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This study provides the first comprehensive estimated global burden of neonatal disorders attributable to risk factors in 1990–2021 stratified by sex, cause, sociodemographic index (SDI), and region. We identified persistent disparities across SDI levels, with low birthweight and short gestation contributing most to the age-standardized disability-adjusted life year rate of neonatal disorders. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted context-specific interventions to reduce infant mortality and improve neonatal health equity. |
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In a population‑based cohort of 74,466 children, 25% experienced early adiposity rebound (AR) by age 3. Daily breakfast and routine napping at 1.5 years were independently associated with lower odds of AR, while obesity at 1.5 years was a strong predictor. These modifiable routines could help delay AR and enable early identification during routine child health checks. |
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Question: Can probiotic BLa80 bring long-term benefits to the health of young children? Finding: This trial demonstrated that the daily administration of s BLa80 at 5×109 colony-forming units for 3 months in children can reduce the risk of eczema, upper respiratory tract infections, and acute tracheitis/bronchitis as well as beneficially improve the gut microbiome without any adverse effect. Meaning: Bla80 can bring definite health benefits to young children. |
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Question: Telemedicine interventions in Brazilian public pediatric intensive care units effectively address the challenges related to specialized care provision in resource-limited settings. Finding: The implementation of telemedicine significantly reduced overall mortality rates among mechanically ventilated children (from 20.7% to 10.4%) and increased ventilator-free days from 3 (interquartile range, 0–7) to 4 (interquartile range, 2–8) days. Meaning: These findings support telemedicine as a viable strategy for enhancing pediatric critical care in public health systems, particularly by improving patient outcomes. |
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Question: In children with proliferative lupus nephritis, do National Institutes of Health-modified indices and treatment choices predict long-term kidney function? Finding: Higher chronicity index scores, especially tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, predicted kidney impairment. Additionally, the use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for maintenance therapy was associated with a lower risk of kidney function decline. Meaning: The early recognition of chronic lesions and MMF-based maintenance therapy may improve kidney outcomes in childhood-onset lupus nephritis. |
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Approximately 1 in 5 children with acute pancreatitis develops recurrent attacks, and over one-third of such cases progress to chronic pancreatitis. Progression is closely linked to genetic mutations, particularly PRSS1, and anatomical abnormalities, whereas demographic and routine clinical factors lack predictive value. These results support early genetic and anatomical assessments, enabling targeted follow-ups and timely interventions in highrisk pediatric patients. |
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· Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a severe, infection- triggered encephalitis driven primarily by cytokine- mediated immune dysregulation rather than direct viral cytotoxicity. · Tocilizumab, through targeted inhibition of interleukin-6 signaling, is an important therapeutic option for ANE that may improve survival and neurological outcomes of high-risk pediatric patients. |
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· Most sacral dimples are benign, but atypical features may indicate occult spinal dysraphism. · Simple dimples meeting strict criteria require no imaging, whereas atypical dimples require targeted ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging. · The early diagnosis and surgical management of highrisk cases prevents irreversible neurological, orthopedic, and urological deficits. |
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Ethnic variations may influence the response of children and adolescents to obesity pharmacotherapy. Current evidence does not show consistent differences in efficacy or safety among ethnic groups; however, available data are limited. Larger, ethnically diverse trials are needed to develop personalized obesity treatment strategies. |
| Compared to PCV13, PCV15 includes 2 (22F and 33F), and PCV20 includes 7 (8, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15B, 22F, and 33F) additional serotypes. The vaccination schedule remains the same: primary doses at 2, 4, and 6 months, and a booster at 12–15 months. If PCV13 was administered in the primary series, PCV15 and PCV20 may be used to complete it or as a booster. |
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Background: Intravenous cannulation (IVC) is a routine yet distressing procedure in pediatric patients, often provoking significant anxiety and procedural pain. Although eutectic mixtures such as eutectic mixture of local anesthetic cream are widely used, their delayed onset limits their applicability in time-sensitive settings. Ethyl chloride vapocoolant spray and 10% lignocaine spray have been proposed as rapid-onset alternatives, yet direct comparative... |
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Question: Which immunomodulatory strategies can reduce mortality in children with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE)? Finding: High-dose methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg/day) significantly improved the survival of high-risk patients, particularly when combined with tocilizumab. Meaning: These findings support the use of a severity-based immunotherapy approach to optimize the outcomes of pediatric ANE. |
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Question: What can predict immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) recurrence, and when does it occur? How do childhood- and adolescent-onset IgAV compare? Finding: The IgAV recurrence rate was 35.6%. It usually occurred within 12 months and was associated with corticosteroids treatment. Meaning: Childhood-onset IgAV more commonly featured gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal manifestations and required hospitalization. Adolescent-onset IgAV more commonly featured renal involvement. Vigilant monitoring for recurrence is necessary, particularly with corticosteroids treatment. |
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Question: Associations have been made between maternal sleep disorders during pregnancy and allergic diseases including bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy, and allergic conjunctivitis/rhinitis/hay fever in their children. Finding: In the crude model, sleep disorders during pregnancy were associated with all examined allergic diseases in children. After adjustment, significant associations remained for atopic dermatitis and allergic conjunctivitis/rhinitis/hay fever. Meaning: The study highlights associations between maternal sleep and child allergic diseases. |
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Question: Does maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affect newborn gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles? Finding: Neonates born to mothers with diet-controlled GDM exhibited reduced gut microbiota α-diversity, altered β-diversity, and metabolic shifts, including changes in fumarate and succinate levels, with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and adipocytokine signaling pathway activation. Meaning: Maternal GDM affects early microbial colonization and metabolism in newborns and may have long-term health implications. |
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Sleep disorders affect more than half of pregnancies worldwide and can harm maternal health and offspring outcomes. Prioritizing maternal sleep as a public health strategy may help prevent prenatal and pediatric allergic diseases and reduce their burden. Other maternal health strategies may also reduce the burden of offspring allergic diseases, while adequate maternal sleep is associated with other offspring outcomes, underscoring its importance as a key public health strategy. |
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Foreign body and caustic substance ingestion in children aged 1–5 years can feature to severe and, sometimes life-threatening complications. High-risk items include batteries, magnets, and corrosive chemicals. Severity depends on object type, location, and ingestion timing. Prompt diagnosis and early endoscopic intervention are crucial. Individualized management, high clinical suspicion, and parental education are essential to improving outcomes and preventing immediate and long-term complications affecting a child’s quality of life. |
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The pubertal induction process in males still poses a challenge for pediatric endocrinologists. The existing literature is limited, and it is not yet possible to make definitive recommendations. We described the various treatment for this condition and tried to analyze the unresolved questions to address the question posed in the title of our manuscript. |
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Button battery (BB) ingestion is an increasing hazard. Catastrophic gastrointestinal bleeding due to pseudoaneurysm rupture following BB impaction is often fatal. Here we report the case of an unwitnessed BB ingestion in an 18-month-old boy who presented with repeated massive UGIB due to a left CCA pseudoaneurysm that was successfully managed multidisciplinarily. BB ingestion should be considered in toddlers presenting with hematemesis. |
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Early lipid screening, including lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), in children/adolescents is key to identifying and managing dyslipidemia and reducing the risk of early-onset cardiovascular disease. This study shows that prevalence of elevated Lp(a) in high-risk Portuguese children is alarming, with over 30% at intermediate/high risk and nearly 1% at very high-risk (>430 nmol/L). Since Lp(a) is mostly genetically determined, one-time early screening in atrisk children is crucial for timely monitoring and prevention. |
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Question: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most prevalent chronic lung disease of prematurity. Numerous nonpharmacological/pharmacological interventions have been investigated without clear consensus. Can ciclesonide, a new synthetic glucocorticoid, effectively treat BPD? Finding: Ciclesonide mitigated hyperoxia-induced lung injury and right ventricular hypertrophy in newborn rats. Meaning: These findings suggest that postnatal ciclesonide may be an alternative to existing corticosteroids for the treatment of BPD. |
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Question: Can cytokine levels predict low cardiac output syndrome (LCOS) in children post–cardiopulmonary bypass? Finding: Elevated interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels were associated with LCOS, with an increase in IL-8 of >56 pg/mL from baseline to immediately postoperative being the strongest predictor. Meaning: Monitoring immediately postoperative IL-8 levels may help identify pediatric patients at risk of LCOS, enabling timely interventions to improve outcomes. |
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Question: How do clinical presentations, healthcare resource utilization, and outcomes differ between children hospitalized with influenza versus coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Finding: Patients with influenza were older, were more symptomatic, and required greater healthcare resources, including intravenous fluids, empirical antibiotics, respiratory support, and pediatric intensive care unit admission. Meaning: Influenza involves greater severity and a higher healthcare burden than COVID-19, highlighting the need for preventive strategies such as vaccination and hospital resource planning during seasonal outbreaks. |
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Question: Addressing crucial genetic variants within the vitamin D pathway and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility, the vitamin D receptor, vitamin D binding protein, and CYP27B1-1260 polmorphisms might be associated with COVID-19 occurrence and severity in children. Finding: The FokI FF genotype might be an independent risk factor for COVID-19 severity in childhood. Meaning: This research may further elucidate genetic susceptibility to multisystem viral infections and establish genetic markers for severe clinical outcomes. |
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Question: Does less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) (vs. intubation-surfactant-extubation) improve clinical outcomes in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome? Finding: LISA significantly reduced intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation needs within the first 72 hours and shortened the overall invasive respiratory support duration without increasing other morbidities. Meaning: LISA is a less invasive and safer surfactant delivery alternative. Larger multicenter trials are needed to confirm its long-term safety and efficacy, especially in low- and middle-income countries. |
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Question: How does iron overload affect immunity in pediatric patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia major? Finding: Iron overload in these patients is associated with disrupted natural killer (NK) cell subpopulations, reflecting impaired innate immunity. Meaning: This highlights the need to monitor immune profile alongside iron status during thalassemia management. |
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Question: Does human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–B*58:01 increase the risk of cutaneous reactions in pediatric patients with hematological and oncological diseases receiving allopurinol? Finding: : Of 108 patients, 17.6% carried HLA–B*58:01 but none developed skin reactions. The only rash occurred in an HLA-B*58:01–negative patient. Meaning: Short-duration allopurinol may mitigate severe cutaneous adverse reaction risk regardless of genotype. Routine HLA-B*58:01 screening may be unnecessary in pediatric patients with hematological and oncological diseases briefly receiving allopurinol. |
| Pediatric for invasive group A Streptococcus has resurged globally with increasing severity and toxin-mediated presentations. Beta-lactams remain the first-line treatment, but linezolid has emerged as a safe alternative in cases refractory to β-lactams. Early intravenous immunoglobulin use may improve outcomes in severe streptococcal toxic shock syndrome cases, while C-reactive protein and procalcitonin aid early risk stratification. Integrating global surveillance and individualized therapy is crucial in the postpandemic era. |
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