‘I know it's wrong,but . . .’: a qualitative investigation of low‐income parents' feelings of guilt about their child‐feeding practices

In the developed world, child overweight and obesity rates are highest among the disadvantaged. This has resulted in calls for more research with low socio‐economic families to better understand their experiences with disadvantage and how they might lead to poorer weight outcomes. The present study, conducted in Australia, adopted a qualitative approach to investigate the factors affecting low socio‐economic parents' child‐feeding practices. Methods used to collect data were introspections, interviews and focus groups. In total, 37 parents of overweight or obese children aged between 5 and 9 years took part in the 6‐month study. Guilt emerged as an emotion that parents regularly experienced when allowing their children to consume too much food or foods high in fat, salt and/or sugar. Parents attributed their guilt‐inducing child‐feeding practices to both external and internal factors. Time scarcity and cost were factors that were primarily characterized by an external locus of control. The factors characterized by an internal locus of control were fear of their children experiencing hunger, the perceived need to secure their children's affection through the provision of treat foods, perceptions of their ability to balance their children's diets across eating situations and perceived laziness. Recommendations are provided for addressing guilt‐inducing child‐feeding practices.     

神经行为学检测和改良BBB运动功能评定在脑瘫大鼠运动功能评定中的应用

目的:探讨脑瘫大鼠运动功能评价的最佳方法。方法:采用孕鼠腹腔注射LPS制备脑瘫动物模型,随机选取对照组(A组)足月仔鼠60只,LPS组足月仔鼠120只分为早期干预组(B1组)和非干预组(B2组)各60只。各组于生后25d进行神经行为学检测,B1组中检测出的CP鼠(B1CP组)继续早期干预,B2组中检测出的CP鼠(B2CP组)常规饲养,A组中随机选取10只鼠作为对照组(A′组);A′组、B1CP组和B2CP组仔鼠分别于25d及42d进行神经行为学检测和运动功能评定。结果:①25dB1组鉴定出7只CP鼠,B2组13只CP鼠,A组中无CP鼠。②B1CP组第25天与第42天各项检测结果比较:悬吊试验、斜坡试验、旷场实验、拒俘反应及改良的BBB运动功能评分均有显著性差异(P﹤0.01);B2CP组和A′组大鼠25d与42d各项检测结果比较无显著性差异(P﹥0.05)。结论:①神经行为学检测可有效鉴定CP大鼠的运动功能。②改良BBB运动功能评定适用于CP大鼠的运动功能评定。③联合应用神经行为学检测与改良BBB运动功能评定可全面反映CP大鼠运动功能状况。     

Constipation in intensive care unit: Incidence and risk factors

Purpose

Although gastrointestinal motility disorders are common in critically ill patients, constipation and its implications have received very little attention. We aimed to determine the incidence of constipation to find risk factors and its implications in critically ill patients

Materials and Methods

During a 6-month period, we enrolled all patients admitted to an intensive care unit from an universitary hospital who stayed 3 or more days. Patients submitted to bowel surgery were excluded.

Results

Constipation occurred in 69.9% of the patients. There was no difference between constipated and not constipated in terms of sex, age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, type of admission (surgical, clinical, or trauma), opiate use, antibiotic therapy, and mechanical ventilation. Early (<24 hours) enteral nutrition was associated with less constipation, a finding that persisted at multivariable analysis (P < .01). Constipation was not associated with greater intensive care unit or mortality, length of stay, or days free from mechanical ventilation.

Conclusions

Constipation is very common among critically ill patients. Early enteral nutrition is associated with earlier return of bowel function.     

Osteoinductive factor is a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of early diabetic nephropathy

Background: Microalbuminuria is the earliest clinical sign of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, earlier markers as a diagnostic tool for DN was required for the invalid of microalbuminuria in some cases. Osteoinductive factor (OIF) was known to be an essential component of the normal vascular matrix. We aimed to research the relationship between DN and OIF, and discussed the availability of the serological markers for earlier stage of DN. Method: One hundred twenty Chinese subjects, who included patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), DN with microalbuminuria, and DN with macroalbuminuria, as well as healthy controls, were enrolled in this study. Serum OIF levels were examined by ELISA and other clinical biochemical parameters were tested based on standard methods. Results: Our results indicated that, serum OIF levels were significantly increased in DN subjects compared with healthy and T2DM subjects (P < 0.05 respectively). However, no significant changes in serum OIF levels were found between T2DM and healthy subjects. Furthermore, serum OIF had negative correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and positive correlation with blood urea nitrogen(BUN) and creatinine. ROC curve analysis showed that serum OIF level was a good sensitive and specificity marker for microalbuminuria and early renal damage with sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 95%, as well as for macroalbuminuria and damage progress with sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 95%. Conclusion: OIF may be an indicator of the earlier-stage DN in subjects with T2DM. Understanding the exact mechanism of up-regulated OIF in subjects with DN requires further study.