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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare but severe disease temporarily related to SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to describe the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings of all MIS-C cases diagnosed in children < 18 years old in Catalonia (Spain) to study their trend throughout the pandemic. This was a multicenter ambispective observational cohort study (April 2020– April 2022). Data were obtained from the COVID-19 Catalan surveillance system and from all hospitals in Catalonia. We analyzed MIS-C cases regarding SARS-CoV-2 variants for demographics, symptoms, severity, monthly MIS-C incidence, ratio between MIS-C and accumulated COVID-19 cases, and associated rate ratios (RR). Among 555,848 SARS-CoV-2 infections, 152 children were diagnosed with MIS-C. The monthly MIS-C incidence was 4.1 (95% CI: 3.4–4.8) per 1,000,000 people, and 273 (95% CI: 230–316) per 1,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 infections (i.e., one case per 3,700 SARS-CoV-2 infections). During the Omicron period, the MIS-C RR was 8.2 (95% CI: 5.7–11.7) per 1,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 infections, which was significantly lower (p < 0.001) than that for previous variant periods in all age groups. The median [IQR] age of MIS-C was 8 [4–11] years, 62.5% male, and 80.2% without comorbidities. Common symptoms were gastrointestinal findings (88.2%) and fever > 39 °C (81.6%); nearly 40% had an abnormal echocardiography, and 7% had coronary aneurysm. Clinical manifestations and laboratory data were not different throughout the variant periods (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The RR between MIS-C cases and SARS-CoV-2 infections was significantly lower in the Omicron period for all age groups, including those not vaccinated, suggesting that the variant could be the main factor for this shift in the MISC trend. Regardless of variant type, the patients had similar phenotypes and severity throughout the pandemic., This study has received funding for the data analysis from the “Fundació la Marató TV3” with file number 202134–30-31., Peer Reviewed, Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::3 - Salut i Benestar, Postprint (published version)

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has given us many reflections and an uncertain future. But it has also been an opportunity to open to new challenges in paediatric research. In Catalonia, a multidisciplinary research group (COPEDI-CAT) formed by hospital and primary care paediatricians and physicists from the Computational Biology and Complex Systems Unit (BIOCOM-SC) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia was set up to answer some of the unknowns about SARS-CoV-2 infection in the paediatric age group. In a first study, at the beginning of the pandemic, we demonstrated that children and adolescents were not the driving force behind the spread of the virus: 70% of the positive cases were transmitted by a cohabiting adult and only 7.7% were index cases within the family nucleus. In another study on the transmission of the virus in school bubble groups, we found that 75% of the positive cases did not infect any of their peers. We also found that most of the children and adolescents were asymptomatic or had mild COVID-19 and were progressing favourably. Hospitalisations and complications are described but are very rare. In the fifth wave, the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant has affected significantly more children (20%) than in previous waves. Thanks to the effort and investment made, research has borne fruit and we now have effective and safe vaccines. Vaccines have put us in a much more optimistic scenario, but with all the scientific information available and with the predominant delta variant, it is inevitable to ask whether vaccination in children under 12 years of age could be of benefit to them and to the general population. At the moment, we have no results on efficacy, safety and immunity in this age group and, of course, no authorisation from international health organisations such as the WHO, EMA and FDA., Postprint (published version)

El presente estudio tuvo el propósito de desarrollar una Hoja de Cernimiento para evaluar Sensibilidad en el Cuidador Primario. Se definió la sensibilidad materna como la habilidad para percibir e interpretar adecuadamente las señales y comunicación del hijo, y responder apropiadamente a ellas. El cernimiento se diseñó a partir de las categorías del "Child and Adult Relationship Experimental Index" (CARE-Index) que ha sido ampliamente utilizado y validado para evaluar sensibilidad materna. Se llevó a cabo un análisis entre jueces utilizando el análisis estadístico de relación de validez de contenido (CVR). La Hoja de Cernimiento resultó ser adecuada para identificar sensibilidad en el cuidador primario por lo que se utilizó en una muestra típica de 53 diadas puertorriqueñas con niños entre 0 y 30 meses para determinar la confiabilidad del constructo. Se utilizó SPSS Versión 25 para obtener el índice de confiabilidad interna. Los resultados demuestran que el instrumento tiene confiabilidad interna y hay consistencia entre las categorías a evaluar. Se discuten limitaciones del estudio.

Este trabajo consiste en un examen conceptual de los aspectos cognitivos, sociales y neuropsicológicos que subyacen a las inhabilidades en el aprendizaje. Dicho análisis tiene como marco de referencia la propuesta neuropsicológica de Alexander Luria y la perspectiva histórico-cultural de Lev Vygotski. Los acercamientos que se hacen desde ambos marcos permiten una conceptualización del cerebro como un órgano complejo, multidimensional y fundamentalmente social. Al concebir las estructuras cerebrales de esta forma, se considera la rehabilitación neuropsicológica como alternativa de intervención social en el caso de los/as niños/as con inhabilidades en el aprendizaje. Los programas de rehabilitación neuropsicológica enfatizan el aspecto de la mediación social como uno fundamental, no sólo para el desempeño académico sino para el contexto social en el que se desarrolla el/la niño/a. También se presentan las definiciones y las bases de la rehabilitación cognitiva, así como un programa de intervención para niños/as con dificultades en la lectura. Se discuten las implicaciones psicoeducativas de estos programas como alternativa para los métodos de enseñanza tradicional

Los trastornos depresivos constituyen un problema serio de salud mental para niños/as y adolescentes puertorriqueños. Para poder realizar las investigaciones sobre esta condición en la población juvenil es necesario contar con instrumentos adecuados para su evaluación. Con este propósito se realizó una traducción y adaptación del Inventario de Depresión para Niños/as. Se presentan los datos psicométricos de confiabilidad y validez para este instrumento en un grupo de niños/as y adolescentes puertorriqueños. También se presentan los resultados de nivel de depresión para este grupo.