Is a friend truly a treasure? Evolution of friendship competence from pre-school up to the last year of primary school

A Friend is truly a treasure, in accordance with age and competence’s qualitative changes. The aim of this study was to con?rm the increase in friendship competence and its multifactorial nature in 3- up to 10-year-old children, and to verify gender differences, and parenting in?uences on the concept of friendship. A semi-structured interview was administered in a natural context to 3- to 10-year-old children (N?=?167; Mean?=?7.6 years; SD?=?2.16). According to Selman’s Model, the coding provides ?ve sub-categories: (1) friendship; (2) social perspective taking; (3) emotions understanding; (4) social interaction strategies; and (5) aggressiveness. Three parental style questionnaires were administered to parents. Results point up an increase in social skills according to age. The Friendship Interview turned out to be a reliable tool able to investigate how the concept of friendship is also structured in preschool children.     

Debate: COVID-19 and psychological well-being of children and adolescents in Italy

Italy was the first country in Europe to deal with COVID-19. Measures taken by the government to contain the spread of the virus were based mainly on quarantine and social distancing, with dramatic economic, social and psychological consequences. Since March, Italian children and adolescents are facing school closures, which have caused a disruption in the daily lives of millions of young people and their families. To date, despite the slow reopening, the government has decided to maintain school closures for the entire academic year, leaving the future of young people in uncertainty. There is already some evidence that quarantine and social isolation are having negative impact on children's and adolescents' psychological well-being. Moreover, this situation will mainly affect those children and adolescents with pre-existing vulnerabilities and those suffering of mental disorders. It is imperative to keep young people’s needs at the core of reconstruction plans, allowing them to return to school safely, and providing them with some strategies to heal and dealing with this stressful and potentially traumatic situation.     

学龄期儿童前房深度发育状况分析

目的了解7~14岁学龄期儿童前房深度发育情况。探索其与屈光度数间的关系。方法收集2012年6月至2014年6月眼科门诊7~14岁儿童为研究对象，共计521例（1042只眼）。采用IOLMaster人工晶状体生物测量仪测量各屈光参数，同时测量身高、体重。散瞳后验光测得静态屈光度。分析前房深度发育情况及不同屈光状态的学龄期儿童前房深度发育情况。结果（1）随着年龄的增长，7~14岁学龄期的儿童前房深度随之增长，差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.01）。同一年龄段儿童的左右眼之间的均值相近，且生长发育趋势相近（均P＞0.05）。（2）随着年龄的增长，男女的前房深度均逐渐增大，同一年龄段男性前房深度大于女性前房深度（均P＜0.01）。（3）儿童前房深度与身高正相关（P＜0.01）。（4）前房深度随近视度数增高而增大，低度近视组与中度近视组及高度近视组差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论学龄期儿童的前房深度的发育受到身高、性别及屈光度数的影响，与身高呈正相关，同一年龄段，男性前房深度大于女性。双眼前房深度发育同步。低中度近视的儿童前房深度增大。     

Using structural equation modelling to understand the contributors to anaemia among young Burkinabe children

Anaemia is a persistent problem among young Burkinabe children, yet population‐specific information on its determinants is scant. We used baseline data from an evaluation of Helen Keller International's Enhanced Homestead Food Production Program (n=1210 children) to quantify household‐, mother‐, and child‐level factors associated with anaemia in Burkinabe children aged 6‐12 months. We used structural equation modelling to assess a theoretical model, which tested four categories of factors: (a) household food security and dietary diversity, (b) household sanitation and hygiene (latrine and poultry access and bednet ownership), (c) maternal factors (anaemia, stress, cleanliness, and health, hygiene and feeding knowledge and practices), and (d) child nutrition and health (iron deficiency (ID), retinol binding protein (RBP), malaria, and inflammation). The model also included household socio‐economic status, size, and polygamy; maternal age and education; and child age and sex. Results showed that ID, malaria, and inflammation were the primary direct determinants of anaemia, contributing 15%, 10%, and 10%, respectively. Maternal knowledge directly explained improved child feeding practices and household bednet ownership. Household dietary diversity directly explained 18% of child feeding practices. Additionally, RBP, child age and sex, and maternal anaemia directly predicted child haemoglobin. Our findings suggest that program effectiveness could be increased by addressing the multiple, context‐specific contributors of child anaemia. For young Burkinabe children, anaemia control programs that include interventions to reduce ID, malaria, and inflammation should be tested. Other potential intervention entry points suggested by our model include improving maternal knowledge of optimal health, hygiene, and nutrition practices and household dietary diversity.     

贵阳地区儿童重症社区获得性肺炎肺泡灌洗液病原及药敏分析

目的分析贵阳地区儿童重症社区获得性肺炎支气管肺泡灌洗液（BALF）病原学分布及耐药特点。方法收集989例重症社区获得性肺炎患儿临床资料，将支气管肺泡灌液采用支气管镜取出进行细菌培养、病毒以及肺炎支原体(MP)检测。结果（1）989例重症社区获得性肺炎患儿病原检出阳性716例，阳性率72.40%，细菌、病毒、支原体检出率分别33.27% （329例）、22.45%（222例）、31.45%（311例）。（2）细菌感染中的肺炎链球菌、金黄色葡萄球菌为最为常见的革兰阳性菌株(G+)；而肺炎克雷伯菌、大肠埃希菌为最为常见的革兰阴性菌株(G-)。培养菌株对青霉素类、红霉素、第1、2、3代头孢类抗生素有较高的耐药性，对头孢吡肟、拉氧头孢、哌拉西林、左氧氟沙星有较高的敏感性，对亚胺培南、万古霉素、利奈唑烷均无耐药发生。（3）病毒感染检出222例，其中呼吸道合胞病毒131例，腺病毒检测49例，流感病毒6例（A型2例，B型4例），副流感病毒36例（1型3例、2型4例、3型29例），病毒检出率以0～12月龄组最高，RSV、ADV感染主要集中在冬春季节。（4）肺炎支原体检出阳性率31.45%（311例），肺炎支原体检出率以3～5岁组最高。结论贵阳地区重症肺炎中肺炎克雷伯杆菌、肺炎链球菌、大肠埃希菌、金黄色葡萄球菌为重要的细菌病原。重要病毒为腺病毒和呼吸道病毒为主，1～12月龄组的病毒感染检出率比较高。     

Addressing risk management difficulties in children with food allergies

Risk is a concept inherent in every medical procedure. It can be defined as the probability of an adverse event in a defined population over a specified period of time. In the frame of food allergy management, it might be related to a diagnostic procedure, a treatment, or the consumption of foods. The risk of an adverse event can also be augmented by individual factors. This rostrum article discusses various aspects faced by children with food allergies in the light of risk, and their practical implications. Identifying personal risks for severe reaction, such as unstable asthma, and correcting them whenever possible also contribute to a reduction of the risk inherent to food allergy. Among the facets discussed, oral food challenges (OFC) are the most common diagnostic procedures implying an inherent risk. The risk of OFCs can be minimized by correct indication and timing of the test, a safe setting, as well as by ensuring that the patient is otherwise well without potential stressor potentially increasing the risk of a more severe reaction. Oral immunotherapy (OIT) has been studied as a potential treatment for increasing the threshold dose for reaction, and thus reducing the risk of accidental reaction. Nevertheless, the procedure is not devoid of risk as the patients may and do often react during the course of the procedure. Ingestion of trace amounts in processed foods, mainly in community settings such as restaurants, schools, or day care, represents a potential risk of reactions, although for a minority of patients. Precautionary allergen labeling (PAL) is a widespread strategy to reduce the potential risk of reactions due to traces. However, PAL is currently inefficient due to inconsistent labeling, also not indicating a clear maximum amount possibly present in the manufactured food. Finally, cost-effectiveness needs to be considered in risk management, as many risk reduction procedures are clearly not cost-effective.