Child Health Research Articles

My child's medication journey: A parent's view.

This article discusses the personal experiences of the parents regarding their child's medication journey. Parents can play a vital role in their child's overall mental well-being, ensuring they receive the care and support they need. To navigate these difficult circumstances, it is crucial for parents to maintain open lines of communication with their child as well as with the health care professionals involved in their care. Professionals should be aware that parents' perspectives toward mental health medication can evolve over time, influenced by the experiences and challenges faced by both child and family. Excluding parents from their child's treatment limits the potential for a comprehensive and holistic treatment approach. By recognizing the value of parental input, health care professionals can create a collaborative environment that maximizes the chances of finding the most suitable treatment strategy. It is important for health care professionals to engage families in a respectful and empathetic manner, recognizing the challenges they face. Providing them with the necessary support and guidance can help reduce feelings of helplessness and ensure their active involvement in their child's mental health journey (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

LncRNA HOXA-AS3 promotes cell proliferation and invasion via targeting miR-218-5p/FOXP1 axis in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive form of bone cancer and affects the health in children and adolescents. Although conventional treatment improves the osteosarcoma survival, some patients have metastasis and drug resistance, leading to a worse prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the molecular mechanism of osteosarcoma occurrence and progression, which could discover the novel treatment for osteosarcoma. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to regulate osteosarcoma occurrence and malignant progression. LncRNA HOXA-AS3 facilitates the tumorigenesis and progression in a variety of human cancers. However, the underlying mechanism of lncRNA HOXA-AS3-induced oncogenesis is poorly determined in osteosarcoma. To address this point, we utilized several cellular biological strategies and molecular approaches to explore the biological functions and mechanisms of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 in osteosarcoma cells. We found that lncRNA HOXA-AS3 facilitates cell proliferation and invasion via targeting miR-218-5p/FOXP1 axis in osteosarcoma. In conclusion, lncRNA HOXA-AS3 could be a promising target for osteosarcoma treatment.

Adolescents' Mental Health Concerns in Pre- and During COVID-19: Roles of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Emotional Resilience.

Limited research has explored the trend of adolescent mental health concerns pre- and during the COVID-19 pandemic and how such mental health concerns are explained by emotional resilience and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and severity of mental health concerns among U.S. adolescents and examine the mediating role of emotional resilience in the relationship between ACEs and mental health concerns (i.e., anxiety and depression). Using the 2018-2021 National Survey of Children's Health, we analyzed a large sample of 12-17 aged adolescents. Descriptive statistics of the prevalence and severity of mental health concerns were conducted. Further, four separate mediation analyses were conducted to examine the association between ACEs, emotional resilience, and mental health concerns for each year. Two key findings are as follows. First, the prevalence and severity of mental health concerns have shown an upward trend across pre- and during COVID-19. Second, all paths in the mediation models were found to be statistically associated with one another over four years. We used parents' reports for variables of interest; further we used a single item to capture emotional resilience. This study not only demonstrates the trend of adolescent mental health concerns before and during COVID-19 but also highlights the crucial role of emotional resilience as a mediator of ACEs and mental health concerns. Findings emphasize the imperative for prevention and intervention efforts to strengthen adolescents' emotional capacity to cope with childhood adversities and additional life challenges.

Development and Unfolding of the Life Course Movement in the Field of Maternal and Child Health: An Oral History.

A life course perspective in maternal, child, and family health allows for integrated exploration of outcomes, incorporating multifactorial determinants of health to interrogate sources of inequity and identify opportunities for intervention. This article explores the historical development, integration, and implications of the contemporary life course perspective in the field of maternal and child health (MCH), and particularly the people and events which institutionalized the framework as central to national and local MCH practice and research over the last decades. Drawing on an oral history approach, key leaders of the life course movement in MCH were interviewed. Lived experiences and personal recollections of six interviewees were recorded and synthesized using a narrative descriptive approach to portray the social ecology of the movement's origins. We documented systematic efforts made in the first two decades of the 21st century to consciously promote life course through convening a National MCH Life Course Invitational Meeting, incorporating life course as a foundational framework for strategic planning at the Maternal Child Health Bureau, and development of tools and resources by MCH professional organizations. The integration of life course theory into the MCH field signified a major shift towards addressing protective and social factors, which aligns with the field's historical emphasis on social justice and rights-based approaches, and parallels the broader public health movement towards social determinants of health and the need to address structural racism. The ongoing relevance of the life course approach in promoting reproductive justice and addressing inequities in health underscores the historical importance of its adoption and use in the current mainstream of MCH research, policy, and practice.

Medication use patterns in pregnant women with psoriasis: A nationwide study in Taiwan.

Psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition, affects 2%-4% of the global population, with significant prevalence among women of childbearing age. Pregnancy presents challenges in managing psoriasis due to hormonal changes and treatment safety concerns. Understanding treatment patterns in pregnant women is crucial, given limited real-world evidence. Explore the utilization patterns of medications among pregnant women diagnosed with psoriasis within a real-world data, utilizing data sourced from a nationwide database in Taiwan. This nationwide study utilized Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) database and Birth Certificate Application. It included registered pregnant women diagnosed with psoriasis from 2005 to 2014. Medication usage was tracked three years before conception to three years after delivery. Medications were categorized based on Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes, and statistical analyses were conducted using SAS software. A total of 30,267 pregnant women with psoriasis were studied. 11,651 (38.49%) mothers had received at least one prescription during follow-up (exposed group), and >60% had never received medication (unexposed group). Demographics and comorbidities were similar between these two groups. Topical corticosteroids were the most prescribed treatment, followed by phototherapy, with systemic drugs and biologics less common. During the study period, 11,096 women with psoriasis had used topical corticosteroids, 3,376 had used non-steroidal topical agents, 218 had used systemic agents or biologics, and 519 had received treatment with phototherapy. Medication usage declined during pregnancy, reaching its lowest in the third trimester but rebounded postpartum. Psoriasis medications, systemic, biological, or topical, were largely discontinued during pregnancy, sometimes up to 2 years before and extending postpartum. Research is needed to understand its impact on maternal and child health.

Effect of Customized Nutritious Breakfast and Nutrition Education on Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Economically Underdeveloped Multi-Ethnic Areas: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial in Linxia, China

The nutritional status of preschool children in economically underdeveloped multi-ethnic areas is a global concern. This study aimed to examine the effect of a 2.2-year cluster randomized clinical trial that provided customized nutritious breakfast and nutrition education to preschool children in Linxia County, China. A total of 578 children aged 3 to 6 years were enrolled. After the intervention, the incidence of undernourishment was significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (8.73% vs. 9.92%, OR = 0.01 [95%CI 0.00, 0.39], p = 0.014). Additionally, children with non-Muslim dietary habits had a lower incidence of undernourishment compared to those with Muslim dietary habits (OR = 0.05 [95%CI 0.00, 0.88]; p = 0.010). The intervention group also had a lower prevalence rate of wasting (OR = 0.02 [95%CI 0.00, 0.40]; p = 0.011) and a higher mean BMI-for-age Z-score (β = 1.05 [95%CI 0.32, 1.77]; p = 0.005) compared to the control group. These findings suggest that providing nutritious breakfast and nutrition education is an effective strategy to improve the nutrition and health of preschool children, particularly in economically disadvantaged regions and among children with Muslim dietary habits.

Promoting healthy sleep in 0-2-year-old infants: a study protocol for the development and mixed method evaluation of a sleep health program tailored to Dutch youth healthcare regions

BackgroundSleep problems are common among infants and can have a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of both child and parents. To sustainably promote infant sleep on a population level, it is necessary to develop evidence-based programs that can be implemented on a large scale. The Youth Health Care setting, with its focus on prevention, child health promotion and services widely available for parents, can be a suitable setting to do so. Currently however, sleep health promotion in this setting seems to be suboptimal. To promote healthy infant sleep on a population level, programs need to be accessible and comprehensible for all parents, including parents with limited (health) literacy. Therefore, this study aims to develop, implement and evaluate a program called ‘Sleep on number 1’, that is tailored to Dutch Youth Health Care, to sustainably promote healthy sleep in 0-2-year-old infants.MethodsThe program was developed based on co-creation with parents and Youth Health Care professionals, evidence-based behaviour change theories and sleep health promotion methods. Program effectiveness is investigated with a quasi-experimental study design comparing the program group with the care as usual control group. Participants consist of parents of 0-2-year-old children. Primary outcome is infant sleep quality at the age of 10 weeks and 6, 9, 14 and 24 months, measured with a sleep diary. The primary data analysis focuses on night awakenings at 9 months. Secondary outcomes focus on parental behaviour regarding infant sleep, related behavioural determinants and parental satisfaction with Youth Health Care sleep advice. Program effectiveness is analysed using a linear mixed-model in case of data clustering, and an independent samples T-test or linear regression in case no substantial clustering effects are found. A mixed methods process evaluation is performed with parents and Youth Health Care professionals, assessing program reach, adoption, implementation, maintenance and working mechanisms.DiscussionThe ‘Sleep on number 1’ program is an evidence-based sleep health program for 0-2-year-old children, tailored to Dutch Youth Health Care. If effective, this program has the potential to improve infant sleep on a population level.Trial registrationISRCTN, ISRCTN27246394, registered on 10/03/2023. https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN27246394.

Acetaminophen for Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Risk of Mortality and Pulmonary Morbidity.

Emerging data indicate that acetaminophen may adversely affect lung health. We examined whether acetaminophen compared with cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor alone for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is associated with mortality or respiratory morbidity in extremely preterm infants. This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network. Infants were born at 22 to 28 weeks' gestation or weighing 401 to 1000 g between 2016 and 2020 and received acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and/or indomethacin for PDA closure. The primary outcome was death or grade 2 to 3 bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age. Secondary outcomes included predischarge mortality and respiratory morbidities. Risk ratios were adjusted for baseline and early postnatal factors. Additional exploratory analyses were adjusted for later postnatal covariates. Of 1921 infants, 627 (32.6%) received acetaminophen and 1294 (67.3%) received COX inhibitor only. Multidrug therapy (42.9% vs 4.7%) and surgical or catheter PDA closure (26.5% vs 19.9%) were more common among acetaminophen-exposed infants. Death or grade 2 to 3 BPD at 36 weeks' postmenstrual age was similar between infants treated with acetaminophen versus COX inhibitor only (57.1% vs 58.3%; adjusted relative risk [aRR] 0.96, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-1.06). Acetaminophen was associated with increased risk of predischarge mortality (13.3% vs 10.0%) when adjusting for perinatal and early postnatal factors (aRR 1.42, 95% CI 1.02-1.93), but not in exploratory analyses that included later postnatal factors (aRR 1.28, 95% CI 0.91-1.82). Treatment with acetaminophen versus COX inhibitor alone for PDA was not associated with the composite outcome of death or BPD in extremely preterm infants. Our results support further evaluation of whether acetaminophen for PDA increases mortality.

The responsiveness of household asset endowment to child health outcomes in Cameroon: the role of women empowerment

The responsiveness of household asset endowment to child health outcomes in Cameroon: the role of women empowerment

Cost-effectiveness of implementing performance-based financing for improving maternal and child health in Ethiopia.

Performance Based Financing (PBF) supports realization of universal health coverage by promoting bargaining between purchasers and health service providers through identifying priority services and monitoring indicators. In PBF, purchasers use health statistics and information to make decisions rather than merely reimbursing invoices. In this respect, PBF shares certain elements of strategic health purchasing. PBF implementation began in Ethiopia in 2015 as a pilot at one hospital and eight health centers. Prior to this the system predominantly followed input-based financing where providers were provided with a predetermined budget for inputs for service provision. The purpose of the study is to determine whether the implementation of PBF is cost-effective in improving maternal and child health in Ethiopia compared to the standard care. The current study used cost-effectiveness analysis to assess the effects of PBF on maternal and child health. Two districts implementing PBF and two following standard care were selected for the study. Both groups of selected districts share common grounds before initiating PBF in the selected group. The provider perspective costing approach was used in the study. Data at the district level were gathered retrospectively for the period of July 2018 to June 2021. Data from health service statistics were transformed to population level coverages and the Lives Saved Tool method used to compute the number of lives saved. Additionally for purpose of comparison, lives saved were translated into discounted quality-adjusted life years. The number of lives saved under PBF was 261, whereas number of lives saved under standard care was 194. The identified incremental cost per capita due to PBF was $1.8 while total costs of delivering service at PBF district was 8,816,370 USD per million population per year while the standard care costs 9,780,920 USD per million population per year. QALYs obtained under PBF and standard care were 6,118 and 4,526 per million population per year, respectively. The conclusion made from this analysis is that, implementing PBF is cost-saving in Ethiopia compared to the standard care. Due to lack of district-level survey-based data, such as prevalence and effects on maternal and child health, national-level estimates were used into the LiST tool.There may be some central-level PBF start-up costs that were not captured, which may have spillover effects on the existing health system performance that this study has not considered.There may be health statistics data accuracy differences between the PBF and non-PBF districts. The researchers considered using data from records as reported by both groups of districts.

A protocol for the formative evaluation of the implementation of patient-reported outcome measures in child and adolescent mental health services as part of a learning health system

BackgroundMental health conditions affect one in seven young people and research suggests that current mental health services are not meeting the needs of most children and youth. Learning health systems are an approach to enhancing services through rapid, routinized cycles of continuous learning and improvement. Patient-reported outcome measures provide a key data source for learning health systems. They have also been shown to improve outcomes for patients when integrated into routine clinical care. However, implementing these measures into health systems is a challenging process. This paper describes a protocol for a formative evaluation of the implementation of patient-reported measures in a newly operational child and adolescent mental health centre in Calgary, Canada. The purpose is to optimize the collection and use of patient-reported outcome measures. Our specific objectives are to assess the implementation progress, identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, and explore patient, caregivers and clinician experiences of using these measures in routine clinical care.MethodsThis study is a mixed-methods, formative evaluation using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Participants include patients and caregivers who have used the centre’s services, as well as leadership, clinical and support staff at the centre. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews will be conducted to assess barriers and facilitators to the implementation and sustainability of the use of patient-reported outcome measures, as well as individuals’ experiences with using these measures within clinical care. The data generated by the patient-reported measures over the first five months of the centre’s operation will be analyzed to understand implementation progress, as well as validity of the chosen measures for the centres’ population.DiscussionThe findings of this evaluation will help to identify and address the factors that are affecting the successful implementation of patient-reported measures at the centre. They will inform the co-design of strategies to improve implementation with key stakeholders, which include patients, clinical staff, and leadership at the centre. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the implementation of patient-reported outcome measures in child and adolescent mental health services and our findings can be used to enhance future implementation efforts in similar settings.

КАБИНЕТЫ КУЛЬТУРЫ ЗДОРОВЬЯ И МУЗЫКОТЕРАПИИ В РАМКАХ НОВОЙ ПАРАДИГМЫ ЗДОРОВЬЕСБЕРЕЖЕНИЯ СИСТЕМЫ ШКОЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

This article analyzes the reasons for the serious increase in morbidity among schoolchildren, which is demonstrated by modern statistics. Many of the external challenges that negatively affect children's health are presented: environmental problems, aggressive information, and other global problems. Obviously, their solution is complicated by its long-term nature, as it requires large-scale efforts at the state level. Meanwhile, the situation can be significantly improved in the short term. As a priority measure, the author recommends focusing efforts on the comprehensive correction of destructive factors within schools, such as a stressful environment, spiritual and moral underdevelopment, and a lack of literacy in matters of a healthy lifestyle for the students themselves. To effectively solve these problems, it is proposed to open rooms for health culture and music-art therapy, which should become a conductor of the main idea of the new paradigm—from general culture to the art of health care and general well-being. The foundation for achieving this goal is the existing retraining programs, which make it possible to train qualified specialists for such offices from among teachers, psychologists, and people with any higher education. At the same time, the advanced technologies of scientific music and art therapy presented in the article play an important role in preserving health, increasing adaptive capabilities, and harmoniously developing the schoolchild’s personality.

Epidemiological characteristics of common respiratory pathogens in children

Children's respiratory tract infection is a common disease affecting children's health, our purpose is to describe the epidemiological characteristics of common pathogens of children's respiratory tract infection in central Shandong, China, and compare them with those in other parts of world, so as to summarize the rules of children's respiratory tract infection in central Shandong, and provide scientific basis for health departments to prevent and treat local children's respiratory tract infection. Sputum, tracheal aspirate, alveolar lavage fluid and other samples of 4804 children admitted to wards of Zibo Maternal and Child Health Hospital for treatment of respiratory tract infection from June 2019 to December 2022 were collected, and 12 common respiratory tract pathogens were detected by PCR capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis, two bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae), two atypical pathogens (Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Chlamydia Pneumoniae) and eight viruses (Human rhinovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Influenza A Virus, Parainfluenza Virus, Human metapneumovirus, Human boca virus, Human coronavirus, Influenza B virus) were included, the positive detection rate of single pathogen, the proportion of each type of respiratory tract mixed infection and the positive detection rate of single pathogen in different ages and seasons were analyzed statistically. (1)Among 4804 children with respiratory tract infection, the total positive rate was 77.87% (3741/4804), the positive rate of single pathogen was 43.40% (1656/4804), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Rhinovirus and Respiratory syncytial virus were the highest, there were 2085 cases of mixed infection with two or more pathogens, the positive rate was 43.40%. (2) The positive rates of infection in infant group (0–1 years old), infant group (1–3 years old), preschool group and school age group (3 years old-) were roughly the same, the infection rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Respiratory syncytial virus and Parainfluenza virus in infant group, Rhinovirus in infant group, Influenza A virus, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in school age group were higher than those in other groups, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). (3) The positive detection rates of spring, summer, autumn and winter groups were 43.58%, 38.64%, 33.73% and 29.27%, respectively, the positive rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in spring group, Mycoplasma pneumoniae in summer group, Rhinovirus, Respiratory syncytial virus and Influenza A virus in autumn group, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Boca virus and Influenza B virus in winter group were higher than those in other seasons, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The pathogen detection rate of children varies with age and season, and the prevention and treatment of a certain respiratory pathogen infection must be combined with its raging season and age rule.

PEMBERIAN EDUKASI TENTANG PENTINGNYA IMUNISASI LENGKAP DAN VAKSINASI POLIO

Immunization is a public health intervention that is very effective in preventing serious infectious diseases. In this context, polio vaccination plays an important role because polio can cause permanent paralysis and even death. The aim of this activity is to increase knowledge, awareness and community participation about the importance of immunization, especially polio vaccination, through providing accurate information and eliminating misinformation, as well as facilitating access to health services. Method: This service begins with preparation and includes monitoring and evaluation. Where the interventions carried out are counseling, distribution of educational materials, door-to-door visits, and mobile posyandu to the community. Results: there has been a significant increase in knowledge, awareness and positive attitudes of the community towards immunization and polio vaccination. The evaluation showed a 45% increase in knowledge and a supportive change in attitudes. Conclusion: Service activities in Bandar Kidul Village succeeded in increasing the community's knowledge and positive attitudes towards polio immunization. This activity could be a model for other regions and is recommended to be held regularly with structured material and developed for maternal and child health (KIA).

What are they considering when they face a fetus with birth defects? A qualitative study on ethical attitudes of health professionals in China

BackgroundBirth defects are the leading cause of mortality in newborn babies and children under five years old. In response, the Chinese government has implemented a three-tiered prevention strategy, which has brought ethical concerns about fetuses with birth defects. This study aims to explore the attitudes toward fetuses with birth defects among health professionals engaged in maternal and child health services.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted among 13 health professionals engaged in maternal and child health services in Hunan Province, China. The questions were designed to elicit the participants' work experience and attitudes toward fetuses with birth defects. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and NVivo 12 was used for data coding and analysis. A thematic analysis approach was employed following the SRQR checklist.ResultsFive themes and 13 attributes were generated regarding health professionals' perspectives on fetuses with birth defects. The five themes included: (1) severity and curability of diseases (two attributes), (2) family relations (four attributes), (3) medical assessments (two attributes), (4) social situations (three attributes), (5) self-value orientations (three attributes). The findings showed that the majority of health professionals held the view that a fetus with a curable disease could be born, whereas a fetus with severe disability and teratogenesis should be terminated. Twelve out of the 13 health professionals believed that parents should be the decision-makers, while only one thought that the family should make a decision together.ConclusionsAttitudes toward birth defects were influenced by various factors, indicating the complexity of real-world cases identified in this study. The findings highlight the dilemmas faced by both families and health professionals regarding birth defects. Adequate medical knowledge and support from society are crucial to inform decision-making among family members. Additionally, standardized norms and policies for birth defects are needed. Establishing an ethics committee for prenatal diagnosis is necessary to address current ethical issues in this field.

Children’s Health Protection Issues in the Kyrgyz Republic

A review of the current system for the health and development of children and adolescents in the Kyrgyz Republic revealed a number of key issues. There is a lack of coordination among public, private, non-governmental, and international organizations for the advancement of current condition of children and adolescents. The staff of the health care system, education, social protection and other government agencies, whose activities, one way or another, are related to working with children, need to improve their skills, taking into account the expansion of policies in the field of health protection and development of children and adolescents. There is limited use of available factual data to improve the quality of medical care, habilitation and rehabilitation, disease prevention (overweight and underweight, tuberculosis, diseases of the reproductive system, psycho-emotional disorders, etc.) violence, and trauma. Environmental risks remain high (clean water, safe environment and living conditions). There is very low participation of the civil sector in decision-making and implementation of a program in the field of health care and development of children and adolescents.

COMPLEX USE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY MEANS IN THE REHABILITATION OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WITH POSTURE DISORDERS

Relevance of the research topic. The problem of using physical therapy means in rehabilitation of school-age children with posture disorders becomes especially relevant in the context of the threat of serious spinal diseases, which can negatively affect the health and physical development of children in the future.Purpose and methods of the study. The aim of the work is to reveal the essence of complex use of physical therapy means in rehabilitation of school- age children with posture disorders. The research consisted of the analysis of scientists' works and description of the use of therapy for correction of school-age children's posture. Research methods and statistical analysis. We used both general scientific and special methods of research, namely: analysis, synthesis, structural-functional, description, generalization.Results. The article presents an analysis of the integrated use of physical therapy in the rehabilitation of school-age children with postural disorders. Various methods and techniques of physical therapy aimed at restoring optimal physical functioning and correcting postural defects are described. It is described that the main methods of physical therapy used in rehabilitation are therapeutic physical culture, correction of body position, therapeutic massage, hardening, hydrokinesitherapy and physiotherapy. Particular attention is paid to physical exercises that specialize in correcting specific types of posture disorders. Key findings. It has been shown that symmetrical and asymmetrical exercises, known as corrective exercises, are used to equalize the tone of the trunk muscles and strengthen relaxed muscles, helping to return the spine to its correct position. It has been proven that therapeutic massage, as an effective means of functional therapy, is used at all stages of medical and physical therapy to treat various diseases and injuries. The article analyzes the effectiveness of these methods and their role in achieving positive results in the rehabilitation of children with postural disorders.

Editorial: Nutrition, diet and endocrinological health in female children and adolescents

Editorial: Nutrition, diet and endocrinological health in female children and adolescents

Attachment Problems and Mentalizing Capacity Relate to Parent-Child Informant Discrepancies in Female Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder.

Parent-child informant discrepancies on psychopathology provide important knowledge on the parent-child relationship and the child's mental health, but mechanisms underlying parent-child informant discrepancies are largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between attachment problems and mentalizing capacity and parent-child informant discrepancies on borderline personality disorder (BPD) severity, internalizing, and externalizing pathology in a clinical sample of 91 adolescent girls with BPD and their parents. Results showed that more attachment problems to parents and peers were related to adolescents reporting more severe BPD than parents. Adolescents who described more internalizing symptoms relative to parents, reported more parental attachment problems, but enhanced peer attachment, suggesting those adolescents who do not feel recognized by their parents might turn to their friends. When parents rated adolescents higher on externalizing behaviors, the adolescent reported more attachment problems to parents and lower mentalizing capacity, indicating that this sub-group of adolescents may reflect less about how their behavior affects others.

Rifampicin resistance in pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis cases in of children

: The prevalence of Rifampicin-resistant MTB/EPTB in children in India is a growing concern. Globally a large proportion of childhood tuberculosis (TB) cases are diagnosed based only on clinical findings. This study was undertaken to measure MTB positivity and their rifampicin resistance rates in different clinical samples from children. : Different samples of clinically suspected tuberculosis in children were included. All the samples were tested for Tuberculosis positivity and Rifampicin (Rif) resistance by GeneXpert assay. A total of 1420 samples were received from presumptive TB patients of all age group from February 2023 to January 2024. Total 1420 samples were analyzed for this study, of which 30% were male and 70% were females. Respiratory samples and extra-pulmonary samples were 1261 (88.8%) and 159 (11.2%) respectively. Among 1420, 211(14.86%) samples were from children and among these 75 (35.55%) were found MTB positive and 7 (9.33%) were Rif resistant MTB. Of 75 MTB detected patients, 77.8% and 22.2% MTB detected in female and male children respectively. There are higher prevalence of Rif resistant MTB in children so it is important for healthcare providers in India to be vigilant in timely diagnosis, individualized treatment and enhance surveillance. It is essential to combat this growing threat and protect the health of children.