Adverse childhood experiences: Basics for the paediatrician.

In 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adverse Childhood Experiences study established the profound effects of early childhood adversity on life course health. The burden of cumulative adversities can affect gene expression, immune system development and condition stress response. A scientific framework provides explanation for numerous childhood and adult health problems and high-risk behaviours that originate in early life. In our review, we discuss adverse childhood experiences, toxic stress, the neurobiological basis and multigenerational and epigenetic transmission of trauma and recognized health implications. Further, we outline building resilience, screening in the clinical setting, primary care interventions, applying trauma-informed care and future directions. We foresee that enhancing knowledge of the far-reaching effects of adverse childhood events will facilitate mitigation of toxic stress, promote child and family resilience and optimize life course health trajectories.

Literacy promotion by health care professionals: A comprehensive biomedical and psychosocial approach.

Literacy is the ability to read, write and understand print. Proficiency in literacy is fundamental to social inclusion and strongly linked to health outcomes. Thus, improving literacy is important for lifelong health promotion. Poverty, inadequate hearing, speech and vision and learning disabilities may challenge literacy development. In our review, we explore these topics and suggest recommendations to: Mitigate the Effects of Poverty, Access Comprehensive Medical Assessments, Promote Early Childhood Education and Advocate for Early Intervention and Remediation Programs.

Three hundred babies born to underhoused mothers in Toronto-understanding the problem and how we can help.

Little is known about pregnancy in underhoused women, possibly because the number of underhoused mothers with babies in Toronto has been significantly underestimated. Using a novel data collection method, it has been found that there are approximately 300 babies being born each year to underhoused women in Toronto. This finding has significant public health implications, as these women are at increased risk of multiple issues related to physical health, mental health, child protection, poverty and safety. This commentary presents a new data collection strategy, highlights the importance of accurate data collection and offers suggestions for supports for this over-looked population.

The paediatrician and middle childhood parenting.

The 'forgotten years' of middle childhood, from age 6 to 12, represent a critical period in child development. Emotional, social and physical development during this time have a lifelong impact on health and adult contributions to society. Mental health conditions have displaced physical illness as the leading childhood disability. Positive parenting can improve child behaviour, prevent early-onset conduct problems and provide a buffer from adverse childhood events resulting in decreased toxic stress and improved health. Medical homes can play a key role in supporting parents with positive parenting skills that are practical, evidence-based and useful in everyday life. Paediatricians need to explore the domains that promote healthy development, including caring environments, fundamental needs and nurturing relationships. Our objective is to promote high-quality positive parenting through middle childhood by identifying opportunities for paediatricians to frame parenting discussions in the context of development, behaviour and safety and to provide access to valuable parenting resources.

Les « années oubliées ¼ de la phase intermédiaire de l'enfance, entre l'âge de six et 12 ans, sont une période critique du développement de l'enfant. Pendant cette période, le développement émotionnel, social et physique a des conséquences permanentes sur la santé et l'apport de l'adulte à la société. Les troubles de santé mentale ont remplacé les maladies physiques comme principale affection de l'enfance. Des pratiques parentales positives peuvent améliorer le comportement de l'enfant, prévenir les troubles des conduites d'apparition précoce et limiter les événements indésirables de l'enfance, réduisant ainsi le stress toxique et améliorant la santé. Les milieux médicaux peuvent beaucoup contribuer à soutenir les parents afin qu'ils acquièrent des compétences parentales positives pratiques, fondées sur des données probantes et utiles dans la vie quoti- dienne. Les pédiatres doivent explorer les sphères qui favorisent un développement sain, y compris les environnements attentionnés, les besoins fondamentaux et les relations aimantes. Afin de promouvoir des pratiques parentales positives de qualité tout au long de la phase intermédiaire de l'enfance, les auteurs visent à cerner les occasions que peuvent saisir les pédiatres pour structurer les discussions avec les parents sur le développement, le comportement et la sécurité et les orienter vers des ressources intéressantes sur ce type de pratiques.

Poverty and pediatric palliative care: what can we do?

It has been recognized that families of children with life-limiting health conditions struggle with significant financial demands, yet may not have awareness of resources available to them. Additionally, health care providers may not be aware of the socioeconomic needs of families they care for. This article describes a mixed-methods study examining the content validity and utility for health care providers of a poverty screening tool and companion resource guide for the pediatric palliative care population. The study found high relevance and validity of the tool. Significant barriers to implementing the screening tool in clinical practice were described by participants, including: concerns regarding time required, roles and responsibilities, and discomfort in asking about income. Implications for practice and suggestions for improving the tool are discussed. Screening and attention to the social determinants of health lie within the scope of practice of all health care providers. Social workers can play a leadership role in this work.

Eosinophilic myocarditis temporally associated with conjugate meningococcal C and hepatitis B vaccines in children.

We report the first cases of tissue-proven eosinophilic myocarditis after single vaccine administration of conjugate meningococcal C and hepatitis B vaccine, respectively. The nature of histopathologic findings strongly supports hypersensitivity reaction and negates viral etiology, which is typically characterized by a lymphocytic infiltrate. Both episodes resolved with corticosteroid therapy. To enhance discussion of our cases, we performed a systematic review of the literature on postimmunization myocarditis or pericarditis, and identified 37 publications, reporting 269 cases during the search period (1966-2007). Time of onset of cardiac symptoms in all patients ranged from 1 to 30 days postimmunization.

Social paediatrics and early child development - the practical enhancements: Part 2.

Parents have central and critical influence in the health, learning and development of their young children. The physician plays a key role in supporting this role of parents, and there are practical health interventions that practitioners can promote in everyday practice that are coherent with the population-based evidence related to childhood outcomes. Four child development enhancers are recognized - emotional awareness, reading books, appropriate discipline and preschool programs including appropriate play opportunities. The child's physician can give clear messages about why each enhancer is important and what parents can do to use them to create nurturing environments for their children. The present article provides the evidence for these interventions and a series of coordinated physician activities that will enhance the early learning opportunities of the first few years of life, for improved trajectories for health and well being.

Active tuberculosis among adolescents in toronto, Canada: clinical features and delays in diagnosis.

There are few studies on tuberculosis (TB) in adolescents. During a 6-year period, 23 adolescents were treated for TB in our center. Most were foreign born. The average time from symptom onset to final diagnosis was 5.2 months. Multifocal and extra pulmonary disease occurred in the majority of patients. Clinicians need greater awareness of the unique features of adolescent TB.

Fatal late onset group B streptococcal meningitis following maternal postpartum sepsis.

Although maternal screening and the administration of prophylactic intrapartum antibiotics have decreased the incidence of early onset group B streptococcal (GBS) disease in neonates, there is still significant morbidity and mortality as a result of neonatal GBS disease.Maternal GBS infections are not uncommon, but with appropriate therapy there is almost a uniformly good outcome. Little is written about the appropriate management of well infants born to mothers with postpartum GBS sepsis.The question of whether well infants born to mothers with GBS puerperal sepsis should be treated empirically with antibiotics and the lack of literature concerning this issue became apparent when an untreated term infant died of late onset GBS meningitis following maternal puerperal GBS sepsis. We describe this event in the following case presentation.With the current paucity of literature regarding the management of well infants born to mothers with postpartum GBS sepsis, it seems prudent to treat such infants empirically with antibiotics (following a full septic work-up) until this matter has been investigated further.