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Aim: To assess implementation of the Israel Neonatal Society's 2008 guidelines for universal community assessment of jaundice within 72 hours of discharge from birth hospitalisation.Methods: Mothers of newborns were interviewed at Maternal Child Health Clinics in the Jerusalem District, Israel, and asked whether their newborn had been evaluated for jaundice within the recommended time frame. Newborn discharge letters from Israeli hospitals were assessed for appropriate inclusion of instructions for early follow-up for jaundice.Results: Out of 659, 217 (32.9%) mothers whose newborns were at low risk for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia reported an examination within 72 hours of discharge. Eighteen (8.3%) were referred for a bilirubin test. In contrast, 99.1% (109/110) of high-risk newborns who were specifically invited for a bilirubin test the day following discharge complied. Out of 26, 12 (46.2%) hospital discharge letters specified both a time limit of 72 hours post-discharge and jaundice as a reason for early follow-up.Conclusion: The early community surveillance rate for jaundice was low, contrasting with near universal compliance in those who received a specific instruction for a post-discharge bilirubin blood test. Inclusion of specific written instructions in hospital discharge summaries was also low and may contribute to poor implementation of guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Shared reading leads to better language and executive functions. This study was designed to examine the effect of dialogic reading compared to screen-exposed intervention on executive functions using behavioural and electroencephalogram measures.Methods: The effect of six weeks of dialogic reading intervention on executive functions was examined in 16 children (seven females, 61.73 months, SD 7.07, min-max 50-170) vs 16 children exposed to screen (six females, 64.31 months, SD 64.31, min-max 52-74) recruited through posted ads in daycares in the north of Israel. Behavioural and attention/inhibition electroencephalogram tasks were used to assess the effects of intervention.Results: Comparisons using t-test showed that the dialogic reading group demonstrated higher executive functions and language scores vs the screen-exposed group. Greater accuracy rates, shorter reaction times and a smaller gap between P300 amplitudes were found for the dialogic reading group compared to the screen group for the electroencephalogram task.Conclusion: Dialogic reading intervention is related to improved executive functions and language abilities compared to screen-based story-telling. Parents and teachers should consider employing this method in preschool children as a facilitator for future academic abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of three different treatments for bronchiolitis in a tertiary paediatric facility.Methods: Patients with bronchiolitis who were younger than two years of age and were randomly allocated to three general wards at Schneider Children's Medical Center, Israel, after admission were included. Different treatment protocols in the wards were retrospectively compared.Results: The study comprised 286 children. The clinical and laboratory parameters on admission were similar between the wards. In Ward C where nebulised hypertonic saline was infrequently administered (6.7%), the mean number of days with oxygen saturation under 92% and the meanlength of hospital stay (1.8 and 3.8 days) were significantly lower than Ward A (2.8 and 5.3 days) and Ward B, (2.9 and 4.7 days) where nebulised hypertonic saline was given more frequently (38.7%-74.7%). Multivariate analysis indicated that low saturation on admission, leukocytosis and use of nebulised hypertonic saline or adrenalin were independent predictors of a longer period of desaturation and hospital stay.Conclusion: Different treatment protocols for bronchiolitis were used in three paediatric wards in this real-life study. No treatment regimen proved superior. Inhalations of hypertonic saline or adrenaline were associated with a longer hospital stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]