Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Parents’ Report Of Canadian Elementary School Children’S Physical Activity And Screen Time During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study, Emma Ostermeier, Patricia Tucker, Andrew Clark, Jamie A. Seabrook, Jason Gilliland

Paediatrics Publications

COVID-19 public health protocols have altered children’s daily routines, limiting their physical activity opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected children’s (ages 10–12 years) physical activity and screen time, and to explore the impact of gender, socioeconomic status (SES), and public health constraints (i.e., facility use and social interaction) on the changes in children’s health behaviors. Online surveys were disseminated to parents at two time points: before COVID-19 (May 2019 to February 2020) and during COVID-19 (November to December 2020). Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to assess changes in physical activity and screen …

Examining How Children's Gender Influences Parents’ Perceptions Of The Local Environment And Their Influence On Children's Independent Mobility, Alina Medeiros, Andrew F. Clark, Gina Martin, Jamie A. Seabrook, Jason Gilliland

Paediatrics Publications

Physical inactivity among children is a public health concern. Children's ability to travel independently is associated with increased physical activity and social connectedness. Consequently, it is concerning that children's independent mobility has decreased in recent years. Studies have highlighted that rates of independent mobility vary by gender; this study analyzed how correlates of independent mobility vary between boys (n = 476) and girls (n = 618) attending 32 elementary schools in Southwestern Ontario. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling methods were used. All analyzes were stratified by gender. For boys, age was negatively associated with travel with peers. Having one or more …

Automated Office Blood Pressure Measurement For The Diagnosis Of Hypertension, Guido Filler, Maria E Díaz-González De Ferris

Paediatrics Publications

Editorial

High Molecular Weight Adiponectin Levels Are Inversely Associated With Adiposity In Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors., Rebecca Ronsley, Shahrad Rod Rassekh, Adam Fleming, Brianna Empringham, William Jennings, Carol Portwine, Sarah Burrow, Shayna Zelcer, Donna L Johnston, Lehana Thabane, M Constantine Samaan

Paediatrics Publications

While children with brain tumors are surviving at record rates, survivors are at risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus; these conditions may be driven by excess body fat. Adiponectin in an adipokine that is inversely associated with the fat mass, and has been linked to cardiometabolic risk stratification in the general population. However, adiponectin's profile and determinants in SCBT have not been established. We tested the hypothesis that high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin levels, the more biologically active form of adiponectin, were associated with adiposity in SCBT similarly to non-cancer controls. Seventy-four SCBT (n = 32 female) …

Developing And Implementing A Novel Mentorship Model (4+ 1) For Maternal, Newborn And Child Health In Rwanda, Anaclet Ngabonzima, Cynthia Kenyon, Celestin Hategeka, Aimee Josephine Utuza, Paulin Ruhato Banguti, Isaac Luginaah, David F Cechetto

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: There are a number of factors that may contribute to high mortality and morbidity of women and newborns in low-income countries. These include a shortage of competent health care providers (HCP) and a lack of sufficient continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities. Strengthening the skills and building the capacity of HCP involved in the provision of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is essential to ensure quality care for mothers, newborns and children. To address this challenge in Rwanda, mentorship of HCPs was identified as an approach that could help build capacity, improve the provision of care and accelerate the …

A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial Of Multi-Dose Oral Ondansetron For Pediatric Gastroenteritis (The Dose-Age Study): Statistical Analysis Plan., Anna Heath, Juan David Rios, Sarah Williamson-Urquhart, Petros Pechlivanoglou, Martin Offringa, Christopher Mccabe, Gareth Hopkin, Amy C Plint, Andrew Dixon, Darcy Beer, Serge Gouin, Gary Joubert, Terry P Klassen, Stephen B Freedman

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Acute gastroenteritis is a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among children in North America. Oral-rehydration therapy is recommended for children with mild-to-moderate dehydration, but children who present with vomiting are frequently offered intravenous rehydration in the emergency department (ED). Recent studies have demonstrated that the anti-emetic ondansetron can reduce vomiting, intravenous rehydration, and hospitalization when administered in the ED to children with dehydration. However, there is little evidence of additional benefit from prescribing ondansetron beyond the initial ED dose. Moreover, repeat dosing may increase the frequency of diarrhea. Despite the lack of evidence and potential adverse …

Medium-Term Complications Associated With Coronary Artery Aneurysms After Kawasaki Disease: A Study From The International Kawasaki Disease Registry., Brian W Mccrindle, Cedric Manlhiot, Jane W Newburger, Ashraf S Harahsheh, Therese M Giglia, Frederic Dallaire, Kevin Friedman, Tisiana Low, Kyle Runeckles, Mathew Mathew, Andrew S Mackie, Nadine F Choueiter, Pei-Ni Jone, Shelby Kutty, Anji T Yetman, Geetha Raghuveer, Elfriede Pahl, Kambiz Norozi, Kimberly E Mchugh, Jennifer S Li, Sarah D De Ferranti, Nagib Dahdah

Paediatrics Publications

Background Coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) may occur after Kawasaki disease (KD) and lead to important morbidity and mortality. As CAA in patients with KD are rare and heterogeneous lesions, prognostication and risk stratification are difficult. We sought to derive the cumulative risk and associated factors for cardiovascular complications in patients with CAAs after KD. Methods and Results A 34-institution international registry of 1651 patients with KD who had CAAs (maximum CAA

Consensus Guidelines For Management Of Hyperammonaemia In Paediatric Patients Receiving Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy., Rupesh Raina, Jirair K Bedoyan, Uta Lichter-Konecki, Philippe Jouvet, Stefano Picca, Nicholas Ah Mew, Marcel C Machado, Ronith Chakraborty, Meghana Vemuganti, Manpreet K Grewal, Timothy Bunchman, Sidharth Kumar Sethi, Vinod Krishnappa, Mignon Mcculloch, Khalid Alhasan, Arvind Bagga, Rajit K Basu, Franz Schaefer, Guido Filler, Bradley A Warady

Paediatrics Publications

Hyperammonaemia in children can lead to grave consequences in the form of cerebral oedema, severe neurological impairment and even death. In infants and children, common causes of hyperammonaemia include urea cycle disorders or organic acidaemias. Few studies have assessed the role of extracorporeal therapies in the management of hyperammonaemia in neonates and children. Moreover, consensus guidelines are lacking for the use of non-kidney replacement therapy (NKRT) and kidney replacement therapies (KRTs, including peritoneal dialysis, continuous KRT, haemodialysis and hybrid therapy) to manage hyperammonaemia in neonates and children. Prompt treatment with KRT and/or NKRT, the choice of which depends on the …

Screening And Treatment Outcomes In Adults And Children With Type 1 Diabetes And Asymptomatic Celiac Disease: The Cd-Diet Study., Farid H Mahmud, Antoine B M Clarke, Kariym C Joachim, Esther Assor, Charlotte Mcdonald, Fred Saibil, Heather A Lochnan, Zubin Punthakee, Amish Parikh, Andrew Advani, Baiju R Shah, Bruce A Perkins, Caroline S Zuijdwijk, David R Mack, Dror Koltin, Emilia N De Melo, Eugene Hsieh, Geetha Mukerji, Jeremy Gilbert, Kevin Bax, Margaret L Lawson, Maria Cino, Melanie D Beaton, Navaaz A Saloojee, Olivia Lou, Patricia H Gallego, Premysl Bercik, Robyn L Houlden, Ronnie Aronson, Susan E Kirsch, William G Paterson, Margaret A Marcon

Paediatrics Publications

OBJECTIVE: To describe celiac disease (CD) screening rates and glycemic outcomes of a gluten-free diet (GFD) in patients with type 1 diabetes who are asymptomatic for CD.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Asymptomatic patients (8-45 years) were screened for CD. Biopsy-confirmed CD participants were randomized to GFD or gluten-containing diet (GCD) to assess changes in HbA

RESULTS: Adults had higher CD-seropositivity rates than children (6.8% [95% CI 4.9-8.2%,

CONCLUSIONS: CD is frequently observed in asymptomatic patients with type 1 diabetes, and clinical vigilance is warranted with initiation of a GFD.

Transient Hyponatremia Of Prematurity Caused By Mild Bartter Syndrome Type Ii: A Case Report., Subhrata Verma, Rahul Chanchlani, Victoria Mok Siu, Guido Filler

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Bartter syndrome subtypes are a group of rare renal tubular diseases characterized by impaired salt reabsorption in the tubule, specifically the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Clinically, they are characterized by the association of hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, increased levels of plasma renin and aldosterone, low blood pressure and vascular resistance to angiotensin II. Bartter syndrome type II is caused by mutations in the renal outer medullary potassium channel (ROMK) gene (KCNJ1), can present in the newborn period and typically requires lifelong therapy.

CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a prematurely born female infant presenting with …

Prevalence And Clinical Features Of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Associated With Monogenic Variants, Identified By Whole-Exome Sequencing In 1000 Children At A Single Center, Eileen Crowley, Neil Warner, Jie Pan, Sam Khalouei, Abdul Elkadri, Karoline Fiedler, Justin Foong, Andrei L Turinsky, Dana Bronte-Tinkew, Shiqi Zhang

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A proportion of infants and young children with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have subtypes associated with a single gene variant (monogenic IBD). We aimed to determine the prevalence of monogenic disease in a cohort of pediatric patients with IBD.

METHODS: We performed whole-exome sequencing analyses of blood samples from an unselected cohort of 1005 children with IBD, aged 0-18 years (median age at diagnosis, 11.96 years) at a single center in Canada and their family members (2305 samples total). Variants believed to cause IBD were validated using Sanger sequencing. Biopsies from patients were analyzed by immunofluorescence and …

Multi-Dose Oral Ondansetron For Pediatric Gastroenteritis: Study Protocol For The Multi-Dose Oral Ondansetron For Pediatric Acute Gastroenteritis (Dose-Age) Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial, Stephen B Freedman, Sarah Williamson-Urquhart, Anna Heath, Petros Pechlivanoglou, Gareth Hopkin, Serge Gouin, Amy C Plint, Andrew Dixon, Darcy Beer, Gary Joubert, Christopher Mccabe, Yaron Finkelstein, Terry P Klassen

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: There are limited treatment options that clinicians can provide to children presenting to emergency departments with vomiting secondary to acute gastroenteritis. Based on evidence of effectiveness and safety, clinicians now routinely administer ondansetron in the emergency department to promote oral rehydration therapy success. However, clinicians are also increasingly providing multiple doses of ondansetron for home use, creating unquantified cost and health system resource use implications without any evidence to support this expanding practice.

METHODS/DESIGN: DOSE-AGE is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, six-center, pragmatic clinical trial being conducted in six Canadian pediatric emergency departments (EDs). In September 2019 the study began …

Late Referrals Of Pediatric Patients With Elevated Blood Pressure, Guido Filler, Laura Torres-Canchala

Paediatrics Publications

Editorial Commentary

Seizure Freedom Improves Health-Related Quality Of Life After Epilepsy Surgery In Children., Puneet Jain, Mary Lou Smith, Kathy Speechley, Mark Ferro, Mary Connolly, Rajesh Ramachandrannair, Salah Almubarak, Andrea Andrade, Elysa Widjaja

Paediatrics Publications

AIM: To determine whether epilepsy surgery improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and whether seizure freedom after surgery mediated the improvement in HRQoL.

METHOD: This multicenter cohort study compared HRQoL after epilepsy surgery to pharmacological management in children with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). HRQoL was measured using the Quality of Life in Childhood Epilepsy (QOLCE) questionnaire at baseline and 1-year follow-up. The mediator between treatment type and HRQoL was seizure freedom.

RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-seven patients were recruited (surgery group: n=147 [92 males, 45 females]; pharmacological group: n=90 [53 males, 37 females]). Mean age at seizure onset was 6 years …

Predicting Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome And Renal Replacement Therapy In Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli-Infected Children., Ryan S Mckee, David Schnadower, Phillip I Tarr, Jianling Xie, Yaron Finkelstein, Neil Desai, Roni D Lane, Kelly R Bergmann, Ron L Kaplan, Selena Hariharan, Andrea T Cruz, Daniel M Cohen, Andrew Dixon, Sriram Ramgopal, Annie Rominger, Elizabeth C Powell, Jennifer Kilgar, Kenneth A Michelson, Darcy Beer, Martin Bitzan, Christopher M Pruitt, Kenneth Yen, Garth D Meckler, Amy C Plint, Stuart Bradin, Thomas J Abramo, Serge Gouin, April J Kam, Abigail Schuh, Fran Balamuth, Tracy E Hunley, John T Kanegaye, Nicholas E Jones, Usha Avva, Robert Porter, Daniel M Fein, Jeffrey P Louie, Stephen B Freedman

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are leading causes of pediatric acute renal failure. Identifying hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) risk factors is needed to guide care.

METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, historical cohort study to identify features associated with development of HUS (primary outcome) and need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) (secondary outcome) in STEC-infected children without HUS at initial presentation. Children agedeligible.

RESULTS: Of 927 STEC-infected children, 41 (4.4%) had HUS at presentation; of the remaining 886, 126 (14.2%) developed HUS. Predictors (all shown as odds ratio [OR] with 95% confidence interval [CI]) of HUS included younger age …

Pain Squad+ Smartphone App To Support Real-Time Pain Treatment For Adolescents With Cancer: Protocol For A Randomised Controlled Trial., Lindsay Jibb, Paul C Nathan, Vicky Breakey, Conrad Fernandez, Donna Johnston, Victor Lewis, Sarah Mckillop, Serina Patel, Christine Sabapathy, Caron Strahlendorf, J Charles Victor, Myla E Moretti, Cynthia Nguyen, Amos Hundert, Celia Cassiani, Graziella El-Khechen Richandi, Hayley Insull, Rachel Hamilton, Geoffrey Fang, Susan Kuczynski, Jennifer Stinson

Paediatrics Publications

INTRODUCTION: Pain negatively affects the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of adolescents with cancer. The Pain Squad+ smartphone-based application (app), has been developed to provide adolescents with real-time pain self-management support. The app uses a validated pain assessment and personalised pain treatment advice with centralised decision support via a registered nurse to enable real-time pain treatment in all settings. The algorithm informing pain treatment advice is evidence-based and expert-vetted. This trial will longitudinally evaluate the impact of Pain Squad+, with or without the addition of nurse support, on adolescent health and cost outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This will be a …

Circulating Leptin Levels Are Associated With Adiposity In Survivors Of Childhood Brain Tumors., E Danielle Sims, William J. Jennings, Brianna Empringham, Adam Fleming, Carol Portwine, Donna L. Johnston, Shayna M. Zelcer, Shahrad Rod Rassekh, Sarah Burrow, Lehana Thabane, M Constantine Samaan

Paediatrics Publications

Survivors of Childhood Brain Tumors (SCBT) are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes compared to the general population. Adiposity is an important risk factor for the development of these outcomes, and identifying biomarkers of adiposity may help the stratification of survivors based on their cardiovascular risk or allow for early screening and interventions to improve cardiometabolic outcomes. Leptin is an adipokine that positively correlates with the adipose mass in the general population and is a predictor of adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, yet its association with adiposity in SCBT has not been studied. The aim of …

Predictors Of Bicuspid Aortic Valve-Associated Aortopathy In Childhood: A Report From The Mibava Consortium, Michael Grattan, Andrea Prince, Rawan K Rumman, Conall Morgan, Michele Petrovic, Amanda Hauck, Luciana Young, Anders Franco-Cereceda, Bart Loeys, Salah A Mohamed, Harry Dietz, Seema Mital, Chun-Po Steve Fan, Cedric Manlhiot, Gregor Andelfinger, Luc Mertens

Paediatrics Publications

BACKGROUND: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most prevalent congenital heart defect affecting 1% to 2% of the population. It is associated with ascending aorta dilatation. Valve morphology, aortic stenosis (AS), and aortic insufficiency (AI) have been proposed as potential risk factors; however, evaluating their role is difficult, as these factors are inherently related. The aim of this study was to determine whether BAV morphology and dysfunction are independent determinants for ascending aorta dilatation in pediatric patients.

METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study of pediatric BAV patients followed since 2004 was performed. Imaging data were assessed for BAV morphology, severity …

Osteochondritis Dissecans In Pediatric Patients With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis., Bradley C Jackson, Debra L Bartley, Roberta A Berard

Paediatrics Publications

No abstract provided.

Fatigue In Young People With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Basmah El-Aloul, Kathy N Speechley, Yi Wei, Piotr Wilk, Craig Campbell

Paediatrics Publications

AIM: To describe fatigue in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) from patients' and parents' perspectives and to explore risk factors for fatigue in children and adolescents with DMD.

METHOD: A multicentre, cross-sectional study design was used. Seventy-one patients (all males; median age 12y, age range 5-17y) identified via the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry, and their parents completed questionnaires. Subjective fatigue was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale by child self-report and parent proxy-report.

RESULTS: Patients with DMD across ages and disease stages experienced greater fatigue compared to typically developing controls from published data. Sleep disturbance symptoms …

Growth Hormone Deficiency In Megalencephaly-Capillary Malformation Syndrome: An Association With Activating Mutations In Pik3ca, Shanlee Davis, Meredith A Ware, Jordan Zeiger, Matthew A Deardorff, Katheryn Grand, Adda Grimberg, Stephanie Hsu, Megan Kelsey, Shideh Majidi, Revi P Matthew, Melanie Napier, Natalie Nokoff, Chitra Prasad, Andrew C Riggs, Margaret L Mckinnon, Ghayda Mirzaa

Paediatrics Publications

Megalencephaly-capillary malformation syndrome (MCAP) is a brain overgrowth disorder characterized by cortical malformations (specifically polymicrogyria), vascular anomalies, and segmental overgrowth secondary to somatic activating mutations in the PI3K-AKT-MTOR pathway (PIK3CA). Cases of growth failure and hypoglycemia have been reported in patients with MCAP, raising the suspicion for unappreciated growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Here we report an observational multicenter study of children with MCAP and GH deficiency. Eleven participants were confirmed to have GH deficiency, all with very low or undetectable circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3. Seven underwent GH stimulation testing and all had …

Intranasal Dexmedetomidine For Procedural Distress In Children: A Systematic Review., Naveen Poonai, Joseph Spohn, Ben Vandermeer, Samina Ali, Maala Bhatt, Shawn Hendrikx, Evelyne D Trottier, Vikram Sabhaney, Amit Shah, Gary Joubert, Lisa Hartling

Paediatrics Publications

CONTEXT: Intranasal dexmedetomidine (IND) is an emerging agent for procedural distress in children.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effectiveness of IND for procedural distress in children.

DATA SOURCES: We performed electronic searches of Medline (1946-2019), Embase (1980-2019), Google Scholar (2019), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1981-2019), and Cochrane Central Register.

STUDY SELECTION: We included randomized trials of IND for procedures in children.

DATA EXTRACTION: Methodologic quality of evidence was evaluated by using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system, respectively. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants …

Unanticipated Admissions To Paediatric Cardiac Critical Care After Cardiac Catheterisations., Erin Peebles, Michael R Miller, Lee N Benson, Tilman Humpl

Paediatrics Publications

OBJECTIVES: Cardiac catheterisation is commonly used for diagnosis and therapeutic interventions in paediatric cardiology. The inherent risk of the procedure can result in unanticipated admissions to critical care. Our goals were to provide a qualitative description of characteristics and evaluation of children admitted unexpectedly to the cardiac critical care unit (CCCU).

METHODS: A retrospective single centre review of cardiac catheterisation procedures was done between 1 January, 2003 and 30 April, 2013.

RESULTS: Of 9336 cardiac catheterisations performed, 146 (1.6%) were admitted from the catheterisation laboratory to the CCCU and met inclusion criteria. Of these 146 patients, 117 (1.3%) met criteria …

Poverty, Neighbourhood Antisocial Behaviour, And Children’S Mental Health Problems: Findings From The 2014 Ontario Child Health Study, Michael H. Boyle, Katholiki Georgiades, Laura Duncan, Laura Duncan, Li Wang, Jinette Comeau, Jinette Comeau, Tracie O. Afifi, William R. Avison, Graham Reid, Kathryn Bennett, Terry Bennett, Khrista Boylan, Michelle Butt, Charles Cunningham, Eric Duku, Jim Dunn, Katholiki Georgiades, Stelios Georgiades, Andrea Gonzalez, Geoffrey Hall, Magdalena Janus, Melissa Kimber, Ellen Lipman, Harriet Macmillan, Peter Rosenbaum, Roberto Sassi, Louis Schmidt, Noam Soreni

Paediatrics Publications

Objectives: To determine if levels of neighbourhood poverty and neighbourhood antisocial behaviour modify associations between household poverty and child and youth mental health problems. Methods: Data come from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study—a provincially representative survey of 6537 families with 10,802 four- to 17-year-olds. Multivariate multilevel modelling was used to test if neighbourhood poverty and antisocial behaviour interact with household poverty to modify associations with children’s externalizing and internalizing problems based on parent assessments of children (4- to 17-year-olds) and self-assessments of youth (12- to 17-year-olds). Results: Based on parent assessments, neighbourhood poverty, and antisocial behaviour modified associations between …

Multicentre, Randomised Clinical Trial Of Paediatric Concussion Assessment Of Rest And Exertion (Pedcare): A Study To Determine When To Resume Physical Activities Following Concussion In Children., Andrée-Anne Ledoux, Nicholas J Barrowman, Kathy Boutis, Adrienne Davis, Sarah Reid, Gurinder Sangha, Ken J Farion, Kevin Belanger, Mark S Tremblay, Keith Owen Yeates, Carol Dematteo, Nick Reed, Roger Zemek

Paediatrics Publications

INTRODUCTION:
Rest until symptom-free, followed by a progressive stepwise return to activities, is often prescribed in the management of paediatric concussions. Recent evidence suggests prolonged rest may hinder recovery, and early resumption of physical activity may be associated with more rapid recovery postconcussion. The primary objective is to determine whether the early reintroduction of non-contact physical activity beginning 72 hours postinjury reduces postconcussive symptoms at 2 weeks in children following an acute concussion as compared with a rest until asymptomatic protocol.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS:
This study is a randomised clinical trial across three Canadian academic paediatric emergency departments. A total …

"C.H.A.M.P. Families": Description And Theoretical Foundations Of A Paediatric Overweight And Obesity Intervention Targeting Parents-A Single-Centre Non-Randomised Feasibility Study., Kristen Reilly, Trish Tucker, Jennifer D. Irwin Phd, Andrew Johnson, Erin S Pearson, Dirk E Bock, Shauna M. Burke

Paediatrics Publications

Childhood obesity represents a significant global health challenge, and treatment interventions are needed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the components and theoretical model that was used in the development and implementation of a unique parent-focussed paediatric overweight/obesity intervention. C.H.A.M.P. Families was a single-centre, prospective intervention offered to parents of children aged between 6⁻14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥85th percentile for age and sex. The intervention included: (1) eight group-based (parent-only) education sessions over 13-weeks; (2) eight home-based activities; and (3) two group-based (family) follow-up support sessions. The first section of the manuscript contains a …

Multicenter Trial Of A Combination Probiotic For Children With Gastroenteritis., Stephen B Freedman, Sarah Williamson-Urquhart, Ken J Farion, Serge Gouin, Andrew R Willan, Naveen Poonai, Katrina Hurley, Philip M Sherman, Yaron Finkelstein, Bonita E Lee, Xiao-Li Pang, Linda Chui, David Schnadower, Jianling Xie, Marc Gorelick, Suzanne Schuh

Paediatrics Publications

Background

Gastroenteritis accounts for approximately 1.7 million visits to the emergency department (ED) by children in the United States every year. Data to determine whether the use of probiotics improves outcomes in these children are lacking.

Methods

We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial involving 886 children 3 to 48 months of age with gastroenteritis who presented to six pediatric EDs in Canada. Participants received a 5-day course of a combination probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052, at a dose of 4.0×10

Results

Moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment occurred in 108 of 414 participants (26.1%) …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging In The Diagnosis Of White Matter Signal Abnormalities., Ravi Datar, Asuri Narayan Prasad, Keng Yeow Tay, Charles Anthony Rupar, Pavlo Ohorodnyk, Michael Miller, Chitra Prasad

Paediatrics Publications

Background White matter abnormalities (WMAs) pose a diagnostic challenge when trying to establish etiologic diagnoses. During childhood and adult years, genetic disorders, metabolic disorders and acquired conditions are included in differential diagnoses. To assist clinicians and radiologists, a structured algorithm using cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recommended to aid in establishing working diagnoses that facilitate appropriate biochemical and genetic investigations. This retrospective pilot study investigated the validity and diagnostic utility of this algorithm when applied to white matter signal abnormalities (WMSAs) reported on imaging studies of patients seen in our clinics. Methods The MRI algorithm was applied to …

An International Delphi Survey For The Definition Of The Variables For The Development Of New Classification Criteria For Periodic Fever Aphtous Stomatitis Pharingitis Cervical Adenitis (Pfapa)., Federica Vanoni, Silvia Federici, Jordi Antón, Karyl S Barron, Paul Brogan, Fabrizio De Benedetti, Fatma Dedeoglu, Erkan Demirkaya, Veronique Hentgen, Tilmann Kallinich, Ronald Laxer, Ricardo Russo, Natasa Toplak, Yosef Uziel, Alberto Martini, Nicolino Ruperto, Marco Gattorno, Michael Hofer

Paediatrics Publications

Background

Diagnosis of Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and cervical adenitis (PFAPA) is currently based on a set of criteria proposed in 1999 modified from Marshall's criteria. Nevertheless no validated evidence based set of classification criteria for PFAPA has been established so far. The aim of this study was to identify candidate classification criteria PFAPA syndrome using international consensus formation through a Delphi questionnaire survey.

Methods

A first open-ended questionnaire was sent to adult and pediatric clinicians/researchers, asking to identify the variables thought most likely to be helpful and relevant for the diagnosis of PFAPA. In a second survey, respondents …

Does Specialist Physician Supply Affect Pediatric Asthma Health Outcomes?, Guido Filler, Tom Kovesi, Erik Bourdon, Sarah Ann Jones, Laurentiu Givelichian, Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg, Jason Gilliland, Marion Williams, Elaine Orrbine, Bruno Piedboeuf

Paediatrics Publications

Background

Pediatrician and pediatric subspecialist density varies substantially among the various Canadian provinces, as well as among various states in the US. It is unknown whether this variability impacts health outcomes. To study this knowledge gap, we evaluated pediatric asthma admission rates within the 2 Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which have similarly sized pediatric populations and substantially different physician densities.

Methods

This was a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. Health regions defined by the provincial governments, have, in turn, been classified into "peer groups" by Statistics Canada, on the basis of common socio-economic characteristics and socio-demographic determinants of health. …