Journal of Tropical Pediatrics最新文献

Anaemia among adolescents is a worldwide health problem; however, data on anaemia among adolescents in Sudan are scarce. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of anaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia among adolescent schoolchildren in northern Sudan. Socio-demographic information was collected using a questionnaire. A total of 309 adolescents (52.4% female and 47.6% male) were enrolled in the study. Seventy-five (24.3%) adolescents had anaemia, and none had severe anaemia. In the multivariate analysis, history of pica [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)  =  2.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.31-4.02] was associated with increased odds of anaemia, and an increased level of serum ferritin (AOR  =  0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.99) was associated with decreased odds of anaemia. Of the adolescents, 189 (61.2%) and 55 (17.8%) had iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, being female (AOR  =  3.13, 95% CI = 1.88-5.23) and having a history of pica (AOR  =  1.85, 95% CI = 1.03-3.31) were associated with increased odds of iron deficiency. This study showed a high prevalence of anaemia and iron-deficiency anaemia among adolescents in this part of Sudan, which was associated with a history of pica.

Evidence on long-term outcomes of children receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is of utmost importance to optimize current and future therapeutic strategies for HIV. We sought to ascertain the long-term responses among ART-experienced children and their potential implications. A retrospective, observational, facility-based cohort study was conducted among 136 ART-experienced children monitored for 10 years (2007-2017) at the Essos Hospital Centre in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Primary outcomes were good clinical response defined as the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical stage 1/2, immune restoration as CD4 >500 cells/mm3, viral suppression (VS) as viral load (VL) <1000, or viral undetectability as VL <40 copies/ml at the last follow-up and their predictors (P < .05). At ART initiation among the 90 eligible children, median (interquartile range) age was 29.5 (11-60) months, 53.3% were males, 34.5% were at WHO clinical stage 1/2, median-CD4 was 497 cells/mm3, and initial ART-regimens were mainly zidovudine-lamivudine-nevirapine (85.5%) and zidovudine-lamivudine-efavirenz (12.2%). After 10 years of follow-up, 36.7% were switched to protease-based ART regimens, those at WHO clinical stage 1/2 improved to 75.5%; median-CD4 increased to 854 cells/mm3; 83.3% achieved VS, while only 10% achieved viral undetectability. Following multivariate analysis, no predictor of VS or immune recovery was identified (P > .05). In this LMIC, long-term outcomes of children on ART appear encouraging, characterized by moderate VS rate and immune recovery. However, challenges in achieving viral undetectability indicate continuous viral replication and risks of drug resistance emergence that may jeopardize effectiveness of future paediatric ART strategies.

Transcutaneous bilirubinometry (TcB) is a recognized tool to monitor neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, demonstrating a high correlation with total serum bilirubin (TSB) before phototherapy. However, once phototherapy is started, TcB may become unreliable. To evaluate the correlation and agreement of TcB measured under variously patched skin at different sites (a coin over the sternum, eye shield over the forehead, and diaper area at the back) with TSB. One hundred and ten neonates requiring phototherapy were enrolled. TcB was noted at the three sites using a Drager JM-105 bilirubinometer. TSB was measured before and after phototherapy. Paired t-test, correlation, and Bland-Altman limits of agreement (LOA) analysis were performed. Before phototherapy, the mean TcB values (mg/dl) at the forehead, sternum, and back were 14.4 ± 3.25, 14.8 ± 3.06, and 12.05 ± 3.05, respectively, compared to TSB of 14.71 ± 3.35. All three sites showed a strong positive correlation between TcB and TSB, and the range of LOA (mg/dl) was the narrowest over the sternum (-2.99, 3.18). After phototherapy, the mean TcB values at the forehead, sternum, and back were 8.97 ± 2.98, 10.27 ± 2.87, and 7.92 ± 2.29, respectively, compared to the TSB of 10.78 ± 2.70. A decrease in correlation between TcB and TSB was noted over all the sites, with the best correlation remaining over the sternum (0.83). To conclude, the sternum showed the best LOA (-3.74, 2.73) among the three patch-covered sites. TcB at sternum with coin-patch displayed the best correlation and agreement with TSB, before and after phototherapy compared to the forehead and back.

The clinical profile and outcomes of children with chikungunya infection differ from those observed in adults. As there is a paucity of data on chikungunya infection in children, this study aimed to find the clinical course, complications, and mortality rates of chikungunya infection in children. This was a combined retrospective and prospective observational study. Children aged 1 month to 15 years who tested positive for chikungunya infection by IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in serum or body fluids were included. The demographic details, clinical presentation, laboratory parameters, treatment given, and outcomes were recorded in a structured proforma. Fifty-eight cases (41 retrospective and 17 prospective) were recruited, out of which 30 (52%) were males. The median age was 8 (3-11) years. The most common clinical feature at admission was fever observed in 55 patients (94.8%), followed by vomiting [25 (43.1%)] and myalgia [23 (39.7%)]. Commonly observed clinical signs were skin rash [32 (55.2%)], hepatomegaly [25 (43.1%)], and anemia [22 (37.9%)]. Frequently observed acute complications were lymphopenia [46 (79.3%)], hyponatremia [32 (55.2%)], capillary leak [27 (46.6%)], and thrombocytopenia [26 (44.8%)]. Of 58 cases, 8 (13.8%) children had co-infection with other microbes. Overall, 55 (94.8%) children had complete recovery, 2 (3.4%) children died of complications (one with acute encephalitis and one child with acute respiratory distress syndrome), and 5 children had prolonged arthralgia. Children with chikungunya had more skin manifestations and neurological manifestations than arthralgia. Also, a significant proportion of children developed serious complications like a capillary leak.

This study aimed to identify risk factors for noninvasive ventilation (NIV) failure in <30 weeks' gestation preterm neonates and compare morbidity in patients with and without NIV failure. This study included preterm neonates <30 weeks' gestation who received NIV support for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between infants with and without NIV failure within the first 72 hours after birth. Of 443 preterm neonates, NIV failure occurred in 101 (22.8%). Of these, initial respiratory support was nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in 76 infants (75.2%) and nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) in 25 infants (24.8%). Gestational age, birth weight, and antenatal steroid exposure were significantly lower in patients with NIV failure. Grade III-IV intraventricular hemorrhage, moderate/severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity requiring laser photocoagulation were significantly more common in the NIV failure group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that antenatal steroid therapy reduced NIV failure [odds ratio (OR): 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29-0.94; P = .03], while nCPAP (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.53-4.48; P < .001), surfactant requirement (OR: 2.40, 95% CI: 1.36-4.25; P = .003), and ≥2 doses of surfactant need (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 1.89-6.74; P < .001) were associated with greater NIV failure. The results of this study indicated that administering antenatal steroids and using NIPPV or BiPAP instead of nCPAP as initial respiratory support reduced the likelihood of NIV failure in preterm infants with RDS.

This study aimed to describe the clinical features of preterm neonatal gastrointestinal perforation (GIP) and evaluate the prognostic factors. This retrospective study comprised 191 preterm neonates diagnosed with GIP, who were categorized into survival and non-survival groups. Clinical and demographic data, laboratory and imaging features, and outcomes were retrospectively collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent prognostic factors. The median gestational age was 34 weeks, and the median birth weight was 2000 g. The overall mortality in the study cohort was 25.1%. The median age of onset of gastric perforation was 3 days (range: 1-11 days), while it was 7.5 days (range: 1-30 days) for intestinal perforation. Abdominal distension was the most common symptom in 184/191 (96.3%) subjects. Ninety-one (47.6%) neonates were diagnosed with a complication of necrotizing enterocolitis. Finally, three independent prognostic factors were identified: severe acidosis (OR: 7.604; 95% CI: 1.424-51.910; P = .025), shock (5.131; 2.419-11.266; P < .001), and coagulopathy (3.269; 1.511-7.431; P = .003). Severe acidosis, shock, and coagulopathy are independent prognostic factors in preterm neonates with GIP. Indexes of systemic status evaluation should be given more attention when treating GIP in premature infants.

Musculoskeletal infection of pelvis can be confused with septic arthritis of the hip, irritable hip, sacroiliitis, and spondylodiscitis in the initial period. This study aimed to present the complete clinical picture of pelvic infective osteomyelitis (PIO) in children along with its natural course. Two researchers independently used PubMed and Scopus electronic databases for the literature review. This review includes all studies reporting PIO in the pediatric age group. The final inclusion of 11 eligible studies was done. A total of 277 patients were analyzed from the included studies with the majority of males (158/242, 65.2%). Hip and groin pain (147/195, 75.3%) and limp (155/249, 62.2%) were the common presenting symptoms. Increased systemic temperature (83/103, 80.5%) and localized tenderness at the hip joint area (90/121, 74.3%) were among the commonest signs. Magnetic resonance imaging was an investigation of choice for diagnosis (89/93, 95.6%). Blood culture showed growth in 47.6% (119/250) patients with Staphylococcus aureus (83/102, 81.3%) being the most common isolated organism. Treatment with sensitive antibiotics was the mainstay of management with surgery for debridement or biopsy being required in only 16.1% (23/142) of the patients. PIO in children is a rare condition mimicking several other disease processes affecting the neighboring tissues the diagnosis of which gets limited in low-resource settings. Further prospective clinical studies are the need of the hour to validate the guideline proposed. Explorative studies to define a clinical scoring system to differentiate septic arthritis of the hip from PIO may be considered.

Many studies have reported the relationship between eating rate and childhood overweight/obesity, while results remain inconclusive. The present study was done to estimate the association between eating rate and childhood overweight/obesity through a systematic review of prevalence studies. Relevant studies were searched by two independent researchers in databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, and data were collected from relevant studies published through June 2023 using predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. A summary estimate was calculated using a random-effect model, and subgroup analysis was performed to explore sources of heterogeneity. Data from 16 published studies were eligible for inclusion. Fast eating was associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity compared with a medium eating rate (OR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.49, 2.18), and slow eating showed a declined overweight/obesity risk among children and adolescents (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.81). Subgroup analysis performed according to age showed that in all age groups, eating fast was positively correlated with overweight/obesity, while eating slowly was negatively associated with overweight/obesity. According to our study, eating rate was closely related to childhood overweight/obesity, and eating fast was associated with an increased likelihood of being overweight/obesity. In the future, it will be necessary to understand the factors that influence fast eating and develop methods to slow down the eating rate in children and adolescents.

Recent evidence shows a shift in neonatal mortality causes, with an increasing proportion due to birth defects. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and treatment outcomes of congenital anomalies (CAs) at a tertiary referral center in Northern India. This retrospective observational study was conducted over 7 years (May 2014-December 2021) and included all inborn and outborn neonates admitted with a diagnosis of CA as per ICD-10 classification in a level 3 NICU in North India. The prevalence of CAs was 8.9% (332 out of 3734 neonates). The most commonly affected systems were cardiovascular (33.4%), gastrointestinal (19.8%), and genitourinary (19.8%). While 57.5% of these defects could potentially be addressed through pediatric and cardiovascular surgery, only a small proportion of eligible neonates received timely surgical intervention due to delayed referrals and financial constraints. The mortality rate was 16.8%. This study highlights the significant burden of CAs in Northern India, emphasizing the need for enhanced capacity building, better facilities, and increased awareness for timely referrals. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary collaborations and upgraded healthcare services to inspire further research and preventive strategies to mitigate birth defects. Given the context of a low- and middle-income country, this study's insights into the prevalence, challenges, and outcomes of CAs are particularly relevant, highlighting the necessity of accessible and affordable healthcare solutions in such settings.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the frequently observed complications in neonates with severe perinatal asphyxia. The efficacy of aminophylline in preventing or alleviating renal dysfunction in these neonates remains controversial. The current study aimed to explore whether treatment with aminophylline as adjunctive therapy is superior to standard care alone in preventing AKI in severely asphyxiated term neonates and to delineate the changes in other renal parameters. In this open-label randomized clinical trial, term neonates with severe asphyxia (n = 41) received a 5 mg/kg intravenous dose of aminophylline within the first hour after birth, in addition to standard care for birth asphyxia. The control group (n = 40) received standard care alone. Their daily urine output, weight, serum creatinine, renal functional status, and complications during the first 5 days of life were monitored and compared. The statistical package for social sciences version 25 was used for analysis. Approximately 24.39% of neonates in the aminophylline group developed AKI, compared to 35.0% in the control group (P = .088). Although urine output was generally higher in aminophylline-treated newborns than in the control group, this increase was not statistically significant (P > .05), with the most notable differences observed on the second and third postnatal days. Also, the changes in plasma creatinine levels between the two groups during this time were not statistically significant. Administering a single dose of aminophylline (5 mg/kg) within the first hour of life to severely asphyxiated term neonates might temporarily enhance urine output, but does not reduce the overall incidence of AKI.