Online First
May 23, 2022
- Global child healthTraining packages for the use of child development tools in low/middle-income countries: a review
Essential to improvements in overall child health is an emphasis on helping children thrive as well as survive. This new emphasis will require a well-trained healthcare workforce in this regard. This paper reviews child development training packages in resource-limited settings.
May 20, 2022
- Original researchLocal nitroglycerin to facilitate peripheral arterial cannulation in children: systematic review and meta-analysis
Topical nitroglycerin may hep arterial cannulation.
May 18, 2022
- Global child healthHigher childhood pneumonia admission threshold remains in Lao PDR: an observational study
This study from Lao assesses adherence to the simplified, less parenteral antibiotic focused WHO 2014 pneumonia guidance compared with earlier recommendations.
May 16, 2022
- Original researchOral and Swallowing Abilities Tool (OrSAT) in nusinersen treated patients
New interventions have radically altered the natural history of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. In this report, oral and swallowing outcomes are report following interventions, widening our understanding of the potential benefits of early treatment.
- Original researchChanges in adolescents’ planned hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of linked administrative data
This paper describes changes in planned hospital care for adolescents during the pandemic, highlighting the disproportionate impact on those receiving children’s social care services or special educational needs support.
May 12, 2022
- Original researchDo you know when the inhaler is empty?
Patients cannot reliably identify when their child’s inhaler is empty. There is an urgent need for improving inhaler technology and providing appropriate guidance on how to identify when an MDI inhaler is empty.
- Original researchImpact of COVID-19 pandemic on emergency department attendances for young people
Authors assessed the impact of the pandemic on Emergency admissions. Authors found a substantial reduction in both ED presentations and admissions. The differential impact on specific presentations suggests this was due to the impact of social distancing and reduced social mixing
- Original researchDiet and development among children aged 36–59 months in low-income countries
This detailed analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data from children in 15 LMICs demonstrates remarkable connections between diet and cognitive development.
May 10, 2022
- Original researchShort-course intravenous antibiotics for young infants with urinary tract infection
This study aimed to determine the safety of early IV-to-oral antibiotic switch, and identify risk factors for bacteraemia with UTIs. Short course IV antibiotics for <48 hours for young infants with non-bacteraemic UTI should be considered, provided meningitis has been excluded. Treatment failure and serious complications were rare in young infants with UTI.
- Paediatric Emergency MedicineOutpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy: how young is too young?
A prospective 8-year observational study from September 2012 to September 2020 including 76 episodes for which neonates were admitted to the Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT), and 405 episodes for older infants evaluated the use, the efficacy and the outcomes of OPAT in neonates (≤28 days of age), compared with older infants (1-12 months of age). This study demonstrates that OPAT is a safe and effective way of providing antibiotics to selected clinically stable neonatal patients. Whilst appropriate antibiotic use was common, improvements can still be made.
May 09, 2022
May 05, 2022
- Original researchThe role of screening and surveillance in the detection of childhood vision impairment and blindness in the UK
Data from the British Childhood Visual Impairment and Blindness Study 2 is examined in this study, focusing on the patterns of detection for childhood visual impairment. A significant percentage of children with visual impairment were found to have had no reported visual symptoms at the time of diagnosis, highlighting the need for vigilance for these problems in at risk children.
May 02, 2022
- Original researchGestational age and risk of intellectual disability: a population-based cohort study
In this large retrospective study, the authors explore the relationship between gestational age on a week-by-week basis and the risk of intellectual disability. This analysis provides further evidence of the potential adverse consequences of even moderate prematurity
April 29, 2022
- Global child healthWorld Health Organization and knowledge translation in maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition
Members of the World Health Organization's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group of Experts shares some insights on their approach to knowledge translation to improve child health worldwide.
- Global child healthChildren living with disabilities are neglected in severe malnutrition protocols: a guideline review
This paper outlines the case for more inclusion of children living with disability in clinical guidelines for severe malnutrition, as malnutrition is common in children with neurodevelopmental disability and requires some different approaches.
April 27, 2022
April 25, 2022
April 22, 2022
April 05, 2022
April 04, 2022
April 01, 2022
- Original researchLong COVID (post-COVID-19 condition) in children: a modified Delphi process
How might one understand long covid in children? One way is to arrive at a consensus on a research definition. The authors describe a modified Delphi approach, which included people with lived experience, research and service delivery.
March 31, 2022
- Original researchNational rates and disparities in childhood vaccination and vaccine-preventable disease during the COVID-19 pandemic: English sentinel network retrospective database study
Concerns have been raised that immunisation rates for children have fallen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study finds a <1% fall in immunisation rates for booster pneumococcal and 2nd MMR vaccines during the first 2 pandemic waves. This decrease varied by ethnicity and socio-economic status. Very little vaccine preventable disease occurred during this time. It will be important to continue to monitor trends in childhood vaccination coverage and vaccine preventable disease as the pandemic recedes.
March 29, 2022
- Original researchParental and physician disagreement on help-seeking in paediatric case scenarios
This study found parents and professionals had significantly different knowledge and perspectives about appropriate help-seeking for unwell children. Awareness of these gaps could empower parents and improve safety-netting communication.
- Original researchWeight loss during ambulatory tube weaning: don’t put the feeds back up
Retrospective case series of outcomes of attempts to stop tube feeding in a cohort of 58 children: take-home message is that weight loss is common during weaning, and if one increases feed rate again, it just takes longer.
March 28, 2022
March 22, 2022
- Original researchBirth prevalence of anorectal malformations in England and 5-year survival: a national birth cohort study
A national birth cohort study describing the birth prevalence of anorectal malformations in England and their five-year survival.
- Original researchChildhood, teenage and young adult cancer diagnosis during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based observational cohort study in England
This study investigated children and young people diagnosed with cancer during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in England. It reported a reduction in the incidence-rate-ratio of cancers and that the childhood cancers diagnosed during the pandemic were significantly more likely to have intensive care admissions.
- Original researchPaediatric brain MRI findings following congenital heart surgery: a systematic review
This systematic review has examined the relative incidence of new post-operative brain MRI findings following paediatric congenital cardiac surgery. The conclusion suggests that surgery approximately doubles the number of patients with new brain lesions.
March 16, 2022
March 15, 2022
- Drug therapyInformation for children and young people about reporting suspected adverse drug reactions
In a QI project, Hawcutt et al report the development of a guide to help CYP report adverse events to medication via the MHRA's yellow card system.
March 14, 2022
- Drug therapyAssessment of mitochondrial toxicity in newborns and infants with congenital cytomegalovirus infection treated with valganciclovir
Some antivirals are associated with mitochondrial toxicity due to off-target inhibition of DNA-polymerases. This study looks for evidence of mitochondrial toxicity in infants with congenital CMV infection, treated with valganciclovir. In a series of experiments no evidence of mitochondrial toxicity was found.