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Question: What are the risk factors of newborn birth weight? Does gestational weight gain and prepregnancy body mass index affect childhood weight? Finding: Excess maternal weight gain increases the risk of overweight/obesity, newborn birth weight, and child body mass index at 4–6 years. Meaning: Maternal weight control before and during pregnancy should be well controlled. |
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· Intussusception, the most common cause of small bowel obstruction in young children, has an overall incidence in Korea of 28.3 cases per 100,000 person-years. · Its cause is idiopathic inmost cases, although viral or bacterial gastroenteritis has beenpostulated as a cause. Approximately 4% of children have pathological lead points for intussusception, and Meckel’s diverticulum is the most common cause. · Intussusception in preterm infants is extremely rare. Older children (>5 years of age) are at increased risk of pathological lead points. |
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· This study compared the ability of 2 probiotics to reduce and improve functional abdominal pain (FAP) in children. · In the polymicrobial probiotic (PMP) group, 10.34% of children reported no pain; in the mono-strain probiotic (MSP) group, all patients reported low-degree pain. The mean pain score decreased significantly over time in both groups. · The use of both PMP and MSP is recommended to reduce pain in patients with FAP. |
· The ability of probiotics to relieve pain caused by functional abdominal pain disorders (FAPD) in children is unclear. · Lactobacillus reuteri may effectively reduce pain caused by childhood FAPD. · Since the routine use of probiotics cannot be recommended due to a lack of clinical evidence, research into probiotic mixtures or symbiotics remains necessary. |
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Question: Do probiotics added to maternal nutrition affect infantile colic symptoms and intestinal microbiota? Finding: Infants whose mothers ingested probiotics demonstrated decreased crying frequency and intensity and significantly increased bacterial diversity in the stools. The bacterial variety was substantially affected by the added probiotic product. Meaning: The addition of probiotics to maternal nutrition in early infancy could play an important role in preventing infantile colic. |
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∙ Microbial colonization primarily occurs after birth but there may be some colonization in utero, although this remains highly controversial. ∙ Maternal factors during pregnancy affect the infant microbiota: diet, weight, gestational weight gain, and antibiotic usage. ∙ Microbes are passed from mother-to-infant during and after birth. Delivery mode, breastfeeding, early life antibiotic, and proton pump inhibitor treatment have the largest effects on microbial composition in early life. ∙ The early life gut microbiome plays an important role in the development of the immune system and metabolism. |
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Nutrients are important in the developing immune system. Human milk supplies diverse bioactives to prevent acute infection or chronic inflammation. Immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and glutamine in human milk decrease gastrointestinal and respiratory infection. Human milk oligosaccharides promote the growth of intestinal microbiota, the gut barrier, and antimicrobial or antiviral activity. Micronutrients act as anti-inflammatory immunonutrients, too. However, the toxicity of some nutrients from an overdose should be considered. |
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· Clinical manifestations of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract involvement in Crohn's disease (CD) are common but often clinically underestimated. · Diagnosing CD by confirming inflammation of the UGI tract histologically is challenging because macroscopic and microscopic findings overlap with those of other diseases. · Ongoing efforts are needed to enable a standardized assessment of UGI CD in the future. |
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Question: Are functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) common in Italy? If so, what are the associated risk factors? Finding: In this cross-sectional study of 1,594 adolescents, the prevalence of FGIDs was 30.9% and was mainly associated with smartphone addiction. Meaning: Smartphone use and dietary habits should be monitored in children with FGIDs. |
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Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common disorders characterized by persistent and recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms. Pathophysiological mechanisms have been suggested, including intestinal microbiota, altered intestinal permeability and motility, dietary effects, sensory abnormalities, and brain-gut dysregulation. Lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, affect, and physical activity might function as moderators. |
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Question: What are the prevalence and clinical characteristics of celiac disease (CD) in children in Bahrain? Finding: We found a significant increase in CD prevalence over the last decade (P=0.0001). A male predominance was noted. Atypical presentations were common. Most patients had poor adherence to a gluten-free diet. Meaning: CD is an underdiagnosed condition. Atypical symptoms should be considered to prevent missing patients with CD. |
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· Norovirus is the most common virus in Korean children with acute gastroenteritis. · Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. are the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in Korean children, with a detection rate of 3%–20%. · Uncommon bacterial and parasitic gastroenteritis require attention because of increasing international exchange and overseas travel. |
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Question: What is the value of the diagnostic code in identifying cases of biliary atresia in a large administrative database? Finding: The diagnostic code’s accuracy and sensitivity are acceptable for identifying algorithm-defined cases. A history of pale stool and a presumed diagnosis of biliary atresia prior to referral added value. Meaning: The addition of clinical data to the diagnostic code significantly increased the diagnostic yield. |
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Question: Can noninvasive biomarkers identify esophageal varices among children with esophageal cirrhosis? Finding: The spleen size, platelet count, international normalized ratio, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, platelet count to spleen size ratio, and risk score differed significantly between the patients with and those without esophageal varices. Meaning: These biological parameters can predict esophageal varices among pediatric patients and indicate the need for esophagogastroduodenoscopy. |
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Although Helicobacter pylori infection rate in children is unclear due to diversity and limitation of diagnostic tests unlike in adults, investigation the childhood prevalence is important for predicting H. pylori-related diseases in the future. H. pylori infection occurred in early childhood, and declined during 30 years in our study. Change in risk factors of H. pylori transmission and consensus for eradication therapy in children might further reduce the infection rate. |
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Question: ecurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is a chief complaint among pediatrics and is associated with reduced quality of life, for both parent and child, and economic burden. Does probiotics reduce the frequency of RAP among children? Finding: This study reported the effects of Lactobacillus reuteri probiotics among children with RAP as a result of multiple etiologies. Meaning: The administration of probiotic supplements is significantly associated with pain relief among RAP children presented with functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, and functional dyspepsia. |
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Question: Which clinical findings suggest esophageal structure in children with dysphagia? Finding: The presence of solid dysphagia, malnutrition, and a comorbid condition is suggestive of esophageal stricture in children with dysphagia. Meaning: Patients with findings suggestive of noncaustic esophageal stricture should receive early referral to pediatric gastroenterology units. |
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Although the precise pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear, dietary factors seem to play a significant role. Dietary modifications including enteral nutrition and the Crohn disease exclusion, specific carbohydrate, and anti-inflammatory diets show a potential ability to downregulate gut inflammation. These nutritional interventions have various degree of efficacies with limited side effects profile for treating pediatric IBD, but data from randomized prospective studies are lacking, and further studies are warranted. |
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic relapsing immune-mediated disease of the intestinal tract. Although its prevalence is reportedly lower in Asia than in Western countries, the rapid increase in the incidence of IBD has drawn attention to its etiology, including genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Specifically, recent studies concerning dietary treatments and intestinal microbiota suggest that these factors may... |
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Background: Immunomodulatory properties of interferon (IFN) have been documented. It may induce autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune thyroiditis with hypo- or hyperthyroidism. In addition, it may impair thyroid hormone synthesis through affecting iodide organification in thyroid gland.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe thyroid function tests disturbances in children with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) receiving pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG... |
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Background: The seropositivity rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) antibodies is known to be ≥95% after hepatitis B virus vaccination during infancy. However, a low level or absence of anti-HBs in healthy children is discovered in many cases. Recent studies in adults reported that a reduced anti-HBs production rate is related to obesity.
Purpose: To investigate whether body mass index... |
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Background: An increase in the numbers of patients with gastrointestinal symptoms has recently been observed.
Purpose: To investigate the effects of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy on intestinal inflammation in children and adolescents as confirmed by clinical manifestations and objectively assessed by fecal calprotectin (FC) level measurement. Methods: Consecutive children (aged 3–18 years) who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms and were treated with... |
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Background: The esophagus is the most common part of gastrointestinal (GI) tract at the risk of stricture. Benign disorders are the leading causes of narrowing. Caustic ingestion is the most common cause of esophageal stricture in children, especially in developing countries. Clinical responses to the topical application of Mitomycin C in various medical procedures have been reported.
Purpose: The study aimed... |
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Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a calcium- and zinc-binding protein of the S100 family, mainly expressed by neutrophils and released during inflammation. FC became an increasingly useful tool both for gastroenterologists and for general practitioners for distinguishing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from irritable bowel syndrome. Increasing evidences support the use of this biomarker for diagnosis, follow-up and evaluation of response to... |
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Purpose: To determine whether Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 plays a role in absorption of iron preparations given to children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Methods: We performed a quasi-experimental study involving pre- and postintervention tests using a control group in North Sulawesi province, Indonesia, between July and September 2017. We conducted a single-blind controlled trial that included primary school children who... |
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Purpose: Obesity is risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, nonobese patients are also increasingly susceptible to NAFLD. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics of obese and nonobese pediatric patients with NAFLD. Methods: We retrospectively studied 68 patients who were diagnosed with NAFLD between January 2010 and October 2016 at 10–18 years of age.... |
Perforation of the esophagus is an uncommon problem with significant morbidity and mortality. In children undergoing endoscopy, the risk of perforation is higher when interventional endoscopy is performed. The clinical features depend upon the site of esophageal perforation. Opinions vary regarding the optimal treatment protocol, and the role of conservative management in this context is not well established. Esophageal perforation... |
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