Consequences For Children Research Articles

Towards a relational understanding of child poverty: Care and adverse inclusion among street-affiliated children in Peru

In this article, I draw on insights from relational poverty scholars to show how uneven power to shape representations of child poverty, alongside ongoing political, economic and social relationships, is key to understanding the (re)production of children's poverty in Peru. Representations of child poverty have consequences for children's wellbeing, particular services young people can access, and understandings of the deservingness of particular children (and their families). Young people's contestations of the meaning and categories of poverty reveal limitations of normative poverty discourses about the relationship between children's labor, the streets and poverty. At the same time, young people also internalize and uphold some of the subtler ways in which poverty is (re)produced. Listening to young people's accounts of their own poverty challenge conceptualizations of child poverty as a bounded problem of individuals or whole countries, and instead recognizes the role specific caring relationships can play in challenging, producing and maintaining poverty. A relational analysis of child poverty offers theoretical and practical insights into the (re)production of poverty, and works to unsettle some of the uneven ways in which poverty knowledge is produced. The research is based on 14 months of interviews, informal conversations, engaging in drawing and games, and participatory observation with street-affiliated children in Lima Peru in 2009 and 2010, as well as follow-up research in 2011 and 2014.

Association of screen time with long-term stress and temperament in preschoolers: results from the DAGIS study

Screen time is increasing rapidly in young children. The aim of this study was to examine associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in Finnish preschool children and the moderating role of socioeconomic status. Cross-sectional DAGIS data were utilized. Long-term stress was assessed using hair cortisol concentration, indicating values of the past 2 months. Temperament was reported by the parents using the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (the Very Short Form), and three broad temperament dimensions were constructed: surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. Screen time was reported by the parents over 7 days. The highest education level in the household was used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. In total, 779 children (mean age, 4.7 ± 0.9 years, 52% boys) were included in the study. Of the temperament dimensions, a higher effortful control was associated with less screen time (B = − 6.70, p = 0.002). There was no evidence for an association between hair cortisol concentration and screen time nor a moderating role of socioeconomic status in the associations (p > 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that preschool children with a higher score in effortful control had less screen time. Because effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.What is Known: • Screen time has increased rapidly during the last decades, and higher screen time has been linked with numerous adverse health consequences in children. • There are no previous studies investigating associations of long-term stress and temperament with screen time in young children.What is New: • Of the temperament dimensions, effortful control was associated with higher screen time in preschool children, but there was no association found between long-term stress and screen time. • Since effortful control reflects general self-regulatory abilities, promoting these skills may be effective in reducing screen time in young children.

Bacteriuria in Children with Special Reference to Structural Abnormalities of Urinary Tract

Background and Aim: Urinary tract infection (UTI) can lead to adverse renal outcomes in the form of renal scarring and its consequences in children. Underlying congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) play a crucial role in UTI recurrence and its outcome. Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate children aged 1 month to 18 years with bacteriuria retrospectively to assess recent trends of antimicrobial resistance, underlying structural abnormalities of the urinary tract, and severity of symptoms associated with it. Ultrasonography was done in children under 2 years with a history of recurrent UTI to exclude associated structural abnormalities of the urinary tract. Results: Of 255 studied children, 58% were female. Ultrasonography of the kidney and bladder was performed in 116 children, which revealed CAKUT in 38% (n=44). Children with CAKUT commonly presented with fever (36%) alone or in combination with other features. The most common pathogen was E coli (60%), which was very sensitive to intravenous aminoglycosides (95-100%) and carbapenems (96%) but had less sensitive to cephalosporins (43%). E coli showed higher resistance to oral cephalosporins and quinolones (62% and 54%, respectively). E coli had a high (93%) and Klebsiella spp had a low (63%) sensitivity to nitrofurantoin. Conclusion: This study revealed that about one fifth of the children with bacteriuria had CAKUT. A higher resistance pattern was observed to commonly used oral antimicrobial agents, which eventually narrows down the choice of empirical antibiotic. Keywords: Child; Bacteriuria; Urinary Tract Infection; Urinary Tract Abnormalities.

Opinions of physical education teachers about the preparation of teachers of early school education to carry out physical activities in classes I-III

Primary schooling is the most important stage in a child's development. Therefore, it is very important that the first teacher, who is an authority for a small child, is competent in all areas of education, including the conducting of the physical activities. Entrusting physical education classes to teachers of early school education is the simplest solution, but at the same time extremely difficult with serious consequences for children in the future.Based on some of the research results presented in this article, attempts were made to describe what are the opinions of physical education teachers about the competence of early school education teachers, to conduct physical education classes. The study was conducted in 2015 during the implementation of a training course for teachers of primary schools in the Lodz region by the Laboratory of Physical and Health Education of the University of Lodz. The results of the study were based on interviews with N= 30 physical education teachers (N= 20 women and N= 10 men), working with classes IV-VI and participating in the training mentioned.

Look at Mummy: challenges in training parents to deliver a home treatment program for childhood apraxia of speech in a rural Canadian community.

Children requiring speech pathology services in rural and remote locations face many barriers in accessing adequate services. This has particular consequences for children who need intensive treatment for therapy to be effective, such those with childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). Parent training has been used to overcome speech pathology service delivery barriers for a range of other communication disorders. However, the effectiveness of training parents to deliver a motor-based treatment for CAS within rural and remote contexts has not been evaluated. This study examined the effectiveness and feasibility of training parents in a rural community to use the treatment approach of dynamic temporal and tactile cueing (DTTC) in order to provide more intensive treatment sessions at home. The study used an experimental single case across behaviours design and parent interviews to evaluate outcomes both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study included four parent-child dyads from a mixed socioeconomic rural community in Canada. Child participants ranged in age from 3 years to 8 years. Child treatment outcomes were measured using an improvement rate difference (IRD) calculation based on percentage of phonemes correct. Fidelity to the treatment protocol was measured using a fidelity score. All parents reported challenges in carrying out the program due to social and behavioural challenges. Parents also reported benefits such as being able to spend more time with their child and learning some useful cueing techniques. Only one of the four participants had a moderate effect size for his target words (IRD=57%). While training parents to deliver DTTC may be effective for some parent-child dyads, clinicians are advised that parent training may not be suitable for all families, and parents in rural and remote communities may face particular social circumstances that make following through with an intensive treatment program difficult.

Premature loss of primary anterior teeth and its consequences to primary dental arch and speech pattern: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Information about the functional and morphological consequences that occur following the premature loss of anterior teeth is still insufficient. To evaluate the consequences in children's speech and arch integrity following premature loss of primary anterior teeth compared to those without premature losses. Electronic searches were performed based on the PECO criteria. Observational studies in children (P) who suffered premature loss or extraction of primary anterior teeth (E) compared to children presenting normal occlusion development (C) and the consequences to speech and dental arch perimeter (O) were included. Risk of bias and data extraction were performed. The meta-analysis evaluated the influence of premature loss of primary anterior teeth in articulatory speech disorders (distortion, omission, and substitution) and space loss in the dental arches. Random- and fixed-effect models were used, and heterogeneity was tested. The certainty of evidence was estimated using the GRADE approach. From a total of 2.234 studies, six studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and four in speech disorders meta-analysis. Despite it was not possible to perform space loss meta-analysis due to the absence of available data, qualitative analysis showed that there was no space loss after premature loss of mandibular primary incisors; a space loss, however, could be observed in children who lost primary canines at an early stage of dental development. For speech disorders results, children who lost anterior tooth presented higher chance of suffering speech distortion, than children without tooth loss (OR 5.466 [1.689, 17.692] P=.005) with low certainty of evidence. On the other hand, there were no statistically differences between premature loss of primary anterior teeth and omission (OR (a) 1.157 [0.439, 3.049] P=.767 and (OR (b) 1.393 [0.434, 4.70] P=.577) or substitution (OR (a) 1.071 [0.581, 1.974] P=.827 and OR (b) 1.218 [0.686, 2.163] P=.5), both with very low certainty of evidence. Premature loss of primary anterior teeth may affect children phonation causing speech distortion. Consequences of space loss to primary dental arch still need to be further studied. Despite the speech distortion results, included articles present low-level evidence-based quality, thus new studies should be performed.

Resilience following exposure to intimate partner violence and other violence: A comparison of Latino and non-Latino youth

Childhood exposure to violence can have serious consequences for children’s social-emotional development and maltreatment risk. However, growing evidence suggests that these negative outcomes are not inevitable. In order to identify personal and environmental factors contributing to the resilience of youth involved with child welfare and exposed to IPV and other violence, and then compare these factors between Latino and non-Latino youth, this study examined data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II corresponding to 601 youth ages 11–17.5 under child maltreatment investigation. Sequential structural equation modeling was used to examine the racial/ethnic differences in the relationship patterns between exposure to violence and personal and environmental protective factors on mental health, risky behaviors, and school engagement. Social and adaptive skills moderated the negative effects of youth-reported exposure to severe violence on mental health; caring adults moderated the negative effects of mother-reported IPV exposure on school engagement; and spirituality moderated the relationship between youth-reported mild violence and school engagement. Maternal monitoring had more positive effects on Latinos’ mental health than on “other” youth’s, despite stronger negative effects of exposure to mild violence were identified among Latinos. Findings from this study support the implementation of programs that prevent child maltreatment and IPV and enhance youth’s resilience by building connections (e.g., mentoring), developing personal strengths (e.g., social and adaptive skills), and enhancing parental monitoring among Latinos.

Manipulation and Domestic Abuse in Contested Contact – Threats to Children's Participation Rights

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has catalysed numerous jurisdictions to introduce new legal provisions to support children's participation rights when child contact is contested. Despite this, children's participation is frequently limited in practice, especially in contexts where children are perceived as vulnerable to a parent's manipulation, even if there are allegations of domestic abuse. While “resist and refusal dynamics” have yet to become mainstream terms in Scottish family law, “manipulation” has become a common concern in cases of contested contact. Drawing on a Scottish empirical study on contested child contact in circumstances of domestic abuse, we interrogate the implications that the concept of manipulation has for children's participation rights. The study involved separate in‐depth interviews with 18 children and their 16 mothers. Findings point to concerns about upholding children's participation rights, particularly in cases where children were depicted as “influenced” or “manipulated.” Through our analysis, we disentangle the problems professionals have when concerns about child manipulation and domestic abuse intersect. We argue that, when combined, allegations of manipulation and domestic abuse present a significant and serious risk to children's participation rights. We find the legal construction of the child's views as separate from the parental dispute to have unintended and serious consequences for children's participation rights. We offer ways in which law and practice may evolve to ensure children's participation rights in these contexts are both implemented and upheld.Practitioner's Key Points The combination of allegations of manipulation and domestic abuse present a significant and serious risk to children's participation rights in contested child contact A legal construction of the child's views as separate to the parental dispute to have unintended and serious consequences for children's participation rights Radical reform in family law and practice is necessary to make disputes about child contact centered around the child, rather than on parental responsibilities and rights.

WHAT NO “RUG TIME” SHARING MEANS: REVISIONING CHILDREN’S OPPORTUNITY TO ENACT LITERATE IDENTITIES THROUGH THE LENS OF POSITIONING THEORY

ABSTRACT This paper provides a telling case account of how a child called Charlie was positioned and (re)positioned himself within and across different situational types of classroom literacy encounters in his first-grade classroom. This telling case is based on a re-analysis of an originating study conducted by the author (HARRIS, 1989); and is founded on a history of research based on revisioning archived data records as new theories develop. Providing a profile of different ways in which a child positions self and is positioned by the teacher, the system and peers, this telling case presents a research approach for understanding positioning processes and their consequences for children as they develop literacy processes and identities. To make transparent how the telling case study led to new theoretical insights, this paper makes visible multiple levels of analytic scale and angles of analysis of positioning (ANDERSON, 2009) that were undertaken to make visible the dynamic nature of positioning as understood through Positioning Theory (HARRÉ & LANGENHOVE, 1999; HARRÉ, 2012). This telling case study, therefore, builds a foundation for developing theoretical understandings of the fluid and dynamic nature of positioning in classrooms, and influences of positioning on children’s opportunities to enact and demonstrate their literate identities and capabilities.

Investigation of the Relationship between Parental Mental Disorders and Autism among the Children of West Azerbaijan -Iran

Background: Autism disorders have increased over the last years. Autism is a neurological growth disorder associated with social communication disorders, growth retardation, and repetitive behaviors, along with serious consequences for children and families. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship between parental mental disorders and autism among the children of West Azerbaijan Province.
 
 Methods: This research was a case-control study in which the case group subjects were selected among the parents with autistic children and control group subjects were selected among the relative parents with healthy children and non-relative parents with healthy children. Both case and control groups were matched in terms of gender, living place, and age of children. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS-16 (Chicago, IL, USA) software.
 
 Results: The current research results revealed that the frequency of mental diseases, including obsessive-compulsive, inter personality sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobia, paranoid ideation, and psychotic disorder are different in fathers and mothers of the case and control groups. As Pvalue was lower than 0.05 in all scales, there was a significant relationship between the mental diseases of parents and the history of mental disorders in relatives and autism.
 
 Conclusion: The prevalence of mental disorders in relatives and having a medical history can be a warning sign of autism in children.

Behavioral interventions for sleep disturbances in children with neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Sleep disturbances are common and associated with negative functional and health consequences in children with neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders (NNDDs) and represent an important potential target for behavioral interventions. This systematic review examined the efficacy of behavioral sleep interventions (BSIs) for children with NNDDs and comorbid sleep disturbances. A systematic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and CENTRAL was conducted in April 2019. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BSI for children with NNDDS were included. Meta-analysis and GRADE quality ratings were performed on sleep and secondary functional outcomes (cognition, academics, and behavior). Nine RCTs were identified (n = 690; Mage = 8.39 ± 2.64years; 71.11% male). The quality of the evidence was predominantly rated as moderate. Posttreatment improvements in sleep were found on self-reported sleep disturbances (total sleep disturbance [standardized mean difference, i.e. SMD = 0.89], night wakings [SMD = 0.52], bedtime resistance [SMD = 0.53], parasomnias [SMD = 0.34], sleep anxiety [SMD = 0.50]) and self-reported sleep patterns (sleep duration [SMD = 0.30], sleep onset duration [SMD = 0.75]) and (2) objectively measured actigraphic sleep patterns (total sleep time [MD = 18.09 min; SMD = 0.32], sleep onset latency [MD = 11.96 min; SMD = 0.41]). Improvements in sleep (self-reported, not actigraphy) were maintained at follow-up, but few studies conducted follow-up assessments resulting in low-quality evidence. Reduction in total behavioral problems (SMD = 0.48) posttreatment and attention/hyperactivity (SMD = 0.28) at follow-up was found. Changes in cognition and academic skills were not examined in any studies. BSIs improve sleep, at least in the short term, in children with NNDDs. Benefits may extend to functional improvements in behavior. More rigorous RCTs involving placebo controls, blinded outcome assessment, longer follow-up durations, and assessment of functional outcomes are required.

Latent Profiles of Parenting among Women Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a widely prevalent problem and has strong negative consequences for women and children. Parenting effectively (for example, practicing warm and supportive parenting and refraining from the use of physical discipline) may be very difficult for women who have experienced IPV and who have children. At the same time, parenting behaviors such as the use of warm and supportive parenting or the use of physical discipline, have consequences for children’s mental and emotional well-being and also for their development. Latent profile analysis was used to examine parenting behavior using data from 184 participants in a study of women and children exposed to IPV. The results of this analysis suggested two closely similar underlying latent profiles of parenting behavior. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications, including possible new directions for reducing stigma and decreasing rates of child maltreatment.

Post-extubation stridor after prolonged intubation in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU): a prospective observational cohort study

PurposeProlonged endotracheal intubation may lead to laryngeal damage, with stridor being the most relevant clinical symptom. Our objective was to determine the incidence of post-extubation stridor and their clinical consequences in children within a tertiary referral center and to identify contributing factors.Methods150 children, aged 0–16 years, intubated for more than 24 h were prospectively enrolled until discharge of the hospital. Potential relevant factors, thought to mediate the risk of laryngeal damage, were recorded and analyzed.ResultsThe median duration of intubation was 4 days, ranging from 1 to 31 days. Stridor following extubation occurred in 28 patients (18.7%); 3 of them required reintubation due to respiratory distress and in 1 child stridor persisted for which a surgical intervention was necessary. In multivariate analyses, we found the following independent predictors of stridor: intubation on the scene, the use of cuffed tubes and lower age.ConclusionDespite a high incidence for post-extubation stridor, only few children need reintubation or surgical intervention as a result of post-extubation lesions. Intubation on the scene, the use of cuffed tubes and young age are associated with a significant increased risk of post-extubation stridor. Awareness of these factors gives the possibility to anticipate on the situation and to minimize laryngeal injury and its possible future consequences.

Examining Body Satisfaction and Emotional-Social Intelligence among School Children: Educational Implications.

In childhood, the perception of body image is in the construction phase and emerges linked to the aesthetic ideals of society, which is well differentiated according to gender. In this way, according to people’s interpretations of the environment and how to manage it emotionally, greater or lesser body satisfaction may be generated, which could have irreversible consequences for children. Therefore, our interest lies in how body image satisfaction and gender can act as modulating variables of emotional intelligence in childhood, analyzing differences in the intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management, adaptability, and mood dimensions of emotional intelligence, according to the degree of body image satisfaction and the child’s gender. A total of 944 Primary Education students selected by multistage cluster sampling, 548 boys and 396 girls aged between 9 and 12 years from different schools in Extremadura (Spain), participated in the research. The study design was descriptive, and questionnaires to measure emotional intelligence, self-perception, and body image satisfaction were used. An analysis of descriptive statistics, a Chi-square test to measure the variance/invariance of the participants’ distribution according to their satisfaction with body image and gender, and a MANOVA to determine the possible effects of satisfaction with body image as well as of gender on emotional intelligence were conducted. Regardless of gender, children who were satisfied with their body image showed higher interpersonal intelligence, greater adaptability, and better mood. With respect to gender, girls showed higher stress management than boys. Throughout Compulsory Education, it is necessary to promote campaigns imparted by specialists to prevent body image dissatisfaction, so that the benefits can reach the entire educational community (students, teachers, and parents). In this work, several possibilities are described to meet the demands of contemporary society.

Postnatal trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms: Postpartum antecedents and differences in toddler adjustment.

Infants are uniquely vulnerable to maternal depression's noxious effects, but few longitudinal studies have tried to identify discrete postnatal trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms (MDS) beginning in infancy. This study extends evidence of heterogeneous change in postnatal MDS by examining their cross-contextual antecedents in infancy and their consequences for children's early behavior problems and language skills in late toddlerhood. A community sample of mother-child dyads (N = 235, 72% Caucasian) was assessed when children were 7, 15, and 33 months old. Mothers reported their socioeconomic status (SES), social support, marital relationship quality, family dysfunction, parenting stress, and infants' functional regulatory problems at 7 months postpartum, and children's internalizing and externalizing symptoms at 33 months. Children completed a receptive vocabulary assessment at 33 months in the lab. Latent class growth analysis identified three postnatal MDS trajectory classes that fit the data best: low-decreasing, moderate, and increasing. Psychosocial measures at seven months postpartum primarily predicted membership to these postnatal trajectory classes, which subsequently differed in children's internalizing, externalizing, and receptive vocabulary in late toddlerhood, controlling for family SES and functional regulatory problems in infancy. We discuss salient antecedents and consequences of postnatal depression for mothers and their offspring.

Cyberbullying and Children and Young People's Mental Health: A Systematic Map of Systematic Reviews

Cyberbullying is associated with considerable negative mental and psychosocial consequences in children and young people, making it a serious public health concern. To review the highest level of available evidence, a systematic mapping review was conducted to identify systematic reviews that investigated the relationship between cyberbullying and mental and psychological outcomes in young people. Topic-relevant bibliographic databases and online resources were searched to identify reviews published since 2007. Data were extracted using a coding tool developed for this study. Methodological quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR criteria. Nineteen systematic reviews satisfied the inclusion criteria and they reported a strong negative association between cyberbullying and mental health outcomes in young people. Meta-analysis was performed in 11 reviews and narrative synthesis in 8 reviews. Data were derived from predominantly cross-sectional studies and a clear causal relationship between cyberbullying and mental outcomes cannot be established. Two-third of the included reviews were classified to be of low or unclear quality, due to the lack of quality assessment of the primary studies included in individual reviews. This systematic map consolidates available evidence at review level and confirms the existing gaps in longitudinal and qualitative evidence synthesis. Closer examination of the moderating factors influencing cyberbullying behaviors in future research can advance our understanding and inform the development of tailored programs of intervention to mitigate the negative impact of this phenomenon.

PARENT’S STRATEGY TO ATTRACT CHILDREN TO EAT, FEEDING DURATION, AND ITS RELATION TO WEIGHT FOR AGE Z-SCORE IN CHILDREN

Appropriate feeding practices are critical for gaining and maintaining nutrition and development in children. Previous study in feeding practices indicated that inappropriateness in feeding practices had consequences in children’s growth and development. This study aimed to determine corelation between parents strategy to attract children to eat and feeding duration to weight for age z-score in children. This was a simple random sampling, cross-sectional study and held on April to June 2016 in Dr. Soetomo Hospital and Husada Utama Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. Subjects in this study were children from 6 to 24 months. Feeding practice determined by interview with children’s parents which consisted parent’s strategy to attract children to eat, feeding duration, and then children were measured weight for age z-score using WHO chart. Statistical analysis used Spearman correlation test. Thirty children were enrolled, 50% were male, with median age 16.5 months (6-24 months). Parents strategy to attract children to eat (53.3% talking, 30% playing and 16.7% watching television) had correlated signifi cantly with weight for age (r= 0.35, p= 0.028). Meanwhile, 56.7% children with feeding duration more than 30 minutes and 43.3% children with time feeding duration less than 30 minutes. Feeding duration had no correlation with weight for age in children (r=-0.32, p=0.43). We conclude from this study that parents strategy to attract children to eat had signifi cant correlation to weight for age but feeding duration had no correlation with weight for age. This study implied that strategy to attract children to eat is necessity in children physical development. Meanwhile, feeding duration has no signifi cant implication. We recommended children must be persuaded as part of parents strategy in order to attract them to eat.

ПОСЛЕДСТВИЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО НАСИЛИЯ ДЛЯ РАЗНЫХ ВОЗРАСТНЫХ КАТЕГОРИЙ

An increase in the number of victims of psycho-violence, which has a traumatic effect on the personality, causing emotional stress, stress, discomfort, and depression, necessitates studying the consequences of psycho-violence for different age categories. Three categories of manifestations of psycho-violence are distinguished: verbal aggression; dominant behavior; manifestations of jealousy that affect the victim of violence in different ways. Violations developing after the experienced psycho-violence affect all levels of an individual’s functioning and lead to sustainable personality changes. Objective: to identify the consequences of psycho-violence for different age categories. My theoretical study of the consequences of psycho-violence for different age categories made it possible to identify specific features of the consequences for different age categories. Consequences for children: sleep disturbances; hyperreactivity; impaired memory and concentration; irritability; a sharp decline in school performance; change of worldview; the emergence of many complexes; low self-esteem; maladaptation; health problems (various diseases occur); difficulty in building relationships; developmental delays (mental, emotional, speech); constant stress, fear, expectation of danger; suicidal tendency, asocial lifestyle. The consequences of psycho-violence in adults are disorders of a psychological and physical nature: sleep disturbances; nervous breakdowns; irritability; depression; anxiety; difficulty concentrating; panic conditions, heart attacks; loss of self-esteem; decreased self-esteem; violation of social relations; decrease in labor productivity. The consequences of psycho-violence for different age categories are different, the general thing is that violations affect all levels of a person’s functioning and lead to persistent personality changes.

A case report of intestinal obstruction due to magnetic ball ingestion

Background: Toys with magnetic balls and objects can lead to serious consequences in children. We report a child with a history of magic ball (magnetic toy) ingestion. Case Presentation: A 4-years-old girl, previously healthy and developmentally normal, presented to the emergency department of the hospital with a 10 days’ history of vomiting and abdominal pain. Parents took her to different hospitals, where she was treated as a case of acute gastroenteritis and gastritis. Routine laboratory tests were normal, and an abdominal ultrasound also did not reveal any abnormality. Parents also did not report anything unusual in history. An abdominal X-ray was done in the Emergency room, which showed a collection of approximately 18 rounded radiopaque objects in the right lower abdomen with the signs of intestinal obstruction. Magnetic balls were removed after laparotomy followed by uneventful recovery. Conclusion: Awareness about the serious consequences of magnetic toy ingestion and the need to supervise children while playing is emphasized. It is strongly recommended that to reduce further damage, the International Safety Standards for the use of small magnets should be established.

Associations between ambient air pollution and daily incidence of pediatric hand, foot and mouth disease in Ningbo, 2014-2016: a distributed lag nonlinear model.

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has high prevalence around the world, with serious consequences for children. Due to the long survival period of HFMD virus in ambient air, air pollutants may play a critical role in HFMD epidemics. We collected data on daily cases of HFMD among children aged 0-14 years in Ningbo City between 2014 and 2016. Distributed lag nonlinear models were used to assess the effects of particulate matter (PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) on the daily incidence of HFMD among children, with analyses stratified by gender and age. Compared with moderate levels of air pollution, high SO2 levels had a relative risk (RR) of 2.32 (95% CI 1.42-3.79) and high NO2 levels had a RR of 2.01 (95% CI 1.22-3.31). The RR of O3 was 2.12 (95% CI 1.47-3.05) and that of PM2.5 was 0.77 (95% CI 0.64-0.92) at moderate levels of air pollution. Specifically, high levels of SO2 and NO2 had RRs of 2.39 (95% CI 1.44-3.96) and 2.02 (95% CI 1.21-3.39), respectively, among 0-4-year-old children, while high O3 had an RR of 2.31 (95% CI 1.09-4.89) among 5-14-year-old children. Our findings suggest significant associations of high SO2 and NO2 levels and moderate O3 levels in HFMD epidemics, and also indicate that air pollution causes lagged effects on HFMD epidemics. Our study provides practical and useful data for targeted prevention and control of HMFD based on environmental evidence.