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The use of the Internet among children and adolescents is now a norm in many parts of the world. As the Internet offers a wide range of benefits to these ones, so does it expose them to possible various risks and harm. Researchers in different countries across the world have engaged in the production of relevant research-based knowledge in order to make the virtual world a safe place for the younger ones. However, while studies have been carried out on the subject of Internet risk among children and adolescents, there is a dearth of information on the assessment of research activities across different parts of the world. The present study employed Bibliometric techniques to determine research productivity patterns across the different regions and countries of the world. All relevant publications indexed in Google Scholar were collected between November and December, 2018. The findings of the study reveal that while countries in the American and European regions of the world have been very productive in researching on the subject, the same is not the case with their African counterparts.

Background: Midline diastema in children is a prevalent developmental entity, and this pathological condition may remain in many children due to various factors. Nonetheless, the evidence on etiological factors of the midline diastema in children is minimal. Purpose: To evaluate the etiological factors of midline diastema causes in children below 12 years of age from the published data. Methods: A literature search was confined to the English language using MeSH terms conferring to PICO format in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Ovidsp covering the period from January 1960 to December 2019. Search in Google Scholar, grey literature, and hand search on references were performed to find additional data. Suitable studies were selected based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality analysis of the chosen studies conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies. Results: Only eight studies were available for final analysis among those four studies from India, two studies from Korea, one study from Brazil, and another study from Canada. The most common etiology for midline diastema was supernumerary teeth followed by morphology labial frenum and nasal airflow condensation. The quality analysis of these studies based on NOS showed one study with unsatisfactory, four studies with satisfactory, and three with good quality. Conclusion: Morphology of frenum, pre-maxillary supernumerary teeth, and nasal airflow condensation seem to be the most common causes of midline diastema in children below 12 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower limb deformities include conditions such as leg length discrepancy, lower limb deficiency and associated angular and rotational deformities of the hips, knees, ankles and feet. Children with lower limb deformities often have physical limitations due to gait irregularities and pain. The differences in the appearance and function of their lower limbs can discourage participation in social, recreational and leisure activities, which may result in behavioural, emotional, psychological and social adjustment problems. The health-related quality of life (HRQL) of these children is often impacted due to the factors discussed above, as well as by the complex surgical procedures. Surgical treatment options for limb deformities in children vary from limb lengthening and reconstruction to amputation. The lack of evidence demonstrating superiority of either treatment options and their effect on HRQL limits the ability of healthcare providers to counsel families on the best evidence-based treatment option for them. This manuscript describes the international qualitative study which guided the development of a new patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). Individual semi-structured face-to-face interviews with children with lower limb deformities and their parents were conducted at five sites: Canada (2 sites), Ethiopia, India and the USA. Results: Seventy-nine interviews were conducted at five international sites. Five main themes emerged from the qualitative interviews and formed the basis of the conceptual framework. These themes were: 1) appearance, 2) physical health, 3) psychological health 4) school and 5) social health. Conclusions: Lower limb deformities have a substantial impact on the HRQL of children. The concepts of interest identified in our study were similar across children from all countries. The conceptual framework guided the development of outcome scales specific to these patients. The information about the impact of various treatment options on the HRQL of children with lower limb deformities, collected using this new PROM, could be used to inform parents and children about outcomes (physical, social, psychological) associated with specific treatment options. This information could supplement other objective outcome information (e.g., complication rates, how the leg will look, etc.) to help families to come to a more informed decision on a child's course of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the association between breastfeeding and childhood obesity. A multinational cross‐sectional study of 4,740 children aged 9–11 years was conducted from 12 countries. Infant breastfeeding was recalled by parents or legal guardians. Height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat were obtained using standardized methods. The overall prevalence of obesity, central obesity, and high body fat were 12.3%, 9.9%, and 8.1%, respectively. After adjustment for maternal age at delivery, body mass index (BMI), highest maternal education, history of gestational diabetes, gestational age, and child's age, sex, birth weight, unhealthy diet pattern scores, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity, sleeping, and sedentary time, exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds of obesity (odds ratio [OR] 0.76, 95% confidence interval, CI [0.57, 1.00]) and high body fat (OR 0.60, 95% CI [0.43, 0.84]) compared with exclusive formula feeding. The multivariable‐adjusted ORs based on different breastfeeding durations (none, 1–6, 6–12, and > 12 months) were 1.00, 0.74, 0.70, and 0.60 for obesity (Ptrend =.020) and 1.00, 0.64, 047, and 0.64 for high body fat (Ptrend =.012), respectively. These associations were no longer significant after adjustment for maternal BMI. Breastfeeding may be a protective factor for obesity and high body fat in 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children from 12 countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given the South Asian phenotype of higher body fat at similar body mass index (BMI) relative to Caucasians, we sought to explore the association between prominent adiposity indicators with blood pressure (BP) and hypertension, to compare the accuracy of these indicators in estimating hypertension, and to provide cut-off values associated with adverse hypertension risk in South Asian children., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Community-based recruitment in two Canadian cities (Hamilton and Surrey)., Participants: South Asian children (n=762) were recruited from two Canadian cities. Waist circumference, waist to height ratio and BMI were determined. Body fat percentage was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and BP was assessed using an automated device. All variables (except body fat percentage) were transformed to z-scores using published standards., Outcome Measures: Linear and Poisson regression was used to explore associations between the adiposity indicators with BP z-score and hypertension. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to explore the strength of the adiposity indicators in estimating hypertension risk and sex-stratified optimal adiposity cut-off values associated with hypertension risk., Results: Significant associations were detected in adjusted and unadjusted models between the adiposity indicators with BP z-score and hypertension (p<0.01 for all). The area under the curve (AUC) values for the adiposity indicators for boys and girls ranged from 0.74 to 0.80, suggesting that the adiposity indicators are fair measures of estimating hypertension risk. Sex-stratified cut-off associated with adverse risk of hypertension for girls and boys, respectively, were at the 92nd and 82nd percentile for BMI z-scores, 65th and 80th percentile for WC z-score, 63rd and 67th percentile for WHtR z-score and at 29.8% and 23.5% for body fat., Conclusion: Our results show associations between adiposity indicators with BP and hypertension and suggests that South Asian children might be at adverse risk of hypertension at levels of adiposity considered normal., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)