Predictors of severe forms of rotaviral infection in children

Rotavirus infection (RVI) is one of the most common childhood diseases. The study of predictors of severe forms of this disease is of undoubted interest.Aim. Based on the study of the characteristics of the premorbid background, life history and clinical and laboratory parameters, determine predictors of severe forms of RVI.Patients and methods. In the departments of intestinal infections and resuscitation and intensive care of Pediatric Research and Clinical Center for Infectious Diseases in the period 2018 – 202. a retrospective study of 962 children aged 2 months to 2 years with rotavirus infection was carried out. he severity of the condition was assessed using the Clarke scale. To identify the most significant predictors of the development of severe forms of RVI, two groups of patients were compared: severe (> 16 points) and moderate (≤16 points) forms of RVI. Comparison of the frequency of occurrence of signs in the groups was performed using the Pearson χ2 test and Fisher’s exact method. The forecasting model was developed using discriminant analysis of the statistical package Statistica for Windows.Results. Severe forms of RVI were detected in 65 children. Among the patients with severe forms of RVI, there were no patients with completed preventive vaccination. Patients with severe forms of RVI were admitted to the hospital in the late stages of the disease and had a higher score on the CDS scale. Based on the research carried out, a model for predicting severe forms of RVI was developed. The features included in the model were: the day of illness at admission, the patient’s age, prehospital prescription of antibacterial drugs, the absence of completed vaccination against RVI, and the severity of dehydration. Assessment of the quality of the created model showed that the classification ability was 97.7%.Conclusion. Predictors of severe forms of RVI include admission to a hospital in the late stages of the disease with severe dehydration, early age, prehospital antibiotics and forced transfer to artificial feeding, and absence of completed prophylactic vaccination.

Commercialization Potential of Six Selected Medicinal Plants Commonly Used for Childhood Diseases in South Africa: A Review

Globally, the potential of medicinal plants is increasingly being recognized due to their relative availability, particularly in rural areas. This review explored the ethnobotanical and economic values of six selected medicinal plants widely used to treat and manage childhood diseases in South Africa. Acalypha glabrata, Aloe maculata, Datura stramonium, Gomphocarpus fruticosus, Rhoicissus tridentata and Vachellia karroo were selected based on their high relative frequency of citations for treating a wide range of diseases. Information was obtained from various scientific databases and ethnobotanical books. In addition to being popular for treating childhood diseases, the selected medicinal plants possess diverse applications in traditional medicine for other age groups, highlighting their general therapeutic values. This translates to extensive harvesting, trading and consumption of these plants in order to meet demands on local levels. Currently, empirical data on the economic value of the selected plants remain poorly reported. Even though South Africa has many laws to conserve and promote indigenous knowledge and medicinal plants, their commercialization remains low. Particularly the cultivation of the selected plants needs to be promoted under a participatory management action plan to stimulate the economy of the disadvantaged. A collaborative research framework for the inclusive transformation of indigenous medicinal plants is recommended to reveal their concealed beneficial properties.

Morbidity, its Patterns and Associated Factors among School Children Residing in a North Indian City

INTRODUCTION: Children are the pillars of the future of a country shall rest, are no less than a treasure and need to be as healthy as possible. AIM: To assess the health status of school children in various areas of Una city, Himachal Pradesh, India. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The present study was conducted among school children aged 7-18 present on the day of the study. Data collected was cross-sectionally using a pre-validated and pre-tested questionnaire duly standardized prior to commencement of the study. The first section of the questionnaire contained details about the demographic profile, and in the second, the examiners recorded the presence or absence of common childhood diseases, namely pallor, lymphadenopathy (L.N.), Bitot spots, Worm infections, Scabies, Ear discharge, Dental caries and Fluorosis. Statistical analysis included the Shapiro-wilk test to check for data normalcy, followed by descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation. Significance value (p) was kept significant at ≤0.5. RESULTS: Most children belonged to the age group of 12-15 years (42.8%), followed by 7-11 years(34.3%) and 16-18 years(22.9%). Majority of the students were girls (61.5%) and most them belonged to the age group of 12-15 years(41.0%). Disease in any from was observed in 813 (76.2%) of the children, with the most prevalent disease observed being dental caries (32.3%), followed by fluorosis (20.5%) and pallor (14.3%). Pearson’s correlation revealed a strong, positive association between the disease status and age (0.7) and gender (0.8). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate the need to have various specific programmes to reduce the burden of various diseases, namely dental caries and pallor among school children through efforts of various programmes.

A Comparative Numerical Study and Stability Analysis for a Fractional-Order SIR Model of Childhood Diseases

The objective of this work is to examine the dynamics of a fractional-order susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) model that simulate epidemiological diseases such as childhood diseases. An effective numerical scheme based on Grünwald–Letnikov fractional derivative is suggested to solve the considered model. A stability analysis is performed to qualitatively examine the dynamics of the SIR model. The reliability and robustness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated by comparing obtained results with results obtained from a fourth order Runge–Kutta built-in Maple syntax when considering derivatives of integer order. Graphical illustrations of the numerical results are given. The inaccuracy of some results presented in two studies exist in the literature have been clearly explained. Generalizing of the cases examined in another study, by considering a model with fraction-order derivatives, is another objective of this work as well.

Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) Annual Surveillance Report 2020

For 27 years, national prospective data on selected rare childhood diseases have been collected monthly by the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) from paediatricians and other clinical specialists who report cases in children aged up to 16 years. We report here the annual results of APSU surveillance in 2020 for ten rare communicable diseases and complications of communicable diseases, namely: acute flaccid paralysis (AFP); congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection; neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection; perinatal exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); paediatric HIV infection; severe complications of seasonal influenza; juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JoRRP); congenital rubella syndrome; congenital varicella syndrome; and neonatal varicella infection. We describe the results for each disease in the context of the total period of study, including demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment and short-term outcomes. Despite challenges presented by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020, more than 1,400 paediatricians reported regularly to the APSU and an overall monthly reporting rate of > 90% was achieved. The minimum AFP target of 1 case per 100,000 children aged less than 15 years was achieved and there were few cases of vaccine-preventable diseases (JoRRP, rubella, varicella). However, high cases of congenital CMV, neonatal HSV and perinatal exposure to HIV persist. There were no severe complications of seasonal influenza reported for the first time in 13 years. This is consistent with other surveillance data reporting a decline of influenza and other communicable diseases in 2020, and likely reflects the wider effects of public health measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the Australian community.

Disorders of the Immune System and Susceptibility to Various Diseases in Children with Diabetes Mellitus

The article examines the features of emerging disorders of the immune system in children suffering from diabetes mellitus, as well as the susceptibility of such children to various diseases. The authors note that children with diabetes have some disorders of the immune system, which, combined with high glycemia, increase the risk of infections and their severity, and they should be immediately detected and treated. Infections, even typical childhood diseases, significantly interfere with glycemic control. As a result of the infectious process, the level of counter-regulating hormones, cortisol, adrenaline and growth hormone increases, which leads to increased neoglycogenesis, glycogenesis and increased insulin resistance. This increase in insulin resistance requires adjustment of the patient's usual insulin dose, both basal and bolus. There are usually several hours or days before such a need arises, and it may take time to increase the dose, which can lead to hyperglycemia during this period. The presence of an infectious condition, in turn, increases blood glucose levels and increases the risk of decompensation, so pediatricians should be warned against the need to strengthen monitoring and insulin therapy. Patients with diabetes are often not fully vaccinated against various diseases. Vaccines are vital for these patients, significantly reducing the risk of infections and exacerbating the development of the underlying ailment.