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Worldwide more than 1 billion people are estimated to be infected with Helicobacter pylori. Numerous factors from age to genetic predisposition and educational level were incriminated in the high prevalence of the bacteria. The direct and indirect transmission paths were studied but a defined transmission path is not established. The most plausible transmission path is human-to-human: vertical or horizontal and the possible routes are gastro-oral, oral-oral, or fecal-oral. Due to the increased resistance to various antibiotics, which leads to treatment failure, more attention is given to prevention and new alternative therapies. From Cladosiphon fucoidan a safe, non-antibiotic agent to plant extract with antibacterial activity mixed with baby milk many alternative therapies were proposed in order to prevent H. pylori infection and reduce the risk of associated gastric cancer. The ultimate strategy regarding the infection must be the complete eradication of the bacterium and vaccination against H. pylori remains the most challenging issue.

In children’s first year of life it is mandatory to make a difference between physiological gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in order to avoid an aggressive pharmacologic therapy. All ages of childhood benefit from modern criteria of clinical evaluation, by corroborating the digestive or extradigestive symptoms with the results of modern investigations. The dietary measures (sufficient in GER but mandatory in all cases) together with proton pump inhibitors administration after one year of age induce remission in majority of GER cases. The chronic and recurrent evolution of the disease or failure of the common treatment require surgical intervention, recently enriched in children with peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).

Departajarea refluxului gastro-esofagian (RGE) fiziologic (cel mai frecvent) de boala de reflux gastro-esofagian (BRGE) în primul an de viaţă este obligatorie pentru a evita farmacoterapia agresivă. La toate vârstele copilăriei se aplică criterii moderne de evaluare clinică, sumând simptome digestive şi/sau extradigestive şi rezultatele unor investigaţii moderne. Tratamentul igieno-dietetic (suficient in RGE fiziologic), obligatoriu în toate cazurile, şi inhibitorii de pompă protonică dupa vârsta de un an induc remisiune în majoritatea cazurilor de RGE. Evoluţia cronică/recidivantă şi rezistenţa la tratamentul comun impun intervenţia chirurgicală, domeniu îmbogaţit recent la copil cu miotomia perorală endoscopică (POEM).

In the last decade constipation has become a current problem addressed in the pediatric gastroenterology departments. Objectives. We propose a study to establish the prevalence of constipation and the correlations between diet and the socio-familial environment in children aged from 1 to 17 years old, hospitalized in the Gastroenterology Department, „Saint Mary“ Emergency Hospital for Children of Iasi, between 1 January 2012 and 1 January 2014 Results. The study group consisted of 994 patients, representing 9.6% of all hospitalized children. Regarding the prevalence of constipation, we did not notice a signifi cant difference between the sexes, the ratio F/M was 1.3/1, but we found a signifi cantly higher proportion of patients from urban areas 68% (676) versus 32% (318) from rural areas. In terms of social and family environment: 34% (338) of children live with grandparents, 13.9% (139) come from single-parent families, 6.7% (67) are in the care of a foster parent and 2.6% (26) come from orphanages. In the group studied a low percentage of children were breastfeed, respectively 26.2% (261) in the first month, 10.7% (107) for 3 months, while at 6 months 98.1% (976) of children received a milk formula. Diversifi cation was done incorrectly in the case of 41% (408) patients. Only 14.6% (145) reported daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, while 51.1% (508) had dinner at least once a week at fast food restaurants. 21.6% (214) practice sport at least 2 hours/week, while 48.7% (484) spend at least 3 hours/day watching television. 12.8% (128) of patients are overweight and 5.7% (57) obese. Conclusions. Constipation is a condition that affects children of all ages. There are not notable differences between the sexes. An increased proportion of urban patients with predominance of inadequate diet, physical inactivity and an increased proportion of overweight patients was found. The socio-familial environment has an important role in the psychological changes.

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. Megacolon is an abnormal dilation of the colon, often accompanied by a paralysis of the peristaltic movements of the bowel. Congenital megacolon occurs in 1 in 5000 births. The incidence increased with the presence of Down syndrome. Congenital megacolon usually becomes manifest in early childhood. The diagnosis is usually made at birth because of meconium ileus or constipation. Plain X-ray shows a caracteristically narrowed distal segment and a dilated proximal colon. The authors present the case of a four months old child hospitalized at the 5th Pediatric Clinics of “St. Mary” Children's Emergency Hospital who was diagnosed with Down syndrome and congenital megacolon. Removal of the functionally abnormal bowel has relieved the patients' symptoms.

Informed consent has become a major, but also mandatory component in medical praxis nowadays. A great number of forums and publications emphasize its ethical and psychological commands, the most adequate way to obtain it and especially its legal implications. In pediatrics, the implications of this procedure are complex, sometimes confusing or not well understood. Thus, in clinical consultations or simple medical acts, the consent could be seen as implicit; when we talk about manoeuvres that lead to psychological or physical discomfort, invasive investigations, including endoscopy or therapeutical acts with possible risks or complications, informed consent from parents or legal tutors, respectively an intellectually, psychologically and socially evolved, educated child’s consent (acceptance) becomes mandatory. We must, however, clarify the nuances between consent and acceptance, not only from the semantic point of view, the proportion of either of the two terms in the fi nal decision, the minor patient’s ability to discern at different age stages and fi nally the role and the importance of the doctor in such decision makings.

Consimţământul informat a devenit o componentă majoră, dar şi obligatorie în practica medicală contemporană, numeroase foruri şi publicaţii subliniind comandamentele sale etice şi psihologice, ca şi modalităţile de obţinere şi mai ales implicaţiile de ordin legal. Implicaţiile acestei proceduri în cazul pediatriei sunt complexe, câteodată confuze sau insuficient intelese. Astfel dacă în cazul consultului clinic sau al actelor medicale simple, consimţământul poate fi considerat implicit, în situaţia unor manevre provocatoare de disconfort psihic sau fizic, investigaţii invazive – în care este inclusă şi endoscopia sau acte terapeutice presupunând posibilitatea unor riscuri sau complicaţii, obţinerea unui consimtământ informat din partea parinţilor sau aparţinătorilor legali şi respectiv a unui acord (accept) din partea unui copil evoluat din punct de vedere intelectual, psihologic şi social devine mandatorie. Trebuie totuşi clarificate nuanţele nu numai semantice între consimţământ şi acord, ponderea fiecaruia din acestea în decizia finală, discernământul pacientului minor la diferite grupe de vârstă şi în egală măsură rolul şi locul medicului curant în astfel de circumstanţă.

Bolile infl amatorii intestinale (boala Crohn şi rectocolita ulcero-hemoragică) rămân un capitol deschis cercetării din cauza frecvenţei (în creştere în ultimele decade), particularităţilor clinico-evolutive a suferinţei digestive şi extradigestive, a enigmelor patogenetice, sursă a difi cultăţilor terapeutice. Tipare genetice specifi ce, mutaţii genice favorizează răspuns imun aberant la antigeni din mediu sau la autoantigeni provocând o infl amaţie intestinală cu potenţial înalt de cronicizare; citokinele eliberate şi alte mecanisme încă necunoscute pot fi responsabile de manifestările extradigestive. Autorii sistematizează date recente privind patogeneza formelor clinico-evolutive, posibilităţi moderne de diagnostic, posibilităţile şi limitele măsurilor terapeutice moderne în artropatiile care însoţesc boala infl amatorie intestinală.

În ultimul deceniu constipaţia a devenit o problemă actuală de adresabilitate în serviciile de gastroenterologie pediatrică. Obiective. Ne-am propus un studiu pentru a identifi ca prevalenţa constipaţiei şi stabilirea unor corelaţii între dietă şi mediul socio-familial la copii cu vârste cuprinse între 1 şi 17 ani, internaţi în serviciul de Gastroenterologie, Spitalul Clinic de Urgenţă pentru Copii „Sfânta Maria“ Iaşi, în perioada 1 ianuarie 2012 – 1 ianuarie 2014. Rezultate. Grupul de studiu a constat dintr-un lot de 994 de pacienţi, reprezentând 9,6% din totalul copiilor spitalizaţi. În ceea ce priveşte prevalenţa constipaţiei nu am observat o diferenţă semnifi cativă între sexe, raportul F/M a fost de 1,3/1, dar am remarcat o proporţie semnifi cativă de pacienţi provenind din mediul urban 68% (676) faţă de 32% (318) din mediul rural. În ceea ce priveşte mediul socio-familial: 34% (338) dintre copii trăiesc cu bunicii, 13,9% (139) provin din familii monoparentale, 6,7% (67) sunt în grija unui asistent maternal şi 2,6% (26) vin din centrele de plasament. În lotul studiat un procent mic de copii au fost alăptaţi, respectiv, 26,2% (261), în prima lună, 10,7% (107) timp de 3 luni în timp ce la 6 luni 98,1% (976) dintre copii au primit o formulă de lapte. Diversifi carea a fost făcută incorect în cazul a 41% (408) dintre pacienţi. Doar 14,6% (145) au raportat consumul zilnic de fructe şi legume, în timp ce 51,1% (508) au luat masa cel puţin o dată pe săptămână la restaurante de tip fast-food. 21,6% (214) practică sport cel puţin 2 ore/săptămână, în timp ce 48,7% (484) petrec cel puţin 3 ore/zi la televizor. 12,8% (128) dintre pacienţi sunt supraponderali şi 5,7% (57) obezi. Concluzii. Constipaţia este o boala care afectează copiii de toate vârstele. Nu sunt diferenţe notabile între sexe. Se remarcă o pondere crescută a pacienţilor din mediu urban cu predominanţa unui regim alimentar inadecvat, lipsa activităţii fi zice, precum şi o pondere crescută a pacienţilor supraponderali. Un rol important în modifi cările psihologice îl deţine mediul socio-familial.

We conducted an observational study over a 1-year period, including 234 children aged 4–18 years and their caregivers and a matching control group. 60.73% of the children from the study group were males. Average age for the onset of constipation was 26.39 months. The frequency of defecation was 1/4.59 days (1/1.13 days in the control group). 38.49% of the patients in the sample group had a positive family history of functional constipation. The majority of children with functional constipation come from single-parent families, are raised by relatives, or come from orphanages. Constipated subjects had their last meal of the day at later hours and consumed fast foods more frequently than the children in the control sample. We found a statistically significant difference between groups regarding obesity/overweight and constipation (χ2=104.94, df=2, p

Functional constipation is an issue for both the patient and his/her family, affecting the patient’s psychoemotional balance, social relations, and their harmonious integration in the school environment. We aimed to highlight the connection between chronic constipation and encopresis and the patient’s psychosocial and family-related situation. Material and Method. 57 patients with ages spanning from 6 to 15 were assessed within the pediatric gastroenterology ward. Sociodemographic, medical, and psychological data was recorded. The collected data was processed using the SPSS 20 software. Results. The study group consisted of 57 children diagnosed with encopresis (43 boys (75.44%) and 14 girls (24.56%)), M=10.82 years. It was determined that most of the children came from urban families with a poor socioeducational status. We identified a level of studies of 11.23±5.56 years in mothers, while fathers had an average number of 9.35±4.53 years of study. We also found a complex relationship between encopretic episodes and school performances (F=7.968, p=0.001, 95% Cl). Children with encopresis were found to have more anxiety/depression symptoms, greater social problems, more disruptive behavior, and poorer school performance. Conclusions. The study highlights the importance of the family environment and socioeconomic factors in manifestations of chronic constipation and encopresis.