Search

Prenatal iron supplementation improves children's health and cognitive performance, but few studies explore behavioural development. This study assessed the effects of adjusting prenatal iron supplementation to maternal iron stores during early pregnancy on children's behavioural problems. Randomized controlled trial conducted in Tarragona (Spain) involving 230 nonanaemic pregnant women and their children after a 4‐year follow‐up. Based on haemoglobin (Hb) levels before gestational week (GW) 12, women receive different iron doses: those with Hb = 110–130 g/L were randomized to receive 80 or 40 mg/day and those with Hb > 130 g/L were randomized to receive 20 or 40 mg/day. Maternal iron stores at GW12 were classified using serum ferritin (SF) as low (SF < 15 µg/L), normal (SF = 15–65 µg/L), and normal‐high (SF > 65 µg/L). Children's behaviour was assessed by parents using the Child Behaviour Checklist for ages 1.5–5 years and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function‐Preschool Version, and by teachers using the Teacher's Report Form for ages 1.5–5 years. Multivariable regression models were performed. Taking 80 mg/day of iron improved child behaviour when women had low iron stores but worsened it when mothers had normal–high iron stores, except for depressive and attention/hyperactivity problems. Taking 20 mg/day of iron improved behaviour only in those children whose mothers had SF > 65 µg/L in early pregnancy. Additionally, executive functioning improved at high doses of prenatal iron when maternal baseline SF < 15 µg/L. Adjusting prenatal iron supplementation to both maternal baseline Hb levels and iron stores reduces behavioural problems in 4‐year‐old children. Key messages: Prenatal iron supplementation succeeds in improving maternal haematological outcomes and cognitive performance of children, but few studies have focused on behavioural development.Prenatal iron supplementation adjusted to maternal iron stores reduces behavioural problems in 4‐year‐old children.Maternal iron stores early in pregnancy should be measured in addition to haemoglobin concentration.These findings contribute greatly to the advancement of public health by giving physicians the tools to prescribe the most appropriate dose of iron supplementation to contribute to better child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Determine efficacy of "KARER" educational intervention on caring ability and burden of caregiving relatives of disabled patients with stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Design: Clinical, randomized, controlled and double blinded trial with a mixed approach. Methods: Study population will be made up of 96 caregiving relatives of patients of home‐hospitalized care programs in the cities of Bogotá and Bucaramanga, (Colombia), between March 2021 and March 2022. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups, either intervention (n = 48) or control (n = 48). The intervention is interdisciplinary and multi‐component: B‐Learning modality and clinical simulation. Follow‐up of participants will last 8 weeks from intervention period start‐out, and measurements will be taken and analysed in masked form. The main results will be the mean score changes of care ability and caregiver burden. Discussion: Caregiving relatives will show better adaptation to their role through effective use of caring abilities as they look after disabled persons with chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of e‐flipped and online case‐based workshops on the nurses' knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding thalassemia during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design: A pre‐test–posttest interventional study was conducted with two intervention groups and a control group. Methods: One hundred and fifty nurses were recruited from comprehensive urban health centres in June–December 2020. The nurses were randomly allocated to one of the three groups: case‐based e‐flipped workshop (n = 50), case‐based online workshop (n = 50) and control (n = 50). A researcher‐made questionnaire was completed by eligible subjects at baseline, after the end of the training sessions and 4 weeks after interventions to assess their knowledge, attitude and behaviour. Data were analysed in IBM SPSS v16.0. ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc tests were used to compare the three groups. Results: The mean knowledge, attitude and behaviour scores in the intervention groups increased significantly more than that in the control group (p <.001). One week and 4 weeks following the intervention, the mean score of knowledge, attitude and behaviour in the e‐flipped group was greater than that in the online group (p <.001). According to the results, e‐flipped and online case‐based workshops can improve nurses' knowledge, attitude and behaviour regarding thalassemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]