Micronutrients in infants suffering from cow's milk allergy fed with dietary formulas and breast milk.

INTRODUCTION: Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infants. As this food allergy indicates a wide range of clinical syndromes due to immunological reactions to cow's milk proteins, we aimed to evaluate the status of micronutrients in infants suffering from cow's milk allergy. METHODS: In this historical cohort study, infants with CMA were divided into two equal groups: breastfeeding and diet formula feeding. Data were gathered by a form, including the micronutrients such as iron, selenium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin D. Groups were compared and data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS version 21. RESULTS: This study involved 60 six-month-old infants, and the findings revealed no significant difference between the two groups concerning magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and vitamin D. However, infants in the formula-feeding group exhibited significantly elevated mean serum levels of iron and selenium, whereas breastfed infants displayed higher levels of calcium. CONCLUSION: The findings of this research revealed a significant difference in calcium, selenium, and iron levels between formula-fed and breastfed infants, even though all variables were within the normal range for both groups. In light of these results, conducting further studies with a larger sample size and extended follow-up periods becomes imperative.

The quality of life in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We conducted a study to evaluate the quality of life in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 8-18 years, compared with that in matched healthy controls. A total of 85 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 8-18 years and 136 age, sex and living place matched healthy controls were included in this study. Patients and one of their parents separately completed the 27-item Persian version of KIDSCREEN questionnaire (child and adolescent version and parent version). From the children's perspective, the quality of life in patients was found to be lower in two subclasses: "physical activities and health" (p < 0.001) and "friends" (p = 0.005). Parental estimation of their sick child's quality of life was significantly lower than children's own assessment in two subclasses: "physical activities and health" (p < 0.001) and "general mood and feelings" (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have quite a satisfactory quality of life. A happier and more hopeful life can be promoted through increasing social support and improving the parental knowledge regarding their child's more positive life perspective.

Efficacy and safety of cinnarizine in the prophylaxis of migraine in children: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the high occurrence of migraine headaches in school-age children, there are currently no approved and widely accepted pharmacologic agents for migraine prophylaxis in children. Our previous open-label study in children revealed the efficacy of cinnarizine, a calcium channel blocker, in migraine prophylaxis. A placebo-controlled trial was conducted to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of cinnarizine in the prophylaxis of migraine in children. TRIAL DESIGN: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study conducted in a tertiary medical center in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Children (5-17 years) who experienced migraines with and without aura, as defined on the basis of 2004 International Headache Society criteria, were recruited into the study. Children were excluded if they had complicated migraine, epilepsy, or a history of use of migraine prophylactic agents. Each participant was randomly assigned to receive cinnarizine (a single 1.5 mg/kg/day dose in children weighing less than 30 kg and a single 50 mg dose in children weighing more than 30 kg, administered at bedtime) or placebo. The frequency, severity, and duration of headaches over the trial period were assessed and adverse effects were monitored. RESULTS: A total of 68 children (34 in each group) with migraine were enrolled and 62 participants completed the study. After 3 months of taking cinnarizine or placebo, children in both groups experienced significantly reduced frequency, severity, and duration of headaches compared with baseline measurements (P < 0.001). However, compared with 31.3% of children in the placebo group, 60% of children in the cinnarizine group reported more than 50% reduction in monthly headache frequency (P = 0.023), suggesting that cinnarizine was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency of headaches. No serious adverse effects of the medications were observed in the treated children, including no abnormal weight gain or extrapyramidal signs. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the use of cinnarizine at doses administered in this study is effective and safe for prophylaxis of migraine headaches in children.