Child Health Research Articles

Bibliometric analysis of hotspots and trends of global myopia research

AIM: To gain insights into the global research hotspots and trends of myopia. METHODS: Articles were downloaded from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022 from the Science Core Database website and were mainly statistically analyzed by bibliometrics software. RESULTS: A total of 444 institutions in 87 countries published 4124 articles. Between 2013 and 2022, China had the highest number of publications (n=1865) and the highest H-index (61). Sun Yat-sen University had the highest number of publications (n=229) and the highest H-index (33). Ophthalmology is the main category in related journals. Citations from 2020 to 2022 highlight keywords of options and reference, child health (pediatrics), myopic traction mechanism, public health, and machine learning, which represent research frontiers. CONCLUSION: Myopia has become a hot research field. China and Chinese institutions have the strongest academic influence in the field from 2013 to 2022. The main driver of myopic research is still medical or ophthalmologists. This study highlights the importance of public health in addressing the global rise in myopia, especially its impact on children’s health. At present, a unified theoretical system is still needed. Accurate surgical and therapeutic solutions must be proposed for people with different characteristics to manage and intervene refractive errors. In addition, the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) models are also reflected in disease monitoring and prediction.

How does intergenerational coresidence affect the physical health of middle-aged children? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT Due to increasing longevity and decreasing fertility, the middle-aged generation has emerged as the primary caregivers for their elderly parents in China. Using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey, this study employs an endogenous treatment effect model to estimate the causal impact of intergenerational coresidence on the physical health of middle-aged children. The findings reveal that coresidence significantly deteriorates the physical health of middle-aged children. Notably, this effect is more pronounced in employed individuals compared to unemployed ones. Marginal effect analysis uncovers that coresidence has adverse effects on middle-aged children who are either particularly healthy or particularly unhealthy, while the marginal impact of coresidence on children in average health conditions is insignificant.

Preventing postnatal depression in new mothers using telephone peer support: protocol for the DAISY (Depression and AnxIety peer Support studY) multi-centre randomised controlled trial

IntroductionPostnatal depression affects up to one in six new mothers in Australia each year, with significant impacts on the woman and her family. Prevention strategies can be complicated by a...

A comparative study on knowledge, awareness and perception of contraception among rural and urban population in Punjab

In developing countries like India, a lack of awareness about contraceptive methods often leads to misconceptions, limited choices, and improper family planning. This knowledge gap not only disrupts maternal and child health complications but also disrupts the economy of society and the nation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge, awareness and perception of contraception among the rural and urban population in Punjab.This observational study conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary health care centre, in Punjab, India. A total of 500 women were evaluated with the help of a pre-designed questionnaire to address knowledge, awareness, and perception of contraception among the rural and urban population in Punjab. The statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS Windows, version 28. In the present study, a total of 492 participants were included, of whom 387 were from rural areas and 105 were from urban areas. This study revealed, 100% of participants were aware of contraception. In terms of the source of information, social circles were identified as the primary channel (46.34%), followed by the media (33.94%), health workers (16.87%), and educational institutes (2.85%).This study highlights contraceptive methods, including condoms, oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices (IUDs), as primary choices. Therefore, it's important to bridge the gap between awareness and action. Hence, this study, advocate the awareness program on interventions to ensure everyone can access effective family planning resources without barriers.

Development of new hormonal male contraception for the couple.

Current options for male contraception are limited to condoms, the withdrawal method, or a vasectomy. Studies indicate that men have expressed growing interest in bearing responsibility for family planning. To review prior studies investigating the role of an androgen-only or androgen with progestin regimen for hormonal male contraception and to provide an update of a promising new hormonal agent, a transdermal gel. Thus far, there have been six studies conducted in couples evaluating the contraceptive efficacy of an androgen-only or androgen co-administered with a progestin regimen for hormonal male contraception. The only ongoing study is by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, in collaboration with the Population Council. They have developed a novel transdermal gel containing testosterone and segesterone acetate (Nestorone), a progestin. An ongoing phase II study enrolling more than 460 couples has shown great potential with respect to the product's efficacy, safety, reversibility, and acceptability. As this agent advances in development, a rapid at-home test for sperm concentration will provide couples with immediate feedback regarding their potential for pregnancy. There is promise for the first-of-its-kind hormonal male contraceptive, a transdermal gel, to achieve market approval for distribution in the United States and elsewhere. Its safety, efficacy, reversibility, and user-control are all appealing qualities that make it readily adoptable for clinical practice.

Social determinants of antidepressant continuation during pregnancy in the USA: findings from the ABCD cohort study.

Patients and healthcare professionals overestimate the risks of using antidepressants during pregnancy. According to current literature, approximately half of people stop taking an anti-depressant medication when they become pregnant. Discontinuing antidepressants during pregnancy increases risks of postnatal relapses. Factors like socioeconomic status, education, and planned pregnancies play a role in the decision to continue antidepressant medication, which can worsen disparities in maternal and child health. Our aim was to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with antidepressant continuation after awareness of pregnancy. We used representative data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study that captures maternal medication during pregnancy. We identified women who used antidepressants before awareness of their pregnancy. We calculated crude and adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy. Our model included age, education, ethnicity, first language, household income, living with a partner, having planned the pregnancy, pregnancy duration and smoking during pregnancy. In total, 199 women continued antidepressants and 100 discontinued. The logistic regressions resulted in only one significant factor: first language. Native English speakers were more likely to continue medication than other mothers (adjusted OR = 14.94, 95% CI = [2.40; 291.45], p = .015). Language differences were associated with continuation of antidepressants. Non-native English speakers were more likely to discontinue antidepressants, which may lead to health inequities. This finding should be taken into account to reinforce information about the limited risks of antidepressants among people with non-English speaking backgrounds in the USA.

Public Health and Children’s Subjective Well-Being

AbstractIn recent years, the study of children's subjective well-being has garnered escalating global attention, with its research themes becoming increasingly diverse. However, this field still lacks a systematic review and analysis. Drawing upon the Web of Science database, this study retrieved 32,112 relevant articles published between 2003 and 2022, focusing on the theme of children's subjective well-being. After rigorous screening, 23,711 publications were ultimately retained for analysis. Utilizing bibliometric methods, this study conducted network visualization analysis across multiple dimensions, including countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords, aiming to comprehensively reveal the current research landscape of children's subjective well-being. Furthermore, theme modeling techniques were employed to delve into the patterns of theme evolution, and cluster analysis was conducted to categorize related themes. Through qualitative analysis, this study uncovered the developmental trajectory and future research directions in the field of children's subjective well-being. The findings indicate that, in the realm of children's subjective well-being research, developed countries such as those in Europe, America, and Australia have contributed over 30% of the research efforts, both in terms of publication volume and impact. Among them, the United States holds a leading position. The research themes have gradually evolved from an initial focus on the children themselves to exploring their surrounding environments and further delving into the psychological impacts and well-being of children amidst public health emergencies. Notably, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted scholars to delve deeper into children's well-being, shifting the focus of research from mere exploration of mental health to a more nuanced investigation of psychological impacts. Looking ahead, areas such as public health, psychological impacts, and children's dietary health will emerge as crucial directions for future exploration in the field of children's subjective well-being research, offering significant potential for investigation.

World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on the complementary feeding of infants and young children aged 6-23 months 2023: A multisociety response.

The recent World Health Organization(WHO) guideline aims to provide evidence-based recommendations on complementary feeding (CF) of healthy term infants and young children 6-23 months living in low-, middle-, and high-income countries, including both breastfed and non-breastfed children. Like WHO, our organizations aim to promote optimal infant and young child nutrition and health, with a focus on promoting breastfeeding as well as appropriate and timely CF. In this paper, we share our concerns about aspects of the guideline, some of which may have the potential to cause unintended harm in infants and young children and suggest alternative or modified proposals.

The impact of palliative care and parental involvement on the emotional health of children with cancer: an integrative review

The impact of palliative care and parental involvement on the emotional health of children with cancer: an integrative review

Climate Change and Heat: Challenges for Child Health Outcomes and Inequities

Climate Change and Heat: Challenges for Child Health Outcomes and Inequities

Electronic maternal and child health application usability, feasibility and acceptability among healthcare providers in Amhara region, Ethiopia.

An innovative electronic Maternal and Child Health (eMCH) application was developed to support operational and clinical decision-making in maternal and child health services. End-user-based evaluation of eHealth application is a critical step to ascertain how successfully users can learn and use it, and improve the technology. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the eMCH tool usability, feasibility, and acceptability among healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HCPs working in six public healthcare facilities. The usability evaluation was done on 24 HCPs across three professional categories using the ISO 9241-11 usability guideline. One hundred nine HCPs were participated in the feasibility and acceptability study. Data were collected using a standard usability tool, think-aloud protocol, a self-administered approach, and Open Broadcaster Software Studio version 26.1.1 video recorder. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure the association between mean scores and categories of HCPs. The recorded videos were used for the log file analysis method. None of the HCP categories were able to complete all the tasks without errors. The average number of errors and restarts were 7.5 and 2.8, respectively. The average number of restarts was directly proportional to the average number of errors. The participants successfully completed more than 70% of the tasks without requiring any assistance or guidance. Forty-seven comments or errors were identified from the think-aloud analysis and 22 comments from the usability metrics analysis. Overall, statistically significant performance differences were observed among the three HCP groups across the majority of the usability evaluation metrics. Fifty-seven percent of HCPs scored higher than the mean on the feasibility study. Slightly higher than half, 56 (51.4%), of the HCPs scored higher than the mean score on the acceptability study. The usability evaluation identified vital comments and usability flaws that were essential for the eMCH tool to be upgraded. The tool was feasible and acceptable as reported by end-users. Therefore, the errors and usability flaws of the tool should be fixed before deployment to other healthcare settings.

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of supportive parents – coping kids (SPARCK)—a transdiagnostic and personalized parent training intervention to prevent childhood mental health problems

BackgroundTo meet the scientific and political call for effective prevention of child and youth mental health problems and associated long-term consequences, we have co-created, tested, and optimized a transdiagnostic preventive parent-training intervention, Supportive parents – coping kids (SPARCK), together with and for the municipal preventive frontline services. The target group of SPARCK is parents of children between 4 and 12 years who display symptoms of anxiety, depression, and/or behavioral problems, that is, indicated prevention. The intervention consists of components from various empirically supported interventions representing different theorical models on parent–child interactions and child behavior and psychopathology (i.e., behavioral management interventions, attachment theory, emotion socialization theory, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and family accommodation intervention). The content and target strategies of SPARCK are tailored to the needs of the families and children, and the manual suggests how the target strategies may be personalized and combined throughout the maximum 12 sessions of the intervention. The aim of this project is to investigate the effectiveness of SPARCK on child symptoms, parenting practices, and parent and child stress hormone levels, in addition to later use of specialized services compared with usual care (UC; eg. active comparison group).MethodsWe describe a randomized controlled effectiveness trial in the frontline services of child welfare, health, school health and school psychological counselling services in 24 Norwegian municipalities. It is a two-armed parallel group randomized controlled effectiveness and superiority trial with 252 families randomly allocated to SPARCK or UC. Assessment of key variables will be conducted at pre-, post-, and six-month follow-up.DiscussionThe current study will contribute with knowledge on potential effects of a preventive transdiagnostic parent-training intervention when compared with UC. Our primary objective is to innovate frontline services with a usable, flexible, and effective intervention for prevention of childhood mental health problems to promote equity in access to care for families and children across a heterogeneous service landscape characterized by variations in available resources, personnel, and end user symptomatology.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NTCT05800522

Eating Habit in Childhood: A Systematic Review of The Literature

Purpose: One of the consumer groups most targeted by the food industry is children. Food consumption in homes and schools has resulted in overweight and obesity. The objective of this work was to identify food consumption habits in childhood, highlighting the importance of food education from preschool onwards. Methodology: The Systematic Literature Review was used with the support of the Methodi Ordinatio, which selects relevant articles on specific topics, identifying food consumption habits by children in the family and school environment. Results and Discussion: The results reveal a growing concern about healthy and sustainable eating, especially in the context of children. However, there are still gaps in the literature. Food and sustainable education from an early age is essential to ensure healthy habits and reduce the impact on children's health. Parents, schools, companies, researchers, and the State must work together to promote healthy and sustainable eating for children, aiming for a healthy and sustainable future for the next generations. Implications of the Research: It is expected that the results presented will serve as input for future studies and, research on the topic of infant nutrition and contribute to positive changes. Originality and Value: The research innovates in presenting a research agenda based on studies carried out in English literature and interventions carried out in the family and school environment in Australia, Canada, and the United States of America.

A Scoping Review of Barriers and Facilitators for Preconception Care: Lessons for Global Health Policies and Programs.

Preconception care (PCC) encompasses a set of actions taken before pregnancy to support the health and well-being of women before conception to improve maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. The utilization of PCC services is influenced by multifaceted factors that can either enable or impede women's capacity to access and utilize them effectively. This scoping review examines the barriers and facilitators influencing the utilization of PCC services among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) at both individual and community levels. Through an extensive review of published articles from 2004 to 2021, including peer-reviewed sources, barriers and facilitators were identified. At the individual level, barriers included limited knowledge about PCC, neglect of self-health, and financial constraints. Community-level barriers encompassed insufficient supply of supplements, restricted access to health care, high health care costs, and setbacks due to delayed delivery of MCH services. Conversely, individuals reported that credible sources of information, such as friends, family, and community health volunteers, facilitated their engagement with PCC services. At the community level, facilitators included government-regulated supply chains for supplements and the involvement of community workers in health monitoring. Understanding and addressing these factors can help improve the utilization of PCC services among women of reproductive age (WRA) and improve MCH outcomes.

How receiving welfare assistance could be linked to children's bullying victimization: Exploring the potential pathways.

The study proposes and tests the pathways from receiving welfare assistance to children's bullying victimization. Specifically, the study examines whether children's difficulty making friends and school disconnection mediate the association between welfare assistance receipt to children's bullying victimization. The 2019 National Survey of Children's Health dataset was used, and the sample consisted of 12,230 caregivers of adolescents, aged 12-17years. A path model was utilized to explore the proposed pathways. Findings suggest that welfare assistance receipt was not significantly associated with children's bullying victimization. It was positively related to children's bullying victimization through the mediating roles of having difficulty making friends and school disconnection. Schools and communities need to create spaces where youth can connect with peers, which is an important part of their development.

Utilization of Kombucha Tea to Improve Children's Health and Reduce Stunting Rates in Patempuran Village, Jember Regency

In order to overcome the problem of stunting in children, a team of Jember University lecturers collaborated with the Patempuran Village community and posyandu cadres to carry out community service activities. The main focus of this activity is the mass use and dissemination of Kombucha Tea, chosen because of its important nutritional content and potential to improve intestinal health and nutrient absorption in children. This activity includes outreach to increase understanding of the benefits of Kombucha Tea, training for posyandu cadres and village mothers on how to produce Kombucha Tea, as well as the distribution process to families with children under five. Apart from that, counseling regarding healthy eating patterns and the importance of nutrition was also provided in this activity. The impact evaluation was carried out after the activity was carried out to measure the extent to which Kombucha Tea made a positive contribution in reducing stunting rates in Patempuran Village. Close collaboration between the lecturer team, the community and the local government forms a sustainable community service model, which is expected to have a positive impact in improving the welfare of children in Patempuran Village.

Health, behavior, and social outcomes among offspring of parents with criminal convictions: a register-based study from Sweden.

There is currently insufficient understanding of the health and behavior of children whose parents engage in criminal behavior. We examined associations between parental criminal convictions and wide range of offspring health, behavioral, and social outcomes by age 18 in a large, national sample, aiming to get a comprehensive picture of the risks among children of offending parents. We studied 1,013,385 individuals born in Sweden between 1987 and 1995, and their parents. Using data from several longitudinal nationwide registers, we investigated parental convictions and 85 offspring outcomes until the end of 2013, grouped into birth-related conditions, psychiatric and somatic disorders, accidents and injuries, mortality, school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality. Cox proportional hazards regression and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations. The role of genetic factors in intergenerational associations was studied in children-of-siblings analyses. We also examined the co-occurrence of multiple outcomes using Poisson regression. A total of 223,319 (22.0%) individuals had one parent convicted and 31,241 (3.1%) had both parents convicted during the first 18 years of their life. The strongest associations were found between parental convictions and offspring behavioral problems, substance use disorders, poor school achievement, violent victimization, and criminality, with an approximately 2 to 2.5-fold increased risk in children with one convicted parent and 3- to 4-fold increased risk in children with two convicted parents. The risks were particularly elevated among children of incarcerated parents with a history of violent convictions. The associations appeared to be at least partly explained by genetic influences. Parental convictions were also associated with an increased likelihood of experiencing multiple outcomes. Our findings help to calibrate the risks of a wide range of adverse outcomes associated with parental convictions and may be used to guide prevention efforts and identify key areas for future research.

Local area variation in health visiting contacts across England for children under age 5: a cross-sectional analysis of administrative data in England 2018-2020

BackgroundThe health visiting service in England leads the government's Healthy Child Programme (HCP) for children under five years. Local authorities and their provider partners deliver this service differently across England. ObjectiveTo describe local authority variation in the delivery of health visiting to children under five years in England (2018-2020). MethodsWe used publicly available statistics on mandated health visiting contacts, and administrative data from the Community Services Dataset (CSDS) on duration, location, and medium of contacts. We mapped population coverage of mandated contacts (new birth visit, 6-8-week review, one-year review, and 2-2½ -year review) and described the frequency and characteristics of mandated and additional contacts across local authorities. ResultsBased on publicly available data, almost all eligible children received their new birth visit, 6-8-week review and one-year review (89%-99%), with substantial variation across local authorities in children receiving he 2-2½ -year review: median 81%, range 33%-98%. Based on CSDS, 80% of local authorities (n=46/57) delivered more additional than mandated contacts: a median of 1.6 additional contacts (range: 0.1-8.5) were delivered for each mandated contact. There was also significant variation in the duration of contacts and the percentage of contacts delivered face-to-face and at home. ConclusionsDespite decreases in funding and workforce since 2015, in 2018--2020, health visiting teams reached nearly all babies and most children face-to-face via mandated contacts, and conducted over one and a half times the number of additional contacts relative to mandated contacts, with variation between local areas. This represents a significant public health infrastructure to support the health and development of babies and children and the wellbeing of their families in the critical period before school. Our study highlights the importance of taking into account additional contacts. Further work is needed to understand variation, including in the way additional contacts are used.

Impact of a national audit on child and adolescent psychiatrists' prescribing practices.

A look back review of South Kerry Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Ireland, known as the 'Maskey report' (MR), highlighted substandard prescribing practices. The aim of this 'Maskey Impact Study' (MIS) was to explore changes to child and adolescent psychiatrists' prescribing practices following the MR. The study was cross-sectional and mixed method. A study specific questionnaire was distributed electronically to psychiatrists working in CAMHS (n = 160). 102 psychiatrists participated in the study (response rate 63.8%). Perceived improvement in prescribing practices included improved medical record keeping (63.7%), consent documentation (53.9%), medication information provision (41.2%) and physical health monitoring (60.8%). However, 43.1% of psychiatrists reported a reluctance to prescribe medication even when clinically indicated and 50% were more likely to avoid off-label use. Most respondents reported increased stress levels (80.4%) with higher stress being significantly associated with reticence in prescribing (χ2 = 11.746, p < .001) and avoiding off-label use (χ2 = 15.392, p < 0.001). Thematic analysis highlighted increased medication hesitancy, enforced 'meaningless' bureaucracy and medication mistrust among families. Although improvements reported are welcomed, the increased hesitancy of medication use, avoidance of prescribing more than one medication, and avoidance of off-label use, is of concern with potential unintended adverse consequences. Reluctance in prescribing may deprive youth of access to evidence-based treatments and limit exposure of NCHDs to the safe practice of consultant-initiated psychopharmacology. Further research will be important to determine if this impacts clinical care. Continued education in psychopharmacology is essential along with increased public awareness of the evidence for medication, to help restore public confidence and trust in psychopharmacology.

Pediatric Hearing Loss and the Multidisciplinary Approach. The Hearing Disability Team (HDT) Experience

Hearing loss is among the utmost common disorders in children and a late diagnosis can impact language and cognitive development. With the aim of implementing an early hearing detection program (EHDP), the Emilia Romagna region has officially approved, since 2012, a NHS program distinguishing well babies and NICU children. Aim of this study is to evaluate the results of the application of these regional guidelines through data flow from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Data of children born between 2012 and 2018 and admitted to the service in the same period were collected, 84 children (56 males,28 females) were enrolled; 65% of the children were taken in charge by CAMHS within the first year of life. Concerning the NHS results, 77 (91%) children resulted fail at the screening test (6 unilateral fails), while the result was not available in one case; 6 children resulted pass. Most cases, 79 (94%), presented bilateral hearing loss. In particular, 14 (17.8%) children had a profound hearing loss, 10 (12.6%) a severe hearing loss, 10 (12.6%) a mild hearing loss (6 were conductive), 22 (27.8%) a moderate hearing loss, and 23 (29.2%) a moderate/severe hearing loss. Finally, 5 resulted affected by unilateral hearing loss (2 profound hearing loss, 3 severe). This study confirmed that regional recommendations about early diagnosis of hearing loss have been applied and most children accessed the CAMHS timely. To this aim synergism between hospital and territorial services, determining the implementation of the organization system was the keystone.