Journal of Pediatric Health Care最新文献

Introduction

We aimed to explore the concerns of parents when their children had symptoms of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

Two Norwegian internet forums were searched for parents’ experiences when their children had upper respiratory infection symptoms in 2020–2021. A total of 197 posts were included and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Parents described COVID-19-related and general worries regarding their children with upper respiratory infection symptoms. The first theme, “It is not ‘just a cold’ during the pandemic,” captures how infection control measures influenced parents’ concerns. The second theme, “Concerns and consequences of fever and cold symptoms,” describes general parental worries. Varying levels of worries regarding health care services, limitations of family life, and concerns for relatives were highlighted.

Discussion

Knowledge of parents’ concerns about cold symptoms may help primary health care providers target individual patient counseling and provide background information when policymakers develop information material for infection prevention and treatment.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) incidence and prevalence are increasing in pediatrics. All children aged > 10 years or postpubertal should be screened in primary care for T2DM if they are overweight with one risk factor or have signs of insulin resistance or associated conditions. Classifying pediatric diabetes is challenging. An accurate, timely diagnosis is critical to optimize care, as children with T2DM are at risk for more severe disease as adults. We describe a 10-year-old female referred to endocrine following abnormal laboratory results in primary care. Despite the initial presentation of diabetic ketoacidosis, the child was diagnosed with T2DM.

Introduction

Nonimmersive virtual reality (NIVR), a computer-generated virtual reality experience wherein users are not fully immersed, has been increasingly used in pediatric healthcare. This study aimed to identify the effects of NIVR-based interventions for children.

Method

A mixed methods systematic review of relevant studies published until December 2023 was conducted. We included samples of healthy children and those with chronic conditions or disabilities, findings related to self-management or social skills, and the NIVR interventions applied. A convergent-integrated design was used for the synthesis.

Results

This review included 22 studies, of which 15 examined children having autism spectrum disorders. Utilizing NIVR was found to be effective in enhancing social skills. Participating in virtual communities with peers having similar conditions was determined to facilitate social support and identity exploration.

Discussion

Healthcare interventions using NIVR need to be explored further to improve self-management and social skills in children with various conditions.

Introduction

This review aimed to assess the risk factors of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in pediatric children, a common condition with serious long-term sequela.

Methods

PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using the keywords “Apnea”, “Obstructive Sleep” OR “Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome” AND “Child” OR “Children” OR “Pediatrics”. Data from 35 studies involving 497,688 pediatric patients diagnosed with OSA using polysomnography were reviewed. Risk factors examined included sex, obesity, neck circumference, tonsillar/adenoid hypertrophy, respiratory infections, nasal stenosis, parental OSA/smoking, ethnicity, preterm birth, and breastfeeding history. Relative Risk (RR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated, using Cochrane Q and I² statistics to estimate heterogeneity.

Results

Tonsillar hypertrophy (RR = 3.55), adenoid hypertrophy (RR = 1.63), respiratory tract infection (RR = 2.59), obesity (RR = 1.74), and family history of OSA (RR = 3.03) were significantly associated with pediatric OSA. White ethnicity was protective (RR = 0.77).

Discussion

Recognizing these risk factors aids in early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric OSA.

Category/Date

Clinical Research Podium Presentations: Current Topics in Pediatric Research. Presented at NAPNAP's 45^th National Conference on Pediatric Health Care, March 14, 2024.

Background

Connectedness to adults, schools, and peers is a powerful protective factor for adolescent development. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the environmental and social frameworks that adolescents historically used to connect with others in a pre-pandemic world. During this same time period, we have seen devastating effects on adolescent mental health. The emerging post-pandemic evidence base is limited to survey data and quantitative analysis. Very little data highlights the adolescent experience during the pandemic, in their own words.

Aims

This study aims to understand adolescents’ perceptions of their lived experiences of connectedness to others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Using a prospective qualitative descriptive study design, semi-structured 1:1 virtual interviews were conducted with adolescent participants. Inclusion criteria included: 1) age 12 through 15 years of age, 2) up-to-date on well child care at the study site, 3) parent/legal guardian permission to participate in the study, 4) access to WiFi or cellular service and hardware capable of videoconference, and 5) consent to audio-recording of the virtual interview. Potential participants were identified through EMR dataset query and were randomly recruited via email and telephone outreach. Interview data was analyzed using conventional content analysis with inductive and deductive coding to generate themes.

Results

Twelve adolescents participated in the study. Adolescents described connecting via both in-person and virtual means during the pandemic with household members, non-household relatives, and friends. Six themes describe adolescents’ perceptions of their connectedness to others during the pandemic: 1) “Stuck”, 2) “We couldn't do nothing because of COVID”, 3) “Game night”, 4) “Sometimes we Zoomed for almost like hours a day”, 5) “I begged my mom to not make me virtual”, and 6) “Closer”.

Conclusions

Findings from this study highlight adolescents’ voices as they share their perspectives on the impact of the pandemic on their connectedness to others. This data addresses a gap in the existing evidence of the adolescent experience of the pandemic, which has been largely quantitative thus far. By listening to adolescents’ voices, health care providers become closer to understanding the impact of the pandemic on adolescents and can utilize empathy to support adolescents’ resiliency moving forward.

Aim

To understand preoperative experiences and information needs of Chinese school-aged children undergoing elective surgery to design standardized preoperative education programs to alleviate preoperative anxiety.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews combined with drawing, writing, and telling techniques were conducted in 12 children. The paintings were interpreted alongside children's verbal expressions. All data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes emerged: Origins of Surgical Knowledge: Proximity-based knowledge, media exposure, past personal medical experiences, ward-mate interactions, healthcare staff education; Pre-Surgery Experiences: Anticipation of pain, post-op sensations and impact on life, fantasizing about the operation, being aware of risks, demonstrating psychological resilience, being curious about anesthesia experience, enjoying a break; Preoperative Informational Needs: 55 identified.

Conclusions

Lack of standardized preoperative education creates a gap between children's knowledge and actual surgical experiences. Developing preoperative education tailored to individualized informational needs and developmental level helps fill their gaps, alleviate preoperative anxiety and improve health outcomes.