BMC Pediatrics最新文献

Background: Pain is prevalent in young people, and can significantly impact their physical, social, and psychological health during adolescence and potentially throughout their life. Despite this, there are no well-resourced public health initiatives educating adolescents about pain. Delivering pain education in schools ensures all adolescents have access to evidence-based information about pain. Few studies have delivered pain education to schoolchildren, and none have considered their preferences for learning about pain. We aimed to identify adolescents' (1) understanding of pain, (2) preferences for content of pain education, and (3) preferences for delivery of pain education at school, to inform the development of a school-based pain education module.

Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey of 501 Australian students in grades 7-10 (mean age = 14 [SD 1.3]; 50.9% male) about their knowledge of pain using the Conceptualization of Pain Questionnaire, and their preferences for learning about pain at school. Participants were asked about their preferences for pain education content, who they would like to deliver the pain education and using which delivery mode (in-person, online or a combination, with branching logic for specific options). Free-text options were included for preferences not listed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics; measures of central tendency (depending on the distribution of data) for continuous variables and proportions for categorical variables.

Results: Aim 1) on average, participants scored approximately half (mean=7.4 [SD 2.5]) of the fifteen pain knowledge items correct. Aim 2) participants preferred to learn about ways to treat pain (70.5%), different types of pain (67.1%) and the role of the brain and nerves in pain (62.1%). Aim 3) most preferred to be taught about pain by health professionals (84.4%), followed by teachers (48.3%). Nearly half (48.7%) preferred to be taught using a combination of online and in-person approaches with the highest preference for educational video and class discussion (67.6%).

Conclusions: Adolescents have some beliefs about pain and injury that do not align with current scientific understanding of pain. These misconceptions could be addressed in pain education at school. School-based pain education programs should include content that aligns with their preferences and use a combination of online and in-person approaches to engage adolescents.

Background: Neonatal brachial plexus injury (NBPI) refers to weakness or flaccid paralysis of the upper extremity, which is diagnosed at birth or shortly after birth. This occurs because of the overstretching of one or more cervical and thoracic nerve roots (C5-T1). Globally, the incidence of NBPI ranges from 0.38 to 5.1 per 1,000 live births, with a higher prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the profile and rehabilitation approaches used for children with NBPI in selected Rwandan hospitals.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical design was used to evaluate NBPI management in two district hospitals. Systematic sampling was applied, with data collected through a capture sheet and a modified version of the Brachial Plexus Outcome Measure (BPOM) questionnaire. Data were analyzed via STATA to generate frequencies, cross-tabulations, and logistic regression.

Results: Approximately 30% of the children achieved independent use of their affected limb after rehabilitation, 60% achieved moderate improvement, and 10% achieved no recovery. The key factors associated with recovery included maternal education, marital status, wealth index, timing of treatment initiation, severity of the injury, duration of rehabilitation, and treatment frequency.

Conclusion and recommendations: Early diagnosis and timely referral are crucial for better outcomes. Emphasis should be placed on educating parents about therapy adherence and expanding access to specialized care. Policymakers should address socioeconomic barriers by subsidizing treatment and enhancing insurance coverage. Increasing treatment frequency and offering flexible scheduling or telehealth services may improve adherence and recovery rates.

Background: Neonatal hypoglycemia is a significant metabolic disturbance contributing to neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, associated factors, management practices, and early outcomes of hypoglycemia among neonates admitted to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Tanzania.

Methods: A prospective Cohort study was conducted at MNH from November 2024 to April 2025, enrolling 130 neonates aged 0-28 days. Hypoglycemia was defined as a random blood glucose level < 2.6 mmol/L. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and glucometer readings. Statistical analysis included Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact to identify factors associated with hypoglycemia.

Results: Of the 130 neonates, 28.5% (n = 37) were hypoglycemic. In the adjusted analysis, prematurity (aOR ~ 3.88, 95% CI:1.39-11.66, p = 0.012), maternal diabetes (aOR ~ 4.97, 95%CI 1.78-15.01, p = 0.003), and absent feeding at presentation (aOR ~ 2.6, 95% CI: 1.05-6.74, p = 0.045) were independently associated with hypoglycemia. Among hypoglycemic neonates, 59.5% (n = 22/37) received oral feeding and 18.9% (n = 7/37) received no active treatment. Hypoglycemic neonates had significantly poorer early outcomes compared to normoglycemic neonates (aOR for adverse outcome (death/continued hypoglycemia) ~ 5.1, 95% CI: 1.9-13.8).

Conclusions: Neonatal hypoglycemia was highly prevalent, particularly among preterm and those born to diabetic mothers. Standardized protocols that include routine screening, early and frequent feeding, and structured follow up are urgently needed to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Background: Current guidelines recommend lipid screening in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) after the age of 10. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of dyslipidemia in pediatric T1DM and determine whether screening before age 10 is warranted.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 187 pediatric patients with T1DM attending the diabetes clinic of Emam Reza Clinic, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were evaluated. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data including age, sex, disease duration, lipid profile (following standard protocol), and HbA1c were collected. Dyslipidemia was defined as LDL > 100 mg/dL, HDL < 40 mg/dL, and TG > 100 mg/dL (< 10 years) or > 130 mg/dL (≥ 10 years) Statistical analyses included chi-square, independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U, and binary logistic regression.

Results: The mean age was 11.05 ± 3.52 years; 40.1% (75) were ≤ 10 years old. Dyslipidemia occurred in 46.0% (95% CI: 38.9%-53.2%), with similar prevalence in ≤ 10 years (42.7%, 95% CI: 31.5%-53.9%) and > 10 years (48.2%, 95% CI: 39.0%-57.5%) (p = 0.46). Hypertriglyceridemia was observed in 22.7% of younger vs. 22.3% of older patients (p = 0.95), while LDL dyslipidemia tended to be higher in > 10 years (28.6% vs. 16.0%, p = 0.05). In multivariable analysis, each one-unit increase in HbA1c was associated with higher odds of dyslipidemia (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.59), as was BMI (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.21).

Conclusions: Dyslipidemia is prevalent even in T1DM patients ≤ 10 years. These findings suggest that lipid screening should be considered before age 10 to ensure earlier detection and intervention.

Trial registration: Not applicable.