Most-cited articles are from the articles published during the last two years (2024 ~ ).
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· South Korea faces a severe demographic crisis with the lowest global fertility rate. Despite significant investments, the total fertility rate continues to decline. · It is necessary to fully mobilize national capabilities and execute comprehensive strategies that focus on both intangible and tangible values. · Immediate and decisive action is essential to addressing these challenges effectively. |
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Studies indicate potential connections between exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and childhood obesity. Variations in the impact of EDCs in epidemiological studies may result from differences in exposure concentrations and timing, measurement methods, and interactive effects of multiple EDCs. Longitudinal studies on exposure to multiple EDCs are crucial to elucidating their contribution to pediatric obesity and minimize the adverse health consequences of EDC exposure. |
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Question: Can cytokine levels predict low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in children post–cardiopulmonary bypass? Finding: Elevated interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were associated with LCOS, with an increase in IL-8 of >56 pg/mL from baseline to immediately postoperative being the strongest predictor. Meaning: Monitoring immediately postoperative IL-8 levels may help identify pediatric patients at risk of LCOS, enabling timely interventions to improve outcomes. |
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Question: What are the nationwide trends and mortality risk factors of nutritional versus hereditary rickets among children in Asia? Finding: In 2012–2018, the incidence of rickets steadily increased, whereas mortality rates declined. Mortality is associated with a low household income, anemia, chronic kidney disease, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and a prolonged hospital stay. Meaning: Early diagnosis and targeted interventions addressing social and medical vulnerabilities are critical to reducing ricket-related mortality. |
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Despite worldwide acceptance of acetaminophen (paracetamol) in pediatric medicine, careful examination reveals no valid objections to the conclusion that early exposure to acetaminophen causes neurodevelopmental injury in susceptible babies and children. Nevertheless, debate that early exposure to acetaminophen causes neurodevelopmental injury has centered around the prenatal period, evidence of which is relatively limited compared to that in the postnatal period, which is the time of greatest absolute and relative risk. |
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Question: What is the effect of nonpharmacological interventions on postoperative pain and anxiety among children. Finding: Nurse-provided distraction interventions reduce pain and anxiety among pediatric surgical patients. Meaning: The findings suggest that nonpharmacological interventions provided postoperatively to children reduce their pain and anxiety levels. |
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Question: How do structural and staffing characteristics of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) influence the mortality rates of very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs)? Findings: NICUs with higher staffing levels, particularly with more neonatologists, and those offering advanced care levels were associated with lower mortality rates. Additionally, regional disparities were observed, with some areas demon-strating significantly higher survival rates. Meaning: Adequate staffing and equitable regional distribution of medical resources are crucial for improving survival outcomes in VLBWIs. Efforts to enhance NICU staffing and address regional healthcare disparities are essential for optimizing care quality and reducing mortality in this vulnerable population. |
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Height gains result from longitudinal bone growth. Upon adequate growth, growth plate closure limits longitudinal bone growth. To date, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, aromatase inhibitors, C-type natriuretic peptide analogs, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 inhibitors have been studied or used as therapeutic interventions to delay growth plate closure and increase human height. The development of more effective therapeutic modalities for short stature, precocious puberty, and skeletal dysplasia is anticipated. |
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Question: Which immunomodulatory strategies can reduce mortality in children with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE)? Finding: High-dose methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg/day) significantly improved the survival of high-risk patients, particularly when combined with tocilizumab. Meaning: These findings support the use of a severity-based immunotherapy approach to optimize the outcomes of pediatric ANE. |
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· Artificial intelligence (AI) holds transformative potential for pediatric healthcare, with applications spanning prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up across diverse subspecialties; however, ethical concerns, scarcity of pediatric- specific data, and limited funding remain significant challenges. · International consensus on pediatric AI guidelines, expanding child-specific datasets, and incorporating explainable AI are essential to ensure safety and trust. · Multicenter collaboration and increased investment can address these gaps, enabling equitable, reliable, and pediatric- centered AI solutions. |
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Question: Is there a nonlinear relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and asthma in children and adolescents? Finding: NLR showed a nonlinear association with asthma, with an NLR threshold of 2.23 identifying individuals at higher risk. Meaning: An NLR<2.23 may serve as a potential biomarker for asthma risk assessment and management in pediatric populations, thereby offering a simple tool for the early identification of at-risk individuals. |
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Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the major cause of neonatal brain injury. NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome activation leads to neuroinflammation, which significantly affects newborn mortality. The establishment of preventive and therapeutic strategies against brain damage requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation and inflammasome activation in the neonatal brain. |
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· Despite much effort, breastfeeding practices remain unsatisfactory worldwide. · Effective breastfeeding-promoting interventions are needed that are appropriate for age, culture, and social environment. · Interventions can promote breastfeeding, especially in younger populations such as adolescent mothers. |
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· Previous reviews of extrauterine growth restriction focused mainly on weight growth restriction caused by nutritional factors or pathological conditions. · This review summarizes recent developments in the pathophysiology of nonnutritional length growth restriction in very preterm infants with focus on the impact of sustained neonatal inflammation on their short- and long-term outcomes. · Further research is needed to investigate optimal strategies to improve length growth restriction in very preterm infants. |
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Question: What are common tantrum behaviors in preschool children, and how frequently are problematic behaviors observed? Do problematic tantrums have a different emotional impact on caregivers compared to typical tantrums? Finding: Temper tantrums are common in preschool children, and verbal tantrums are the most common type. Meaning: Problematic tantrums, defined as tantrums exhibiting aggressive physical behavior, long duration (>15 minutes), or frequent occurrence (>3 days/wk), significantly affected caregivers’ emotions. |
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The incidence of childhood obesity is increasing worldwide. National surveys in Malaysia have shown similar trends. This review aimed to increase our understanding of the prevalence and associated factors of childhood overweight, obesity, and excess weight in Malaysia. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted of studies reporting the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Malaysian children aged <18 years.... |
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Question: What is the prevalence of carbapenem resistance in gram-negative bacteria and associated carbapenemase genes? Findings: This study identified a notable prevalence of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative isolates, with Escherichia coli being the predominant contributor, follow ed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, while bla OXA48 was the most prevalent carbapenemase gene. Meaning: These findings highlight the urgent need for proactive measures including the rapid detection of carbapenemase- producing isolates and effective infection control. |
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Question: Is there a reliable model to predict intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD)? Finding: We constructed 5 machine learning models to predict IVIG-resistant KD. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model was superior to logistic, support vector machine, light gradient boosting machine and multiple layers perception models. The SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) value interpreted the contribution of each feature in XGBoost model. Meaning: XGBoost model showed the excellent performance to predict IVIG-resistant KD with explainable and visualizable machine learning algorithm. |
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· Rare diseases present unique challenges and unmet needs for which the development of orphan drugs tailored to them offers hope. · Despite the hurdles posed by limited patient populations, orphan drug designations from regulatory agencies provide incentives, such as extended market exclusivity and tax credits, that ignite transformative advances. · Scientific progress in genomics, personalized medicine, and analytics empowers precise interventions by decoding genetic anomalies and encouraging effective treatments. |
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· Preterm infants often experience speech and language development delays during early childhood, impacting children's ultimate outcomes. · Promoting breastfeeding, increasing parent-infant interactions in a single-family room, promoting a nurturing language environment by parental book reading and language interventions, and parent-integrated interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit could potentially enhance children's language development. · Integrating these strategies through family-centered care is essential. |
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· This summary emphasizes the importance of the early diagnosis of Turner syndrome (TS) and presents a multidisciplinary approach to its prevention and management, high-lighting the need for customized care. · Advancements in immunogenetic research may improve our understanding of TS and improve its outcomes. · TS encompasses a wide array of medical challenges, including cardiovascular, endocrine, autoimmune, and mental health issues, as well as a heightened cancer risk. |
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Lung injury is generated from the early stage of hyperoxia through the biologic effects of cell death and inflammatory response, which eventually leads to evolution of bronchopul-monary dysplasia. Therefore, a protective measure against hyperoxia-induced lung injury is needed. The present study observed that anti-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-10 had protective effects on newborn rat lungs from injury induced at the early stage of hyperoxia, by preventing cell death and down-regulating inflammatory response. |
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Question: In children with proliferative lupus nephritis, do National Institutes of Health-modified indices and treatment choices predict long-term kidney function? Finding: Higher chronicity index scores, especially tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, predicted kidney impairment. Additionally, the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for maintenance therapy was associated with a lower risk of kidney function decline. Meaning: The early recognition of chronic lesions and MMF-based maintenance therapy may improve kidney outcomes in childhood-onset lupus nephritis. |
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Question: Associations have been made between maternal sleep disorders during pregnancy and allergic diseases including bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and allergic conjunctivitis/rhinitis/hay fever in their children. Finding: In the crude model, sleep disorders during pregnancy were associated with all examined allergic diseases in children. After adjustment, significant associations remained for atopic dermatitis and allergic conjunctivitis/rhinitis/hay fever. Meaning: The study highlights associations between maternal sleep and child allergic diseases. |
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Question: Does maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affect newborn gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles? Finding: Neonates born to mothers with diet-controlled GDM exhibited reduced gut microbiota α-diversity, altered β-diversity, and metabolic shifts, including changes in fumarate and succinate levels, with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and adipocytokine signaling pathway activation. Meaning: Maternal GDM affects early microbial colonization and metabolism in newborns and may have long-term health implications. |
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Foreign body and caustic substance ingestion in children aged 1–5 years can feature to severe and, sometimes life-threatening complications. High-risk items include batteries, magnets, and corrosive chemicals. Severity depends on object type, location, and ingestion timing. Prompt diagnosis and early endoscopic intervention are crucial. Individualized management, high clinical suspicion, and parental education are essential to improving outcomes and preventing immediate and long-term complications affecting a child’s quality of life. |
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Question: Do macrophage migration-inhibitory factor (MIF) and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) levels and their gene polymorphisms affect RDS among preterm babies? Finding: Significantly higher serum MIF and GDF-15 levels were observed in patients with severe respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). The mutant G- and C-alleles of GDF-15 rs4808793 C>G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and MIF rs755622 G>C SNP were present at significantly higher frequencies in preterm neonates with RDS. Meaning: MIF and GDF-15 play a significant role in neonatal RDS and its severity. |
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Universal newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) demonstrates robust cost-effectiveness across diverse high-income healthcare systems, both from healthcare and societal standpoints. Early detection yields substantial savings. While uncertainties persist, impacting precise cost-effectiveness, the overall finding is positive. Future research must prioritize enhanced data collection and statistical rigor to refine our understanding of SCID's economic impact within the Australian context. |
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Question: What are the key challenges affecting pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in Korea? Finding: Excessive workloads, low procedural volumes, and legal risks contribute to high burnout. Regional disparities limit skill maintenance and threaten workforce sustainability. Meaning: Targeted policies ensuring fair workloads, legal protections, and regional support are essential to stabilizing the pediatric cardiac workforce and maintaining high-quality care. |
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Question: Could hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) be an alternative to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for type VI mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS VI)? Finding: HSCT is generally not offered due to reports of high toxicity and mortality. However, we detected fewer complications and graft-versus-host disease cases and no deaths with HSCT. Meaning: HSCT is both less expensive than ERT and permanent; thus, it should be considered an alternative treatment for MPS VI. |
Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics is an open access journal. All articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)
Copyright © 2026 by Korean Pediatric Society.





