spondyloarthritis (SpA) that met axial juvenile SpA (axJSpA) classification criteria.

Long-term outcome of pediatric acute severe colitis: A prospective 5-year follow-up of the PRASCO trial.

Objectives: The PRASCO trial reported the short-term superiority of an antibiotic cocktail plus intravenous corticosteroids (IVCS) over IVCS alone in children with acute severe colitis (ASC). Here, we report the extension of the PRASCO trial and the long-term outcomes of the antibiotic cocktail in ASC.

Methods: This prospective follow-up of the PRASCO trial documented disease outcomes and treatments annually through 5 years.

Clinical and Pathological Features of a Schwannoma Harboring a Gene Fusion in a Pre-pubescent Patient.

An 11-year-old girl presented with a soft tissue lesion on the dorsal aspect of the left middle finger. Ultrasound imaging demonstrated a 2.8 cm × 0.

An umbrella review on how digital health intervention co-design is conducted and described.

Co-design has been suggested to improve intervention effectiveness and sustainability. However, digital health intervention co-design is inconsistently reported. This umbrella review aims to synthesize what is known about co-design of digital health interventions.

Exploring non-invasive diagnostics and non-imaging approaches for pediatric metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

In this article, we comment on the article by Qu and Li, focusing specifically on the non-invasive diagnostic approaches for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD is the most common chronic liver disease in children. Nearly half of pediatric MASLD cases progress to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis at diagnosis, often with comorbidities like renal disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and mental health disorders.

Developing a transition workshop for adolescents with sickle cell disease.

Background: The transfer from paediatric to adult care presents a significant challenge for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle cell disease (SCD). Disease self-management skills have been recognized as important mediators of poor health outcomes, but transition-related skills such as scheduling appointments and understanding the shift in health care responsibilities remain under taught in the healthcare system. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) study was to (1) understand the areas of disease self-management that AYA patients felt underprepared for, and (2) design and evaluate an educational program addressing the top unmet skills.

Bolstering connectedness through peer support: Randomized-controlled trial of a web-based peer support program for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic autoimmune disease often diagnosed during adolescence. IBD negatively impacts all aspects of health-related quality of life, resulting in physical, emotional, social, school, and work functioning challenges. Adolescents have identified the need for peer support in managing their disease and promoting positive health outcomes.

Impact of transcranial Doppler screening on stroke prevention in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have increased stroke risk, identifiable by elevated velocities on transcranial Doppler (TCD). This review assessed the impact of TCD screening on stroke, mortality, quality of life and morbidity in children with SCD.

Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane libraries, and trial registries was conducted from inception to 28th February 2023.

Pets and related allergens modify the association between early life DEHP exposure and respiratory outcomes in children.

Introduction: Throughout the perinatal period children are exposed to complex mixtures, including indoor chemicals such as phthalates, and biological agents. However, few studies focus on interactions between early-life co-exposures to shed light on how co-exposures modify their individual effects. Therefore, our study aims to assess whether early-life exposure to pets and related biological agents, namely pet allergens and endotoxin, modifies the association between di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and asthma and wheeze in preschoolers to gain insight into interactions.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Hypertension among Children with Nephrotic Syndrome.

Objectives: To determine incidence and risk factors for hypertension in childhood nephrotic syndrome.

Study Design: Using data from the Insight into Nephrotic Syndrome (INSIGHT) study, a prospective observational childhood nephrotic syndrome cohort from Toronto, Canada, we evaluated hypertension incidence and time-to-hypertension overall and stratified by 1) steroid-resistance or steroid-sensitivity, and 2) frequently-relapsing, steroid dependent, or infrequently-relapsing. Hypertension was defined as stage 1-2 hypertensive blood pressure on two consecutive visits or anti-hypertensive medication initiation.