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PloS One 2024The present study examined early socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood disadvantage (ND) as independent predictors of antisocial behavior (ASB) and addressed the...
The present study examined early socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood disadvantage (ND) as independent predictors of antisocial behavior (ASB) and addressed the etiology of the associations (i.e., genes versus the environment) using a longitudinal adoption design. Prospective data from the Colorado Adoption Project (435 adoptees, 598 nonadopted children, 526 biological grandparents of adoptees, 481 adoptive parents, and 617 nonadoptive parents including biological parents of unrelated siblings of adoptees) were examined. SES and ND were assessed during infancy and ASB was evaluated from ages four through 16 using parent and teacher report. Associations between predictors and ASB were compared across adoptive and nonadoptive families and sex. Early SES was a nominally significant, independent predictor of antisocial ASB, such that lower SES predicted higher levels of ASB in nonadoptive families only. ND was not associated with ASB. Associations were consistent across aggression and delinquency, and neither SES nor ND was associated with change in ASB over time. Nominally significant associations did not remain significant after controlling for multiple testing. As such, despite nonsignificant differences in associations across sex or adoptive status, we were unable to make definitive conclusions regarding the genetic versus environmental etiology of or sex differences in the influence of SES and ND on ASB. Despite inconclusive findings, in nonadoptees, results were consistent-in effect size and direction-with previous studies in the literature indicating that lower SES is associated with increased risk for ASB.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Longitudinal Studies; Child; Social Class; Adolescent; Child, Preschool; Adoption; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Neighborhood Characteristics; Colorado; Prospective Studies; Child, Adopted; Residence Characteristics
PubMed: 38683790
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301765 -
Trauma, Violence & Abuse Apr 2024Child-to-parent violence and abuse (CPVA) is a pattern of behavior where a parent or carer is abused by a child they are caring for. The main body of work on CPVA is... (Review)
Review
Child-to-parent violence and abuse (CPVA) is a pattern of behavior where a parent or carer is abused by a child they are caring for. The main body of work on CPVA is relatively recent and evolving at pace. This scoping review explores the characteristics of parents, carers, children, and young people in cases of CPVA, the characteristics of CPVA, and barriers to and facilitators of help-seeking in cases of CPVA. The scoping review did not exclude any studies on the basis of geographical location or date of the study. The databases Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline, and PubMed were searched in August 2023, along with hand searches of key journals. A total of 145 reports were included in the review, selected for their relevance to the scoping review questions. The main findings were: (a) the field of CPVA is rapidly growing, doubling in the last decade but with a predominance of quantitative studies; (b) there is no agreed universal definition; (c) children and young people with disabilities; who identify as trans or nonbinary gender, or who are adopted or fostered, are almost completely absent from the existing research; (d) there is very limited research focusing on protective factors or on help-seeking.
PubMed: 38682797
DOI: 10.1177/15248380241246033 -
The Pan African Medical Journal 2024teething is a natural process that all infants go through, and most toddlers obtain their first tooth around six months. However, misconceptions about teething and its...
INTRODUCTION
teething is a natural process that all infants go through, and most toddlers obtain their first tooth around six months. However, misconceptions about teething and its remedies are still prevalent. The study assessed the knowledge and management practices of infant teething symptoms among mothers whose children were admitted to the Pediatric ward of Tamale Teaching Hospital.
METHODS
the study adopted a prospective descriptive cross-sectional design with a quantitative data collection method. A total of 251 mothers were selected using a convenient sampling strategy, and a structured questionnaire was used for data collection.
RESULTS
the study found that 79.7% and 20.3% of respondents had good and poor knowledge of teething, respectively. Also, 65.3% and 34.7% of the mothers had good and poor practices, respectively, in the management of teething symptoms. Marital status (p= 0.029) and type of ward (p= 0.020) were significantly associated with mothers' knowledge of teething. Furthermore, mothers less than 30 years of age (OR, 2.07; 95% CI: 1.19-3.57; p= 0.009) and mothers with formal education (OR, 2.22; 95% CI: 1.22-3.81; p= 0.004) were more likely to have good management practices for teething symptoms.
CONCLUSION
most mothers have a good understanding of child teething, but they do not think delayed eruptions indicate systemic disease. They identified taking the child to the hospital during teething symptoms and administering Paracetamol to relieve the symptoms as standard practices. However, more education is needed to differentiate between teething signs and other ailments and to prevent substandard first aid practices during teething.
Topics: Humans; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ghana; Female; Mothers; Infant; Adult; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tooth Eruption; Young Adult; Hospitals, Teaching; Educational Status; Tertiary Care Centers
PubMed: 38681109
DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2024.47.65.40792 -
Malaria Journal Apr 2024Malaria is still a disease of global public health importance and children under-five years of age are the most vulnerable to the disease. Nigeria adopted the "test and...
BACKGROUND
Malaria is still a disease of global public health importance and children under-five years of age are the most vulnerable to the disease. Nigeria adopted the "test and treat" strategy in the national malaria guidelines as one of the ways to control malaria transmission. The level of adherence to the guidelines is an important indicator for the success or failure of the country's roadmap to malaria elimination by 2030. This study aimed to assess the fidelity of implementation of the national guidelines on malaria diagnosis for children under-five years and examine its associated moderating factors in health care facilities in Rivers State, Nigeria.
METHODS
This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in Port Harcourt metropolis. Data were collected from 147 public, formal private and informal private health care facilities. The study used a questionnaire developed based on Carroll's Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity. Frequency, mean and median scores for implementation fidelity and its associated factors were calculated. Associations between fidelity and the measured predictors were examined using Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis test, and multiple linear regression modelling using robust estimation of errors. Regression results are presented in adjusted coefficient (β) and 95% confidence intervals.
RESULTS
The median (IQR) score fidelity score for all participants was 65% (43.3, 85). Informal private facilities (proprietary patent medicine vendors) had the lowest fidelity scores (47%) compared to formal private (69%) and public health facilities (79%). Intervention complexity had a statistically significant inverse relationship to implementation fidelity (β = - 1.89 [- 3.42, - 0.34]). Increase in participant responsiveness (β = 8.57 [4.83, 12.32]) and the type of malaria test offered at the facility (e.g., RDT vs. no test, β = 16.90 [6.78, 27.03]; microscopy vs. no test, β = 21.88 [13.60, 30.16]) were positively associated with fidelity score.
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that core elements of the "test and treat" strategy, such as testing all suspected cases with approved diagnostic methods before treatment, are still not fully implemented by health facilities. There is a need for strategies to increase fidelity, especially in the informal private health sector, for malaria elimination programme outcomes to be achieved.
Topics: Nigeria; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Malaria; Child, Preschool; Infant; Guideline Adherence; Infant, Newborn; Female; Male; Health Facilities; Diagnostic Tests, Routine
PubMed: 38678279
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04957-4 -
Biomolecules Apr 2024Adversity during infancy can affect neurobehavioral development and perturb the maturation of physiological systems. Dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses...
Adversity during infancy can affect neurobehavioral development and perturb the maturation of physiological systems. Dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses contribute to many of the later effects on health. Whether normalization can occur following a transition to more nurturing, benevolent conditions is unclear. To assess the potential for recovery, blood samples were obtained from 45 adolescents adopted by supportive families after impoverished infancies in institutional settings (post-institutionalized, PI). Their immune profiles were compared to 39 age-matched controls raised by their biological parents (non-adopted, NA). Leukocytes were immunophenotyped, and this analysis focuses on natural killer (NK) cell populations in circulation. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity was evaluated to determine if early infection contributed to the impact of an atypical rearing. Associations with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), two cytokines released by activated NK cells, were examined. Compared to the NA controls, PI adolescents had a lower percent of CD56 NK cells in circulation, higher TNF-α levels, and were more likely to be infected with CMV. PI adolescents who were latent carriers of CMV expressed NKG2C and CD57 surface markers on more NK cells, including CD56 lineages. The NK cell repertoire revealed lingering immune effects of early rearing while still maintaining an overall integrity and resilience.
Topics: Killer Cells, Natural; Humans; Cytomegalovirus Infections; Adolescent; Female; Male; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Cytomegalovirus; Interferon-gamma; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; CD56 Antigen; CD57 Antigens
PubMed: 38672472
DOI: 10.3390/biom14040456 -
BMC Public Health Apr 2024When formulating and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination strategies, an emphasis has been placed on preventing severe disease that overburdens healthcare systems and leads...
The impact of quality-adjusted life years on evaluating COVID-19 mitigation strategies: lessons from age-specific vaccination roll-out and variants of concern in Belgium (2020-2022).
BACKGROUND
When formulating and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination strategies, an emphasis has been placed on preventing severe disease that overburdens healthcare systems and leads to mortality. However, more conventional outcomes such as quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and inequality indicators are warranted as additional information for policymakers.
METHODS
We adopted a mathematical transmission model to describe the infectious disease dynamics of SARS-COV-2, including disease mortality and morbidity, and to evaluate (non)pharmaceutical interventions. Therefore, we considered temporal immunity levels, together with the distinct transmissibility of variants of concern (VOCs) and their corresponding vaccine effectiveness. We included both general and age-specific characteristics related to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Our scenario study is informed by data from Belgium, focusing on the period from August 2021 until February 2022, when vaccination for children aged 5-11 years was initially not yet licensed and first booster doses were administered to adults. More specifically, we investigated the potential impact of an earlier vaccination programme for children and increased or reduced historical adult booster dose uptake.
RESULTS
Through simulations, we demonstrate that increasing vaccine uptake in children aged 5-11 years in August-September 2021 could have led to reduced disease incidence and ICU occupancy, which was an essential indicator for implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions and maintaining healthcare system functionality. However, an enhanced booster dose regimen for adults from November 2021 onward could have resulted in more substantial cumulative QALY gains, particularly through the prevention of elevated levels of infection and disease incidence associated with the emergence of Omicron VOC. In both scenarios, the need for non-pharmaceutical interventions could have decreased, potentially boosting economic activity and mental well-being.
CONCLUSIONS
When calculating the impact of measures to mitigate disease spread in terms of life years lost due to COVID-19 mortality, we highlight the impact of COVID-19 on the health-related quality of life of survivors. Our study underscores that disease-related morbidity could constitute a significant part of the overall health burden. Our quantitative findings depend on the specific setup of the interventions under review, which is open to debate or should be contextualised within future situations.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Belgium; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Child; COVID-19 Vaccines; Child, Preschool; SARS-CoV-2; Adult; Age Factors; Models, Theoretical; Adolescent; Immunization Programs; Middle Aged; Vaccination; Aged; Young Adult
PubMed: 38671366
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18576-w -
Nature Communications Apr 2024Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinomas (PPTCs) exhibit high inter-tumor heterogeneity and currently lack widely adopted recurrence risk stratification criteria. Hence,...
Pediatric papillary thyroid carcinomas (PPTCs) exhibit high inter-tumor heterogeneity and currently lack widely adopted recurrence risk stratification criteria. Hence, we propose a machine learning-based objective method to individually predict their recurrence risk. We retrospectively collect and evaluate the clinical factors and proteomes of 83 pediatric benign (PB), 85 pediatric malignant (PM) and 66 adult malignant (AM) nodules, and quantify 10,426 proteins by mass spectrometry. We find 243 and 121 significantly dysregulated proteins from PM vs. PB and PM vs. AM, respectively. Function and pathway analyses show the enhanced activation of the inflammatory and immune system in PM patients compared with the others. Nineteen proteins are selected to predict recurrence using a machine learning model with an accuracy of 88.24%. Our study generates a protein-based personalized prognostic prediction model that can stratify PPTC patients into high- or low-recurrence risk groups, providing a reference for clinical decision-making and individualized treatment.
Topics: Humans; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; Female; Male; Child; Thyroid Neoplasms; Prognosis; Adolescent; Retrospective Studies; Machine Learning; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Adult; Biomarkers, Tumor; Proteome; Precision Medicine; Proteomics; Child, Preschool
PubMed: 38671151
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47926-w -
Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Apr 2024A recent measure was developed to assess the Quality of Life (QoL) of young people with advanced cancer and is available for parents and professionals (). The present...
A recent measure was developed to assess the Quality of Life (QoL) of young people with advanced cancer and is available for parents and professionals (). The present study aimed to elaborate self-reported versions for children and adolescents with advanced cancer. We adopted a four-phase research plan: (1) to elaborate the questionnaire for youth (8-12 and 13-18 years old) with a team of young research partners; (2) to evaluate the understandability of these versions in a sample of 12 young patients from the target population using cognitive interviews; (3) to assess social validity in the same group using a questionnaire and the content validity index (CVI); and (4) to refine the questionnaires according to these results. Four major themes were identified: (1) issues affecting the understanding of the tool; (2) issues that did not affect the understanding of the tool; (3) modifications to improve the tool; and (4) positive features of the tool. was well received, and feedback was positive. Adjustments were made according to young people's comments and two self-reported versions are now available. It is essential to measure the key domains of QoL in advanced cancer. self-report versions will help target the specific needs of young people with this condition and their families.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Adolescent; Child; Neoplasms; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Male; Female; Surveys and Questionnaires; Self Report
PubMed: 38668073
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31040170 -
Indian Journal of Community Medicine :... 2024Undernutrition is an important public health problem affecting one-third of under five-year-old children in India.
BACKGROUND
Undernutrition is an important public health problem affecting one-third of under five-year-old children in India.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the nutritional status of under five-year-old children along with child feeding practices.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We adopted a systematic sampling procedure to carry out this community-based, cross-sectional study in all the districts of Haryana. Data was collected on socioeconomic and demographic particulars along with anthropometric measurements. Analysis was done using SPSS Windows 23.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of stunting, underweight, and wasting was 34%, 27.5%, and 11%, while that of severe undernutrition was 11%, 8%, and 3%, respectively. The odds of underweight were significantly higher among children of the Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, children of illiterate mothers, lower per capita income, HHs without electricity, landless HHs, low birth weight, no ANC care, and those early ages at complementary feeding. Stunting was significantly higher among children whose mothers were illiterate, children whose fathers were laborers, among landless HHs, with no separate kitchen and lower birth weight, while wasting was higher among children of Muslim religion, children of scheduled caste, with no sanitary latrine facility, low-birth-weight children and early initiation of complementary feeding.
CONCLUSIONS
Undernutrition is observed to be associated with religion, community, education of mother, per capita income, land holding status, birth weight, and age at complementary feeding. Thus, improving maternal nutrition can improve birth weight, improving maternal knowledge about child feeding, and the household's socio-economic status may improve the nutritional status of children.
PubMed: 38665453
DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_616_22 -
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology May 2024A 7-year-old male child was brought by his parents with a complaint of low vision in both eyes for 2 months. The child had low vision in both the eyes for 1.5 years, but...
BACKGROUND
A 7-year-old male child was brought by his parents with a complaint of low vision in both eyes for 2 months. The child had low vision in both the eyes for 1.5 years, but the parents noticed when it worsened further 2 months back, leading to profound vision loss. On ophthalmic evaluation, the child did not perceive light in the right eye. Furthermore, anterior segment examination showed complicated cataract and open funnel retinal detachment with intra-retinal cysts in ultrasound (USG) B scan. In the left eye, he could appreciate light but with poor fixation. Fundus evaluation of the left eye showed total retinal detachment on indirect ophthalmoscopy, which was confirmed on USG B scan. Since the right eye had poor visual potential, no intervention was done. The left eye underwent pars plana vitrectomy with silicone oil tamponade, which led to successful anatomical outcomes. The immediate and late postoperative periods were uneventful, and the child was kept under follow-up and was observed closely.
PURPOSE
To educate regarding the surgical management of giant retinal tears in a pediatric patient.
SYNOPSIS
To inform regarding the surgical challenges faced and steps adopted to manage such cases.
HIGHLIGHTS
Through this case, we want to highlight the challenges faced, such as delayed presentation, difficult preoperative evaluation, intraoperative difficulties such as mobile retina, absence of posterior vitreous detachment, and tenacious vitreous gel. We also want to emphasize on the steps taken to overcome the challenges.
CONCLUSION
In such challenging situations, effective planning, careful manipulation, and persistence are essential for success.
VIDEO LINK
https://youtu.be/T0Gy6Wj13zI.
Topics: Humans; Male; Retinal Detachment; Child; Vitrectomy; Retinal Perforations; Visual Acuity; Ophthalmoscopy; Endotamponade; Silicone Oils; Tomography, Optical Coherence; Retina
PubMed: 38661275
DOI: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_1598_23