Search

Electrical burn injuries (EBI) affect both adults and children and are responsible for a very high number of major limb amputations. Their management is still a major challenge. This retrospective review concerns 42 children, admitted to an intensive burn care department in Tunisia for high electrical burns, from January 2016 to September 2022. The average age of our patients was 12 years, with a male predominance (90.5%). Electrotrauma was accidental in the majority of cases (93%) and secondary to a domestic accident in 54.8% of cases. Total body surface area was 19%. Burns were second degree in 2/3 of cases and third degree in 1/3 of cases. The most affected areas were distal extremities in 2/3 of the cases. Rhabdomyolysis was observed in 93% of cases and troponins were elevated in half of the patients. Escharotomy was required in 38% of cases. Amputation was performed in 18 children (43%): one limb (n=10); 2 limbs (n=6) and 3 limbs (n=2). The outcome was favorable in 9 children (21.4%); functional and cosmetic sequelae with an impact on schooling and psychology were reported in 25 cases. Mortality was 16.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting almost 1% of children, starting the first months of life. In some journals, this prevalence is reported to be between 0.4 and 0.7%. We are reporting a case of childhood psoriasis in a 2-year-old patient. The case was observed in the Dermatology unit at the Hubert Koutoukou Maga National University Hospital of Cotonou (CNHU-HKM). The case clinical description will allow us to show the difficulties in establishing a diagnosis and how little are the treatment choices available in our clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inadequate feeding practices have a negative impact on children's health and growth during the first two years of life and increase their risk of undernutrition, morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with complementary feeding practices of children in a context of internal displacement in the Centre-North region of Burkina Faso. A community-based, descriptive and analytical cross-sectional household survey was conducted in the urban centre of Kaya. The cluster sampling method was used to select 197 mother-child pairs aged 6 to 23 months. Sociodemographic, health and child feeding practices data were collected from questionnaires administered to mothers. Analysis was performed using STATA 13 software. Descriptive analyses and binary logic regression were performed with a 95% confidence interval. In the present study, only a quarter of children aged 6 to 23 months have minimal dietary diversity, 17,8 % have achieved a minimum acceptable diet. The minimum meal frequency is 60.1% for all children. The practice of minimum dietary diversity of children aged 12 to 23 months is 2.8 times higher than that of children in the 6 to 8 months and 9 to 11 months age groups (OR=2.8; p=0.001) with a more acceptable minimum meal frequency. This study found that factors such as large household size (OR= 3.57; p=0.007), mother's residence in a rural area (OR= 2.8; p=0.004) and mother's low education level (OR= 1.8; p=0.045), mother's marital status (OR=2.3; p=0.015) and caregiver negatively influence children's complementary feeding practices. Adequate complementary feeding practices are still a concern in the study area and require the implementation of intervention strategies based mainly on nutritional education of mothers, taking into account the socio-cultural context of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors, they can be complicated by very hemorrhagic ulcers and rarely by infections. Oral treatment with beta-blockers has revolutionized the management of complicated cutaneous hemangiomas. We report a case of a 4-month-old infant with no notable history, who consulted for purulent ulceration of a cutaneous hemangioma in the upper of thorax with fever from 3 days ago. The clinical examination finds a febrile infant at 39°C, the hemangioma of 10 cm large presents a central necrosis (A). The indication of hospitalization for management was indicated, but refused by the parents. The biological assessment revealed a CRP at 124mg/l with hyperleukocytosis at 15700/mm³ predominantly PNN. We started the outpatient treatment: daily local care of the infected ulceration, oral antibiotic therapy: Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid for 10 days and analgesics (Paracetamol). Faced with the hemorrhagic appearance of the ulceration measuring 3cm large diameter (B), we started the beta-blockers, outpatient, orally, after performing a normal ECG. (1mg/kg/day then 2mg/kg/day in two doses after the 1st week then 3mg/kg/day the third week). Twice-daily monitoring of capillary blood glucose, blood pressure and heart rate was performed at each dose increase. Clinical improvement was spectacular with significant involution of hemangioma (C) after 2 months of treatment with Propranolol. This observation recalls the importance of the introduction of betablockers in front of complicated hemangiomas as well as the possibility of their management on an outpatient basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The epilepsy that occurs early and throughout childhood is the most difficult to control. Regarding the child population, about 20 to 30% continue to have seizures even if they do the drug treatment properly. Epilepsy that occurs early and throughout childhood is the most aggressive. Often epileptic seizures are harmful, affecting cognitive processing, behavior, mood and sleep. There is no standard protocol for the neuropsychological assessment of pediatric patients with refractory epilepsy. This article aim to conduct a systematic review to compile and analyze the empirical knowledge on neuropsychological assessment of refractory epilepsy in childhood of patients who are not undergoing surgery for seizure control. The research was conducted using the PRISMA method. We found six studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined for this search. None of the studies are Brazilian. Only a small portion of the published studies on neuropsychological assessment of children with refractory epilepsy did not have patients with surgical indication. Although all six studies found considered the assessment of cognitive functions in children with refractory epilepsy, they used different tests and tasks for investigations. Thus, based on the sample of the present study, it was evidenced that there is no standard investigation protocol. All studies resulting from this search were concerned with assessing intellectual skills, in four studies there was evaluation of memory systems, three articles performed evaluation of executive function components, and the same number of studies investigated participants' oral language components. It was possible to observe, with this study, the scarcity of published material on neuropsychological assessment of children with refractory epilepsy who are not submitted to surgery, even though this public exists and receives treatment in specialized centers. It can be seen that there is no standardization for the performed evaluations, which makes it difficult to compare data and results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the world to implement drastic prevention methods based on limiting population movements that have an impact on public health policies, such as vaccination. The purpose of this work was to assess the effect of these preventive measures on routine immunization schedules in hospitals after the outbreak of this pandemic in Senegal. Methods: we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in the Vaccination Unit of the Abass NDAO hospital center in August 2020. We compared data from the Vaccination Unit over the period March-August of the last three years (2018, 2019 and 2020). The parameter studied was the number of vaccine doses administered in the different periods according to the expanded immunization program. Results: in April, the number of doses of vaccines given at 6 weeks was 36 in 2018, 29 in 2019 and 15 in 2020, reflecting a decrease of 50% compared to March. In July, the number of doses given was 40 in 2018, 35 in 2019 and 15 in 2020, reflecting a reduction of 42% compared to 2019. Conclusion: measures to combat this pandemic should not affect routine immunization programmes, especially in our resource-constrained country. It is essential to continue vaccination schedule for children and to identify children who have missed vaccine doses in order to implement catch-up vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is genetically similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus. In pediatrics, it has a benign clinical course. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea, whose epicenter was Conakry, pediatric cases have been reported at the CTEIP in Donka. The purpose of this study was to determine their epidemiological profile. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of children aged 0-16 years admitted to the CTEIP, Donka, over a period of four months. Out of 7308 patients, coming predominantly from 5 communes of Conakry and hospitalized in the CTEPI, 189 were aged between 0 and 16 years (2 .59%). The majority of patients were within the age-group 0-4-years (38.62%) with a sex-ratio (F/M) of 1.52; 62.96% were students, 70% of children lived in Conakry, 28.57% of mothers were traders and contact persons (39.68%); 37.57% of fathers were civil servants, 2.65% of children had a history of sickle cell disease and 1.59% had allergic rhinitis. Asymptomatic patients accounted for 52.38% of cases and diagnosed patients were 74.6%. Symptoms included fever, rhinorrhea, headache, cough, abdominal pain, sneezing, diarrhea, physical asthenia. The incidence of COVID- 19 among children hospitalized in the CTEIP of Donka is low. Children aged 5 years and older are more affected and nearly 50% are asymptomatic. Common symptoms are fever, headache, rhinorrhea, cough, abdominal pain, sneezing, diarrhea, physical asthenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: mortality risk is high at the Intensive Care Units (ICU) in developing countries. We here report the deaths occurred in the ICU at the Mother and Child Center in Yaounde, Cameroon. Methods: we conducted a retrospective study on the clinical, socio-demographic features, the therapeutic strategy as well as some of the factors associated with deaths occurred in 200 patients aged 3-59 months between 2010 and 2014. Results: out of 2675 patients included in the study, 1807 were aged 3-59 months and 303 died. The overall and cause-specific mortality rate in this age group was 11.3% and 16.7% respectively. Most patients (152/200; 76.0%) died within 24 months and the median admission time was 7 days. More than half of patients (57.0%) presented to a health center and only 66 (33.0%) presented to a referral hospital. Severe malaria (41.5%), pneumonia (22.7%) and gastroenteritis (27.8%) were the most common diseases. Malnutrition and HIV/AIDS were the underlying causes of death in 23.0% and 20.5% of patients respectively. Gastroenteritis multiplied the risk of death of approximately 6 times (OR = 5.76; p = 0.000) in patients affected by malnutrition and HIV infection. Deaths mainly occurred (90.0%) within 72 hours of admission. Conclusion: despite limited resources, some diseases could have been easily treated avoiding complications which require reanimation. It is essential to intensify the fight against malaria, HIV infection and malnutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiencies (CPD) are rare and caused by a defect in fatty acid oxidation. We here report the case of a 10-year-old patient with no particular previous history presenting with acute dyspnea associated with productive cough, fever and impaired general condition. The patient was polypneic with tachycardia, mitral systolic murmur and no sign of heart failure. Chest x-ray showed cardiomegaly and echocardiography revealed hypokinetic dilated cardiomyopathy. Carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency was diagnosed. Management was based on treatment for heart disease and strict hypopidic and hyperglucidic diet. Three months later, the patient presented with decompensated heart failure due to infection caused by antibiotic-resistant Aeromonas caviae identified in blood culture. CPD should be suspected in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This would enable early management which influences prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-voltage electrical burn injuries are rare emergencies in pediatric units and always associated with a poor prognosis. Recklessness, lack of knowledge about electric currents and the lack of safety around public electricity infrastructures are the three main factors contributing to the occurrence of high-voltage electrical accidents in children. Mortality is due to acute cardiac and renal complications, and trauma associated with falls. Secondary evolution is dominated by the risk of infection and the severity of functional sequelae. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment is needed to prevent these complications. Therapeutic management is based on early resuscitation and surgical management of tissue damage. We report three cases of high-voltage electrocution in children, with electro-thermal burns associated with severe head injury in one case, and myocardial damage and a compartment syndrome with severe functional sequelae in the other two. These three case reports are an opportunity to discuss literature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between deafness and visual disorders is frequent. These disorders range from simple refractive disorder to severe disease that can lead to disability. Hence the interest of early screening. This study aims to highlight the importance of multidisciplinary management and of the need for ophthalmological examination in each deaf child. We conducted a prospective monocentric data collection from medical records of 200 children followed for hypoacousia from January 2014 to January 2015. Each child underwent complete ophthalmological examination, ENT examination and clinical examination. Data from 155 medical records were collected. Ocular involvement was found in 47 patients, reflecting a rate of 30.4%. Bilateral involvement was found in 45 patients. The main syndromic causes were: Usher syndrome (8 casess), Waardenbourg syndrome (5 cases), Alport syndrome (3 cases), Wolfram syndrome (2 cases), Goldenhar syndrome (3 cases), Cogan syndrome (3 cases), Franceschetti-Kleinsyndrome (1 case), Charge syndrome(1 case), otomandibular syndrome (1 case), Stickler syndrome(1 case), Alström syndrome (1 case), Refsum disease (1 case), Susac syndrome (1 case) and KID Syndrome (1 case). Screening for ocular involvement allowed to shorten the average length of cochlear implantation from 9 months to 3 months. There are numerous ocular and auditory involvements because of the embryological and cellular similarities of these two organs, including the retina and the inner ear. The diagnosis of these involvements is facilitated by the presence of facial dysmorphism; on the other hand, diagnosis is difficult when there are visual and auditory sensorineural involvements. Early diagnosis of ocular and auditory involvements allows for best psychomotor development and optimal social inclusion. Therefore multidisciplinary management is necessary to allow for the best psychomotor, orthophonic and visual rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following text summarizes the results of two field surveys of children and adolescents from two cities in Western Algeria: Oran (m ay 2 01 2 ) and Aïn Tem ouchent (m ay 2 01 6). The major results of this research support the claim that in the world of children/adolescents in the lower-income neighborhoods of both cities, learning about the city and citizenship does not involve the association or even the school, least not as priority areas, but religious space. Indeed, the acculturation that operates the school is experienced as going against the socialization led by the family . This conflict of rationalities, opposing a m odernizing reason stripped of the "flaws" of the local culture, represented here by the school, to a reason that is faithful to the local culture with an instrumental vision of modernity , represented here by the modest families, finds its full expression in the religious sphere and the rupture between the socialization ensured by the family and the one that the school struggles to ensure to its "potaches". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated mastocytoma is the most common form of mastocytosis in children. Prognosis is good, as in all other forms of mastocytosis in children, with possibility of spontaneous regression. Dermocorticoids can accelerate this regression, as it is the case for our patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In Congo, data on diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children are old and rare. This study aims to describe the sociodemographic features of DKA and to identify risk factors for mortality. Patients and Methods: We conducted an analytical study on DKA in childred at the University Hospital in Brazzaville over the period from January 2013 to June 2016. We examined the socio-demographic, clinical, paraclinical and evolutionary variables. Chi-Square Test, Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were used in the univariate analysis process and logistic regression model in the multivariate analysis. Results: Out of 172 children hospitalized with diabetes 55 (31%) were hospitalized with ketoacidosis. They were girls (33; 60%) with an average age of 11.1± 4.9 years (ranging from 1 months to 17 years), 61.8% of parents came from low socioeconomic status. Ketoacidosis was the revealing symptom in 67.2 % of cases. The diagnosis made before hospitalization was wrong (50%). The triggering factor was often an infection (52.7%). Mortality rate was 12.7%. The risk factors for mortality in the univariate analysis were: age < 5 years (p=0,000006), average consultation time higher than 7 days (p= 0.001), severe dehydration (p = 0.0006), hemodynamic disorders (p= 0.0006), severe undernutrition (p= 0.02), Glasgow Coma Scale < 9 (p= 0.007) and diarrhea (p= 0.001). Conclusion: The importance and the seriousness of ketoacidosis impose preventive measures based on awareness, information and education campaigns as well as on the management of risk factors for mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: malnutrition (protein energy malnutrition, vitamin deficiency) contributes to anemia. At the same time, iron-deficiency anemia is one of the most common nutritional disorders in the world, especially in developing countries. This study aims to determine iron concentrations in malnourished children aged 6 -59 months and factors associated with variation in iron levels. Methods: we conducted a cross-sectional study from 01 July 2013 to 31 July 2014. The study involved 180 malnourished children and the study period began right after their admission in Nutrition Care Center. Another group living in the outskirts of the town, in the village Kawama, was included in the study. Venous puncture was performed, blood collection tubes of each patient were centrifuged and then analyzed by spectroscopy. Results: one hundred and seventy children (93.4%) had serum concentration lower than the normal value. However, 12 children (6.59%) had serum iron concentration between 610-1300 μg/L with mean concentration of 159.5 μg/L. Out of 170 children with serum iron concentration of <610 μg/L, 79 children (42.18%) were under the age of 24 months, 3 of whom (1.78%) were under the age of 6 months. In Kawama, 62 children (36.47%) had iron concentration <610. There was no statistically significant association between iron and risk factors, except for the provenance variable with P considered significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: serum iron concentration were lower in acutely or chronically malnourished children on admission, with a mean iron concentration of approximately 159.5 μg/L; this would justify the vast iron fortification programs of different foods and/or the administration of iron in the first week while treating complications (malaria, bacterial infections and other parasitic infections). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on the doctoral research "Children in preschool : between resisting and submitting to the educational social project" (2008). The aim of this paper is to establish how children in preschool discover, assimilate and (re)interpret social norms through the assessment of the interviews and drawings of 26 daycare and kindergarten children. Their drawings having served as a basis for interview discussions, this article will focus on analyzing the content of discussions about the drawn images. An ethnographic approach was used for the fieldwork and interview assessment was carried out in light of concepts drawn from children's sociology and clinical sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Les fractures sont des lésions courantes pendant l'enfance. La plupart sont causées par un traumatisme accidentel, mais les traumatismes non accidentels (maltraitance) sont de graves causes de fractures qui ne sont pas toujours dépistées, notamment chez les nourrissons et les jeunes enfants. Le présent point de pratique passe en revue les caractéristiques cliniques qui soulèvent des soupçons de lésions squelettiques non accidentelles et expose une méthode de prise en charge reposant sur les publications à jour et les lignes directrices publiées. Il souligne que les cliniciens sont tenus de signaler les soupçons de maltraitance aux services de protection de l'enfance. Il ne traite pas des fractures crâniennes isolées. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital cellulitis is rare but potentially severe in children. Diagnosis is primarily based on clinical examination and imaging (CT or MRI). This study aims to highlight the role of imaging, in particular CT scan, in the diagnosis and in the treatment of this pathology. We conducted a retrospective study of 56 cases of orbital cellulitis, whose data were collected in the Department of Radiology at the Hospital mother and child CHU Mohamed VI, Marrakech over a period of six years (January 2011-October 2017). Patients underwent cranio-orbital CT scan. The average age of patients was 5 years, with a slight female predominance. The disease mainly involved the sinus (22 patients). The analysis of computed tomography results highlighted 37 cases of preseptal cellulitis (66%), 3 cases of isolated retroseptal cellulitis (5%), 16 cases of mixed cellulitis (28%), 8 cases of exophthalmia (14%) and 4 cases of subperiosteal abscess (7%). Orbital cellulitis is a serious infection in children, affecting short term vital prognosis as well as medium-term and long-term functional visual prognosis. Positive diagnosis is based on clinical examination. Imaging plays an important role in topographical and etiological diagnosis and as guidance for treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La Société canadienne de pédiatrie continue d'encourager la vaccination antigrippale annuelle de TOUS les enfants et les adolescents, dès l'âge de six mois. Les recommandations du Comité consultatif national de l'immunisation (CCNI) pour la saison 2017-2018 n'ont pas subi de changements importants par rapport à la saison précédente. Le CCNI a analysé toutes les données sur l'efficacité du vaccin vivant atténué contre l'influenza (VVAI) sur le marché et conclut qu'elles en appuient l'utilisation au Canada, même si les États-Unis ne le recommandent pas en raison de doutes quant à son efficacité. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orbital tumors in children are characterised by a wide histological diversity due to the architectural complexity of the orbit. Several classifications may be proposed according to their location, histologic type and malignant or benign character. The most common clinical manifestation is the leukocoria. Diagnostic delay of these tumors, even if they are benign, may affect prognosis and lead to a loss of vision and/or a morphological deformation. Imaging plays an important role in positive diagnosis, in the differentiation between benign processes and potentially malignant processes, in the assessment of local and loco-regional staging and in follow-up monitoring under treatment. This study aimed to highlight the radiological features of primary intra-orbital tumors in children which are, in general, different from those of adults, by conducting a retrospective study of 40 medical records whose data were collected in the Division of Pediatric Radiology at the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, Morocco over a period of 4 years (2014-2017). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Skin diseases constitute a major health problem affecting a large proportion of the population including children causing distress and disability. This study aimed to document the spectrum and frequency of skin diseases of children who attended the dermatology outpatient clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study of children (18 years old and below) who attended the dermatology clinic between January 2004 and December 2016. Data obtained from the medical records of the patients included age, gender, clinical features, laboratory features and diagnosis. Skin diseases were classified into various groups. Results: There were 6373 children included in the study with a male to female ratio of 1:1.13. The most common disease categories were infections 1795 (26.1%), Eczematous conditions 1711 (24.9%), Infestations 936 (13.6%), papulosquamous disorders 547 (8.0%) and Bullous disorders 254 (3.7%). With respect to individual skin diseases, atopic dermatitis (AD) 1042 (15.1%) was the most common skin condition followed by papular urticaria 705 (10.2%) and tinea capitis 554 (8.1%). Infections were most common among infants and adolescents. Acneiform eruptions were common among adolescents while eczematous disorders were most common among children less than 5 years. Conclusion: The study highlights the common dermatoses seen in children in a specialized dermatology clinic in a developing country such as Nigeria. Most of the skin diseases observed can be controlled by proper environmental sanitation, adequate nutrition, reducing overcrowding, and promoting good health-seeking behavior among parents and caregivers. Information obtained from the study may guide training in dermatology especially among pediatricians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Le tabac est sacré dans bien des cultures autochtones, mais la consommation de tabac commercial à des fins récréatives est nuisible et hautement toxicomanogène. Le tabagisme est la principale cause évitable de décès prématuré dans le monde. Le taux de tabagisme chez les jeunes Autochtones est au moins trois fois plus élevé que chez leurs homologues non autochtones, ce qui représente une statistique alarmante à plusieurs égards. Les ravages d'une forte consommation de tabac sur la santé varient entre un taux démesurément élevé de mortalité et de morbidité et un lourd fardeau socioéconomique pour les communautés autochtones. Les dispensateurs de soins pédiatriques sont dans une position idéale pour collaborer avec des intervenants communautaires afin de prévenir et de traiter le tabagisme chez les jeunes et leur famille, tout en comprenant la valeur culturelle du tabac pour de nombreux peuples autochtones. Des interventions ciblées peuvent avoir des répercussions positives sur la durée et la qualité de vie, améliorer la santé globale et réduire les immenses coûts sociaux et humains liés au tabagisme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Febrile purpura (FP) is suggestive of meningococcal disease, requiring almost always further investigations and a treatment based on broad spectrum antibiotics. This study aimed to determine the incidence of meningococcal infections as well as their associated clinical signs in children with febrile purpura hospitalized in the emergency department. Methods: We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study in the pediatric emergency department at the Children's Hospital of Casablanca over a period of 3 years. The hospitalized children with FP who had undergone bloodculture, whether or not associated with lumbar puncture, were included in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.16 software. Results: We enrolled 96 children, 49 boys and 47 girls. The average age was 53.3 ± 40.5 months. Mean body temperature was 38.9°C. Meningococcal infection was diagnosed in 35/96 children. The diagnosis of meningococcemia was retained in 22 children, associated with meningitis in four patients. Symptoms and physical signs significantly associated with meningococcal infection included lethargy (p = 0.04), convulsions (p = 0.01) and purpura occurring outside the skin area drained by the superior vena cava (p = 0.01). Conclusion: FP occurring outside the skin area drained by the superior vena cava or associated with convulsions is srongly related to meningococcal infection, whose incidence seems to be high among Moroccan children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L'usage du cannabis, la drogue illicite la plus consommee dans le monde, est frequent chez les adolescents canadiens. La consommation de cannabis a l'adolescence peut provoquer des modifications fonctionnelles et structurelles du cerveau en developpement et induire une atteinte cerebrale. Dans ce groupe d'age, la consommation de marijuana s'associe fortement a la dependance au cannabis et a d'autres troubles de l'usage d'une substance, a l'adoption et au maintien du tabagisme, a l'augmentation des troubles de sante mentale, y compris la depression, l'anxiete et la psychose, a une perturbation du developpement neurologique et a un declin cognitif ainsi qu'a une diminution de la performance scolaire et des realisations au cours de la vie. Le taux de soins medicaux aigus et d'hospitalisations chez les jeunes enfants qui ont consomme involontairement du cannabis est en hausse. Compte tenu du debat en cours sur la reglementation du cannabis au Canada, l'examen attentif des preuves de ses effets sur la sante et la mise en place de mecanismes de protection deviennent des priorites absolues en sante publique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system of protection of children in situations of armed conflict, as established by international humanitarian law and supplemented by international human rights law and international criminal law, remains subject to numerous pitfalls. These pitfalls are closely intertwined with the definition of the obligations of the parties to the conflict and the mechanisms that ensure the implementation of the aforementioned obligations. Using the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a case study, a country that is estimated to have more than 30,000 child soldiers (with approximately 15% of the child soldiers being girls) and whose children remain victims of the unspeakable atrocities of armed forces and groups, this doctoral dissertation aims to question the content and effectiveness of the special protection of children, civilian or soldier, in situations of armed conflict. The overall purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of my doctoral thesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benign bone tumors are more common than malignant tumors in pediatrics. The exostosis (ostéchondrome) is the most common. The different imaging techniques are pivotal in the study of tumors including its standard radiography. The aim of this work is to highlight the interest in imaging the diagnostic management of bone benign tumors in children through a retrospective study of 169 patients. All patients were investigated by plain radiography, scanner supplement with multiplanar reconstruction before and after injection of PDC and / or MRI 1. 5 Tesla was performed according to the indication. The average age is 6 years with a slight male predominance. Clinically, the swelling is present in 35% of cases. The pain in 29% of cases. The most common location is the metaphyseal long bone on: Femur: 25% of cases, humerus: 17% of cases, Tibia: 21% of cases. Main Benign tumors are found exostosis (20. 12%), bone cyst (31. 95%) and osteoblastoma (16, 57%). The imagery is used to specify the topography and extension of the lesion in the bone provide arguments in favor of benign and sometimes in favor of the cause of the injury. The only standard radiograph often provides a diagnosis of certainty in some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the place of fats in young children's diet. Firstly, it shows on the one hand the important contribution that fats should have to total dietary intake of children younger than 2 years, because of their interest for neural development and their putative protective effect against the further development of obesity; on the other hand it underlines the low contribution of fats to total dietary intakes in French children, according to the available data, with a minority of children with adequate fat intake. Secondly, it reports available knowledge regarding the sensory control of fat intake. In newborns and infants, some works have looked at preference for fats and indicate the absence of a fat preference. In children, a higher fat content in foods is sometimes (but not always) associated with a positive effect on liking, often with an optimal content, but it is not associated with a higher intake of the food. High fat content in foods have two effects on eating behaviour learning. In children younger than 3 years, tripling the energy density of a food by adding fat is associated with the development of a conditioned satiation for this food; in older children, doubling the energy density by adding fat is associated with an increase in the liking for the flavours associated with fat. Perspectives for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory of mind (ToM), which is the ability to conceive that others' mental states may differ from one's own, is closely related in close relation to language. Yet, ToM in children with primary language disorder (PLD) has not been extensively studied. Initial research on the subject seemed to conclude that these children performed well at ToM tasks. However, recent studies have shown that children with PLD may have delays in developing ToM. Studying ToM in children with PLD raises some methodological questions that must be considered in order to better understand the relation between ToM and language and how this relation impacts child daily functioning. The goal of our study is to reflect critically on these methodological questions by looking at our review of the main research on ToM in children with PLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the diversity of intellectual profiles associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the relevance of performing a cognitive or developmental assessment. This issue appears even more important when a child with ASD is entering kindergarten. This evaluation can be beneficial as it can facilitate students' placement as well as identify teaching strategies tailored to their specific needs. Forty three assessment forms of children with ASD were examined. Strengths and weaknesses were noted and interventions tools are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Malnutrition is a backdrop on which several infections are grafted. The aim of this study is to determine the most lethal infections, the median length of stay and the median daily weight gain of malnourished children. Method: A retrospective cohort study of malnutrition in children aged 0-59 months hospitalized in the Therapeutic Nutritional Center in Bukavu from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. The evaluation of the risk of deaths related to infectious complication was made measuring the relative risk. Mann-Whitney test was used for comparing the medians. Adjusted odd ratios using logistic regression and 95% confidence interval for the risk of mortality were given for each infectious cause. Results: A total of 574 children were included in the study. Five hundred twenty-one (90.8%) children were cured, 10 (1.7%) had discontinued treatment and 43 (7.5%) had died. The median length of stay was 19 (13-26) days and the median daily weight gain was 7 (3-13) g/kg/j. There was a statistically significant association between mortality and sepsis/septic shock (p = 0.0004), meningitis (p = 0.00001) and HIV infection (p = 0.02). Conclusion: A better management of acute malnutrition in our region should be based on the establishment of specialized and well equipped units for the treatment of malnutrition associated with severe infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a neurological disease common among children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although its exact prevalence in this population is unknown, it is probably similar to that found in the general population because of its early onset (60% starts before the age of 20 years) and the absence of bimodal distribution found in western countries. This review acknowledges the reality that current management of pediatric epilepsy in SSA is imperfect. To reverse this trend, the challenges are three fold: better education, improved therapeutics and more research. Doctors need to be trained in the practice of pediatric neurology and provided with working conditions that limit the brain drain. The resources necessary for the proper management of children with epilepsy in SSA need to be identified and provided (better availability of antiepileptic drugs, clear national guidelines, proper registration of traditional healers etc...). Finally, it is imperative that research be conducted to establish accurate incidence and prevalence figures for pediatric epilepsy, so that targeted control measures can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Verrucous nevus is a benign tumor showing a linear pattern on Blaschko lines. It is caused by mosaic mutations of the receptor FGFR3 gene. It manifests as an aesthetic disfigurement, but individuals even experience functional complications due to itchiness. Lesions may be localized or extended (giant). In our context, the scarcity of specialized centers in dermatology is a cause of diagnostic delay inducing the patient to undertake unsuitable therapies responsible for infectious or degenerative complications. We report the case of a 15-year old girl with a history of keratotic papules showing a linear pattern along the neck, the right upper limb, the flank since childhood. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of verrucous nevus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]