International Journal of Pediatrics
Volume:11 Issue: 120, Dec 2023

The purpose of this retrospective study was to check sonographic hip types according to the Graf technique and to compare the results related to large newborns with those related to the normal and small ones based on their Gestational Age (GA); and to investigate the influence of birth weight on the incidence of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH).
Between 1993 and 2003 Ultrasonography (US) of the hips was performed in 7417 consecutive newborns at 34-42 gestational weeks using the Graf method during the first week of life.
The US showed pathological findings in 168 hips (2.3%). 139 of these cases were girls (82.7%) and 29 were boys (17.3%). According to Graf types, there were 63 type IIc, 56 type D, 46 type III, and 3 type IV hips. Except for one boy (type III) all were successfully treated by conservative orthopedic methods. Being overweight (large for GA) in association with breech presentation showed the highest risk for pathological hips requiring treatment (15.6%), followed by normal weight and breech presentation (7.6%), and then came the term newborns large for GA (5%). The lowest percentage need of subsequent orthopedic treatment was in 66 in small newborns for GA with breech presentation (1.5%). There were no associations with DDH in 230 small GA newborns at term, and in 174 twins.
The results, according to the sonographic types, suggest that high birth weight is a major risk factor of DDH, especially when combined with breech presentation; and an almost 5:1 female preponderance was observed.

Cerebral palsy stands as the main cause of mobility disability in childhood, and the accompanying sialorrhea exacerbates health and psychological issues for both the child and the family. We aimed to assess the effect of botulinum toxin type A on reducing sialorrhea in children with cerebral palsy.

This self-controlled clinical trial was executed among children afflicted with cerebral palsy. The Teacher Drooling Scale was used as the data collection tool. The intervention involved the administration of botulinum toxin A, with a dosage ranging from 30 to 50 units in each parotid gland, skillfully guided by a radiologist using ultrasound. Sialorrhea scores were compared before and after the injection.

Our study included 21 children with cerebral palsy and sialorrhea. After the two post-injection weeks, a noteworthy drop was observed in the sialorrhea score (4.10±0.831) compared to the pre-injection score (4.71±0.463). The sialorrhea score until the ninth month after injection (1.121±3.43) was still significantly lower than the score before injection.

The injection of botulinum toxin A emerges as a potent medication, significantly curtailing the drooling among patients with cerebral palsy. This finding can be used to prevent aspiration pneumonia and reduce social and psychological complications in this population.

Different drugs with different mechanisms have been used to remove iron overload in thalassemia patients. This study aimed to compare the effects of Nanojade and Deferoxamine in reducing serum ferritin levels.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 41 major thalassemia patients. The selected patients were allocated to two groups by the permuted block randomization method. The first group was treated with Deferasirox (Nanojade) and the second group was treated with Deferoxamine (Desferal). All patients received the drugs at 14 mg/kg. Blood samples were collected at baseline, after 3 and 6 months after intervention. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U-test, and Friedman test were used for analytical statistics at the significance level of 0.05.

51.9% of patients in the Nanojade group and 40% in the Desferal group were females. Before the intervention, no difference was observed in terms of basic and demographic information. Before the intervention, as well as 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention, none of the blood parameters in the studied groups were significantly different (p> 0.05). The overall mean ferritin levels had a significant decrease, in both groups, 6 months after the intervention (PDeferasirox = 0.001 vs PDeferoxamine = 0.043); However, in the comparison between the two groups, no significant difference was observed between the levels of ferritin and creatinine at any of the time points (p> 0.05).

Deferasirox oral tablet (Nanojade®) is as effective as an injectable form (deferoxamine (Desferal®)) in reducing serum ferritin in patients with beta-thalassemia major without causing nephrotoxic effects. Therefore, it can be a suitable alternative to its injectable form.

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) can cause serious clinical consequences in premature neonates. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of prophylactic parenteral acetaminophen as a safer alternative drug for PDA in preterm infants.

In a randomized clinical trial carried out in a one-year period, 60 preterm newborns under 30 weeks of gestational age with birth weights under 1500 grams, admitted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Emam Reza Hospital, Mashhad were studied. The prophylaxis group received parenteral acetaminophen for 3 days. Echocardiography was performed 96 hours after the last given dose and on the 14th day in both groups.

There were 30 newborns in each group. In the 4th-day echocardiography, in 33.3% of the prophylaxis group and 26.7% of the control group, the ductus arteriosus was closed (P=0.106). In the 14th-day echocardiography, the ductus was closed in 63% and 41.4% of the intervention and control group, respectively, which was not statistically significant. In addition there was not a significant difference in the ratio of left atrium to aortic root between the two groups.

This study showed that in total, PDA was closed in more cases in the intervention group compared to the control group but the difference was not statistically significant. Acetaminophen is a new medicine for PDA closure, which may be more prevalent in future due to its cost effectiveness and safety.

This study aimed to assess the frequency of asymptomatic coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) carriers and related oral manifestations in child dental patients.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 215 asymptomatic pediatric dental patients aged 4-12 years. Clinical examination was performed by one calibrated examiner to determine oral signs and symptoms between October 2021 to July 2022. After completing clinical examination, the participants underwent a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Data were analyzed by Chi-Square, T- test, and Fisher’s exact test (α<0.05).

The mean age of the patients was 7.71±1.74 years; 102 (47.4%) were males and 113 (56.6%) were females. Thirty-two patients (14.9%) had a positive PCR result for COVID-19. Out of 32 positive subjects, 7(3.3%) had oral lesions including aphthous and herpetic ulcers. Impairment in the sense of taste was not observed in any of the patients. Association between oral symptoms, and age (P=0.432) or gender (P=0.539) was not significant.

The prevalence of COVID-19 asymptomatic carriers in the study population was 14.9%; and 3.3% of them had oral manifestations, which emphasizes the need for personal protective equipment to prevent infection transmission.

Adolescent mental health needs, particularly among girls, are of utmost importance and encompass social, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive aspects. The objective of this study was, then, to evaluate the impact of mental health education on the happiness of sixth-grade female students.
In this controlled interventional research, the statistical population included 6th-grade female students in Sarakhs City during 2021-2022. 44 female students were selected by the available sampling method and placed into two intervention and control groups with 22 participants in each group. The interventional group underwent 7 sessions of mental health training, while the control group did not intervene. The Oxford Argyle et al. (1989) happiness questionnaire was used and SPSS 25 software was implemented for data analysis using the multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) to measure the desired variables.
According to the results, there was a significant difference, in the post-test, between the interventional and control groups in the examined components, indicating that mental health education has a positive impact on students' happiness (f = 37.30). Also, the results showed statistically significant differences, in the post-test, between the two groups in the positive mood component (F37,1= 8.26; P < 0.05), efficiency (F37,1= 12.58; P < 0.05), satisfaction (F37,1= 21.82; P < 0.05), health (F37,1= 12.99; P < 0.05), and self-esteem (F37,1= 6.78; P < 0.05).
According to the results, the mental health education program was effective in female students and can potentially improve education and quality of life. Therefore, it is recommended to implement mental health training programs for students at other educational levels and in the form of skills training.