Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Psychiatr Res 2021 Feb 16;136:388-397. Epub 2021 Feb 16.

Institute of Clinical Medicine / Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI, 70211, Kuopio, Finland; Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, FI, 00014, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, FI, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.

The infants of mothers with elevated depressive symptoms (EDS) postpartum appear to be at increased risk of somatic health problems during their first 12 months of life in low- and lower-middle-income countries. However, in higher-income countries, knowledge of this association is scarce. We sought to examine whether maternal reports of infant health problems, adherence to vaccination schedules and analgesic supply to the infant during the first 12 months of life differ between mothers with and without postpartum EDS. Read More

J Pediatr 2021 Feb 4. Epub 2021 Feb 4.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

Objective: To determine whether infants who have regulatory problems (eg, sleeping, crying, and feeding problems) at one year of age are at increased risk of experiencing language difficulties at ages 5 and 11 years, compared with settled infants.

Study Design: Parent survey and child assessment data (n=1131) were drawn from a longitudinal community cohort study. Latent Class Analysis identified 5 profiles of infant regulation including those who were settled (37%), had tantrums (21%), had sleep problems (25%), were moderately unsettled (13%) and severely unsettled (3%) at 12 months of age. Read More

J Patient Rep Outcomes 2021 Jan 21;5(1):14. Epub 2021 Jan 21.

Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, 4444 Forest Park Blvd, MSC 8505-66-1, MO, 63108, St. Louis, USA.

Background: Development is rapid in the first years of life. Developmental delays appearing during this critical period have the potential to persist throughout the child's life. Available standardized assessments for this age record a child's ability to successfully complete discrete skills but fail to capture whether the child incorporates those skills into daily routines that are meaningful to the child and family. Read More

J Child Neurol 2021 Jan 12:883073820984062. Epub 2021 Jan 12.

Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.

Objective: The lack of an established treatment standard prompted an examination of whether kambakutaisoto, an herbal formula, is effective for non-rapid eye movement (NREM)-related parasomnias and night crying (provisionally defined as an infantile form of arousal parasomnia).

Methods: This study included 137 children aged median 4.1 years (range, 0. Read More

BMJ 2020 12 16;371:m4290. Epub 2020 Dec 16.

University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate evidence from randomised controlled trials and non-randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of hospital clowns for a range of symptom clusters in children and adolescents admitted to hospital with acute and chronic conditions.

Design: Systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials.

Data Sources: Medline, ISI of Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Science Direct, Scopus, American Psychological Association PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature. Read More

Orphanet J Rare Dis 2020 11 30;15(1):335. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Genetic Metabolism, Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Room 801, Science and Education Building, Kongjiang Road 1665, Shanghai, 200092, China.

Background: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) or 22q13 deletion syndrome is a rare developmental disorder characterized by hypotonia, developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dysmorphic features. Most cases are caused by 22q13 deletions encompassing many genes including SHANK3. Phenotype comparisons between patients with SHANK3 mutations (or deletions only disrupt SHANK3) and 22q13 deletions encompassing more than SHANK3 gene are lacking. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2020 Oct 22. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

From the Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Bordeaux, Place Amélie Raba Léon.

Objective: During the first years of life, infant crying is a common trigger of abusive head trauma (AHT). Emergency department (ED) use by AHT victims before visits for child abuse symptoms is not well known, particularly for infant crying. Furthermore, diagnosis could be missed. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2020 Sep;22(9):1001-1006

Department of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518028, China.

Objective: To study the clinical screening and genetic diagnosis of children suspected of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), as well as the differences in the scores of clinical diagnostic criteria among the children with a confirmed diagnosis of PWS.

Methods: A total of 94 children suspected of PWS who were admitted from July 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled as subjects. Methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) was performed to confirm the diagnosis. Read More

J Pediatr 2020 12 6;227:316-317. Epub 2020 Aug 6.

Department of Pediatrics, Dokkyo Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jul;99(31):e21008

Department of Pharmacy.

Background: Dexmedetomidine (Dex) and chloral hydrate (CH) are the most frequently used sedative agents in pediatric patients. We aimed to systematically review the literature comparing the efficacy and safety of Dex and CH for sedation in pediatric patients.

Methods: Seven electronic databases and 3 clinical trial registry platforms were searched for articles published prior to October 2019. Read More

Cureus 2020 May 13;12(5):e8103. Epub 2020 May 13.

Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Western Vascular Institute, Galway, IRL.

Any change in either the short (p) or long (q) arm of chromosome six can result in a variety of disorders.  A two-year-old female child came to us with a history of sudden onset generalized tonic-clonic seizure. She had a syndromic face with frontal bossing and palpable thinning of the right lower lip and an apparent facial asymmetry while crying due to the hypoplasia of the right depressor angularis oris. Read More

Pediatrics 2020 06;145(6)

Department of Woman, Child and General and Specialist Surgery, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy.

Milk of calcium is a viscous colloidal suspension of calcium salts that forms in dilated cysts or cavities. We present, for the first time in literature, a toddler with isolated milk of calcium and treated with a conservative approach. A boy with a history of one urinary tract infection and recurrent fever without vesicoureteral reflux showed at the age of 14 months a left obstructive staghorn stone. Read More

Pediatr Res 2020 May 11. Epub 2020 May 11.

Pediatrics Section, Medical School, University of Salerno "Scuola Medica Salernitana", 84081, Baronissi, Salerno, Italy.

Background: Data on analgesic effects of breast/formula milk sucking while receiving routine childhood immunizations are available only in early infancy, have rarely been compared in the same study, and are not accompanied by information on mothers' satisfaction/acceptance. Here we aimed to compare the analgesic effect of both methods vs. held-only controls up to 1 year of age, and verify mothers' satisfaction. Read More

Indian Pediatr 2020 06 26;57(6):586-587. Epub 2020 Apr 26.

Department of Pediatrics, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Thandalam, Kancheepuram; Tamil Nadu, India.

Paediatr Child Health 2020 Apr 3;25(3):149-159. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Department of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta.

Background: Infantile colic (IC) is a troubling condition with limited treatment options for young infants. This rapid review aims to synthesize the evidence for probiotics in the treatment and prevention of IC in healthy term infants.

Methods: We searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews (SRs), and randomized control trials (RCTs) published between January 1, 2000 and July 11, 2018. Read More

JAMA Pediatr 2020 Jun;174(6):599-608

National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, England.

Importance: Sales of specialized formula for managing cow's milk allergy (CMA) have increased, triggering concern that attribution of common infant symptoms, such as crying, vomiting, and rashes, to CMA may be leading to overdiagnosis, which could undermine breastfeeding.

Objective: To understand whether CMA guideline recommendations might promote CMA overdiagnosis or undermine breastfeeding.

Evidence Review: We reviewed recommendations made in CMA guidelines and critically appraised 2 key recommendations. Read More

J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020 Apr 13:1-11. Epub 2020 Apr 13.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria3052, Australia.

Infant colic is a condition of unknown cause which can result in carer distress and attachment difficulties. Recent studies have implicated the gut microbiota in infant colic, and certain probiotics have demonstrated possible efficacy. We aim to investigate whether the intestinal microbiota composition in infants with colic is associated with cry/fuss time at baseline, persistence of cry/fuss at 4-week follow-up, or child behavior at 2 years of age. Read More

Expert Rev Respir Med 2020 07 21;14(7):679-689. Epub 2020 Apr 21.

Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Nottingham Children's Hospital, Nottingham University Hospitals, Queens Medical Centre , Nottingham, UK.

Introduction: Children with tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) experience excessive dynamic collapse of the central airway(s). TBM remains an under-diagnosed condition, and there is on ongoing need to raise awareness amongst pediatricians.

Areas Covered: The literature from PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register electronic databases was searched from 1 January 1980 to 14 January 2020. Read More

Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr 2020 Mar 4;23(2):154-162. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Department of Paediatrics, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Purpose: The Cow's Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS™), which considers crying, regurgitation, stools, skin and respiratory symptoms, was developed as an awareness tool for evaluating cow's milk-related symptoms. The scoring ranges from 0 to 33. A score ≥12 was proposed as being likely cow's milk-related and suggestive of allergy to cow's milk. Read More

Nat Med 2020 03 11;26(3):418-429. Epub 2020 Mar 11.

Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.

Standard clinical care in neonatal and pediatric intensive-care units (NICUs and PICUs, respectively) involves continuous monitoring of vital signs with hard-wired devices that adhere to the skin and, in certain instances, can involve catheter-based pressure sensors inserted into the arteries. These systems entail risks of causing iatrogenic skin injuries, complicating clinical care and impeding skin-to-skin contact between parent and child. Here we present a wireless, non-invasive technology that not only offers measurement equivalency to existing clinical standards for heart rate, respiration rate, temperature and blood oxygenation, but also provides a range of important additional features, as supported by data from pilot clinical studies in both the NICU and PICU. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2020 09 2;109(9):1733-1744. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.

Aim: The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for interventions for infantile colic.

Methods: This was a systematic review based on a literature search in December 2017 for articles published during 2007-2017 about preventive and treatment interventions for infantile colic in infants. The review included original randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses with at least 20 infants in each study group that were assessed according to GRADE criteria. Read More

Proc Biol Sci 2020 02 19;287(1921):20192499. Epub 2020 Feb 19.

Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle ENES/CRNL, University of Lyon/Saint-Etienne, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM UMR_S1028, Saint-Etienne 42023, France.

Neurobiological changes affecting new mothers are known to support the development of the mother-infant relationship (the 'maternal brain'). However, which aspects of parenting are actually mother-specific and which rely on general cognitive abilities remains debated. For example, refuting earlier findings, a recent study demonstrated that fathers identify their own baby from their cries just as well as mothers. Read More

Emerg Med J 2020 Mar 7;37(3):162-169. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

School of Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.

Background: Urinary tract infection requires collection of a sterile urine specimen for diagnosis, which is difficult and time consuming in pre-continent children. This systematic review summarises evidence of the effectiveness of bladder stimulation techniques on urine collection in pre-continent children, compared with standard techniques.

Methods: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched to May 2019. Read More

Pediatrics 2020 02;145(2)

Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California

Phenotypic and biological characterization of rare monogenic disorders represents 1 of the most important avenues toward understanding the mechanisms of human disease. Among patients with SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 () mutations, a subset will manifest neurologic regression, psychosis, and mood disorders. However, which patients will be affected, when, and why are important unresolved questions. Read More

Acta Paediatr 2020 09 6;109(9):1717-1732. Epub 2020 Feb 6.

Sachs' Children and Youth hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Aim: The aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence for interventions for behavioural sleep problem in infants.

Methods: Systematic review based on a search in MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsychINFO in December 2017 for articles published in English during 2007-2017 about preventive and treatment interventions for sleep problems in infants. The review included controlled trials and meta-analyses with at least 20 infants in study groups assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. Read More

Hum Exp Toxicol 2020 May 13;39(5):624-633. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey.

Melamine contamination is a recent public health problem emerging globally. Present study aimed to detect the rate of melamine presence in human milk in a cohort study and to evaluate any possible differences in maternal-infant pair characteristics such as breastfeeding status, crying and sleep problems of infants, maternal postpartum depression, maternal-infant bonding, infant and maternal anthropometry, and maternal complete blood count caused by the melamine exposure. Mothers of infants born in Şanlıurfa were invited to participate in 'Urfa Child Cohort Survey'. Read More

Drug Alcohol Depend 2020 02 16;207:107805. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, United States.

Background: Maternal substance use and addiction has been associated with negative consequences for parenting and may increase addiction vulnerability in the developing child. Neuroimaging research suggests that substance use may decrease the reward of caring for infants and heighten stress reactivity to affective infant cues.

Methods: Thirty-two substance-using mothers and twenty-two non-substance-using mothers were presented with emotional face and cry stimuli generated from their own and a demographically matched unknown infant during fMRI scanning. Read More

Child Maltreat 2020 08 12;25(3):300-307. Epub 2019 Dec 12.

BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Objectives: To explore the relationship between neighborhood social and material deprivation and the rates of abusive head trauma (AHT), and whether it differs according to sex, and following the implementation of the () program.

Method: A cross-sectional study design was applied to data from children 0 to 24 months old with a confirmed AHT diagnosis between 2005 and 2017 in British Columbia. Dissemination area-based social and material deprivation scores were assigned to residential areas, where AHT cases were recorded. Read More

Ital J Pediatr 2019 Nov 28;45(1):150. Epub 2019 Nov 28.

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health Nursing, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Background: Neonatal sepsis is one of the leading causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Despite implementing of different preventive interventions, the burden of neonatal sepsis is reporting in different areas of Ethiopia. For further interventions, identifying its determinants is found to be crucial. Read More

Allergy Asthma Proc 2019 11;40(6):389-392

Approximately one-half of children with asthma present with symptoms before 3 years of age. The typical history describes recurrent episodes of wheezing and/or cough triggered by a viral upper respiratory infection (URI), activity, or changes in weather. When symptoms occur after a viral URI, children with asthma often take longer than the usual week to fully recover from their respiratory symptoms. Read More