Minerva Pediatrics最新文献

Introduction: In recent years, the rehabilitation of children with neurological disorders has taken into account the possibility of using videogaming consoles and virtual reality systems to make children's therapy more enjoyable, motivating, participated and effective. This study aims at conducting a systematic review about the use and the efficacy of digital games in pediatric neurorehabilitation.

Evidence acquisition: In accordance with the PRISMA approach, a rather wide-ranging search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases by using different combinations of keywords based on MeSH terms.

Evidence synthesis: Fifty-five papers have been included into this review, namely, 38 original studies and 17 reviews. The total number of children and adolescents is 573, with 58% of them being affected by cerebral palsy. Despite a wide variability in the adopted protocols, devices, assessment tools, and a more frequent focus on motor aspects than on cognitive ones, the results of the majority of the analyzed studies support the safety (i.e., absence of severe adverse effects) and efficacy of the videogame-based therapy.

Conclusions: Videogames, when administered by means of commercial consoles or ad-hoc digital systems, seem to be a valid support for physical therapy. Further researchers are needed to deeply investigate the role of this approach in cognitive therapy and cognitive outcomes.

Background: The purpose was to explore the effect of targeted responsibility system nursing combined with psychological intervention on compliance and complications of patients with autologous nasal septum cartilage and ear cartilage transplantation filling.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 80 patients who underwent rhinoplasty with autologous septal cartilage and ear cartilage graft filling was conducted. Patients before the implementation of the "targeted accountable care combined with psychological intervention" program from January 2020 to December 2020 were set up as the control group (N.=40), and patients after the implementation of the program from January 2021 to December 2021 were set up as the study group (N.=40). The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Lund-Kennedy Endoscopy Score, Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), treatment compliance, and complications were compared between the two groups.

Results: At two weeks postoperatively, HAMA and HAMD were lower in the study group than in the control group (t=9.087, 9.265, P<0.05), and bilateral Lund-Kennedy scores were lower in the study group than in the control group (t=8.761, 10.267, P<0.05). The study group had a higher compliance excellence rate (75.00% vs. 52.50%) than the control group (χ²=4.021, P<0.05) and a lower complication rate (7.50% vs. 27.50%) than the control group (χ²=4.242, P<0.05).

Conclusions: Targeted accountable care combined with psychological intervention can alleviate negative emotions in patients with nasal septum cartilage and ear cartilage graft filling, reduce the risk of postoperative soft tissue edema and other complications, and improve patient compliance with treatment.

Background: The importance of neonatal screening for congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is widely shared in the world scientific literature. However, currently, no programs for universal neonatal screening for cCMV have been reported in the literature, and only a few experiences of hearing targeted cCMV screening have been published. In the Tuscany Region, Italy, screening for cCMV has been mandatory since 2008 for each newborn that resulted as "refer" at the Transient Evoked Otoacoustics Emissions (TEOAE) Test, and in our university hospital since 2012, it has been extended to some categories at risk of cCMV.

Methods: We present the results of the protocol for cCMV screening adopted at our Institution since 2012. From 2012 to 2017, 1615 newborns underwent cCMV screening. Twenty-five cases were positive for cCMV, (1.54% of all the newborn screened for cCMV and 0.19% of infants submitted to newborn hearing screening).

Results: Nineteen of the children (76%) had normal hearing, while 6 (24%) had a hearing deficit of variable degree. 2/25 (8%) cases presented a progression of the hearing deficit in the first months of life and no children had a late onset or fluctuating hearing loss.

Conclusions: Our findings show how cCMV screening in newborns that resulted "refer" at TEOAE allows the detection of many cases; but many are still missed. It would be, therefore, important to adopt a universal newborn cCMV screening program or a program extended to newborns at higher risk.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two types of cast immobilization (human position cast and dynamic cast) on hip development in children with Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) after closed reduction (CR).

Methods: A retrospective study of 60 children (64 hips) with DDH who underwent CR and cast immobilization between January 2015 and December 2016 at our Institution was performed. The average age at the time of CR was 14.6 months (range, 6.1-23.5). Fifty-seven females and 3 males were included. According to the technique of cast immobilization, two groups of patients could be identified: patients with DDH managed by human position cast immobilization (group A: 32 patients, 34 hips) and patients with DDH treated by dynamic cast immobilization (group B: 28 patients, 30 hips). Hip joint distance (HJD) after CR was measured on MRI. Acetabular Index (AI) and Acetabular Depth Radio (ADR) were measured of anterior-posterior (AP) radiographs before and 3 months after CR; AI and central edge angle (CEA) were measured last follow-up AP radiographs. The presence of subluxation or dislocation and avascular necrosis (AVN) at the last follow-up visit was also evaluated.

Results: The patients were comparable regarding to sex, side, age, Tönnis degree, AI, and ADR before the reduction between two groups. There was no significant difference in HJD improvement between the two groups 6 weeks following closed reduction. The AI (27.5±5.1°) of group B was significantly lower than those of group A (31±4.9°) (P=0.03) when cast was removed 3 months after CR. At the last follow-up, the incidence of AVN was similar between the two groups of patients (group A: 11.8% versus group B: 13.3%), and the incidence of subluxation or dislocation (group A: 8.8% versus group B: 10%). At last follow-up visit, the AI (23.7±5.4°) in group B was significantly lower than in group A (26.9±4.1°) (P=0.02).

Conclusions: Dynamic cast immobilization promotes acetabular development following CR in patients aged 6 to 24 months with DDH. Dynamic cast immobilization does not increase the risk of dislocation or subluxation, nor of AVN.

Ultrasonography (US) or diagnostic sonography is a radiographic technique that uses sound waves with frequencies higher than 20 kHz to demonstrate soft tissues such as muscles, internal organs, joints, and tendons. The US has various applications in dentistry such as cervical lymph node examination, salivary gland examination, periodontal examination, maxillofacial fracture examination, temporomandibular joint examination, and orofacial swelling examination. One of the most important advantages of the US is it does not produce any ionizing radiation. Since the US does not produce any ionizing radiation, it is a favorable technique especially for the patients who are susceptible to ionizing radiation such as pregnant patients and pediatric patients. In this article, we presented benign tumor lesions that were examined with the US in children and conducted a review of the literature.

Dietary fibers (DFs) are essential components of human nutrition and are principally defined as non-digestible carbohydrates (oligosaccharides and polysaccharides) usually classified by their physicochemical and physiological characteristics (water solubility, viscosity, fermentability, and bulking effect). Unfortunately, there is limited information on dietary fiber recommendations for children, and the evidence on their effect on health and symptom control is mainly available for the adult population. Therefore, this review aims to give a comprehensive overview of the characteristics and dietary sources of dietary fiber and their potential health benefits in healthy children but also their potential use in the treatment of sick children.

Background: Preterm infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestation are at higher risk of low total iron stores (iron deficiency). Serum ferritin is used as a valid total iron stores and iron deficiency biomarker, usually as a combination of ferritin and red blood cell counts.

Methods: Serum hepcidin and ferritin values and red blood cell counts were obtained from 37 of 40 included premature infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestation at risk of iron deficiency. The first sample was obtained in the first week of life, and the second at transfer from the Neonatal intensive care unit to the maternity ward, when serum ferritin level below 25 µg/L has been defined as very low total iron stores (iron deficiency).

Results: Ferritin median levels decreased from a median value of 152 µg/L at the first measurement to 54 µg/L at the second measurement. Hepcidin median levels also decreased from 30.1 µg/L to 2.1 µg/L. We found a positive and statistically significant correlation between levels of ferritin and hepcidin at both measurements (r=0.57; P<0.001 and r=0.72; P<0.001, respectively). Compared to serum hepcidin, ferritin at the first measurement has not statistically significant higher power in predicting children with iron deficiency before discharge from the hospital.

Conclusions: We found a correlation between ferritin and hepcidin levels. Nevertheless, hepcidin does not have a worse power in predicting children with iron deficiency compared to ferritin.

Background: Isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive hereditary disease caused by a disorder in valine metabolism due to the deficiency of isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase. We provided two new mutations for ACAD8 and analyzed new sight to explore the association between the clinical phenotype and genotype of this disease.

Methods: The concentration of butyrylcarnitine was tested by tandem mass spectrometry. Butyryl carnitine and isobutyryl glycine levels were determined based on urine organic acid analysis. Gene mutations were analyzed through gene sequencing.

Results: Five individuals were diagnosed with isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency via newborn screening, and new mutations of ACAD8 encoding isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase were found. The mutations were c.1166G>A in exon 10 and c.986C>T in exon 9, which were analyzed as pathogenic sites. Both manifested as an increase in butyrylcarnitine and slightly elevated isobutyryl glycine levels. No abnormalities in growth and development were observed during follow-up. Additionally, we summarized 32 types of ACAD8 mutations reported worldwide, analyzed the distribution of mutations with clinical symptoms, and found them to be mainly concentrated in the N-terminal domain and C-terminal domain. These findings may provide new clues for the clinical diagnosis and management of isobutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.

Conclusions: In this study, we reported new mutations of ACAD8 and performed a retrospective analysis of isobutyryl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency worldwide. Isobutyryl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency may pose a disease risk during the growth process, thereby requiring long-term follow-up.