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Summary: Sleep problems are common in neurological conditions for which ketogenic dietary therapies (KDTs) are recognised as an effective intervention (drug‐resistant epilepsy, autism spectrum disorder, and migraine). Given the composite framework of action of ketogenic dietary therapies, the prevalence of sleep disturbance, and the importance of sleep regulation, the present scoping review aimed at identifying and mapping available evidence of the effects of ketogenic dietary therapies on sleep. A comprehensive web‐based literature search was performed retrieving publications published to June 2023 using PubMed and Scopus, yielding to 277 records. Twenty papers were finally selected and included in the review. Data were abstracted by independent coders. High variability was identified in study design and sleep outcome evaluation among the selected studies. Several changes in sleep quality and sleep structure under ketogenic dietary therapies were found, namely an improvement of overall sleep quality, improvement in the difficulty falling asleep and nighttime awakenings, improvement in daytime sleepiness and an increase of REM sleep. The relevance and possible physiological explanations of these changes, clinical recommendations, and future directions in the field are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in Acta Paediatrica examined the association between maternal pandemic-related stress during pregnancy and sleep difficulties in children at 24 months of age. The study found that higher levels of maternal stress during pregnancy were associated with greater sleep disturbances in children. This adds to the growing evidence that antenatal stress can have long-lasting effects on infants' well-being. The study suggests the need for special preventive care for mothers and children after the pandemic. The study was supported by funding from the European Union and the Italian Health Ministry. [Extracted from the article]

With the consolidation of fathers' engagement in caregiving, understanding the neuroendocrine and hormonal mechanisms underlying fatherhood becomes a relevant topic. Oxytocin (OT) has been linked with maternal bonding and caregiving, but less is known about the role of OT in human fatherhood and paternal caregiving. A systematic review of methods and findings of previous OT research in human fathers was carried. The literature search on PubMed and Scopus yielded 133 records. Twenty‐four studies were included and analyzed. Significant variability emerged in OT methodology, including laboratory tasks, assessment methods, and outcome measures. Fathers' OT levels appear to increase after childbirth. OT was significantly correlated with less hostility and with the quality of paternal physical stimulation in play interactions, but not with paternal sensitivity. Fathers' and children's OT levels were significantly correlated in a limited subset of studies, intriguingly suggesting that cross‐generational OT regulation may occur during the early years of life. This study highlights relevant issues and limitations of peripheral OT assessment in human subjects, especially in fathers. Although the study of paternal neuroendocrinology appears promising, coping with these issues requires dedicated efforts and methodological suggestions are provided to guide future advances in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exclusive breastfeeding and maternal postnatal anxiety contributed to infants' temperament issues at 6 months of age The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months for health reasons, and it could be associated with better infant development outcomes that continue into childhood and adolescence.1 Temperamental-based behavioural traits and maternal anxiety are well-known key contributors to infants' cognitive and developmental outcomes.2 However, studies have disagreed on associations between exclusive breastfeeding and infants' temperament. The cohort was drawn from the Italian Measuring the Outcomes of Maternal COVID-19-related Prenatal Exposure study.5 Data on 320 mother-infant dyads were collected from 10 neonatal units in northern Italy from May 2020 to August 2021. [Extracted from the article]

Italian parents welcomed a telehealth family-centred rehabilitation programme for children with disability during COVID-19 lockdown The programme comprised case-specific tailored telehealth sessions that include parental support and child rehabilitation sessions (Table S1). However, they suggest that an emergency programme that provides continuity of care and support with remote rehabilitation interventions may be beneficial for both child and parental well-being, with limited practical challenges. [Extracted from the article]