Journal of Pediatrics Review
Volume:11 Issue: 2, Apr 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19, the 7th coronavirus) was a pandemic infectious disease with significant morbidity and mortality in the world. The respiratory system is often involved in COVID-19 infection. Underlying disorders such as uncontrolled asthma are a risk factor for COVID-19 infection. For protecting against COVID-19, we need vaccination-associated social care such as facial masks, distance, and sanitizers.

Phototherapy is the most common treatment of neonatal jaundice that affects the zinc level as well as the bilirubin level.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of phototherapy on the zinc level of infants with jaundice by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In this systematic review and meta-analysis a comprehensive literature search of the databases, including Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar web browser was conducted using standard keywords. Data analysis of this meta-analysis was performed using STATA software, version 14 and P<0.05 was considered a significant level for tests. 

In the five studies reviewed in this article with a sample size of 398 individuals, phototherapy increased the level of zinc [Standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.88 (95% CI: 0.38, 1.38), P<0.001] and decreased bilirubin level [SMD: -7.67 (95% CI: -9.11, -6.23), P<0.001] in infants with jaundice. The effect of phototherapy was on the zinc level of these groups: infants with a birth weight of 3000 to 3300 grams (gr) [SMD: 1.07 (95% CI: 0.42, 1.71), P<0.001] and 3301 to 3600 gr [SMD: 0.40 (95% CI: -0.32, 1.12), P=0.028], three-day-old infants [SMD: 1.05 (95% CI: 0.35, 1.74), P<0.001], four-day-old [SMD: 0.76 (95% CI: 0.26, 1.32)], and 5-day-old ones [SMD: 0.23 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.48)]. In addition, phototherapy affected on zinc level of those whose gestational age (GA) was 37 [SMD: 1.12 (95% CI: 0.06, 2.17), P<0.001] and 38 [SMD: 0.61 (95% CI: 0.15, 1.06), P=0.001] weeks.

Phototherapy by reducing the level of bilirubin increases the level of zinc in infants with jaundice. So, the standardized mean difference of “phototherapy effects on the zinc level of infants with jaundice” decreases with increasing infants’ weight, increasing infants’ age, and increasing gestational age.

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the most common congenital urinary tract abnormality in children. Renal parenchymal damage is the most devastating complication of severe undiagnosed VUR. Different diagnostic biomarkers have been introduced as alternatives for radiologic evaluation in these patients. This review article aimed to increase the knowledge about the role of urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) in children affected by primary VUR and renal parenchymal damage.

A systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and Ovid was conducted in September 2022 to retrieve studies that investigated the correlation between uNGAL or uNGAL/Cr excretion and primary VUR in male/female patients younger than 18 years of age. Patients with secondary VUR, age older than 18 years, infectious or inflammatory disorders, obstructive uropathies, and acute or chronic kidney diseases were excluded. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of the search results and then assessed the full texts selected from the pertinent studies. 

Eighteen research articles with a total sample of 699 patients were found to measure uNGAL in VUR or renal scarring. UNGAL or uNGAL/Cr had increased excretion in the majority of children with primary VUR or RPD, with a positive or no correlation to the severity of VUR. 

Several studies addressed uNGAL and uNGAL/Cr as putative biomarkers for the prediction of VUR or reflux-associated RPD.

The most common symptoms in neonates with severe COVID-19 infection have been respiratory problems. The virus may adversely affect organs such as the liver. 

Studies focusing solely on liver involvement in newborns with COVID-19 infection were searched in Pubmed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Eight studies were finally reviewed.

Direct viral invasion (COVID-19-induced hepatitis or systemic inflammatory response) and drug-induced may contribute to liver damage in neonates. SARS-CoV-2 may be the latest spark in toxoplasmosis, other agents, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes infections, and fetal liver involvement may be induced by transplacental transmission. 

Hepatic dysfunction is infrequent but important in neonates with COVID-19 infection and the mechanism of liver damage associated with COVID-19 may differ from that in adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic limited the daily activities of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and several factors are impacting ongoing care. The role of pandemics on glycemic control is unknown. We plan to assess the glycemic status and the factors that influence it during the pandemic.

Our goal was to examine the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on the glycemic control of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct, with English-type articles extracted from December 31, 2019, to March 3, 2022, were searched. The article review was based on factors influencing glycemic control in type 1 diabetes mellitus cases younger than 18 years of age during the pandemic period such as psychological factors, telemedicine role, lifestyle changes, various diabetes technology (cost, availability…), caregivers’ role, and socioeconomic factors.

We scanned 573 articles as an initial search for titles/abstracts and full-text reviews, and 54 articles remained after title/abstract screening for full-text assessment among which 14 articles (cohort studies) were included. Most studies reported glycemic improvement based on blood glucose metrics while some studies reported stable glycemic control. Although the pre-pandemic glucose profile is important, factors such as telemedicine, diabetes technology, and lifestyle play a more tangible role in improving glycemic control during the pandemic. 

Overall, the studies did not contain strong evidence that glycemic control worsened in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus during the pandemic. Although the assessment was conducted over a short period, long-term multicenter studies would be useful for a more precise assessment of the mentioned potential factors.

Chronic urticaria is a long-lasting condition, sometimes with serious comorbidities, severely affecting the quality of life, which makes the patients seek efficient therapies to achieve sustained remissions. The complex nature of urticaria greatly complicates the patients’ responses to appropriate treatments. 

This review was conducted to focus on the Janus kinase (JAK) pathway, evaluate its role as a new biomarker, and discover the efficacy of its inhibitors as novel therapeutic agents in the treatment of refractory chronic urticaria.

Electronic databases of PubMed and SCOPUS were searched to find and evaluate all the reports describing “Janus kinase,” “JAK-STAT pathway,” “chronic urticaria,” “JAK inhibitors,” and “pruritus.” Because itching is the most annoying symptom of chronic urticaria and due to the scarcity of articles conducted on the use of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of this disease, we also reviewed quite a few articles performed on applying JAK inhibitors in the treatment of dermatologic disorders and also pruritus in atopic dermatitis.

From the initially retrieved articles, only five were exclusively about the use of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of chronic urticaria.

Although JAK inhibitors are widely known as effective therapies in the treatment of some dermatological diseases, we found out that there are not currently sufficient eligible studies confirming the role of JAK inhibitors in the treatment of chronic urticaria. There is therefore a need for more studies regarding the efficacy and safety of these medications in the treatment of refractory chronic urticaria.

Bedside teaching is a concentrated form of small-group teaching that takes place in the presence of the patient. Improvement in communication skills in a sympathetic manner with the patient and the ability to provide a purposeful history description and earning skills in clinical examinations is a goal that can only be achieved at the patient’s bedside. Bedside teaching has declined in recent years despite all its benefits; however, there are strong recommendations to continue this teaching modality for its valued benefits. In this context, we aimed to deal with the importance of bedside teaching and the challenges ahead in the covid epidemic as well as its alternatives for teaching medical students. 

Evidence acquisition: 

This study was conducted through a literature search on articles in English with the relevant keywords (((((((“students, medical”[Mesh]) AND (“COVID-19”[Mesh])) AND (“education”[Mesh])) AND (“patient-centered care”[Mesh])) AND (“patient care team”[Mesh])) OR (“teaching rounds”[Mesh])) OR (“education, distance”[Mesh])) AND (“Physical examination”[Mesh]) using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane, and Embase databases from 2001 to 2022.

In our search, 22 related articles were found, 3 of which were clinical trials) and 4 were review articles. This study summarized the following important issues related to bedside teaching: 1- We discussed the definition, importance, benefits, and difficulties of bedside teaching on the way to education; 2- We deliberated the causes of reluctance to carry out education at the bedside and the ways to deal with the reduction of its implementation; 3-we also noticed alternative methods for medical education in periods of special contact restrictions with patients such as the COVID-19 epidemic in this review.

Bedside teaching has a fundamental role in medical education. In particular circumstances, such as covid 19 epidemy, in which the bedside teaching courses were suspended, it is necessary to allocate other educational arrangements and design a distance learning curriculum, including virtual teaching, uploading videos to view clinical procedures on social media platforms, interview with a virtual patient, and simulation.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by sustained hyperglycemia (HG), which has multiple etiologies. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) classifies DM into four major groups. In the pediatric age, DM can be caused by several etiologies.

We present a series of four case reports of DM among pediatric patients caused by different etiologies, to discuss several clinical presentations of DM among children and the teenage population, as well as diverse therapeutic options for the different DM subtypes.

We conclude that DM in the pediatric age group has multiple etiologies and presentation variants. Type 1 DM still represents the highest incidence in this age group, however, several factors have aided in the awareness and diagnosis of other types of DM previously considered as rather infrequent in this age group.

Childhood overweight and obesity was once a disease of affluent countries but nowadays it is a burning issue in developing countries too. As it is a lifestyle disease, it increases manifold chances of the development of different non-communicable diseases in adult life. The study was conducted to assess the effects of different determinants of childhood obesity. 

The study was conducted to assess the effects of different determinants of childhood obesity.

A cross-sectional study was conducted for six months among seventy-five pediatric out-patient attendees aged 5-18 years of a teaching hospital in West Bengal. Socio-demographic characteristics including physical activity levels were taken with a questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory investigations, and carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT) was measured with B-mode USG. Data were analyzed with SPSS software, version 22, Epi Info, and WHO Anthro plus software, version 1.0.4. 

Statistically significant association between childhood overweight and obesity was found with exclusive breastfeeding, high lipid profile and blood sugar, physical inactivity, high liver function test, and CIMT values. 

The alarming increase in childhood overweight and obesity indicates the need for more comprehensive preventive interventions to avoid the pandemic of this impending non-communicable disease.

Since a comprehensive study of eating disorders in children with type 1 diabetes in the Iranian population is necessary, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of eating behaviors and metabolic control status of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus.

The present cross-sectional study aim to explore the prevalence of eating behaviors and their influence on metabolic control of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

In this cross-sectional study, all children and adolescents 6 to 12 years old with diabetes were included. First, the prevalence of eating-related behaviors in participants was assessed and recorded. Then the recorded data were statistically analyzed.

The Mean±SD age of the study participants was 8.92±1.925 years. One hundred children with food approach scores above 12.29 had food-approach behaviors, and 78 children with food avoidance scores above 11.85 were classified as having food avoidance behaviors. The relationships between food-approach behaviors and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) and insulin dose, body mass index (BMI), and lipid profile were significant (P<0.05). Nevertheless, the relationship between these variables and food avoidance behaviors was not significant (P>0.05).

High BMI, high insulin dose, increased lipid levels, and high HbA1c are associated with an increased eating tendency in children. Therefore, these children should be evaluated for disordered eating behaviors.