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Background: Sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) continues to be a leading cause of death in infants in the United States (US), with significant disparities by race and socio-economic status. Infant safe sleep behaviors are associated with decreasing SUID risk, but challenges remain for families to practice these routinely. The objective of this program was to implement and evaluate a novel approach for an infant safe sleep pilot program built upon partnerships between hospitals and community-based organizations (CBOs) serving pregnant and parenting families in at-risk communities. Methods: Community Partnership Approaches to Safe Sleep (CPASS) was a prospectively implemented infant safe sleep program. CPASS included children's hospitals partnered with CBOs across five US cities: Portland, OR, Little Rock AR, Chicago, IL, Birmingham, AL, and Rochester, NY. The program consisted of (1) monthly learning community calls; (2) distribution of Safe Sleep Survival Kits; and (3) surveys of sites and families regarding program outcomes. Survey measures included (1) site participation in CPASS activities; (2) recipients' use of Safe Sleep Kits; and (3) recipients' safe sleep knowledge and behaviors. Results: CPASS learning community activities were consistently attended by at least two representatives (1 hospital-based, 1 CBO-based) from each site. Across the five sites, 1002 safe kits were distributed over 9 months, the majority (> 85%) to families with infants ≤ 1 month old. Among participating families, 45% reported no safe sleep location before receipt of the kit. Family adherence to nighttime safe sleep recommendations included: (1) no bedsharing (M 6.0, SD 1.8, range 0–7); (2) sleep on back (M 6.3, SD 1.7, range 0–7); and (3) sleep in a crib with no blankets/toys (M 6.0, SD 2.0, range 0–7). Site interviews described how participation in CPASS influenced safe sleep conversations and incorporated local data into counseling. Hospital-CBO relationships were strengthened with program participation. Conclusions: The CPASS pilot program provides a new, innovative model built on hospital-community partnerships for infant safe sleep promotion in SUID-impacted communities. CPASS reached families before their infant's peak age risk for SUID and empowered families with knowledge and resources to practice infant safe sleep. Important lessons learned included improved ways to center and communicate with families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For the past 50 years, standard guidelines have recommended the use of sex-adjusted mid-parental height to predict a child's final height. Here, we studied the accuracy of this procedure. Methods: We used height data in a cohort of 23 very large nuclear families (mean = 11 adult children per family). We compared the actual final height of the children to their height predicted by the standard procedure, as well as to alternative height predictions that incorporate corrections of mid-parental height for age, sex, and regression to the mean. Results: Standard mid-parental height explained 36% of the variance in children's heights, with a heritability of 74%, and children were on average 2.7 cm taller than predicted by their target heights. When we introduced a nonlinear correction for the age of the parents, employed a multiplicative (rather than additive) correction for sex, and accounted for regression to the mean, the variance explained increased to 40%, heritability increased to 80%, and prediction bias was reduced from 2.7 cm to 0.14 cm (representing an improvement in prediction by half a standard deviation of the height distribution). We further measured the empirical distribution of the heights of adult children around their predicted height. We describe how this distribution can be used to estimate the probability that a child's height is within the normal expected range. Conclusions and Relevance: Based on these observations, we propose an improved method for predicting children's target heights. Our procedure for determining whether the deviation of a child's projected height from the target height is in the normal range can be used to assess whether the child should be tested further for potential medical abnormalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to pose considerable clinical and economic burden; however, research quantifying the excess burden attributable to common psychiatric comorbidities of ADHD among pediatric patients is scarce. This study assessed the impact of anxiety and depression on healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and healthcare costs in pediatric patients with ADHD in the United States. Methods: Patients with ADHD aged 6–17 years were identified in the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database (10/01/2015-09/30/2021). The index date was the date of initiation of a randomly selected ADHD treatment. Patients with ≥ 1 diagnosis for anxiety and/or depression during both the baseline (6 months pre-index) and study period (12 months post-index) were classified in the ADHD+anxiety/depression cohort; those without diagnoses for anxiety nor depression during both periods were classified in the ADHD-only cohort. Entropy balancing was used to create reweighted cohorts. All-cause HRU and healthcare costs during the study period were compared using regression analyses. Cost analyses were also performed in subgroups by comorbid conditions. Results: The reweighted ADHD-only cohort (N = 204,723) and ADHD+anxiety/depression cohort (N = 66,231) had similar characteristics (mean age: 11.9 years; 72.8% male; 56.2% had combined inattentive and hyperactive ADHD type). The ADHD+anxiety/depression cohort had higher HRU than the ADHD-only cohort (incidence rate ratios for inpatient admissions: 10.3; emergency room visits: 1.6; outpatient visits: 2.3; specialist visits: 5.3; and psychotherapy visits: 6.1; all p < 0.001). The higher HRU translated to greater all-cause healthcare costs; the mean per-patient-per-year (PPPY) costs in the ADHD-only cohort vs. ADHD+anxiety/depression cohort was $3,988 vs. $8,682 (p < 0.001). All-cause healthcare costs were highest when both comorbidities were present; among patients with ADHD who had only anxiety, only depression, and both anxiety and depression, the mean all-cause healthcare costs were $7,309, $9,901, and $13,785 PPPY, respectively (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Comorbid anxiety and depression was associated with significantly increased risk of HRU and higher healthcare costs among pediatric patients with ADHD; the presence of both comorbid conditions resulted in 3.5 times higher costs relative to ADHD alone. These findings underscore the need to co-manage ADHD and psychiatric comorbidities to help mitigate the substantial burden borne by patients and the healthcare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This cross-sectional study analyzed how multilevel social factors affect patient-reported outcomes in children under 18 who survived cancer. Study participants include 293 pairs of these survivors who received survivorship care at a U.S.-based comprehensive cancer center between 2017 and 2018 and their primary caregivers. Findings indicate that higher caregiver anxiety is linked to worse depression, stress, fatigue, sleep problems, and lower positive affect in survivors of pediatric cancer. The study also found that family conflicts are associated with sleep issues in childhood cancer survivors. Furthermore, survivors living in socioeconomically deprived areas experience poorer sleep quality, and those residing in environments with high physical deprivation experience more psychological stress and fatigue, alongside reduced positivity and mobility. These results highlight the significant impact of parental, familial, and neighborhood factors on a range of patient-reported outcomes among young cancer survivors, suggesting these social factors as crucial targets for intervention. In this study, the social determinants of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in young survivors of childhood cancer aged <18 years are researched. This cross-sectional study investigated social determinants associated with poor PROs among young childhood cancer survivors. We included 293 dyads of survivors receiving treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital who were <18 years of age during follow-up from 2017 to 2018 and their primary caregivers. Social determinants included family factors (caregiver-reported PROs, family dynamics) and county-level deprivation (socioeconomic status, physical environment via the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps). PROMIS measures assessed survivors' and caregivers' PROs. General linear regression tested associations of social determinants with survivors' PROs. We found that caregivers' higher anxiety was significantly associated with survivors' poorer depression, stress, fatigue, sleep issues, and reduced positive affect (p < 0.05); caregivers' sleep disturbances were significantly associated with lower mobility in survivors (p < 0.05). Family conflicts were associated with survivors' sleep problems (p < 0.05). Residing in socioeconomically deprived areas was significantly associated with survivors' poorer sleep quality (p < 0.05), while higher physical environment deprivation was associated with survivors' higher psychological stress and fatigue and lower positive affect and mobility (p < 0.05). Parental, family, and neighborhood factors are critical influences on young survivors' quality of life and well-being and represent new intervention targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A−β+ ketosis-prone diabetes (KPD) in adults is characterized by presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), negative islet autoantibodies, and preserved β-cell function in persons with a phenotype of obesity-associated type 2 diabetes (T2D). The prevalence of KPD has not been evaluated in children. We investigated children with DKA at "T2D" onset and determined the prevalence and characteristics of pediatric A−β+ KPD within this cohort. Methods. We reviewed the records of 716 children with T2D at a large academic hospital and compared clinical characteristics of those with and without DKA at onset. In the latter group, we identified patients with A−β+ KPD using criteria of the Rare and Atypical Diabetes Network (RADIANT) and defined its prevalence and characteristics. Results. Mean age at diagnosis was 13.7 ± 2.4 years: 63% female; 59% Hispanic, 29% African American, 9% non-Hispanic White, and 3% other. Fifty-six (7.8%) presented with DKA at diagnosis and lacked islet autoantibodies. Children presenting with DKA were older and had lower C-peptide and higher glucose concentrations than those without DKA. Twenty-five children with DKA (45%) met RADIANT A−β+ KPD criteria. They were predominantly male (64%), African American or Hispanic (96%), with substantial C-peptide (1.3 ± 0.7 ng/mL) at presentation with DKA and excellent long-term glycemic control (HbA1c 6.6% ± 1.9% at follow-up (median 1.3 years postdiagnosis)). Conclusions. In children with a clinical phenotype of T2D and DKA at diagnosis, approximately half meet criteria for A−β+ KPD. They manifest the key characteristics of obesity, preserved β-cell function, male predominance, and potential to discontinue insulin therapy, similar to adults with A−β+ KPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Ambient air pollution may be a developmental endocrine disruptor. In animal models, gestational and perinatal exposure to diesel exhaust and concentrated particulate matter alters anogenital distance (AGD), a marker of prenatal androgen activity, in both sexes. Little is known in humans. OBJECTIVES: We examined exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in relation to human AGD at birth and at 1 year of age, focusing on exposures during critical windows of reproductive development: the male programming window (MPW; gestational weeks 8–14) and mini-puberty (postnatal months 1–3). METHODS: The Infant Development and Environment Study (TIDES) recruited first trimester pregnant women (β = 687) at four U.S. sites (Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rochester, New York; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington) from 2010 to 2012. We measured anus to clitoris (AGD-AC) and anus to fourchette (AGD-AF) in female infants at birth; in males, we measured anus to penis (AGD-AP), anus to scrotum (AGDAS), and penile width at birth and at 1 year of age. Using advanced spatiotemporal models, we estimated maternal exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 in the MPW and mini-puberty. Covariate-adjusted, sex-stratified linear regression models examined associations between PM2.5 and NO2 and AGD. RESULTS: In males, a 1-μg/m³ increase in PM2.5 exposure during the MPW was associated with shorter AGD at birth, but a longer AGD at 1 year of age (e.g., birth AGD-AP: β = -0.35 mm; 95% CI: -0.62, -0.07; AGD-AS: β = 0.37 mm; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.73). Mini-pubertal PM2.5 exposure was also associated with shorter male AGD-AP (β = -0.50 mm; 95% CI: -0.89, -0.11) at 1 year of age. Although not associated with male AGD measures, 1-ppb increases in NO2 exposure during the MPW (β = -0.07 mm; 95% CI: -0.02, -0.12) and mini-puberty (β = -0.04 mm; 95% CI: -0.08, 0.01) were both associated with smaller penile width at 1 year of age. Results were similar in multipollutant models, where we also observed that in females AGD-AC was inversely associated with PM2.5 exposure, but positively associated with NO2 exposure. DISCUSSION: PM2.5 and NO2 exposures during critical pre- and postnatal windows may disrupt reproductive development. More work is needed to confirm these novel results and clarify mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flag football is promoted as a safer alternative to tackle football. This may be 1 reason why participation rates have risen by 39% over the past 3 years. Despite rising participation, epidemiologic research on sport-specific injuries and associated relative risk is lacking. To prospectively document the epidemiology of injuries in youth flag football. Descriptive epidemiology study. Regional and national youth flag football tournaments. Athletes (N = 1939; 1744 boys and 195 girls), ages 6 to 12 years. An athletic trainer prospectively monitored the athletes for sport-related injury and exposures. Athlete risks of injury and injury rates were calculated overall and by sex. Injury characteristics were reported for the total population and by sex. Forty-seven injuries to unique individuals were recorded in 1939 athletes with a total of 9228 athlete-exposures (AEs). The overall risk of injury was 2.4% (95% CI = 1.79%, 3.21%), with an overall injury rate of 5.1 per 1000 AEs (95% CI = 3.75, 6.77). Of the 47 injuries, 36 occurred in boys (8365 AEs), and 11 occurred in girls (863 AEs). A higher risk in girls was evidenced by both the injury risk ratio (2.73; 95% CI = 1.41, 5.30) and injury rate ratio of 2.96 (95% CI = 1.51, 5.82). The most common injury sites were the head/face/neck (n = 15, 31.9%), followed by the ankle/foot (n = 9, 19.1%). The most frequent types of injury were contusion (55.3%), sprain/subluxation (14.9%), and general trauma (10.6%); 74.5% of all injuries resulted from direct impact. Although the competition injury rate for youth flag football was lower than the values from studies reporting comparable tackle football data, the frequencies by body part, type, and mechanism were similar. Given that most injuries were related to some form of impact and predominantly contusions, adopting minimal protective equipment or padding may reduce the numbers of these injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this cohort study of 800 children attending a pediatric emergency department at Oulu University Hospital, Finland with fever or respiratory symptoms, the cycle threshold values of point-of-care multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing for respiratory viruses were not associated with hospitalization, respiratory support, or need for intensive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Gestational phthalate and phenol exposure disrupts adipogenesis, contributing to obesity in mice. Whether gestational phthalate or phenol exposure is associated with infant body composition has not been investigated in humans. OBJECTIVE: We examined associations between biomarkers of phthalate and phenol exposure in midpregnancy and infant size and body composition at birth and at 5 months of age. METHODS: Analyses were conducted among 438 infants from the Healthy Start prospective pregnancy cohort. Sixteen phthalate and phenol biomarkers were quantified in spot urine samples collected at 24–28 wk of gestation. Infant outcomes measured at birth and at 5 months of age included size [weight (in grams)] and body composition [fat and lean masses (in grams); percentage fat mass]. Single- (linear) and multipollutant (quantile g-computation) models were used to estimate associations of phthalate and phenol biomarkers with infant outcomes at birth and at 5 months of age. Models were adjusted for sociodemographics, sample collection timing, and lifestyle factors and used to examine for effect modification by infant sex. RESULTS: In single-pollutant models, mono-benzyl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate were inversely associated with percentage fat mass [ß: -0.49 (95% CI: -0:91, -0:08) and -0:51 (95% CI: -1.02, 0.01), respectively] in male but not female infants at birth. Similar, but less precise, associations were observed at 5 months of age. In multipollutant models, a 1-quartile increase in the phthalate and phenol biomarker mixture was inversely associated with percentage fat mass at birth [-1.06 (95% CI: -2.21, 0.1)] and at 5 months of age [-2.14 (95% CI: -3.88, -0.39)] among males, but associations were null among females [0.48 (95% CI: -0.78, 1.75) and -0.64 (95% CI: -2.68, 1.41), respectively]. Similar associations were observed with infant weight. CONCLUSION: In this U.S.-based prospective cohort, gestational phthalate and phenol biomarkers were inversely associated with infant weight and fat mass, particularly in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal care of type 1 diabetes involves consistent glycemic management to avoid short- and long-term complications. However, despite advancements in diabetes technology and standards, achieving adequate glycemic levels in children and adolescents remains a challenge. This study aimed to identify factors associated with achieving the recommended A1C target of <7% from the United States–based multicenter T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative cohort, including 25,383 children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas in children are rare, highly malignant infiltrating tumors in a location precluding surgical resection. The absence of non-invasive correlates of response and disease progression in these tumors invites the exploration of imaging biomarkers. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy is an advanced imaging technique for measuring cell metabolites. This study evaluated whether measurements of in vivo cell metabolites using magnetic resonance spectroscopy may serve as biomarkers of response to therapy, including progression. Single-voxel magnetic resonance spectra were serially acquired in two cohorts of patients with these tumors treated with radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy and prior to progression: 14 participants were enrolled in a clinical trial of adjuvant glioma-associated antigen peptide vaccines and 32 patients were enrolled who did not receive adjuvant vaccine therapy. In the vaccine cohort, an elevated myo-inositol/choline ratio after 2–3 doses was associated with longer survival. Scans performed up to 6 months before death showed a terminal decline in the myo-inositol/choline ratio. Higher myo-inositol/choline ratios following radiation therapy, consistent with less proliferate tumors and decreased cell turnover, were associated with longer survival, suggesting that this ratio can serve as a biomarker of prognosis following radiation therapy. Purpose: Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) are highly aggressive tumors with no currently available curative therapy. This study evaluated whether measurements of in vivo cell metabolites using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) may serve as biomarkers of response to therapy, including progression. Methods: Single-voxel MR spectra were serially acquired in two cohorts of patients with DIPG treated with radiation therapy (RT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy and prior to progression: 14 participants were enrolled in a clinical trial of adjuvant glioma-associated antigen peptide vaccines and 32 patients were enrolled who did not receive adjuvant vaccine therapy. Spearman correlations measured overall survival associations with absolute metabolite concentrations of myo-inositol (mI), creatine (Cr), and n-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) and their ratios relative to choline (Cho) during three specified time periods following completion of RT. Linear mixed-effects regression models evaluated the longitudinal associations between metabolite ratios and time from death (terminal decline). Results: Overall survival was not associated with metabolite ratios obtained shortly after RT (1.9–3.8 months post-diagnosis) in either cohort. In the vaccine cohort, an elevated mI/Cho ratio after 2–3 doses (3.9–5.2 months post-diagnosis) was associated with longer survival (rho = 0.92, 95% CI 0.67–0.98). Scans performed up to 6 months before death showed a terminal decline in the mI/Cho ratio, with an average of 0.37 ratio/month in vaccine patients (95% CI 0.11–0.63) and 0.26 (0.04–0.48) in the non-vaccine cohort. Conclusion: Higher mI/Cho ratios following RT, consistent with less proliferate tumors and decreased cell turnover, were associated with longer survival, suggesting that this ratio can serve as a biomarker of prognosis following RT. This finding was seen in both cohorts, although the association with OS was detected earlier in the vaccine cohort. Increased mI/Cho (possibly reflecting immune-effector cell influx into the tumor as a mechanism of tumor response) requires further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the risk-related factors during the pandemic and protective factors that might reduce its effects on family functioning in a sample of 161 low-income Hispanic parents in the United States, recruited from an ongoing longitudinal intervention study. They were surveyed about family functioning six months into the pandemic. We focused on the associations between social (e.g., exposure to the virus) and economic (e.g., job loss) pandemic-related risks on parental stress, parenting, and children's socioemotional problems and skills, as well as the degree to which coparenting support, parents' positivity, economic support, and access to services and information mitigated (protected) the negative effects of these stressors on family functioning. We found that increases in economic risk were associated with more child competence skills, whereas increases in social risk were associated with less parental engagement. Positivity and economic support moderated the effects of economic risk on parental stress and engagement. These findings show that to intervene effectively with low-income Hispanic families, we need to strengthen and support the resources for coping with adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Prenatal phthalate exposure has been associated with lower birth weight but also higher weight in childhood. Few studies have examined weight or adiposity from birth to childhood and thus cannot assess growth trajectories associated with exposure. OBJECTIVE: We assessed associations between maternal phthalate exposures in pregnancy and child weight and adiposity measured prenatally through childhood (3–6 years of age). METHODS: Within The Infant Development and the Environment Study (TIDES), a prospective pregnancy cohort, we analyzed a panel of phthalate metabolites in urine collected at two visits from early and late gestation (푁 = 780). We estimated average phthalate metabolite associations with child weight 푧-scores from ~20 wk gestation (estimated by ultrasound), birth, and 1, 3, 4, and 6 years of age using linear mixed-effects (LME) models. We also modeled associations with adiposity 푧-scores from birth (weight for length) and 1, 3, 4, and 6 years of age [body mass index (BMI)] using LME models. RESULTS: For weight, we observed inverse associations between several phthalate metabolites and birth weight 푧-scores, but no associations were observed with postnatal weight 푧-scores in LME models. Regarding adiposity, we observed inverse associations between phthalate metabolites and weight-for-length 푧-scores at birth, but positive associations were observed with BMI 푧-scores at 3–4 years of age in LME models. For example, mono-ethyl phthalate was associated with a 0.17-unit decrease in birth weight-for-length 푧-score [95% confidence interval (CI): –0:29, –0:05] and a 0.18-unit increase in 4-years-of-age BMI 푧-score (95% CI: 0.04, 0.32). DISCUSSION: We observed associations between prenatal exposure to phthalates and lower weight at birth but not at childhood follow-up visits. However, for adiposity, we observed an interesting pattern of association with low adiposity at delivery as well as high adiposity at 3–4 years of age. Although it is not clear from our results whether these associations occur within the same children, such a pattern of adiposity in early life has been linked to cardiometabolic disease in adulthood and deserves special attention as an outcome in the study of prenatal exposures in the developmental origins of health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major public health concern. Aminotransferase (ALT) is frequently used for screening and monitoring, but few studies have reported typical patterns of ALT elevation in children. Methods: TARGET-NASH is a real-world longitudinal observational cohort of patients with NAFLD receiving care across the United States. Analyses included children enrolled between 1 August 2016, and 12 October 2020, with at least one ALT measurement after enrollment. Peak ALT was based on the first and last available record and categorized into clinical cut points: <70 IU/L, >70–<250 IU/L, and >250 IU/L. A chi-squared test was used to compare differences in proportions, and a Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the medians and distributions of continuous responses. Results: Analyses included 660 children with a median age of 13 years. Of the 660, a total of 187 had undergone a biopsy and were more likely to be Hispanic or Latino (67% vs. 57%, p = 0.02) and to have cirrhosis (10% vs. 1%, p < 0.001). The highest ALT scores ranged from 28 U/L to 929 U/L; however, these scores varied across time. The prevalence of cirrhosis or any liver fibrosis stage was most common among children with a peak ALT > 70 U/L. Conclusions: Large variability was seen in ALT among children, including many values > 250 U/L. Higher levels of ALT were associated with increased prevalence of comorbidities and more advanced stages of NAFLD. These findings support an increased need for therapeutics and disease severity assessment in children with peak ALT > 70 U/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Elevated concentrations of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are strong predictors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains uncertain, particularly in youth.Objective: We investigated the role of BCAA and aromatic amino acids (AAA) in obesity, their relationships with novel biomarkers of CVD, and response to a physical activity-based lifestyle intervention (PAL-I) in a randomized controlled study in youth with normal weight (NW) and obesity (OB).Methods: Age (14-18 years) and Tanner stage (≥IV) matched youth (OB, n = 15 and NW, n = 6) were studied; the 15 participants with OB underwent a 3-month randomized controlled PAL-I. Circulating amino acid profile, glucose, insulin, lipids, adiponectin, retinol binding protein-4, fibrinogen, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and 25-hydroxy vitamin-D, along with body composition, were measured at baseline and after PAL-I. Independent t tests, analysis of covariance, and mixed-effect models were used for analysis of the data.Results: Compared with NW, the concentration of various amino acids, including BCAA and AAA, were altered in OB (P < 0.05). BCAA and AAA showed baseline correlations with body composition and novel biomarkers of CVD, particularly inflammatory factors (all P < 0.05). The PAL-I produced only negligible effects (P > 0.05) on BCAA and AAA. Glutamine, glycine, and aspartic acid decreased with PAL-I (all P < 0.05).Conclusion: The novel finding of the BCAA-inflammation relationship, along with strong correlations with nontraditional biomarkers of CVD, may raise the prospect of BCAA as a biomarker of CVD and evoke a potential link between obesity, T2DM, and CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The American Academy of Pediatrics and the European Centre for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine guideline define fever as a temperature >38.0°C for all ages and recommend use of rectal thermometers in children <3 years. Based on new literature, this definition of fever using a fixed threshold of 38.0°C needs to be re‐examined. Design: A multi‐site diagnostic accuracy study was conducted to compare an "age‐based" threshold model with a "fixed" threshold over 38.0°C on a total of 894 patients of which 373 were ill. Methods: The "age‐based" and "fixed" threshold fever determinations were then compared to a clinical categorization ("well" or "ill") conducted by a clinician through a comprehensive examination. Results: The sensitivity and accuracy for the age‐based thresholds were found to be superior to the fixed thresholds in all ages and current ear thermometers were found equivalent to rectal thermometers in infants <6 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infant obesogenic appetitive behaviors are associated with greater infant weight and child obesity, yet little is known about maternal influences on infant appetitive behaviors. This study examines the relations between maternal eating behaviors, feeding to soothe, and infant appetitive behaviors in a longitudinal sample of United States mothers. Methods: Pregnant women were recruited in the first trimester (< 12 weeks) and followed through 1 year postpartum. Mothers reported their own eating behaviors (eating competence, restrained, emotional, and external eating) in pregnancy; feeding to soothe their infant at 2, 6, and 12 months postpartum; and their infants' appetitive behaviors (enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, slowness in eating, and satiety responsiveness) at 6 months. Three path models were estimated to examine the direct relations of maternal eating behaviors with infant appetitive behaviors, the indirect relations of maternal eating behaviors with infant appetitive behaviors through feeding to soothe, and the longitudinal relations between feeding to soothe and infant appetitive behaviors. Results: Maternal eating behaviors and infant appetitive behaviors were directly and indirectly related in all three models. Greater maternal eating competence was related to greater enjoyment of food but was not related to feeding to soothe. Greater maternal restrained and external eating were not directly related to infant appetitive behaviors but were indirectly related to greater infant responsiveness to food through more frequent feeding to soothe. Additionally, several longitudinal relations between feeding to soothe behaviors and infant appetitive behaviors were present. More frequent feeding to soothe at 2 months was related to greater responsiveness to food at 6 months, which was then related to more frequent feeding to soothe at 6 months. Furthermore, greater satiety responsiveness, faster eating speed, and greater responsiveness to food at 6 months were related to more frequent feeding to soothe at 12 months. Conclusions: Maternal eating behaviors were related to infant appetitive behaviors directly and indirectly through feeding to soothe. Additionally, results suggest feeding to soothe and infant appetitive behaviors may be bidirectionally linked. These results underscore the need to examine how parental feeding behaviors are influenced both by parental eating behaviors and child appetitive behaviors throughout infancy. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov. Registration ID – NCT02217462. Date of registration – August 13, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is a serious issue, spanning all ages, and, in the U.S., disproportionately affects Latinos and African Americans. Understanding sleep, physical activity and dietary behaviors that may predict childhood obesity can help identify behavioral intervention targets. Methods: Data were drawn from a U.S. cohort study of 323 Mexican American 8–10-year-old children and their mothers, who participated in a longitudinal study over a 2-year period. Measures were collected at baseline (BL; child mean age = 8.87, SD = 0.83), year 1 (FU1) and year 2 (FU2). Mothers reported on household income and acculturation at BL. Child height and weight were collected and BMI z-scores (BMIz) were calculated for weight status at BL, FU1, and FU2. Accelerometer-estimated sleep duration (hours) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; minutes) were collected across 3 days at BL, FU1, and FU2. Two 24-h dietary recalls were performed at each time point; from these, average energy intake (EI, kcals/day) was estimated. Cross-lagged panel analysis was used to examine behavioral predictors on BMIz at each time point and across time. Results: At BL and FU1, longer sleep duration (β = − 0.22, p < 0.001; β = − 0.17, p < 0.05, respectively) and greater MVPA (β = − 0.13, p < 0.05; β = − 0.20, p < 0.01, respectively) were concurrently related to lower BMIz. At FU2, longer sleep duration (β = − 0.18, p < 0.01) was concurrently related to lower BMIz, whereas greater EI (β = 0.16, p < 0.01) was related to higher BMIz. Longer sleep duration at BL predicted lower BMIz at FU1 (β = − 0.05, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Longer sleep duration was concurrently related to lower weight status at each time point from ages 8–10 to 10–12. Higher MVPA was concurrently related to lower weight status in earlier childhood (ages 8–10 and 9–11) and higher EI was concurrently related to higher weight status toward the end of childhood (ages 10–12 years). Furthermore, longer sleep in earlier childhood was protective of children's lower weight status 1 year later. These findings suggest that sleep duration plays a consistent and protective role against childhood obesity; in addition, MVPA and healthy EI remain important independent factors for obtaining a healthy weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse birth outcomes put children at increased risk of poor future health. They also put families under sudden socioeconomic and psychological strain, which has poorly understood consequences. We tested whether infants experiencing an adverse birth outcome—low birthweight or prematurity, as well as lengthy hospital stays—were more likely to be evicted in early childhood, through age 5 years. We analyzed 5,655 observations contributed by 2,115 participants in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study—a national, randomly sampled cohort of infants born in large US cities between 1998 and 2000—living in rental housing at baseline. We fitted proportional hazards models using piecewise logistic regression, controlling for an array of confounders and applying inverse probability of selection weights. Having been born low birthweight or preterm was associated with a 1.74-fold increase in children's hazard of eviction (95% confidence interval: 1.02, 2.95), and lengthy neonatal hospital stays were independently associated with a relative hazard of 2.50 (95% confidence interval: 1.15, 5.44) compared with uncomplicated births. Given recent findings that unstable housing during pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, our results suggest eviction and health may be cyclical and co-constitutive. Children experiencing adverse birth outcomes are vulnerable to eviction and require additional supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous reports of coronavirus disease 2019 among children in the United States have been based on health jurisdiction reporting. We performed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing on children enrolled in active, prospective, multicenter surveillance during January–March 2020. Among 3187 children, only 4 (0.1%) SARS-CoV-2–positive cases were identified March 20–31 despite evidence of rising community circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) in hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients causes significant morbidity and mortality. Data regarding the longitudinal assessment of infectious pathogens during symptomatic AGE and asymptomatic periods, particularly in children, are limited. We investigated the prevalence of AGE-associated infectious pathogens in children undergoing allogeneic HCT. Methods From March 2015 through May 2016, 31 pediatric patients at 4 US children's hospitals were enrolled and had stool collected weekly from pre-HCT through 100 days post-HCT for infectious AGE pathogens by molecular testing. Demographics, clinical symptoms, antimicrobials, vaccination history, and outcomes were manually abstracted from the medical record into a standardized case report form. Results We identified a pathogen in 18% (38/206) of samples, with many detections occurring during asymptomatic periods. Clostridioides difficile was the most commonly detected pathogen in 39% (15/38) of positive specimens, although only 20% (3/15) of C. difficile –positive specimens were obtained from children with diarrhea. Detection of sapovirus, in 21% (8/38) of pathogen-positive specimens, was commonly associated with AGE, with 87.5% of specimens obtained during symptomatic periods. Norovirus was not detected, and rotavirus was detected infrequently. Prolonged shedding of infectious pathogens was rare. Conclusions This multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study suggests that the epidemiology of AGE pathogens identified from allogeneic HCT patients may be changing. Previously reported viruses, such as rotavirus and norovirus, may be less common due to widespread vaccination and institution of infection control precautions, and emerging viruses such as sapoviruses may be increasingly recognized due to the use of molecular diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Children who develop malaria after returning to a setting in which the disease is not endemic are at high risk for critical delays in diagnosis and initiation of antimalarial therapy. We assessed the clinical impact of the implementation of malaria rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) on the management of children with malaria at an urban US children's hospital that serves a large immigrant population. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of all children diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed malaria at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) between 2000 and 2014. RDT using a US Food and Drug Administration–approved immunochromatographic assay was introduced at CHOP on August 1, 2007. We compared clinical management and outcomes of patients with malaria diagnosed before and after RDT introduction. Results We analyzed 82 pediatric malaria cases (32 before and 50 after RDT implementation). The majority of these patients had traveled to West Africa (91.5%) and were infected with Plasmodium falciparum (80.5%). The mean time to a positive result decreased from 10.4 to 0.9 hours (P <.001) after the introduction of RDT for patients with P falciparum. The mean time to antimalarial therapy decreased from 13.1 to 6.9 hours (P =;.023) in hospitalized patients. We found no significant reduction in the mean number of clinical signs of severe malaria between 0 and 48 hours of hospitalization and no difference in the need for exchange transfusion, time to resolution of parasitemia, or length of hospital stay. Conclusions Implementation of RDT for malaria was associated with shorter times to malaria diagnosis and initiation of antimalarial therapy. The results of this study support RDT in the optimal management of patients with malaria who present in settings in which the disease is not endemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the development of children conceived from non-IVF infertility treatments consisting of gonadotropins, clomiphene, or letrozole.Design: Prospective cohort study.Setting: U.S. academic health centers.Patient(s): Children of women with polycystic ovary syndrome who conceived with letrozole (LTZ) or clomiphene (CC) in the PPCOS II study or women with unexplained infertility (AMIGOS study) who conceived with LTZ, CC, or gonadotropin (GN).Intervention(s): Longitudinal annual follow-up from birth to age 3.Main Outcome Measure(s): Scores from Ages and Stages Developmental Questionnaire (ASQ), MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (MCDI), and annual growth.Result(s): One hundred eighty-five children from 160 families participated in at least one follow-up evaluation from the two infertility trials. Most multiple gestations in the follow-up study resulted from GN treatment (n = 14) followed by CC (n = 6) and LTZ (n = 3). There were no significant differences among the three groups at any time point with respect to abnormal scores on the ASQ. On the MCDI Words and Gestures, the LTZ group scored significantly higher than the GN group for most items (phrases, early gestures, later gestures, and total gestures). Children in the CC group scored significantly higher than the GN group for the later gestures and total gestures items.Conclusion(s): Differences in growth and cognitive developmental rates among children conceived with first-line infertility therapies, including LTZ, are relatively minor and likely due to differences in multiple pregnancy rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Little is known about the role of primary care safety-net clinics, including federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, in providing mental health services to youths. This study examined correlates and quality of mental health care for youths treated in these settings.Methods: Medicaid claims data (2008-2010) from nine states were used to identify youths initiating medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (N=6,433) and youths with an incident depression diagnosis (N=13,209). The authors identified youths who received no ADHD or depression-related visits in a primary care safety-net clinic, some (but less than most) visits in these clinics, and most visits in these clinics. Using bivariate and regression analyses, they examined correlates of mental health treatment in these settings and whether mental health visits in these settings were associated with quality measures.Results: Only 13.5% of the ADHD cohort and 7.2% of the depression cohort sought any ADHD- or depression-related visits in primary care safety-net clinics. Residence in a county with a higher (versus lower) percentage of residents living in an urban area was negatively associated with receiving the majority of mental health visits in these settings (p<0.05). Compared with youths with no visits in these settings, youths who received most of their mental health treatment in these settings received lower-quality care on five of six measures (p<0.01).Conclusions: As investment in the expansion of mental health services in primary care safety-net clinics grows, future research should assess whether these resources translate into improved mental health care access and quality for Medicaid-enrolled youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Expert Panel Report (EPR-3) (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute & National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, 2007) recommends asthma self-management education along with ambulatory care. Despite the need for education, barriers to attending in-person classes often exist. The primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of a novel education format for caregivers (live webinar) on asthma control in preschoolers. Additional aims included determining satisfaction with webinar learning, and impact on emergency visits and hospitalizations. A one-group prospective cohort design with repeated measures was used. Caregivers of preschool children with asthma from a large pediatric pulmonology clinic (N = 30) participated in a single onehour live asthma education webinar. Asthma control was measured using the Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK) prior to the webinar, one month, and three months following. Demographic, webinar satisfaction, and emergency care/hospitalization questionnaires were also administered. Statistically significant increases in TRACK scores over three points in time (n = 21), indicated improved asthma control (F = 5,128, p = 0.01). More than 84% found the webinar convenient, helpful, and would recommend to others. Emergency visits (<60%) and hospitalizations (<70%) remained consistent with the study site's historically low emergency and hospitalization rates. Innovative methods of teaching are crucial skills for health care providers to keep patient education interesting and accessible. These research findings suggest that live webinar asthma education is an effective method of teaching and results in improved asthma control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Childhod Development after Cochlear Implantation Study that tracks spoken communication and other developmental outcomes in children with cochlear implants and in children with typical hearing. Highlights include the impact of early access to sound via cochlear implants on children's spoken communication, factors that contribute to performance outcomes, and the mean age at enrollment of the children with severe to profound hearing loss.

Background: It is not known whether the neurotoxicity produced by anaesthetics administered to young animals can also occur in children. Exposure of infant macaques to ketamine impairs performance in selected domains of the Operant Test Battery (OTB), which can also be administered to children. This study determined whether a similar pattern of results on the OTB is found in children exposed to procedures requiring general anaesthesia before age 3 yr.Methods: We analysed data from the Mayo Anesthesia Safety in Kids (MASK) study, in which unexposed, singly-exposed, and multiply-exposed children born in Olmsted County, MN, USA, from 1994 to 2007 were sampled using a propensity-guided approach and prospectively underwent OTB testing at ages 8-12 or 15-20 yr, using five tasks that generated 15 OTB test scores.Results: In primary analysis, none of the OTB test scores depended upon anaesthesia exposure status when corrected for multiple comparisons. Cluster analysis identified four clusters of subjects, with cluster membership determined by relative performance on the OTB tasks. There was no evidence of association between exposure status and cluster membership. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the OTB scores loaded onto four factors. The score for one factor was significantly less in multiply-exposed children (mean standardised difference -0.28 [95% confidence interval, -0.55 to -0.01; P=0.04]), but significance did not survive a sensitivity analysis accounting for outlying values.Conclusions: These findings provide little evidence to support the hypothesis that children exposed to procedures requiring anaesthesia show deficits on OTB tasks that are similar to those observed in non-human primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Our purpose was to determine the potential effect of preprocedural ultrasound (US) to increase lumbar puncture (LP) success compared with standard palpation method. Further, we assessed feasibility of and clinician satisfaction with a standardized US protocol. Methods: This prospective, two‐arm, parallel‐group randomized trial was conducted in a single‐center pediatric emergency department. We compared preprocedural US versus palpation method on success with infant LPs. Infants less than 3 months of age requiring LP were enrolled. Sixteen pediatric emergency medicine physicians with varied US experience were trained to conduct the USs to mark interspace locations. Primary outcome was successful LP, defined as obtaining a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample on first attempt with < 1,000 red blood cells per high‐powered field (clear CSF). Secondary outcomes included clear CSF on any attempt, any CSF on the first attempt, traumatic LP proportion, and LP attempt frequency. Feasibility was assessed by comparing provider number attempting the LP and procedure duration. Clinician satisfaction and sonographer perceptions of US acceptability and impact were assessed. Results: Eighty‐one patients consented and 80 were analyzed (99%): 40 per group. No statistical difference was seen for the primary outcome (p > 0.05) between intervention and control groups (difference 3%; 95% confidence interval = –19% to 24%). There were no statistical differences between intervention and controls groups for secondary outcomes including the rate of traumatic LPs, number of attempts, and the duration of LP procedure. Most sonographers (84%) strongly agreed or agreed that the US protocol was technically easy to perform, well tolerated by the patient (94%), well accepted by the family (100%), and well accepted by the LP procedural clinicians (99%). In the US group, the majority of clinicians who performed the LPs (68.4%) noted that the preprocedural US influenced their behavior, most commonly helping with overall visualization at the selected interspace (28.9%) or prompting a change in interspace (26.3% higher, 5.3% lower). Seventy‐seven percent agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to use the technique again for their next LP. The mean US duration was 4.6 minutes. Conclusions: Preprocedural US by did not improve the rates of first‐attempt success when compared with palpation method. Our results suggest that US is feasible and well accepted, with a perceptible impact on care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional quality of children's diets is a public health priority in the fight against childhood obesity and chronic diseases. The main purpose of this study was to determine contribution of snacks to energy and nutrient intakes and to identify leading snack food sources of energy, total fat, and added sugars amongst young children in the United States. Using the 2005-2012 NHANES data, dietary intakes of 2- to 5-year-old children were analysed from a parent-reported 24-hour dietary recall ( n = 3,429). Snacking occasions were aggregated to determine the proportion of total food/beverage intake obtained from snacks, estimate energy, and nutrient intakes, and identify the leading snack food sources of energy, added sugars, and total fat. Nearly all children consumed a snack on the reported day (62% morning, 84% afternoon, and 72% evening). Snacks accounted for 28% of total energy intake, 32% of carbohydrates, 39% of added sugars, and 26% of total fat and dietary fiber intakes for the day. Snacking occasions accounted for 46.6% of all beverages consumed on the reported day. Snacks and sweets food category (i.e., cookies and pastries) were the leading sources of energy (44%), total fat (52%), and added sugars (53%) consumed during snacking occasions. Sweetened beverages (e.g., fruit and sport drinks) contributed 1-quarter of all added sugars obtained from snacks. Snacks contribute considerable amount of energy and nutrients to young children's diets, with a heavy reliance on energy-dense foods and beverages. Targeted interventions are needed to improve the nutritional quality of snacks consumed by young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It has been suggested that prenatal exposure to n-3 long-chain fatty acids protects against asthma and other allergy-related diseases later in childhood. The extent to which fish intake in pregnancy protects against child asthma and rhinitis symptoms remains unclear. We aimed to assess whether fish and seafood consumption in pregnancy is associated with childhood wheeze, asthma and allergic rhinitis.Methods: We pooled individual data from 60 774 mother-child pairs participating in 18 European and US birth cohort studies. Information on wheeze, asthma and allergic rhinitis prevalence was collected using validated questionnaires. The time periods of interest were: infancy (0-2 years), preschool age (3-4 years), and school age (5-8 years). We used multivariable generalized models to assess associations of fish and seafood (other than fish) consumption during pregnancy with child respiratory outcomes in cohort-specific analyses, with subsequent random-effects meta-analyses.Results: The median fish consumption during pregnancy ranged from 0.44 times/week in The Netherlands to 4.46 times/week in Spain. Maternal fish intake during pregnancy was not associated with offspring wheeze symptoms in any age group nor with the risk of child asthma [adjusted meta-analysis relative risk (RR) per 1-time/week = 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.05)] and allergic rhinitis at school age (RR = 1.01, 0.99-1.03). These results were consistently found in further analyses by type of fish and seafood consumption and in sensitivity analyses.Conclusion: We found no evidence supporting a protective association of fish and seafood consumption during pregnancy with offspring symptoms of wheeze, asthma and allergic rhinitis from infancy to mid childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data indicate that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be increasing and that it varies geographically. We investigated associations between residential location and ASD in the children of Nurses' Health Study II (United States) participants in order to generate hypotheses about social and environmental factors related to etiology or diagnosis. Analyses included data on 13,507 children born during 1989--1999 (486 with ASD). We explored relationships between ASD and residential location both at birth and at age 6 years (i.e., closer to average age at diagnosis). Generalized additive models were used to predict ASD odds across the United States. Children born in New England were 50% more likely to be diagnosed with ASD compared with children born elsewhere in the United States. Patterns were not explained by geographic variation in maternal age, birth year, child's sex, community income, or prenatal exposure to hazardous air pollutants, indicating that spatial variation is not attributable to these factors. Using the residential address at age 6 years produced similar results; however, areas of significantly decreased ASD odds were observed in the Southeast, where children were half as likely to have ASD. These results may indicate that diagnostic factors are driving spatial patterns; however, we cannot rule out the possibility that other environmental factors are influencing distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Whereas researchers have provided estimates for the number of head impacts sustained within a youth football season, less is known about the number of plays across which such impact exposure occurs. Objective: To estimate the number of plays in which youth football players participated during the 2013 season and to estimate injury incidence through play-based injury rates. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Youth football. Patients or Other Participants: Youth football players (N = 2098; age range, 5-15 years) from 105 teams in 12 recreational leagues across 6 states. Main Outcome Measure(s): We calculated the average number of athlete-plays per season and per game using independent-samples t tests to compare age groups (5-10 years old versus 11-15 years old) and squad sizes (,20 versus <20 players); game injury rates per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs) and per 10 000 athlete-plays; and injury rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to compare age groups. Results: On average, youth football players participated in 333.9 6 178.5 plays per season and 43.9 6 24.0 plays per game. Age groups (5- to 10-year-olds versus 11- to 15-yearolds) did not differ in the average number of plays per season (335.8 versus 332.3, respectively; t2086.4 = 0.45, P = .65) or per game (44.1 versus 43.7, respectively; t2092.3 = 0.38, P = .71). However, players from smaller teams participated in more plays per season (373.7 versus 308.0; t1611.4 = 8.15, P < .001) and per game (47.7 versus 41.4; t1523.5 = 5.67, P < .001). Older players had a greater game injury rate than younger players when injury rates were calculated per 1000 AEs (23.03 versus 17.86/1000 AEs; IRR=1.29; 95% CI=1.04, 1.60) or per 10 000 athlete-plays (5.30 versus 4.18/10 000 athlete-plays; IRR=1.27; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.57). Conclusions: A larger squad size was associated with a lower average number of plays per season and per game. Increasing youth football squad sizes may help reduce headimpact exposure for individual players. The AE-based injury rates yielded effect estimates similar to those of play-based injury rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little data exist regarding pain after a pediatric cardiac catheterization and whether there is a requirement for opioids. As part of an improvement activity, a prospective cohort study was performed to assess pain related to cardiac catheterization and subsequent usage of pain medication following a cardiac catheterization. Of 745 patients studied, the majority had either no pain or pain controlled by acetaminophen. There were 14 (1.9%) patients who had pain unrelieved by acetaminophen, with 7 of these patients having pain at their vascular access site with associated complications. Findings indicate a limited number of pediatric patients require opioid pain relief following cardiac catheterization. This study changed practice surrounding post-procedural pain related to cardiac catheterization because opioids were no longer prescribed. Nurse follow up occurred within 48 hours of each procedure, and any patient experiencing pain was immediately triaged and evaluated by the healthcare team. The study showed persistent pain following a cardiac catheterization is an important sign of potential complication. Although pain control is important, it is also important to target pain relief to the appropriate level required for comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES : To provide descriptive information on behavioral health (BH) productivity and billing practices within a pediatric primary care setting. METHODS : This retrospective investigation reviewed 30 months of electronic medical records and financial data. RESULTS : The percent of BH provider time spent in direct patient care (productivity) was 35.28% overall, with a slightly higher quarterly average (M  =  36.42%; SD  =  6.46%). In the 646.75 hr BH providers spent in the primary care setting, $52,050.00 was charged for BH services delivered ($80.48 hourly average). CONCLUSIONS : BH productivity and billing within pediatric primary care were suboptimal and likely multifactorially derived. To promote integrated primary care sustainability, the authors recommend three future aims: improve BH productivity, demonstrate the value-added contributions of BH services within primary care, and advocate for BH-supporting health care reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although it is known that maternal disordered eating is related to restrictive feeding practices, there is little research exploring mechanisms for this association or its effects on other feeding practices. The purpose of this study was to assess whether maternal emotion responses mediate the association between maternal binge eating (BE) and child feeding practices, in order to identify potential risk factors for feeding practices that influence child weight. Methods: This longitudinal observational study included (n = 260) mothers and children from the STRONG Kids Panel Survey. At Wave 1, children were an average of 37 months old (SD = 6.9), and at Wave 2 children were an average of 57 months old (SD = 8.3). Mothers self-reported their frequency of binge eating behavior (Wave 1), responses to children's negative emotions (Wave 1), feeding practices (Wave 1 and Wave 2), and child height and weight were measured at both time points. Using bias-corrected bootstrapping procedures, we tested the hypothesis that longitudinal associations between maternal BE and nonresponsive parent feeding practices would be mediated by parents' unsupportive responses to children's negative emotion. We also tested a serial mediation model positing that maternal BE predicts child body mass index (BMI) percentile change 18-24 months later, indirectly through unsupportive responses to negative emotion and nonresponsive feeding practices. Results: Maternal BE predicted use of more nonresponsive feeding practices (e.g. Emotion Regulation, Restriction for Health, Pressure to Eat, and Food as Reward), indirectly through more Distress responses to children's negative emotions. In the serial mediation model, maternal BE was associated with greater use of Distress responses, which indirectly predicted higher child BMI percentile through Food as Reward feeding practices. Conclusions: These results suggest that maternal eating and emotion responsiveness are important for understanding the interpersonal context of feeding behaviors, and child weight outcomes. Distress responses may serve as a risk factor for use of unhealthful feeding practices among mothers with BE and these responses may increase children's risk for weight gain. Trial registration: This study used an observational prospective design. Therefore, it has not been registered as a clinical intervention trial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate are sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) inhibitors that block iodide uptake into the thyroid, thus affecting thyroid function. Thyroid dysfunction can adversely affect somatic growth and development in children. To our knowledge, no studies have examined effects of NIS inhibitors on body size measures. OBJECTIVE: We investigated associations between NIS inhibitors and childhood growth in 940 girls from the Puberty Study of the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program. METHODS: Urine samples collected from girls 6-8 years of age at enrollment (2004-2007) from New York City, greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Bay Area in California were analyzed for NIS inhibitors and creatinine (C). The longitudinal association between NIS inhibitors and anthropometric measures [height, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI)] during at least three visits was examined using mixed effects linear models, adjusted for race and site. RESULTS: Compared with girls in the low-exposure group (3.6, 626, and 500 mg/gC, median perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate, respectively) girls with the highest NIS inhibitor exposure (9.6, 2,343, and 955 mg/gC, median perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate, respectively) had slower growth in waist circumference and BMI but not height. Significant differences in the predicted mean waist circumference and BMI between the low- and high-exposure groups were observed beginning at 11 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Higher NIS inhibitor exposure biomarkers were associated with reductions in waist circumference and BMI. These findings underscore the need to assess exposure to NIS inhibitors with respect to their influence on childhood growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As US health care increasingly focuses on outcomes as a means for quantifying quality, there is a growing demand for risk models that can account for the variability of patients treated at different hospitals so that equitable comparisons between institutions can be made. We sought to apply aspects of prior risk-standardization methodology to begin development of a risk-standardization tool for the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) IMPACT (Improving Pediatric and Adult Congenital Treatment) Registry.Methods and Results: Using IMPACT, we identified all patients undergoing diagnostic or interventional cardiac catheterization between January 2011 and March 2013. Multivariable hierarchical logistic regression was used to identify patient and procedural characteristics predictive of experiencing a major adverse event after cardiac catheterization. A total of 19,608 cardiac catheterizations were performed between January 2011 and March 2013. Among all cases, a major adverse event occurred in 378 of all cases (1.9%). After multivariable adjustment, 8 variables were identified as critical for risk standardization: patient age, renal insufficiency, single-ventricle physiology, procedure-type risk group, low systemic saturation, low mixed venous saturation, elevated systemic ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and elevated main pulmonary artery pressures. The model had good discrimination (C statistic, 0.70), confirmed by bootstrap validation (validation C statistic, 0.69).Conclusions: Using prior risk-standardization efforts as a foundation, we developed and internally validated a model to predict the occurrence of a major adverse event after cardiac catheterization for congenital heart disease. Future efforts should be directed toward further refinement of the model variables within this large, multicenter data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal diet during pregnancy has been proposed to increase the risk of autoimmune diseases. Objective: The objective was to investigate the association between maternal consumption of gluten-containing foods during late pregnancy and subsequent risk of celiac disease in the offspring. Design: Genetically susceptible children prospectively followed from birth were screened annually for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGAs). Children testing persistently positive for tTGAs were further evaluated for celiac disease. Diagnosis of celiac disease was confirmed by intestinal biopsy or was considered likely if the mean tTGA concentration was .100 units in 2 consecutive samples. A questionnaire on the mother's diet in late pregnancy was completed by 3-4.5 mo postpartum. Mothers were divided into 3 groups based on the tertiles of their consumption of gluten-containing foods (servings/d). The association between maternal gluten-containing food consumption and the risk of celiac disease was studied by using a time-to-event analysis. Results: At the time of analysis, 359 (5%) of the 6546 children developed celiac disease. Compared with the middle category of maternal gluten-containing food consumption (servings/d), low (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.67, 1.13; P = 0.296) and high (HR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.65, 1.09; P = 0.202) consumption was not associated with risk of celiac disease in the child after adjustment for country, human leukocyte antigen genotype, family history of celiac disease, maternal education, and sex of the child. Median maternal daily consumption frequency of gluten-containing foods was higher (P < 0.0001) in Finland (5.3; IQR: 3.9-6.9), Germany (4.3; IQR: 3.1-5.5), and Sweden (3.7; IQR: 2.8-4.9) than in the United States (3.4; IQR: 2.3-4.9). No significant interaction was found between country of residence and the mothers' consumption of gluten-containing foods in relation to risk of celiac disease. Conclusion: The frequency of gluten-containing food consumption during late pregnancy is not associated with risk of celiac disease in the offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The WHO cutoffs to classify biologically implausible values (BIVs) for weight, height, and weight-for-height in children and adolescents are widely used in data cleaning. Objectives: We assess 1) the prevalence of these BIVs, 2) whether they were consistent with information on waist circumference, arm circumference, and leg lengths, and 3) the effect of their exclusion on the estimated prevalence of obesity in 2- to 19-y-olds in the NHANES, which is a study in which extreme values were verified when recorded. Design: We conducted cross-sectional analyses in 26,480 children and adolescents in the NHANES from 1999-2000 through 2011-2012. Results: The overall prevalence for a BIV for any body-size measure was 0.9% (n = 277), and almost all BIVs were due to extremely high, rather than low, values. Of 186 subjects who had a high BIV for weight or body mass index (BMI), all but one subject had both arm and waist circumferences that were greater than the sex- and age-specific 95th percentiles; 75% of subjects had circumferences greater than the 99th percentile. Of 63 subjects with a high height BIV, 75% of them had a leg length that was greater than the 95th percentile. The exclusion of children and adolescents with a BIV reduced the overall prevalence of obesity by ~0.5 percentage points and by 1.7% in non-Hispanic blacks. Conclusions: Most of the extremely high values of weight, height, and BMI flagged as BIVs in the NHANES are very likely correct. The increase of z score cutoffs or the use of an alternative method to detect possible errors could improve the balance between removing incorrect values and retaining extremely high, but accurate, values in other data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has emerged as a potential risk factor for metabolic health in youth. Knowledge on the determinants of SB in youth is necessary to inform future intervention development to reduce SB. A systematic review was conducted to identify predictors and determinants of SB in youth. Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science were searched, limiting to articles in English, published between January 2000 and May 2014. The search strategy was based on four key elements and their synonyms: (a) sedentary behaviour, (b) determinants, (c) types of sedentary behaviours, (d) types of determinants. The full protocol is available from PROSPERO (PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014009823). Cross-sectional studies were excluded. The analysis was guided by the socio-ecological model. 37 studies were selected out of 2654 identified papers from the systematic literature search. Most studies were conducted in Europe (n = 13), USA (n = 11), and Australia (n = 10). The study quality, using the Qualsyst tool, was high with a median of 82 % (IQR: 74-91 %). Multiple potential determinants were studied in only one or two studies. Determinants were found at the individual, interpersonal, environmental and policy level but few studies examined a comprehensive set of factors at different levels of influences. Evidence was found for age being positively associated with total SB, and weight status and baseline assessment of screen time being positively associated with screen time (at follow-up). A higher playground density and a higher availability of play and sports equipment at school were consistently related to an increased total SB, although these consistent findings come from single studies. Evidence was also reported for the presence of safe places to cross roads and lengthening morning and lunch breaks being associated with less total SB. Future interventions to decrease SB levels should especially target children with overweight or obesity and should start at a young age. However, since the relationship of many determinants with SB remains inconsistent, there is still a need for more longitudinal research on determinants of SB in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity is associated with the reduction of several chronic conditions in adults. Additionally, physical activity is extremely important for children for their development and cognitive functioning and also to create a physically active lifestyle that continues into adulthood. Despite the known benefits of physical activity, only one in five adults are achieving the public health recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week and only 13 % of boys and 6 % of girls between the ages of 5 and 17 years are meeting the guidelines of 60 minutes per day. This study aims to evaluate whether a planning condition improves adherence to regular physical activity compared to an education-only control condition among families. Families are eligible if there is at least one child between the ages of 6 and 12 years who is not meeting the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.Methods/design: A six-month longitudinal randomized controlled trial will be used to compare the two conditions. Materials will be delivered at baseline with 'booster' sessions at six weeks and three months. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at six months with a fitness test, as well as questionnaires and accelerometery at baseline, six weeks, three months and six months. A total of 137 families have been recruited thus far from Greater Victoria. This study is ongoing and recruitment will continue until December 2015 with the target goal of reaching 160 families.Discussion: This protocol describes the implementation of a randomized controlled trial that utilizes planning strategies to try and increase physical activity among families. Research findings could be useful in public health in providing effective strategies to families to help decrease sedentary lifestyles. Additionally, findings may help to inform future interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among families.Trial Registration: This trial was registered on June 5, 2012 with the Clinical Trials Registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. The registration ID is NCT01882192. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infant's age at introduction to certain complementary foods (CF) has in previous studies been associated with islet autoimmunity, which is an early marker for type 1 diabetes (T1D). Various maternal sociodemographic factors have been found to be associated with early introduction to CF. The aims of this study were to describe early infant feeding and identify sociodemographic factors associated with early introduction to CF in a multinational cohort of infants with an increased genetic risk for T1D. The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young study is a prospective longitudinal birth cohort study. Infants (N = 6404) screened for T1D high risk human leucocyte antigen‐DQ genotypes (DR3/4, DR4/4, DR4/8, DR3/3, DR4/4, DR4/1, DR4/13, DR4/9 and DR3/9) were followed for 2 years at six clinical research centres: three in the United States (Colorado, Georgia/Florida, Washington) and three in Europe (Sweden, Finland, Germany). Age at first introduction to any food was reported at clinical visits every third month from the age of 3 months. Maternal sociodemographic data were self‐reported through questionnaires. Age at first introduction to CF was primarily associated with country of residence. Root vegetables and fruits were usually the first CF introduced in Finland and Sweden and cereals were usually the first CF introduced in the United States. Between 15% and 20% of the infants were introduced to solid foods before the age of 4 months. Young maternal age (<25 years), low educational level (<12 years) and smoking during pregnancy were significant predictors of early introduction to CF in this cohort. Infants with a relative with T1D were more likely to be introduced to CF later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deficient soluble fiber intake has been suggested to dysregulate the immune response either directly or through alterations of the microbial composition in the gut. Objective: We hypothesized that a high intake of dietary soluble fiber in early childhood decreases the risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D)-associated islet autoimmunity. Design: We analyzed 17,620 food records collected between age 9 and 48 mo from 3358 children from the United States and Germany prospectively followed in the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study. HRs for the development of any/multiple islet autoantibodies (242 and 151 events, respectively) and T1D (71 events) by soluble fiber intake were calculated in Cox regression models and adjusted for potential confounders. Results: There were no statistically significantly protective associations observed between a high intake of soluble fiber and islet autoimmunity or T1D. For example, the adjusted HRs (95% CIs) for high intake (highest compared with lowest quintile) at age 12 mo were 0.90 (0.55, 1.45) for any islet autoantibody, 1.20 (0.69, 2.11) for multiple islet autoantibodies, and 1.24 (0.57, 2.70) for T1D. In analyzing soluble fiber intake as a time-varying covariate, there were also no short-term associations between soluble fiber intake and islet autoimmunity development, with adjusted HRs of 0.85 (0.51, 1.42) for high intake and development of any islet autoantibody, for example. Conclusion: These results indicate that the intake level of dietary soluble fiber is not associated with islet autoimmunity or T1D in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of protein intake on outcomes in pediatric critical illness is unclear. Objective: We examined the association between protein intake and 60-d mortality in mechanically ventilated children. Design: In a prospective, multicenter, cohort study that included 59 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) from 15 countries, we enrolled consecutive children (age: 1 mo to 18 y) who were mechanically ventilated for ≥48 h. We recorded the daily and cumulative mean adequacies of energy and protein delivery as a percentage of the prescribed daily goal during the PICU stay ≤10 d. We examined the association of the adequacy of protein delivery with 60-d mortality and determined variables that predicted protein intake adequacy. Results: We enrolled 1245 subjects (44% female) with a median age of 1.7 y (IQR: 0.4, 7.0 y). A total of 985 subjects received enteral nutrition, 354 (36%) of whom received enteral nutrition via the post-pyloric route. Mean ± SD prescribed energy and protein goals were 69 ± 28 kcal/kg per day and 1.9 ± 0.7 g/kg per day, respectively. The mean delivery of enteral energy and protein was 36 ± 35% and 37 ± 38%, respectively, of the prescribed goal. The adequacy of enteral protein intake was significantly associated with 60-d mortality (P < 0.001) after adjustment for disease severity, site, PICU days, and energy intake. In relation to mean enteral protein intake <20%, intake ≥60% of the prescribed goal was associated with an OR of 0.14 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.52; P = 0.003) for 60-d mortality. Early initiation, postpyloric route, shorter interruptions, larger PICU size, and a dedicated dietitian in the PICU were associated with higher enteral protein delivery. Conclusions: Delivery of >60% of the prescribed protein intake is associated with lower odds of mortality in mechanically ventilated children. Optimal prescription and modifiable practices at the bedside might enhance enteral protein delivery in the PICU with a potential for improved outcomes. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02354521. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate how direct, indirect, total, and overall effectiveness estimates and absolute benefits of rotavirus vaccines vary through the years following vaccine introduction. Privately insured US children in a large claims database were followed from age 8 months until they 1) experienced a hospitalization for rotavirus or acute gastroenteritis; 2) lost continuous health plan enrollment; 3) turned 20 months of age; or 4) reached the end of the study period. Vaccine effectiveness estimates in preventing rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by calendar year and adjusted for birth month. Incidence rate differences were estimated to determine the absolute number of gastroenteritis hospitalizations prevented in the cohort. Among 905,718 children, 51%, 66%, 80%, and 86% received 1 or more doses of rotavirus vaccine in each year from 2007 to 2010. The direct vaccine effectiveness of 1 or more doses of rotavirus vaccine in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalizations ranged from 87% to 92% each year. Accounting for indirect protection increased estimates of vaccine effectiveness by an additional 3%–8% among those vaccinated. Failing to account for population-level vaccine benefits in 2010, when circulation of rotavirus was low, could underestimate the sustained impact of the vaccine program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with acute respiratory or ear infections (RTI/OM) are often unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a major public health problem and antibiotic prescription for RTI/OM should be reduced. Anthroposophic treatment of RTI/OM includes anthroposophic medications, nonmedication therapy and if necessary also antibiotics. This secondary analysis from an observational study comprised 529 children <18 years from Europe (AT, DE, NL, and UK) or USA, whose caregivers had chosen to consult physicians offering anthroposophic (A-) or conventional (C-) treatment for RTI/OM. During the 28-day follow-up antibiotics were prescribed to 5.5% of A-patients and 25.6% of C-patients (P < 0.001); unadjusted odds ratio for nonprescription in A- versus C-patients 6.58 (95%-CI 3.45-12.56); after adjustment for demographics and morbidity 6.33 (3.17-12.64). Antibiotic prescription rates in recent observational studies with similar patients in similar settings, ranged from 31.0% to 84.1%. Compared to C-patients, A-patients also had much lower use of analgesics, somewhat quicker symptom resolution, and higher caregiver satisfaction. Adverse drug reactions were infrequent (2.3% in both groups) and not serious. Limitation was that results apply to children of caregivers who consult A-physicians. One cannot infer to what extent antibiotics might be avoided in children who usually receive C-treatment, if they were offered A-treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence shows that asthma originates in early life. Studies have found that phototherapy and/or neonatal jaundice may be associated with asthma. We investigated the association between neonatal bilirubin levels and childhood asthma without phototherapy intervention in the Collaborative Perinatal Project, a multicenter prospective cohort study conducted in the United States from 1959 to 1965. A total of 54,795 livebirths were included, and 40,063 children were followed up until 7 years of age or older. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels were examined at 48 hours postpartum in newborns with birthweights of 2,250 g or more. Information on asthma and other diseases through age 7 years was summarized and confirmed by a group of pediatricians and child neurologists. Among 28,807 term infants, the overall prevalence of asthma was 5.26%. Risks of asthma increased with both maximum TSB levels and TSB levels at 48 hours postpartum (P for trend < 0.01). Neonatal maximum TSB levels greater than 15 mg/dL were associated with a 61% increase in the risk of childhood asthma (odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.04, 2.08) after adjustment for confounders. In this prospective cohort study of infants born at a time when phototherapy was unavailable, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia was associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. We examined state laws affecting the school food environment and changes in these laws between 2003 to 2008. Methods. We used the Westlaw legal database to identify state-codified laws, with scoring derived from the updated School Nutrition-Environment State Policy Classification System, obtained from the Classification of Laws Associated With School Students Web site. Results. States significantly changed their school nutrition laws from 2003 to 2008, and many increased the stringency of the laws targeting competitive foods (snacks and entrées sold in competition with the school meal) and beverages sold in school and for in-school fundraising. Many states enacted laws that mandated the establishment of a coordinating or advisory wellness team or council. Stronger laws were enacted for elementary grades. We found tremendous variability in the strength of the laws and plenty of room for improvement. Conclusions. State law governing school nutrition policies significantly changed from2003 to 2008, primarily affecting the competitive food environment in schools. The extent to which changes in school nutrition laws will lead to desired health outcomes is an area for additional research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood obesity, a major public health problem, can lead to cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Studies have implicated exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), a commonly used chemical, in the development of obesity in adults. However, literature is limited on this association in children. We examined the association between urinary BPA and obesity in children aged 6–18 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2008). The primary exposure was urinary BPA and the outcome was obesity, defined as the ≥95th percentile of body mass index specific for age and sex. We found a positive association between increasing levels of urinary BPA and obesity, independent of age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, physical activity, serum cotinine, and urinary creatinine. Compared with children in the lowest quartile of BPA (<1.5 ng/mL), children in the highest quartile (>5.4 ng/mL) had a multivariable odds ratio for obesity of 2.55 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.65, 3.95) (Ptrend < 0.01). The observed positive association was predominantly present in boys (odds ratio = 3.80, 95% CI: 2.25, 6.43) (Ptrend < 0.001) and in non-Hispanic whites (odds ratio = 5.87, 95% CI: 2.15, 16.05) (Ptrend < 0.01). In a representative sample of children, urinary BPA was associated with obesity, predominantly in non-Hispanic white boys, independent of major risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. We compared estimates for children with and without special health care needs (SHCN) at 2 time periods for national health objectives related to the Healthy People 2010 leading health indicators (LHIs). Methods. Data were from the 2003 and 2007 National Surveys of Children's Health. Seven survey items were relevant to the LHIs and available in both survey years: physical activity, obesity, household tobacco use, current insurance, personal health care provider, past-month depressive symptoms, and past-year emergency department visits. Results. In 2003 and 2007, children with SHCN fared worse than those without SHCN with respect to physical activity, obesity, household tobacco exposure, depressive symptomology, and emergency department visits, but fared better on current insurance and having a personal health care provider. Physical activity and access to a personal health care provider increased for all children, whereas the absolute disparity in personal provider access decreased 4.9%. Conclusions. Significant disparities exist for key population health indicators between children with and without SHCN. Analyses illustrated how population-based initiatives could be used to frame health challenges among vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]