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We report a case of a 3-month-old female baby showing clinical and hematological signs compatible with Kawasaki disease. A few days after the beginning of the specific therapy, the young patient developed asymptomatic erythematous plaques appearing on the trunk. The histology disclosed a psoriasic pattern. To the best of our knowledge, we describe the youngest baby in the published work developing a psoriasis during the course of Kawasaki disease.

The possible role of early dietary habits as the origin of later consequences on health has raised questions on the optimal macronutrient intakes of the growing infant. Infants and toddlers in developed countries usually show a high dietary protein: energy ratio during the complementary feeding period, averaging 2.5-3, because of the protein density of solid weaning foods and the low percentage of mothers still breastfeeding beyond the first 6 months of life. In conditions of very high protein intakes, those in the higher classes of consumption seem to carry a higher risk of becoming obese later on. Over the limit of 14% energy from proteins in the 8- to 24- month period, some mechanisms may begin to operate leading young children towards an early adiposity rebound and overweight development. On the other hand, in many developing countries the only available weaning foods are cereals, with a low protein: energy ratio value. When the protein concentration of weaning foods falls below the limits of human milk (that is, from 1 g/100 kcal to lower levels), the infants' dietary requirements cannot be met. In planning interventions, the coverage of infants' dietary needs through all the various world regions should be considered together with the opportunity not to exceed higher limits.

In newborn infants, progressive decrease in anthropometric values and impairment of the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status was associated with maternal smoking during pregnancy, with a parallel increase of the metabolic precursor of DHA, alpha-linolenic acid. Maternal smoking may impair DHA synthesis which may contribute to reduced fetal growth.

Determinants of exclusive versus predominant breastfeeding in the maternity ward and the relationship with later feeding practices were investigated in 1656 mothers who breastfed exclusively or predominantly in the maternity ward. Mothers were interviewed through 12 months postdelivery about feeding practices. Information about the World Heath Organization's (WHO's) 10 steps was collected. At hospital stay, breastfeeding was predominant in 43% of infants. Cesarean section (odds ratio [OR] = 1.75), mother's overweight (OR = 1.74), and non-compliance with the WHO's steps 6 (OR = 1.58), 7 (OR = 1.43), and 8 (OR = 1.76) were determinants of predominant, as opposed to exclusive, breastfeeding. Mothers exclusively, rather than predominantly, breastfeeding in the hospital showed a longer duration of full breastfeeding (mean = 3.6 vs 3.1 months), later introduction of formula (3.8 vs 3.3 months), and lower rate of introduction of formula within 1 month (23% vs 30%). Hospitals need to be compliant with the WHO's steps, and Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives should be promoted.

Infant formulas on the market today represent the only available alternative to breast milk for infants of those women who are unable to continue breastfeeding through the first year of life, and are planned to allow artificially fed infants for approaching the structural and functional effects observed in breastfed infants. Within this context, the functional outcome of the breastfed infant (particularly as far as growth and development) well represent the gold standard. For this purpose, the following compounds have been added to starting infant formulas (planned for the first six months of life, when human milk should represent the exclusive dietary source) in recent years: long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), for brain composition and neurodevelopment, probiotics and prebiotics for the fecal flora and the local intestinal defense, and nucleotides for promoting the immune response. Changes in protein quantity and quality allow to balance the blood amino acids pattern (possibly relevant to the early stages of brain development for the neurotransmitter function) and reducing the protein intake could be important for the prevention of later overweight. Hydrolysed proteins may be relevant in the prevention of atopic disorders. Many trials have been published so far with short-term assessment, nevertheless, we need more data on the long-term follow-up of infants who were fed the new formulas to fully understand the role of these functional compounds on the neural performance, the prevention of overweight and obesity and the development of the immune-allergic pattern.

Unlabelled: The relationships between dietary habits and the blood fatty acid (FA) profile have been poorly explored, particularly in children. Aim of the present investigation was to look at the associations between dietary habits and the plasma pattern of FA in a school-age population. In 105 healthy 8-years old children, the nutritional habits have been evaluated by means of a Food Frequency Questionnaire and a 24-h recall. FA analyses (expressed as FA%) were performed by means of capillary gas chromatography., Statistics: non-parametric tests. The children with high pasta and low red meat consumption (n = 9), compared to those with either medium or low pasta and either high or medium red meat consumption (n = 96), showed lower levels of total saturated (29% vs. 35%, P = 0.001) and higher levels of total monounsaturated (30% vs. 24%, P = 0.04) FA in plasma. They also showed lower levels of LDL cholesterol (90 vs. 109 mg/dl, P = 0.08) and fasting insulin (4.0 vs. 6.3 microU/ml, P = 0.04) in blood. A high consumption of pasta coupled with a low intake of red meat may be marker of a food behaviour and/or lifestyle associated with a more favourable pattern of circulating FA and hematochemical metabolic markers.

The associations of apolipoprotein B (apoB) gene polymorphisms with blood lipid levels, also accounting for apo E polymorphisms, were assessed in 82 phenylketonuric (PKU) children on diet (34 girls, 48 boys, age 4-12 years, median 8 years). Dietary and plasma biochemical assessments were performed at six-month intervals from the age of 24 months onwards. Apo B (XbaI, MspI, EcoRI restriction sites) and apo E (E2, E3, E4) gene polymorphisms were determined by restriction-enzyme analysis after DNA extraction from blood. Subgroups of apoB polymorphisms were similar for energy intake, dietary lipids and distribution of apo E polymorphisms. Children carrying XbaI X+ / X+ showed higher plasma levels of LDL cholesterol than children carrying X- / X-/+. This gene-related response to dietary habits might play a role also in non-PKU individuals fed low-fat, low-cholesterol diets.