Mindfulness-based programs for the prevention of childhood obesity: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased worldwide at an alarming rate in recent decades and has become a serious public health problem. The purpose of this study is to carry out a systematic review of scientific research on mindfulness-based programs for the prevention of childhood obesity carried out in the last 10 years. METHOD: A search of studies that used mindfulness to promote good eating behavior in minors was conducted. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 16 studies were found. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were found in most of the cases where changes in eating habits, food portions, reduction of stress, or reduction of cravings in minors were evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: Mindfulness programs applied to improve eating behaviors appear to be an effective alternative to prevent childhood obesity, but further studies are needed to draw conclusions.

Competencies for quality spiritual care in palliative care in Latin America: from the Spirituality Commission of the Latin American Association for Palliative Care.

Spiritual care is an essential part of quality palliative care. However, the literature regarding spiritual care competencies in Latin America is limited. Herein we propose the basic quality standards for spiritual care in palliative care according to best professional practices and provide a common vocabulary and required competencies for quality clinical spiritual care. Both elements, quality standards and a common vocabulary, are part of an essential step implementing continuous educational initiatives among interdisciplinary palliative care teams in Latin America. Members of the Spirituality Commission of the Latin American Association for Palliative Care and three members of independent professional palliative care organizations identified and reviewed our proposed spiritual care competencies and created a consensus document describing the competencies for general spiritual care. In the context of palliative care in Latin America, general spiritual care is provided by members of interdisciplinary teams. We proposed six competencies for high-quality general spiritual care and their observable behaviors that every member of an interdisciplinary palliative care team should have to provide quality clinical spiritual care in their daily practice: (I) personal, spiritual, and professional development; (II) ethics of spiritual care; (III) assessment of spiritual needs and spiritual care interventions; (IV) empathic and compassionate communication; (V) supportive and collaborative relationships among the interdisciplinary team; and (VI) inclusivity and diversity.

Effects of oxytocin used during delivery on development: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the potential influence of oxytocin administered during delivery on children's development at the age of 5. METHOD: This study was designed as a retrospective cohort study where children from patients given synthetic oxytocin during delivery were considered as the exposed cohort and children from patients not given oxytocin as the nonexposed cohort. From a total of 7465 births attended at our maternity ward in 2006, an initial sample of 400 was randomly selected. A total of 148 children were evaluated using the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Potential confounding and adjustment factors were analyzed using stratified analysis and multivariate analysis (logistic regression). RESULTS: Oxytocin use did not significantly affect the overall risk of developmental delay in the study sample (relative risk, RR, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, CI [0.79-2.71]). The best fit regression model included twin delivery, type of delivery, and maternal age. In the group of vaginal noninstrumental deliveries, oxytocin administration increased the risk of poor Battelle Developmental Inventory outcome, particularly when maternal age was under 28 or over 35 years of age (odds ratio, OR, 67.14; 95% CI [5.46-824.86]). When delivery was instrumental or through cesarean section in mothers aged 28-35 years, oxytocin administration decreased the risk of developmental disorders (OR 0.16; 95% CI [0.04-0.66]). CONCLUSION: Although oxytocin administration during delivery did not affect the overall risk of low Battelle Developmental Inventory scores in the study sample, some effects were seen according to maternal age and type of birth.

Intervención temprana de la lectoescritura en sujetos con dificultades de aprendizaje / Early intervention of the reading and the writing in children with learning disabilities

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los efectos de un programa de intervención psicoeducativa del lenguaje escrito en edades tempranas en sujetos con riesgo de presentar dificultades de aprendizaje. La finalidad de dicho programa es priorizar y sistematizar la lectoescritura y fomentar sistemáticamente el conocimiento fonológico, el desarrollo fonológico, semántico y morfosintáctico en el currículo escolar. La muestra está formada por 56 alumnos de habla castellana, pertenecientes a zonas socioculturales medias y con riesgo de dificultades de aprendizaje, es decir sujetos sin discapacidades físicas, psíquicas y/o sensoriales y con un rendimiento académico, lenguaje oral, lenguaje escrito y razonamiento matemático bajo (inferior al percentil 25) en edades tempranas. El diseño es longitudinal de medidas repetidas, con cuatro fases de evaluación y tres de intervención, dos variables de estudio (RL, RE) y dos grupos de sujetos (GI, GNI). Los sujetos son evaluados desde que comienzan el 3er curso de Educación Infantil (cinco años) hasta que terminan el 2o curso de Educación Primaria (siete años). Los resultados obtenidos indican mejores puntuaciones en lectura y en escritura a lo largo de todas las evaluaciones y un avance significativamente.

The goal of this study is to analyze the effects of the implementation of a program of psycho-educational intervention of reading and writing in early ages in children with risk of learning disabilities. The program emphasized psycholinguistic development and gave priority to reading and writing activities in the school curriculum. The sample consisted of 56 children, of Spanish language, from a middle socio-cultural area, with average intelligence and at risk of learning disabilities. That is individuals without physical, psychological or sensory handicaps and with a low academic achievement, oral and written language, and low mathematical reasoning (lower than the percentile 25) in the early ages. The design is longitudinal of repeated measures, with four phases of evaluation and three of intervention, two variables of study (R, W) and two groups of participants (IG, NIG). The children are evaluated since they begin Preschool (five years) until they finish 2nd course of Primary Education (seven years). The results indicate better scores in reading and writing throughout all the evaluations and a significantly greater advance in the IG. These results suggest the long term effectiveness of the early, systematic and planned intervention of written mayor en el GI. Estos resultados demuestran la eficacia a largo plazo de la intervención temprana, sistemática y planificada del lenguaje escrito a través de componentes psicolingüísticos en sujetos con riesgo de dificultades de aprendizaje.