Treatment abandonment in children with cancer: Does a sex difference exist? A systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from low- and middle-income countries.

In this systematic review and meta-analyses, we sought to determine sex-disparities in treatment abandonment in children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identify the characteristics of children and their families most disadvantaged by such abandonment. Sex-disaggregated data on treatment abandonment were collated from the available literature and a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to compare the rates in girls with those in boys. Subgroup analyses were conducted in which studies were stratified by design, cancer type and the Gender Inequality Index of the country of study. Eighteen studies were included in the systematic review and of these studies, 16 qualified for the meta-analysis, representing 10 754 children. The pooled rate of treatment abandonment overall was 30%. We observed no difference in the proportion of treatment abandonment in girls relative to estimates observed in boys (rate ratio [RR] 0.95, 95% CI: 0.79-1.15; P = .61). There was significant heterogeneity across the included studies and in the pooled estimate of RR for girls vs boys (both I2 > 98%). Subgroup analyses did not reveal any effect on abandonment risk. Risk factors for abandonment observed fell into three main categories: socio-demographic; geographic; and travel-related. In conclusion, a high rate of treatment abandonment (30%) was observed overall for children with cancer in included studies in LMICs, although this was variable and context specific. No evidence of gender bias in childhood cancer treatment abandonment rates across LMICs was found. Given that the risk factors for abandonment are context specific, in-depth country-level analyses may provide further insights into the role of a child's gender in treatment abandonment decisions.

Paediatric and adolescent gynaecology services in a tertiary teaching hospital.

This was a retrospective review of a tertiary Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (PAG) referral service catering to the South Yorkshire population in the UK. All patients referred to the PAG clinic from May 2014 to May 2018 were included. Treatments offered in clinic (surgical and pharmacological) were assessed and referral made to alternative services were analysed. Reasons for referral and the number of patients requiring intervention, pharmacological or surgical including a breakdown of the treatments offered were analysed. Forty-four percent (44%) of referrals were for menstrual disorders, with pain (15%) and vulvar problems (13%) being the next common causes. Only 5% of patients needed specialist surgery. Patients attending a PAG clinic are predominantly managed with pharmacological intervention and this could be provided in primary care with referrals limited to complex patients or those who require surgery. By understanding the case load for the PAG clinics, commissioners can better streamline the services.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? PAG services are relatively new and there are no clear pathways of how these should be configured. A better understanding of the case load in PAG clinics will allow configuration of services with better stratification of care to primary secondary and tertiary care providers.What do the results of this study add? The results of this study identify that the vast majority of patients attending PAG services do so with menstrual problems and relatively minor problems that can be addressed by primary care physicians with adequate training.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? For more rare congenital anomalies, patients are best managed in a specialised centre that can offer a range of different treatments.

Banco de leche humana (BLH): una estrategia de apoyo para la atención de neonatos / Human milk bank (HMB): a support strategy for newborn care

Introducción: la lactancia materna ha demostrado grandes beneficios para el recién nacido. En vista de que hay factores que afectan la correcta lactancia, en 2007 se crearon los bancos de leche materna y Colombia hace parte de esta iniciativa en pro de la niñez. Objetivo: identificar la utilización del banco de leche humana (BLH) de la ESE Hospital San Rafael de Fusagasugá, Colombia entre julio 2012 y junio 2016. Metodología: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, con muestra de 1282 nacidos en el período que utilizaron el BLH. Resultados y discusión: entre los factores que llevaron al uso del BLH en estos menores están la baja producción de leche en la madre en 53,7%, cirugía materna 3,5%, mamá con bajo nivel cognitivo 0,2%, succión leve o pobre en 9,6%, madre ausente 0,4%, recién nacido que requirió hospitalización 4,6%, pezón invertido o plano 2,5% y labio leporino 0,5%. Conclusión: se pudo determinar que 22,7% de los niños que nacieron en el municipio necesitaron el servicio del banco de leche materna, logrando visualizar las bondades del mismo, brindando la oportunidad para que lo pudieran utilizar en la misma zona de nacimiento sin necesidad de desplazarse, evitando las subsiguientes consecuencias que ello desencadena en la familia y el recién nacido.

Introduction: breastfeeding has shown great benefits for the newborn. In view of the fact that there are factors affecting proper breastfeeding, nursing mothers ́ milk banks were created in 2007 and Colombia is part of this initiative on behalf of children. Objective: to identify the use of the human milk bank (HMB) at ESE Hospital San Rafael in Fusagasugá, Colombia between July 2012 and June 2017. Methodology: descriptive cross-sectional study, with a sample of 1282 newborns delivered in said period using HMB. Results: among the factors that led to the use of HMB in these children are the mother ́s low milk production in 53.7%, maternal surgery 3.5%, mother with low cognitive level 0.2%, mild or poor suction 9.6%, absent mother 0.4%, newborn requiring hospitalization 4.6%, inverted or flat nipple 2.5% and cleft lip 0.5%. Conclusion: it could be determined that 22.7% of the children born in the municipality needed the service of the mother ́s milk bank, managing to visualize the benefits of it, providing the opportunity for them to use it in the same area of birth without having to move, avoiding the subsequent consequences that this triggers in the family and newborn.

Avaliação da integralidade na atenção primária à saúde da criança na perspectiva dos cuidadores / Assessment of comprehensiveness in children's primary health care as seen by caregivers / Evaluación de la integralidad en la atención primaria de salud infantil según la perspectiva de los cuidadores

Objetivo: avaliar, sob a ótica do cuidador, o atributo da integralidade na atenção primária à saúde da criança no município de Porto Velho, Brasil. Método: estudo avaliativo, transversal realizado com 420 cuidadores de crianças atendidas em um hospital infantil em 2017. Utilizou-se o Primary Care Assessment Tool Brasil - versão criança e os dados foram analisados pelo software Statistic 13.0. A pesquisa foi aprovada pelo Comitê de Ética e Pesquisa. Resultados: na avaliação das dimensões do atributo integralidade, o escore médio dos serviços disponíveis (4,67) e dos serviços prestados (5,26) à criança mostrou baixa orientação para a atenção primária à saúde, principalmente no que tange às orientações recebidas pelos profissionais, sobre crescimento, segurança, benefícios sociais, problemas visuais e de comportamento da criança. Conclusão: o atributo integralidade na saúde da criança está presente, porém de forma fragmentada, necessitando que os serviços revejam as prioridades nos cuidados à criança junto ao familiar/cuidador.

Objective: to assess, from the caregiver's perspective, the comprehensiveness of children's primary health care in Porto Velho, Brazil. Method: in this evaluative, cross-sectional study of 420 caregivers at a children's hospital in 2017, the Primary Care Assessment Tool Brazil ­ children's version was used and data were analyzed using Statistic 13.0 software. The research was approved by a research ethics committee. Results: in evaluation of dimensions of comprehensiveness, children's services available scored an average of 4.67 and services provided, 5.26, showing poor orientation towards primary health care, particularly as regards the guidance received by health personnel on children's growth, safety, social benefits, eyesight and behavioral problems. Conclusion: comprehensive child health care is present, although fragmented, requiring that services review child care priorities with family members/caregivers.

Objetivo: evaluar, desde la perspectiva del cuidador, la integralidad de la atención primaria de salud infantil en Porto Velho, Brasil. Método: en este estudio evaluativo, transversal de 420 cuidadores en un hospital infantil en 2017, se utilizó la Herramienta de Evaluación de Atención Primaria Brasil - versión infantil y los datos se analizaron mediante el software Estadística 13.0. La investigación fue aprobada por un comité de ética en investigación. Resultados: en la evaluación de las dimensiones de integralidad, los servicios disponibles para la infancia obtuvieron un promedio de 4,67 y los servicios prestados, 5,26, mostrando una mala orientación hacia la atención primaria de salud, particularmente en lo que respecta a la orientación que recibe el personal de salud sobre el crecimiento, la seguridad, los beneficios sociales, la vista del niño y problemas de comportamiento. Conclusión: la atención integral de la salud infantil está presente, aunque fragmentada, lo que requiere que los servicios revisen las prioridades del cuidado infantil con los miembros de la familia / cuidadores.

Pediatric Asthma Health Care Utilization, Viral Testing, and Air Pollution Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused dramatic changes in daily routines and health care utilization and delivery patterns in the United States. Understanding the influence of these changes and associated public health interventions on asthma care is important to determine effects on patient outcomes and identify measures that will ensure optimal future health care delivery. OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify changes in pediatric asthma-related health care utilization, respiratory viral testing, and air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: For the time period January 17 to May 17, 2015 to 2020, asthma-related encounters and weekly summaries of respiratory viral testing data were extracted from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia electronic health records, and pollution data for 4 criteria air pollutants were extracted from AirNow. Changes in encounter characteristics, viral testing patterns, and air pollution before and after Mar 17, 2020, the date public health interventions to limit viral transmission were enacted in Philadelphia, were assessed and compared with data from 2015 to 2019 as a historical reference. RESULTS: After March 17, 2020, in-person asthma encounters decreased by 87% (outpatient) and 84% (emergency + inpatient). Video telemedicine, which was not previously available, became the most highly used asthma encounter modality (61% of all visits), and telephone encounters increased by 19%. Concurrently, asthma-related systemic steroid prescriptions and frequency of rhinovirus test positivity decreased, although air pollution levels did not substantially change, compared with historical trends. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia was accompanied by changes in pediatric asthma health care delivery patterns, including reduced admissions and systemic steroid prescriptions. Reduced rhinovirus infections may have contributed to these patterns.

Impact of COVID-19 on diagnosis and management of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease during lockdown: a UK nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has impacted on healthcare provision. Anecdotally, investigations for children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been restricted, resulting in diagnosis with no histological confirmation and potential secondary morbidity. In this study, we detail practice across the UK to assess impact on services and document the impact of the pandemic. METHODS: For the month of April 2020, 20 tertiary paediatric IBD centres were invited to contribute data detailing: (1) diagnosis/management of suspected new patients with IBD; (2) facilities available; (3) ongoing management of IBD; and (4) direct impact of COVID-19 on patients with IBD. RESULTS: All centres contributed. Two centres retained routine endoscopy, with three unable to perform even urgent IBD endoscopy. 122 patients were diagnosed with IBD, and 53.3% (n=65) were presumed diagnoses and had not undergone endoscopy with histological confirmation. The most common induction was exclusive enteral nutrition (44.6%). No patients with a presumed rather than confirmed diagnosis were started on anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy.Most IBD follow-up appointments were able to occur using phone/webcam or face to face. No biologics/immunomodulators were stopped. All centres were able to continue IBD surgery if required, with 14 procedures occurring across seven centres. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnostic IBD practice has been hugely impacted by COVID-19, with >50% of new diagnoses not having endoscopy. To date, therapy and review of known paediatric patients with IBD has continued. Planning and resourcing for recovery is crucial to minimise continued secondary morbidity.

Oferta de programas para el desarrollo integral de la primera infancia en Chile: revisión exploratoria / Program offer for the integral development of early childhood in Chile: scoping review

OBJETIVO: Describir la oferta programática en primera infancia destinada a favorecer el desarrollo infantil integral en Chile. MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión exploratoria siguiendo el marco método lógico del Joanna Briggs Institute. La búsqueda fue realizada por un investigador y los criterios de inclusión fueron: programas gubernamentales destinados al desarrollo integral en menores de 5 años en Chile. Los datos fueron organizados y sintetizados para describir características del programa y de la o las prestaciones que entrega. RESULTADOS: La búsqueda identificó 2060 documentos y 72 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Se describen 59 programas vigentes que abarcan la primera infancia, es tando principalmente a cargo de los Ministerio de Justicia, Educación, Salud y Desarrollo Social. Los programas están destinados en su mayoría a la promoción e intervención, se encuentran focalizados en población vulnerable, son intersectoriales y utilizan diversas estrategias para su implementación. CONCLUSIÓN: La oferta programática en Chile para la primera infancia presenta características sugeridas como efectivas para favorecer el desarrollo infantil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the program offering designed to promote comprehensive early childhood de velopment in Chile. METHOD: A scoping review was carried out following the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodological framework. A researcher conducted the review considering as inclusion criteria go vernment programs aimed at the comprehensive development of children under 5 years of age in Chile. The data were organized and synthesized to describe the characteristics of the program and the service(s) it provides. RESULTS: The search identified 2.060 documents and 72 met the inclusion crite ria. 59 current programs are covering early childhood, which are mainly managed by the Ministries of Justice, Education, Health, and Social Development. Most of the programs are aimed at promotion and intervention, focusing on vulnerable populations, are cross-sectoral, and use different strategies for their implementation. CONCLUSION: The program offering in Chile for early childhood has charac teristics suggested as effective to promote child development.

Early access to biological neonatal screening: coordination among child care action programs.

OBJECTIVE: To verify factors associated with early newborn access to biological neonatal screening. METHOD: A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out with all newborns who underwent tests in healthcare units, hospitals, and laboratories of a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with programs linking healthcare information. The following variables were investigated: child's age at collection (dependent); place of collection; date of collection; and type of user (independent). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. RESULTS: Records of 15,652 screenings were found in the two years analyzed. In the first year analyzed, 7,955 births and 7,640 (96.0%) tests were recorded, of which 5,586 (73.1%) were undertaken with newborns between three and five days old. In the next year analyzed, 8,316 births and 8,012 (96.3%) screenings were recorded, of which 7,025 (87.6%) were undertaken with newborns in the same age group. A statistically significant association was found between the variables "child's age" and "type of user" in one year, and between the variables "child's age" and "place of collection" in both years. CONCLUSION: Early access to these tests enables the screening of diseases and referral for treatment. The present study contributes to the management of child care programs by presenting strategies linking data and actions to improve access to biological neonatal screening.

Health and social care-associated harm amongst vulnerable children in primary care: mixed methods analysis of national safety reports.

PURPOSE: Patient safety failures are recognised as a global threat to public health, yet remain a leading cause of death internationally. Vulnerable children are inversely more in need of high-quality primary health and social-care but little is known about the quality of care received. Using national patient safety data, this study aimed to characterise primary care-related safety incidents among vulnerable children. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional mixed methods study of a national database of patient safety incident reports occurring in primary care settings. Free-text incident reports were coded to describe incident types, contributory factors, harm severity and incident outcomes. Subsequent thematic analyses of a purposive sample of reports was undertaken to understand factors underpinning problem areas. RESULTS: Of 1183 reports identified, 572 (48%) described harm to vulnerable children. Sociodemographic analysis showed that included children had child protection-related (517, 44%); social (353, 30%); psychological (189, 16%) or physical (124, 11%) vulnerabilities. Priority safety issues included: poor recognition of needs and subsequent provision of adequate care; insufficient provider access to accurate information about vulnerable children, and delayed referrals between providers. CONCLUSION: This is the first national study using incident report data to explore unsafe care amongst vulnerable children. Several system failures affecting vulnerable children are highlighted, many of which pose internationally recognised challenges to providers aiming to deliver safe care to this at-risk cohort. We encourage healthcare organisations globally to build on our findings and explore the safety and reliability of their healthcare systems, in order to sustainably mitigate harm to vulnerable children.

Distribuição de óbitos de câncer infanto-juvenil nas regionais de saúde do estado do Rio de Janeiro / Distribution of the deaths from childhood and adolescent cancer across the regional health agencies from the Rio de Janeiro State / Distribución de óbitos de cáncer niños y adolescentes en las regionales de salud del estado del Río de Janeiro

Introdução: apesar do aumento da sobrevida as neoplasias infanto-juvenil continuam ocupando a segunda posição em óbitos nos países em desenvolvimento. Objetivo: analisar a distribuição espacial de óbitos de neoplasia maligna em pacientes de 0 a 19 anos de idade entre as regionais de saúde do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Método: estudo ecológico, que analisou a distribuição espacial de óbitos no período de janeiro a dezembro de 2015 através do Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade. Os dados foram tabulados no Tabnet e analisados no programa estatístico R. Resultados: dos 101 óbitos observados, 24 (23,8%) foram por neoplasias malignas do Sistema Nervoso Central, e a maior taxa de óbito geral foi na Metropolitana I (63,3%), e por leucemia na Baixada Litorânea (27,9%). Conclusão: a identificação de óbitos mais frequentes por neoplasia maligna torna possível a construção de políticas públicas, visando medidas de prevenção, diagnosticas e tratamento condizente com a realidade local

Introduction: Despite the increase in survival, childhood and juvenile neoplasias continue to occupy the second position in deaths in developing countries. Objective: analyze the spatial distribution of malignant neoplasm deaths in patients aged 0 to 19 years of age in the health regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Method: An ecological study that analyzed the spatial distribution of deaths in the period from January to December 2015 through the Mortality Information System. The data were tabulated in Tabnet and analyzed in the statistical program R. Results: of the 101 deaths observed, 24 (23.8%) due to malignant neoplasms of the Central Nervous System, and the highest overall death rate was in the Metropolitan I (63.3%), and leukemia in the coastal plain (27.9%). Conclusion: the identification of more frequent deaths due to malignant neoplasia makes possible the construction of public policies, aiming at preventive measures, diagnoses and treatment consistent with the local reality

Introducción: a pesar del aumento de la supervivencia las neoplasias infanto-juvenil continúan ocupando la segunda posición en muertes en los países en desarrollo. Objetivo: analizar la distribución espacial de los óbitos de neoplasia maligna en pacientes de 0-19 años de edad entre las regiones de salud del Estado de Rio de Janeiro. Método: estudio ecológico, que analizó la distribución espacial de los óbitos del período de enero a diciembre de 2015 a través del Sistema de Información sobre la Mortalidad. Los dados fueron tabulados en el Tabnet e analizado en el programa estadístico R. Resultados: de los 101 fallecimientos observados, 24 (23,8%) por neoplasias malignas del Sistema Nervioso Central, y la mayor tasa de muerte general fue en la Metropolitana I (63,3%), y por leucemia en la Bajada Litoránea (27,9 %). Conclusión: la identificación de muertes más frecuentes por neoplasia maligna hace posible la construcción de políticas públicas, buscando medidas de prevención, diagnósticos y tratamiento acorde con la realidad local

Early access to biological neonatal screening: coordination among child care action programs / Acesso precoce à triagem neonatal biológica: articulação entre ações de programas de atenção à criança / Acceso precoz al tamizaje neonatal biológico: articulación entre accionas de programas de atención al niño

Abstract Objective: To verify factors associated with early newborn access to biological neonatal screening. Method: A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out with all newborns who underwent tests in healthcare units, hospitals, and laboratories of a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with programs linking healthcare information. The following variables were investigated: child's age at collection (dependent); place of collection; date of collection; and type of user (independent). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results: Records of 15,652 screenings were found in the two years analyzed. In the first year analyzed, 7,955 births and 7,640 (96.0%) tests were recorded, of which 5,586 (73.1%) were undertaken with newborns between three and five days old. In the next year analyzed, 8,316 births and 8,012 (96.3%) screenings were recorded, of which 7,025 (87.6%) were undertaken with newborns in the same age group. A statistically significant association was found between the variables "child's age" and "type of user" in one year, and between the variables "child's age" and "place of collection" in both years. Conclusion: Early access to these tests enables the screening of diseases and referral for treatment. The present study contributes to the management of child care programs by presenting strategies linking data and actions to improve access to biological neonatal screening.

Resumo Objetivo: verificar fatores associados ao acesso precoce de recém-nascidos à triagem neonatal biológica. Método: estudo transversal, quantitativo, com todos os bebês que realizaram exame em unidades de saúde, hospitais ou laboratórios de um município do estado de São Paulo, Brasil, com programas que vinculam informações de atenção à saúde. Foram investigadas as variáveis: idade da criança na coleta (dependente), local da coleta, data da coleta, tipo de usuário (independentes). Aplicou-se estatística descritiva e inferencial. Resultados: há registro de 15.652 triagens nos dois anos analisados. No primeiro ano analisado, ocorreram 7.955 nascimentos e 7.640 (96,0%) exames, 5.586 (73,1%) deles em recém-nascidos de três a cinco dias de vida. Para 8.316 bebês nascidos no ano seguinte, foram registradas 8.012 (96,3%) triagens, 7.025 (87,6%) delas na mesma faixa etária. Encontrou-se associação estatisticamente significativa entre as variáveis "idade da criança" e "tipo de usuário" em um ano, e entre "idade da criança" e "local da coleta" em ambos os anos. Conclusão: o acesso precoce ao exame oportuniza a triagem de doenças e o encaminhamento para tratamento. O estudo contribui com a gestão de programas de atenção à criança, ao apresentar estratégias que articulam informações e ações para melhoria do acesso à triagem neonatal biológica.

Resumo Objetivo: verificar factores asociados al acceso precoz del recién nacido al tamizaje neonatal biológico. Método: estudio transversal, cuantitativo, con todos los bebés examinados en unidades de salud, hospitales o laboratorios de un municipio del estado de São Paulo, Brasil; con programas integradores de información de atención de salud. Fueron investigadas las variables: edad del niño en la recolección (dependiente), lugar de recolección, fecha de recolección y tipo de usuario (dependientes). Se aplicó estadística descriptiva e inferencial. Resultados: existen registrados 15.652 triajes en los dos años estudiados. Durante el primero, ocurrieron 7.955 nacimientos y 7.640 (96,0%) análisis, 5.586 (73,1%) en recién nacidos de tres a cinco días de vida. Hubo 8.316 nacimientos en el año siguiente, se registraron 8.012 triajes, 7.025 (87,6%) para la misma faja etaria. Se encontró asociación estadísticamente significante entre las variables "edad del niño" y "tipo de usuario" en un año, y entre "edad del niño" y lugar de recolección" en ambos años. Conclusión: el acceso precoz al análisis permite el tamizaje de enfermedades y la derivación para tratamiento. El estudio contribuye a la gestión de programas de atención infantil, presentando estrategias que articulan información y acciones para mejorar el acceso al tamizaje neonatal biológico.

Contexto y resultados del desarrollo infantil temprano en niños y niñas de 12 a 59 meses en México / Context and results of early childhood development in 12 to 59 months old children living in Mexico

Resumen: Objetivo: Evaluar el desarrollo infantil temprano (DIT) y sus determinantes en niños/as de 12 a 59 meses residentes en localidades de menos de 100 000 habitantes. Material y métodos: La Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición en localidades con menos de 100 000 habitantes (Ensanut 100k) evaluó el nivel de lenguaje, acceso a servicios de atención al DIT e indicadores de calidad del contexto de desarrollo. Se estiman prevalencias de indicadores y puntajes estandarizados de lenguaje según variables de interés. Resultados: 20.7% de los niños/as asistió a ocho consultas del niño sano en su primer año, 13.0% recibió evaluación de DIT, 75.0% recibe apoyo al aprendizaje, 23.4% cuenta con libros y 57.7% sufre disciplina violenta. Mejores niveles de lenguaje se asocian con las capacidades económicas, escolaridad materna, asistencia a preescolar, apoyo al aprendizaje y acceso a libros. Los niños/as expuestos a más factores protectores presentan nivel de lenguaje 1.5 DE mayor que en niños/as con más factores de riesgo. Conclusión: Se requiere aumentar la cobertura de atención al DIT y mejorar las oportunidades de desarrollo en hogares.

Abstract: Objective: To evaluate early childhood development (ECD) and its determinants in 12 to 59 months old children residents of communities <100 000 inhabitants. Materials and methods: The Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición of communities <100 000 inhabitants (Ensanut 100k) evaluated language level, access to ECD care services and standardized indicators of the eight quality of the development environment. We report indicator prevalence and standardized language scores according to variables of interest. Results: 20.7% of children attended eight well-child care visits within the first year of life, 13.0% received an ECD assessment, 75.0% receive support for learning, 23.4% have books and 57.7% experiment violent discipline. Improved language levels are associate with socioeconomic capacities, maternal education, preschool attendance, support for learning and household books. Children exposed to more protective factors present a language level 1.5 standard deviations higher than their peers exposed to more risk factors. Conclusion: There is a need to increase the coverage of ECD care services and to improve early development opportunities within households.

Early life adversity, contact with children's social care services and educational outcomes at age 16 years: UK birth cohort study with linkage to national administrative records.

OBJECTIVES: To use record linkage of birth cohort and administrative data to study educational outcomes of children who are looked-after (in public care) and in need (social services involvement), and examine the role of early life factors. SETTING, DESIGN: Prospective observational study of children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which recruited pregnant women in and around Bristol, UK in the early 1990s. ALSPAC was linked to the annual Children Looked-After (CLA) Data Return and Children In Need (CIN) Census. Educational outcomes at 16 years were obtained through linkage to the National Pupil Database (NPD). These included passing 5+ good GCSEs (grades A*-C, including English and Maths). Covariates included early life adversity and social position. PARTICIPANTS: 12 868 ALSPAC participants were linked to the NPD. The sample for the main educational outcomes analyses comprised 9545 children from the ALSPAC core sample who had complete education data. RESULTS: Overall, of the 12 868 ALSPAC participants linked to NPD data, 137 had a CLA record and a further 209 a CIN record during adolescence. These children were more disadvantaged than their peers and had little active study participation beyond infancy. In the main educational outcomes analyses, achievement of 5+ good GCSEs was low in the CLA (OR 0.14, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.35) and CIN (0.11, 0.05 to 0.27) groups relative to their peers. Measured early life factors explained little of this difference. CONCLUSIONS: Data linkage enabled the study of educational outcomes in children with social services contact. These children had substantially worse educational outcomes relative to their peers, for reasons likely to be multifactorial.

Ethnic Disparities in Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening and Referral: Implications for Pediatric Practice.

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening completion rates are often low despite their validity and influence on earlier intervention and positive treatment outcomes. This study sought to examine the use of one ASD screening tool, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised (MCHAT-R), in a racially and ethnically diverse urban pediatric clinic to review potential disparities within screening rates and referral practices. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted for children (N = 999) within the ages of 17 to 34 months seen for a well-child appointment at one of 3 pediatric clinics: a general pediatric clinic, resident pediatric clinic, and Hispanic pediatric clinic. RESULTS: MCHAT-R screening completion rates were low for all clinics. There were no significant differences in MCHAT-R screening completion based on ethnicity; however, the percentage of children screening positive on the MCHAT-R was significantly higher for Hispanic versus non-Hispanic children. Referral practices were highly variable across positive screenings, and few children received the appropriate combination of referrals. CONCLUSION: Ethnic disparities in ASD positive screening rates and inconsistent referrals represent a critical issue in current pediatric practice. There is a great need for the development of more culturally sensitive ASD screening instruments. Additionally, to help increase ASD screening rate and accuracy, as well as consistency in referrals, greater emphasis is needed on professional training, parental education, and technology use within pediatric clinics.

Identifying the Preferred Method to Educate Low Income Caregivers About Common Childhood Illnesses: A Step Toward Health Literacy Through a Focus Group Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this focus group was to identify the preferred method of education for low-income caregivers to learn about common childhood illnesses in an effort to meet their health literacy needs. METHODS: Focus group participants were recruited from two sources; caregivers who qualified for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food and Nutrition Services and those attending a monthly prenatal health education program for low-income pregnant women. Participants were asked to rank in order of preference five educational options. The five options included a commonly used diagnosis-specific handout, a booklet of the most common childhood illnesses and symptoms, a comprehensive book of common childhood illness and symptoms, a 24-hour nurse call line, and a mobile application developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. All options provided accurate information from professional sources. RESULTS: The ranking of the five educational options identified the mobile application developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, KidsDoc, to be the preferred method with the commonly used diagnosis-specific handout as the least favorite option. CONCLUSION/PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) has identified a need to change the way health information is designed and delivered. Identifying that materials should be redesigned using best practices to reduce health literacy demands and match consumer preferences, the USDHHS calls for periodic testing of materials with the intended consumers. This focus group provides valuable information and a step toward future research to address health literacy using materials identified by low-income consumers.

[The influence of the Family Healthcare Strategy in the use of healthcare services by children in Brazil: an analysis using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method of National Health Survey data]. / A influência da Estratégia Saúde da Família no uso de serviços de saúde por crianças no Brasil: análise com escore de propensão dos dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde.

The scope of this study was to establish the influence of the Family Healthcare Strategy (FHS) in the use of health services for Brazilian children under 5 years of age interviewed in the 2013 National Health Survey (NHS). The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used to correct the lack of comparability between the groups of children under scrutiny. The PSM was estimated by logistic regression and reflects the conditional probability of receiving registration in the FHS given a set of covariates that depict the socioeconomic, demographic, sanitary and health aspects of children and families who comprise same. The prevalence of medical visits and hospitalizations were estimated and incorporate the effects of the complex sample of NHS on all phases of analysis. It was found that children living in households with FHS coverage have worse socioeconomic, sanitary and health conditions, although they had options of medical appointments and hospitalizations close to the children without this healthcare link. The data suggest that the FHS can correct individual and contextual inequalities that impact the health of Brazilians by promoting the use of health services for children even when they have worse living and health conditions.

Este estudo verificou a influência da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) no uso de serviços de saúde por crianças brasileiras menores de 5 anos de idade entrevistadas na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) 2013. Utilizou-se o método de Escore de Propensão (EP) para corrigir a falta de comparabilidade entre os grupos de crianças em estudo. O EP foi estimado por meio de regressão logística e reflete a probabilidade condicional de receber o cadastro na ESF dado um conjunto de covariáveis que retratam aspectos socioeconômicos, demográficos, sanitários e de saúde das crianças e das famílias que estes compõem. Foram estimadas as prevalências de consultas médicas e de internações hospitalares e incorporaram-se os efeitos da amostragem complexa da PNS em todas as fases da análise. Verificou-se que as crianças residentes de domicílios com cobertura da ESF têm piores condições socioeconômicas, sanitárias e de saúde, porém elas tiveram estimativas de consultas médicas e de internações hospitalares próximas a de crianças sem esse vínculo assistencial. Os dados sugerem que ESF pode corrigir desigualdades individuais e contextuais que impactam a saúde dos brasileiros ao favorecer o uso de serviços de saúde por crianças mesmo quando possuem piores condições de vida e saúde.

A influência da Estratégia Saúde da Família no uso de serviços de saúde por crianças no Brasil: análise com escore de propensão dos dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde / The influence of the Family Healthcare Strategy in the use of healthcare services by children in Brazil: an analysis using the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method of National Health Survey data

Resumo Este estudo verificou a influência da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) no uso de serviços de saúde por crianças brasileiras menores de 5 anos de idade entrevistadas na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde (PNS) 2013. Utilizou-se o método de Escore de Propensão (EP) para corrigir a falta de comparabilidade entre os grupos de crianças em estudo. O EP foi estimado por meio de regressão logística e reflete a probabilidade condicional de receber o cadastro na ESF dado um conjunto de covariáveis que retratam aspectos socioeconômicos, demográficos, sanitários e de saúde das crianças e das famílias que estes compõem. Foram estimadas as prevalências de consultas médicas e de internações hospitalares e incorporaram-se os efeitos da amostragem complexa da PNS em todas as fases da análise. Verificou-se que as crianças residentes de domicílios com cobertura da ESF têm piores condições socioeconômicas, sanitárias e de saúde, porém elas tiveram estimativas de consultas médicas e de internações hospitalares próximas a de crianças sem esse vínculo assistencial. Os dados sugerem que ESF pode corrigir desigualdades individuais e contextuais que impactam a saúde dos brasileiros ao favorecer o uso de serviços de saúde por crianças mesmo quando possuem piores condições de vida e saúde.

Abstract The scope of this study was to establish the influence of the Family Healthcare Strategy (FHS) in the use of health services for Brazilian children under 5 years of age interviewed in the 2013 National Health Survey (NHS). The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used to correct the lack of comparability between the groups of children under scrutiny. The PSM was estimated by logistic regression and reflects the conditional probability of receiving registration in the FHS given a set of covariates that depict the socioeconomic, demographic, sanitary and health aspects of children and families who comprise same. The prevalence of medical visits and hospitalizations were estimated and incorporate the effects of the complex sample of NHS on all phases of analysis. It was found that children living in households with FHS coverage have worse socioeconomic, sanitary and health conditions, although they had options of medical appointments and hospitalizations close to the children without this healthcare link. The data suggest that the FHS can correct individual and contextual inequalities that impact the health of Brazilians by promoting the use of health services for children even when they have worse living and health conditions.

Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Center service use profile in Brazil: 2008 to 2012

Objective: To describe the service use profile of Child and Adolescent Psychosocial Care Centers (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial Infanto-Juvenil [CAPSi]) in Brazil regarding diagnostic categories, sociodemographic aspects, and care modalities between 2008 and 2012. Methods: A descriptive, ecological study was performed using data from the Unified Health System regarding high-complexity procedure authorizations (Autorização de Procedimentos de Alta Complexidade [APAC]) for the period from 2008-2012. The variables sex, age, diagnosis (F00-F99 of ICD-10), and type of care provided were examined. The data were processed using TabWin and STATA version 12. Results: A total of 837,068 records were examined, each representing one visit to CAPSi. Most visits were by male users (68.8%). The most common diagnoses were hyperkinetic disorders (13%), pervasive developmental disorders (12.4%), and conduct disorders (8.4%). Conclusions: Behavioral and emotional disorders that usually appear during childhood or adolescence and psychological development disorders were frequent, with more than 50% of the latter comprising autism spectrum disorders. Regional differences were observed, with a higher presence of this diagnosis in the Southeast, while the North and Northeast had a high percentage of visits due to mental retardation.