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The purpose of this paper is to provide knowledge about communication using SKYPE with young children with chronic illness; advantages and barriers are investigated related to education and data issues collection. A qualitative exploratory research method was applied to interviews and notes via SKYPE between children and their web teachers. The data were analysed using phenomenography. The findings are based on five children aged between three and six years and presented in two main categories and seven subcategories. The advantages were: being able to be at home; well-known being and convenience for the child and the family; being to watch and observe each other; being supported by the family; the family were able to contribute to the development of the intervention; and attend ones possible regardless of geographical distance. Barriers were that the images could drop out of range of the computer camera and the SKYPE Internet connection works intermittently with audio or picture. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Introduction: To investigate if potty training from infancy can affect bladder dysfunction in boys with posterior urethral valves (PUV). Subjects and Methods: The voiding pattern and emptying ability were followed using the 4-hour voiding observation method in 17 Vietnamese boys with PUV aged 3 months to 4 years who had been potty-trained from infancy. This group was compared with a group of healthy Vietnamese boys. Results: In the boys with PUV, the bladder volume increased according to age, and interrupted voiding was rare. However, when comparing boys with PUV with healthy boys, a significant difference was noted with more frequent voidings and lower voided volumes in the age group 0 - 1 year (P < 0.001). Despite the minimum amount of residual urine, average 8 ml or less in the boys with PUV, the age groups 1 - 2 and 2 - 4 years had significantly higher residual volumes compared with those of the healthy boys (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings from the 4-hour voiding observation showed few signs of dysfunctional bladder in the Vietnamese boys with PUV, including residual urine, even if there were signs of dysfunction compared with the healthy Vietnamese boys. Potty training from infancy could favor early bladder rehabilitation in boys with PUV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For children living with long-term illness, school age is a risk period with regard to psychosocial ill health and poor compliance with treatment. There is a need for methods to promote health, well-being, and self-esteem. This study describes a new concept for supporting children, person-centred web-based learning and support, which has been tested in 12 preschool children and incorporates learning about feelings, relationships, and the right to integrity. SKYPE was used for conversations between the child and the web teacher. Methods. The programme was developed and tested in two steps. The conversations were tape-recorded and analysed using phenomenography. The questions addressed concerned the quality of the intervention process: accessibility of intervention, learning content and support, and identification of measurable items and patterns. Findings. The children found it interesting to communicate with their web teacher using SKYPE. The story about Max and Sara served as a good basis for discussion, and development was found in the learning process. The children were able to talk about relations and feelings and developed an understanding for use in new situations in their daily lives. Items and patterns that are useful for research and documentation were identified, for example, well-being, resources, needs, and wishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: to describe fathers'' experiences during childbirth. Design: qualitative method with phenomenological lifeworld approach. A re-enactment interview method, with open-ended questions analysed with a phenomenological method, was used. Participants and setting: 10 first-time fathers from two hospitals were interviewed four to six weeks after childbirth in Southwest Sweden during the autumn of 2008. Findings: the essential meaning of first-time fathers'' lived experience of childbirth was described as an interwoven process pendulating between euphoria and agony. The four themes constituting the essence was: ‘a process into the unknown’, ‘a mutually shared experience’, ‘to guard and support the woman’ and ‘in an exposed position with hidden strong emotions’. Key conclusions: childbirth was experienced as a mutually shared process for the couple. The fathers'' high involvement in childbirth, in cooperation with the midwife, and being engaged in support and care for his partner in her suffering is fulfilling for both partners, although the experience of the woman''s pain, fear of the unknown and the gendered preconceptions of masculine hegemony can be difficult to bear for the father-to-be. Implications for practice: in order to maintain and strengthen childbirth as a mutually shared experience for the couple, the father needs to be recognised and supported as a parent-to-be. Midwives have to acknowledge fathers as valued participants and support their significant position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several current-use (≤80 ng g dry weight) and organochlorine pesticides (≤15 ng g dry weight) and polychlorinated biphenyls (≤18 ng g dry weight) were found in the biodegradable fraction of source separated household waste, compost, and/or anaerobic digestate. The degradation rates of individual compounds differ depending on the treatment. Dieldrin and pentachloroaniline, e.g., degrade more rapidly than the waste is mineralized and accumulates in the products after all treatments. Many organochlorines degrade at the same rate as the waste and have the same concentrations in the waste and products. Chlorpyrifos degrades slower than the waste and accumulates in all products and ethion during anaerobic digestion. The polychlorinated biphenyls and some pesticides show different degradations rates relative the waste during different processes. Understanding the degradation of the contaminants under different conditions is necessary to develop quality criteria for the use of compost and digestate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: to explore Swedish midwives’ experiences of management of third stage of labour. Design: six focus group discussions were performed and the analysis was based on content analysis. Setting: the midwives worked at six hospitals: three university hospitals and three provincial hospitals located from the south west to the north of Sweden. Participants: 32 midwives with extensive experience of assisting women in childbirth. Findings: the analysis generated three categories: ‘bring the process under control’, ‘protect normality and women''s birthing experiences’ and ‘maintain midwives’ autonomy’. This study demonstrates that management of the third stage of labour varies greatly. Not all midwives were convinced that administration of prophylactic oxytocin in the third stage of labour was always the best alternative for all women who had a normal birth. Key conclusions and implications for practice: the midwives exhibited self-confidence in evaluating the physiological process, and endeavoured to leave the physiological process undisturbed if no other risks were apparent. Their decisions concerning third stage management were based on a combination of previous experience, hospital guidelines, risk assessment and sensitivity to each woman''s needs. This study demonstrates that management of the third stage of labour varies greatly. The findings show the importance of reaching a balance between treating birth as a normal process and as a biomedical event. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The effects of the strobilurin fungicide azoxystrobin were studied in brackish water microcosms, with natural plankton communities and sediment. Two experiments were conducted: Experiment 1 (nominal conc. 0, 15 and 60 μg/L, 24-L outdoor microcosms for 21 days) and a second, follow-up, Experiment 2 (nominal conc. 0, 3, 7.5, 15 μg/L, 4-L indoor microcosms for 12 days). The microcosms represent a simplified brackish water community found in shallow semi-enclosed coastal areas in agricultural districts in the Baltic Sea region. Measured water concentrations of the fungicide (Experiment 1) were, on average, 83 and 62% of nominal concentrations directly after application, and 25 and 30% after 21 days, for the low and high dose treatments, respectively, corresponding to mean DT50-values of 15.1 and 25.8 days, for low and high dose treatments, respectively. In Experiment 1, direct toxic effects on calanoid copepods at both test concentrations were observed. Similarly, in Experiment 2, the copepod abundance was significantly reduced at all tested concentrations. There were also significant secondary effects on zooplankton and phytoplankton community structure, standing stocks and primary production. Very few ecotoxicological studies have investigated effects of plant protection products on Baltic organisms in general and effects on community structure and function specifically. Our results show that azoxystrobin is toxic to brackish water copepods at considerably lower concentrations than previously reported from single species tests on freshwater crustaceans, and that direct toxic effects on this ecologically important group may lead to cascade effects altering lower food webs and ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: After clinical urotherapeutic guidance, schoolchildren suffering from functional bladder disturbances are expected to manage treatment at school. To comply with treatment instructions the children have to visit the toilet at least every 3h, find the sitting position facilitating relaxation of the pelvic floor, and then empty the bladder as completely as possible. They often blame failing to comply on their experiences of the school toilet. We describe the experiences of children treating functional bladder disturbances on schooldays. Method: The study consisted of open-ended interviews of 20 schoolchildren aged 8–14years undergoing treatment for functional bladder disturbances, and qualitative content analysis was performed. Results: Conflicting rules, a risky toilet environment and uncertainty concerning social support at school were experienced. The children had difficulty in reconciling treatment compliance with their psychological needs. They used various tricks to avoid disclosing their bladder disturbances and enabling postponement of toilet visits. Most children gave their psychological needs priority over carrying out treatment. Conclusion: The physical and social school environment was not adapted to these children''s needs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the relationship between incidence and nature of life events within families and age of bladder control acquisition in healthy children. Subjects and methods: Thirty-five parents of 36, 6-year-old children were interviewed using the Coddington life events questionnaire. Results: The children had experienced a total of 185 life events (mean 5, median 4.5, range 1–12) before the time of dryness. The most common were related to childcare/occupation of parent (51%), illness/injury/death (24%), family composition (16%) and living conditions (9%). There was a strong correlation between the number of life events and the age of dryness; the more life events and the older the child was when experiencing them, the later the child became dry. The only single event that was significantly associated with a later age of dryness was the birth of a sister or brother. In general, children had reacted positively (39%) or neutrally, but to 30% of events there was a negative reaction. There was a correlation between the reaction of the child and adaptation to the life event, and if the child had difficulty adapting to an event, that child became day dry at a later age. Conclusion: Although life events are a natural part of daily life, this study supports the conclusion that a large number of events and events to which the child has difficulty adapting can be of importance for the age of acquisition of bladder control. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of European Journal of Oncology Nursing is the property of Churchill Livingstone, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Bedwetting is the most common form of incontinence in children. Research in recent years suggests that there can be many different factors responsible for the problem of bed wetting, one of which is bladder dysfunction. The aim of this pilot study was to identify infrequent voiding (“hold pattern”) and to investigate whether increasing the number of micturitions during the day can improve the nocturnal enuresis in children with several failed treatment attempts. Material and Methods: Twenty-two children with severe bedwetting were treated. Twelve of them had had no other treatment than increasing the number of regular micturitions during the day, while 10 patients had had enuresis alarm or desmopressin added. Results: The number of wet nights after 1 month of treatment decreased in all children and the improvement continued in most of the children during the follow-up period. Conclusions: This study suggests that bladder training by increasing the number of micturitions during the day can be valuable in the treatment of nocturnal enuresis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) is a common treatment for lymphoma but it has some mortality. Methods: All 433 lymphoma patients who underwent ASCT for lymphoma at Karolinska Huddinge 1994–2016 were investigated, including CD34+ cell amounts, medications, infectious and other complications, intensive care, longitudinal laboratory values, and secondary myeloid neoplasia. Results: The 100-day non-relapse and overall mortalities were 5.6% and 7.2%. Stem-cell harvests < 5 million CD34+ cells/kg correlated with inferior 100-day and long-term survival. Prior to conditioning (93% BEAM), elevated (both 3–9 and ≥ 10 mg/L) C-reactive protein (CRP) and creatinine, and low albumin (but not higher age) predicted inferior higher 100-day survival. Intravenous antibiotics were given to 97% (22% positive blood cultures) and parenteral nutrition to 89%. After 1 year, 86% had normalized hemoglobin. The 5-year risk for secondary myeloid neoplasia was 4.1%, associated with smaller harvests. Conclusions: Before starting conditioning, patients should have preferably harvested ≥ 5 million CD34+ cells/kg and normal CRP, albumin, and creatinine. It appears safe to transplant patients ≥ 66 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nanoparticles of controlled size, well defined shape, pure phase and of clean surfaces are ideal model systems to investigate surface/interfacial reactions. In this study we have explored the possibility of synthesizing TiO2 nanoparticles in the size range of 7–20nm under well controlled experimental conditions. A simple method based on the hydrolysis of TiCl4 was used to obtain particles having surfaces free from organics. Stable dispersions of TiO2 nanoparticles of various sizes were obtained by optimizing the reaction/dialysis time and temperature. The synthesized TiO2 particles were found to be predominantly of anatase phase and narrow particle size distributions were obtained. The TiO2 particles were characterized with respect to their phase, size and shape by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. Particle size distribution in a colloidal dispersion was obtained by the electrospray scanning mobility particle sizer (ES-SMPS) method and compared with an average particle size determined from dynamic light scattering (DLS). The average particle sizes obtained by the DLS and ES-SMPS methods were in good agreement, while a primary particle size of ∼4nm was found in X-ray diffraction irrespective of the particle size in solution. Early stages of the nucleation process were monitored by the ES-SMPS method. These results show that small particles of 4–5nm are initially formed and it is highly likely that large particles are formed due to aggregation of primary particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: An association between bladder-bowel dysfunction (BBD) and urinary tract infection (UTI) is well-known. However, a question less explored is whether children with UTI early in life also have increased prevalence of BBD after they are toilet-trained. In this study, consecutively selected children with pyelonephritis during their first year of life were assessed for BBD at pre-school age. Methods: Ninety-two children (51 boys) hospitalized due to pyelonephritis during their first year of life were assessed for BBD at median age 5.4 years. A validated BBD questionnaire, along with urine flow and residual volume measurements, was used for diagnosing BBD. During follow-up, the group was well-characterized regarding renal status, vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), and recurrent UTI. Results: BBD was diagnosed in 35/92 (38%), of which the majority was sub-diagnosed with dysfunctional voiding (DV). There was a strong association between BBD and recurrent UTI during follow-up (p < 0.0001), but only a slight association with VUR status at presentation. Nevertheless, in the group with both BBD and VUR, recurrent UTI was four times higher (12/13, 92%) than in children who had neither VUR nor BBD (23%), (p = 0.0008). BBD was also associated with kidney damage (p = 0.017). Conclusion: In children with pyelonephritis during the first year of life, 38% had BBD at pre-school age, regardless of whether they had VUR or not. The study shows an important association between BBD and recurrent UTI, so an assessment of BBD is therefore recommended for pre-school children with UTI, especially when they have history of pyelonephritis during infancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the last decades, the average age for toilet training has increased in the western world. It is suggested that the postponed initiation of toilet training is a contributing factor to problems related to bowel and bladder control. Functional gastrointestinal and urinary tract disorders are prevalent in childhood, causing suffering in affected children and for their families, and consuming healthcare resources. To evaluate whether assisted infant toilet training can prevent functional gastrointestinal and urinary tract disorders in young children, we are conducting a randomized intervention study with a 4-year follow-up., Methods: This randomized two-armed intervention study will include 268 Swedish infants recruited at six child healthcare centers in Region Dalarna located in the central part of Sweden. The intervention entails parents being instructed and practicing assisted infant toilet training with their child. Children are randomized to start assisted infant toilet training at 0-2 months or at 9-11 months of age. The primary objective is to determine the efficacy of assisted infant toilet training initiated at 0-2 months on the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (defined as infant colic, infant dyschezia and/or functional constipation) up to the age of 9 months. Secondary objectives are to evaluate whether assisted toilet training initiated during the first year of life reduce the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (defined as functional constipation, gastrointestinal symptoms and/or stool toileting refusal) and urinary tract disorders (defined as bladder dysfunction and/or urinary tract infections) up to the age of 4 years. Furthermore, infant-to-mother attachment, parental stress, the toilet training process and overall parental experiences will be evaluated/explored., Discussion: This protocol article presents the rationale and design of a randomized two-armed intervention study that will determine the efficacy of assisted infant toilet training on functional gastrointestinal disorders up to the age of 9 months. Furthermore, the study will evaluate whether assisted infant toilet training during the first year of life can prevent functional gastrointestinal and urinary tract disorders in children up to 4 years of age. If effective, assisted infant toilet training could be recommended in child healthcare settings and new evidence-based guidelines on infant toilet training could be implemented., Trial Registration: The study protocol was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials. gov  ( NCT04082689 ), initial release June 12th, 2019)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study addresses mothers' experiences with potty training in a Vietnamese population., Subjects and Methods: Forty-seven mothers were interviewed and followed from the time that their children were newborns until they were 24-months old. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis., Results: According to tradition, diapers were used only rarely. The mothers used a whistling sound at certain times to remind their children to eliminate and frequently checked for signs of need. With this process, all children used the potty by the age of 9 months. At the age of 24 months the potty training was completed, and most of the children managed the whole process independent of help., Conclusion: This study shows that it is possible to start potty training with good outcomes very early in life. The process described can be achieved through an ongoing communication between parent and child., (Copyright © 2012 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Growth surveillance of children in school health services is a routine in Sweden. We describe the effect at follow-up of an overt identification of obesity in school children., Methods: Follow-up data were collected in two populations of ten-year-old children with obesity. Children in the study group belonged to a cohort born in 1990. Here the presence of obesity had been identified at the routine growth screening, and intervention activities against obesity had been actively offered. Controls belonged to a cohort born in 1989., Results: Of the 176 children with obesity, 91 were in the study group (41 girls) and 85 (44 girls) in the control group. No differences were found between the groups in age, gender or body mass index at baseline. At follow-up, after one to two years, children in the study group had a modest but significantly more pronounced decrease in the relative body mass index, compared with controls. The mean difference between the populations in body mass index standard deviation score (z-score) after adjustment for baseline body mass index and follow-up time was -0.14 (95% confidence interval: -0.25 to -0.02; P=0.027). Socioeconomic status, gender, follow-up time and group were independent predictors for change in body mass index z-score., Conclusions: To identify children with obesity in a routine school health survey may be a crucial initial step in the management of childhood obesity.

A prospective study was conducted to investigate factors that might influence first postoperative urination. In 174 patients, 39% were not able to void spontaneously after surgery and required catheterization. Identified factors included males over 55 years of age, extended time in surgery, extended anesthesia time, and previous history of voiding problems. It is important for nurses to take a more active role in prescreening for voiding problems as well as be knowledgeable about the pharmacologic action of drugs causing bladder overdistention.

On behalf of the Swedish Enuresis Academy a survey how children with primary enuresis nocturna are handled, a questionnaire about investigation and treatment of the condition was sent to all pediatric clinics in Sweden. It was found, that the care of children with enuresis nocturna is initiated at the age of 5-6 years. After a careful history (especially to exclude daytime incontinence problems or signs of bladder dysfunction), a clinical investigation of the child and an urinalysis (dipslide), treatment is started with bedalarm or desmopressin owing to what the child and parents have chosen after having been offered both alternatives. Bedalarm is available at all pediatric clinics, mostly for hire. Follow up is usually performed by telephone by a specialist nurse or urotherapist. Most children with enuresis nocturna are handled at primary care clinics by general practitioners. To complete the survey a similar study in the primary health care system is therefore suggested.