[Mortality in an Italian factory producing tetraethyl lead]. / Mortalità alla SLOI di Trento, un'azienda che produceva piombo tetraetile.

The Società Lavorazioni Organiche Inorganiche (SLOI) in Trento (North-Eastern Italy) produced tetraethyl lead from 1941 to 1978, when it was closed following an explosion, luckily with no fatalities. Working conditions were very bad. During the 1960s, 325 acute lead intoxications were reported and over 100 workers were hospitalized for neurological conditions attributable to tetraethyl lead. At least 12 SLOI workers were hospitalized in the mental asylum (psychiatric wards).The present work describes the first formal epidemiological study ever carried out on SLOI workers. In the absence of any original SLOI employee registers, a list of 1,742 workers hired since factory startup was assembled using the files of the Italian National Social Security Agency (digitalized in 1974 and perused manually by one of the Authors for the previous period). To date, follow-up for mortality has been completed for the 580 male employees at work in 1961 or hired subsequently and who worked at SLOI for at least 12 months. Twenty-two (3.8%) were lost to follow-up. Mortality in this sub-cohort was compared with that of the population of the province of Trento, gathered since 1986 by the Institute of Statistics of the Trento Province. Excluding deaths occurring at age 90+ years, during the 1986-2016 period, deaths in the SLOI sub-cohort were 295 vs 229.0 deaths expected from age- and period-specific rates in the reference population (standardazied mortality ratio 1.29; 95%CI 1.15-1.44). In the absence of individual data, the possible contribution to the mortality excess by non-occupational risk factors cannot be estimated. Identification of causes of death is underway.

Excess risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: Results from the first Italian population-based cohort.

BACKGROUND: Evidence about late effects in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors is scarce. This study assessed the risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) to identify the most common SMNs to be considered in follow-up care. METHODS: Population-based cancer registries retrospectively identified first primary tumors (between 1976 and 2013) and SMNs in AYAs (15-39 years old at their cancer diagnosis). AYA cancer survivors were those alive at least 5 years after their first cancer diagnosis. The excess risk of SMNs was measured as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and absolute excess risk together with the cumulative incidence of SMNs. RESULTS: The cohort included 67,692 AYA cancer survivors. The excess risk of developing any SMN (SIR, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-1.7) was 60%. The excess risk of SMNs was significantly high for survivors of lymphomas; cancers of the breast, thyroid, female genital tract, digestive organs, gonads, and urinary tract; and melanomas. The cumulative incidence of all SMNs in AYA cancer survivors within 25 years of their first cancer diagnosis was approximately 10%. Subsequent tumors contributing to approximately 60% of all SMNs were breast cancer, colorectal cancer, corpus uteri cancer, and ovarian cancer in females and colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and lymphomas in males. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need to personalize follow-up strategies for AYA cancer survivors.

Mid-term trends and recent birth-cohort-dependent changes in incidence rates of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Italy.

In Oceania, North America and north-western Europe, after decades of increase, cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) rates began to stabilise or decline before 2000. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the reversal of the incidence trend is extending to southern Europe. To obtain a formal confirmation, this nationwide study from Italy investigated the incidence trends by birth cohort. Twenty-one local cancer registries covering a population of 15 814 455 provided incidence data for primary CMM registered between 1994 and 2013. Trends in age-standardised rates were analysed using joinpoint regression models and age-period-cohort models. Age-standardised incidence showed a consistent increase throughout the period (estimated annual percent change, 3.6 [95% confidence interval, 3.2-4.0] among men and 2.5 [2.0-3.1] among women). This pattern was confirmed by a sensitivity analysis with removal of low-risk populations of southern Italy. The rates, however, showed a stabilisation or a decrease in men and women aged below 35. Using the cohort of 1949-the median cohort with respect to the number of cases for both genders-as a reference, the incidence rate ratio increased for successive cohorts born until 1973 (women) and 1975 (men), and subsequently tended to decline. For the most recent cohorts in both genders, the risk of disease returned to the level of the cohort of 1949. The changes observed in the latest generations can be interpreted as the earliest manifestations of a birth-cohort-dependent incidence decrease. Our study adds to previous data indicating that the reversal of the long-term upward incidence trend of CMM is extending to southern Europe.

Esiti avversi perinatali correlati all'indice di massa corporea pregravidico.

BACKGROUND: a high body mass index (BMI) during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of complications and adverse outcomes for both mother and infant. OBJECTIVES: to analyse the main adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with maternal excess weight and obesity. DESIGN: retrospective epidemiological study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: data extrapolated from the Birth Attendance Certificate information flow of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Northern Italy) between 2015 and 2019. A total of 20,756 women with data regarding maternal height and weight at the start of pregnancy were included in the analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: gestational outcome variables studied were gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, premature birth, and still births. Outcomes considered during labour and delivery were type of delivery, induction, episiotomy and post-partum haemorrhage. Neonatal outcomes were birth weight, Apgar score, need for resuscitation, and hospitalisation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Lastly, exclusive breastfeeding at discharge was analysed. RESULTS: considering the population of pregnant women, 68.3% of women were classified as normal-weight, 9.5% as underweight, 16.0% as overweight, and 6.3% as obese. Maternal excess weight and obesity were seen to be associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, caesarean section, induction, post-partum bleeding, foetal macrosomia, and the need for neonatal resuscitation and hospitalisation in the NICU. Infants born to overweight and obese mothers were also less likely to be breastfed. CONCLUSIONS: excess weight and obesity are important risk factors for health and contribute to the onset of complications during pregnancy and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes. Programming and implementing public health promotion schemes aimed at preventing excessive weight gain in the reproductive age could significantly improve maternal and foetal health.

Incidence trends of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma in Italy from 1990 to 2015.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma has increased for decades in most Western countries - a trend virtually restricted to women aged <50 or 60 years. In southern Europe, conversely, the trends have been insufficiently studied. This article reports a study from Italy. METHOD: Thirty-eight local cancer registries, currently covering 15,274,070 women, equivalent to 49.2% of the Italian national female population, participated. Invasive cancers registered between 1990 and 2015 with an International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, 3rd revision, topography code C51 and morphology codes compatible with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (n = 6294) were eligible. Incidence trends were analysed using joinpoint regression models, with calculation of the estimated annual percent change (EAPC), and age-period-cohort models. RESULTS: Total incidence showed a regular and significant decreasing trend (EAPC, -0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.43 to -0.48). This was entirely accounted for by women aged ≥60 years (EAPC, -1.34; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.81). For younger women, the EAPC between 1990 and 2012 was 1.20 (95% CI, 0.34 to 2.06) with a non-significant acceleration thereafter. This pattern did not vary substantially in a sensitivity analysis for the effect of geographic area and duration of the registry. The age-period-cohort analysis revealed a risk decrease in cohorts born between 1905 and 1940 and a new increase in cohorts born since 1945. CONCLUSIONS: The decreasing trend observed among older women and the resulting decrease in total rate are at variance with reports from most Western countries. Age-period-cohort analysis confirmed a decreasing trend for earliest birth cohorts and an opposite one for recent ones.

Breastfeeding during the first year of life: estimates using records generated in general pediatrics.

BACKGROUND: The monitoring of breastfeeding during a child's first year of life is highly recommended. The proportion of children who are exclusively breastfed for at least six months is a strong indicator of breastfeeding promotion in the community. The objectives of the study were to survey the exclusive breastfeeding of children during the first year of life for cohorts born in Trentino (north-eastern Italy) in 2009 to 20013, to evaluate the decrease of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months and to analyze possible relationships between the maintenance of breastfeeding up to the age of 6 months and certain maternal socio-demographic characteristics, as well as clinical aspects of the pregnancy and birth. METHODS: Cohorts born in Trentino between 2009 and 2013 were studied, calculating the proportion of infants who were breastfed upon discharge from the hospital (source: data on the CedAP informative flow, that is the Italian Certificate of Delivery Assistance data-base). The data provided on the 12-Month Health Evaluation Form found in the Pediatric Health Booklet, completed by regional family pediatricians, was linked with that of the respective CedAP (96.7% linkage). The trend for exclusive breastfeeding and its monthly decrease was analyzed. The maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding until the age of 6 months was analyzed in relation to citizenship, area of residence, maternal education level and employment status, parity, single or multiple birth, infant exposure to passive smoke and attendance or non-attendance of a state-promoted childbirth preparation course. This final variable was studied solely for primiparous women, who are generally most likely to attend a childbirth preparation course. All results were adjusted for the following potential confounding variables: "birth type," "prematurity" and "feeding method upon discharge from the hospital." RESULTS: CedAP data revealed that 83.5% of live infants were exclusively breastfed and that this percentage decreased to 34.7% by the age of 6 months (35.4% among full-term infants and 27% among premature infants). Data from the Province of Trento demonstrates that exclusive breastfeeding up to the age of 6 months is influenced by the mother's citizenship, area of residence and education level, but not by her employment status. In addition, the study revealed a significant association with parity, passive smoke exposure and attendance of a childbirth preparation course. CONCLUSIONS: The Pediatric Health Booklet with its information on the state of health of children (in combination with data from the CedAP) offers a valid tool for monitoring breastfeeding during the first year of life. Data confirmed a decrease in the rate of breastfeeding between birth and the first month of life and between the first and sixth months of living at home. The results regarding the conditions that favour and discourage breastfeeding suggest potential public health care measures to improve children's health.

Length of stay for childbirth in Trentino (North-East of Italy): the impact of maternal characteristics and organizational features of the maternity unit on the probability of early discharge of healthy, term infants.

Early discharge (ED) of healthy term infants has become a common practice due to current social and economic needs. The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate trends in early discharge of healthy term neonates (≥ 37 gestational weeks) by delivery method (cesarean and vaginal) in maternity units in the Province of Trento. The secondary objective was to identify the socio-demographic characteristics (including the area of residence and distance from the designated hospital) and clinical characteristics of mothers whose infants were discharged early. This retrospective study reviewed records of live births from 2006 to 2016, for a total of 45, 314 healthy term infants. The trend for ED grew significantly during the period 2006-2016, for both cesarean and vaginal deliveries. The multiple logistic regression analysis shows how the determinants of ED are maternal age, birth order, citizenship of mother, maternal smoking, maternal employment status, and the number of births at the hospital on the day of birth. CONCLUSION: The post-partum length of stay should be adjusted based on the characteristics and needs of the mother-infant dyad, identifying the criteria for safe discharge. In Trento, various procedures and programs are becoming more uniform today with the intention to provide family assistance service. What is Known: • Admission for childbirth is one of the primary causes of hospitalization in industrialized countries. • The length of stay for childbirth has been steadily declining in recent decades, with the aim of reducing costs while also demedicalizing pregnancy. What is New: • A higher rate of early discharge (ED) was recorded for neonates of women having foreign citizenship, < 30 years, pluriparous, smoked during pregnancy, housewife, and, if emplyed, entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals or managers. • ED was more common when the new mother gave birth on a day in which there was a higher number of births at the hospital, indicating overcrowding in the maternity unit.

[The usefulness of emergency room data for integrated surveillance of spontaneous abortion at population level]. / L'utilità dei dati di pronto soccorso per una sorveglianza integrata dell'abortività spontanea a livello di popolazione.

OBJECTIVES: to quantify and identify the proportion of miscarriages in the province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige Region, Northern Italy) in 2010-2016, managed exclusively at the emergency room (ER). DESIGN: population surveillance study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: comparison between the Trentino computerized database of registration to the ER for miscarriage and the flow D-11 of the Italian National Statistics Institute (Istat) on hospitalized miscarriages in the period 2010-2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: for each year, the proportion of women seen at the ER for miscarriage and then hospitalized and the cases exclusively managed in ER were calculated. The two groups were compared on the basis of the following variables: age, citizenship, gestational week, calendar year, and ER of admission. RESULTS: the proportion of miscarriages managed exclusively in ER in the province of Trento varies from 31.3% in 2010 to 60.5% in 2016. There are no differences in the proportion of hospitalization in relation to the age of women, while a higher proportion of hospitalizations was observed among foreign women compared to the Italians and in the ER of Trento compared to the peripheral ERs. A growing trend of hospitalization clearly appears with increasing gestational age, while the calendar year is inversely proportional to the increase in hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: since the therapeutic diagnostic path of women with miscarriage has changed, it could be useful to have a representation as close as possible to the reality of the phenomenon to evaluate if an integration of the Istat D-11 flow on the cases hospitalized with those cases managed exclusively in ER is feasible or opportune. This opportunity should be considered in local, multicentre or national epidemiological studies.

Prevalence, characteristics, and survival of children with esophageal atresia: A 32-year population-based study including 1,417,724 consecutive newborns.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal atresia (EA) is a congenital malformation of the upper gastrointestinal tract with an estimated prevalence varying from 1 in 2500 to 1 in 4500 births. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of EA between 1981 and 2012 and evaluate patients' survival. METHODS: This study used data from a population-based Italian Congenital Malformation Registry. The survival status was ascertained by linking the registry records, vital records and the regional registries of patients. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate survival probabilities up to 25 years and Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate factors that affected survival. RESULTS: A total of 407 cases of EA were identified among 1,417,724 total births. After the exclusion of cases with chromosomal anomalies, 49.9% of the patients presented with at least one associated congenital anomaly. The 25-year survival probability was 85.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.8-89.4), with most deaths occurring during the first months of life. Patients' characteristics associated with decreased survival probability were low birth weight (hazard ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.7-8.3) and presence of additional major defects (hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3-6.0). A significant improvement in survival over the decades was observed for patients with nonisolated EA. CONCLUSION: This study detected a significant improvement in survival of individuals with EA over the past decades and identified the strongest predictors of mortality. These results will be important for the planning of the clinical management and formulation of prognosis when EA is diagnosed in a newborn. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 106:542-548, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Antenatal course attendance among primiparous mothers, with physiological pregnancy and birth at term in Trentino (Northern Italy): characteristics of non-attender women and benefits among attender women in pregnancy behaviours, type of birth delivery and neonatal outcomes]. / La partecipazione al corso d'accompagnamento alla nascita tra le madri primipare con gravidanza fisiologica e parto a termine in Trentino: caratteristiche delle donne non partecipanti e benefici tra le partecipanti rispetto ad abitudini in gravidanza, modalità del parto, esiti neonatali.

OBJECTIVE: to outline the attendance rate of antenatal classes (ANCs) among women resident in Trentino Region (North-Eastern Italy) during the period 2000-2012; to identify the main sociodemographic characteristics of women who do not attend ANCs and to measure the effectiveness of ANCs attendance. DESIGN: cohort study with a retrospective data collection. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: by the computerised database of Trentino Certificates of delivery care, primiparous mothers living in Trentino presenting a physiological pregnancy and birth at term (≥37 weeks of gestation) were selected. Temporal trends of ANCs attendance were also studied for all mothers living in Trentino, all primiparous residents, all multiparous residents and all residents with foreign citizenship. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: possible associations between the probability of not attending ANCs and sociodemographic variables concerning mothers were analysed: age, professional status, educational level, marital status, citizenship and residence in an area served by a maternal and child health (MCH) clinic or not. Significant relationships between ANCs attendance and variables related to course of pregnancy, childbirth and neonatal outcomes were identified. RESULTS: ANCs coverage has a statistically significant increasing trend over time for each group of women living in Trentino. Among the selected primiparous pregnant women, the principal barriers to ANCs access are being foreign, having an age ≤30 years, in particular ≤20 years, being housewives or unemployed, presenting a medium-low educational level, and residing in an area not served by a MCH clinic. ANCs-not-attending women show a lower awareness of the importance of performing serological tests for Syphilis and Cytomegalo-virus and they declare smoking in pregnancy. Benefits of ANCs attendance do not affect neonatal outcomes, but they concern a higher probability of vaginal birth and a higher breastfeeding predisposition. CONCLUSION: data about ANCs attendance in Trentino Region appear higher than other national-regional studies. However, there are significant differences in access to ANCs regarding women's sociodemographic characteristics and resources distribution and MCH clinics measurement. In Italy, an evaluation about the accessibility of MCH clinics and their functioning criteria is desirable, focusing on marketing practices towards lower classes women. In Trentino, virtuosos MCH clinics have introduced elastic times in the ANCs planning and they have involved cultural mediators and private gynaecologists. Younger pregnant women are included in the ANCs after a preliminary meeting or by individual paths.

Screening for colorectal cancer in Italy: 2011-2012 survey.

We utilised the IMPATTO study's archives to describe the 2000-2008 colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rate trends in Italy, once screening programmes based on the faecal immunochemical test were implemented in different areas. Data on CRCs diagnosed in Italy from 2000 to 2008 in subjects aged 40-79 years were collected by 23 cancer registries. Incidence rate trends were evaluated as a whole and by macro-area (North-Centre and South-Islands), presence of a screening programme, sex, ten-year age class, anatomic site, stage at diagnosis, and pattern of diagnosis (screen-detected, non-screen-detected). The annual percent change (APC) of incidence rate trends, with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI), were computed. The study included 46,857 CRCs diagnosed in subjects aged 40-79 years, of which 2,806 were screen-detected. The incidence rates in the North-Centre were higher than in the South and on the Islands. During the study period, screening programmes had been implemented only in the North-Centre and had a significant effect on incidence rates, with an initial sharp increase in incidence, followed by a decrease that started in the 3rd-4th years of screening. These incidence rate trends were exclusively due to modifications in the rates of stage I cases. After screening programmes started, incidence increased in all anatomic sites, particularly in the distal colon. The differential figures introduced by the implementation of screening programmes warrant a continuous surveillance of CRC incidence and mortality trends to monitor the impact of screening at a national level.

Decreasing incidence of late-stage breast cancer after the introduction of organized mammography screening in Italy.

BACKGROUND: After the introduction of a mammography screening program, the incidence of late-stage breast cancer is expected to decrease. The objective of the current study was to evaluate variations in the total incidence of breast cancer and in the incidence of breast cancers with a pathologic tumor (pT) classification of pT2 through pT4 after the introduction of mammography screening in 6 Italian administrative regions. METHODS: The study area included 700 municipalities, with a total population of 692,824 women ages 55 to 74 years, that were targeted by organized mammography screening between 1991 and 2005. The year screening started at the municipal level (year 1) was identified. The years of screening were numbered from 1 to 8. The ratio of the observed 2-year, age-standardized (Europe) incidence rate to the expected rate (the incidence rate ratio [IRR]) was calculated. Expected rates were estimated assuming that the incidence of breast cancer was stable and was equivalent to that in the last 3 years before year 1. RESULTS: The study was based on a total of 14,447 incident breast cancers, including 4036 pT2 through pT4 breast cancers. The total IRR was 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.41) in years 1 and 2, 1.16 (95% confidence interval, 1.10-1.21) in years 3 and 4, 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.20) in years 5 and 6, and 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.21) in years 7 and 8. The IRR for pT2 through pT4 breast cancers was 0.97 (95% confidence interval, 0.90-1.04) in years 1 and 2, 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.88) in years 3 and 4, 0.79 (95% confidence interval, 0.73-0.87) in years 5 and 6, and 0.71 (95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.79) in years 7 and 8. CONCLUSIONS: A significant and stable decrease in the incidence of late-stage breast cancer was observed from the third year of screening onward, when the IRR varied between 0.81 and 0.71.

Screening patterns within organized programs and survival of Italian women with invasive cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate screening patterns within organized cervical screening programs (OCSPs) and survival of women with invasive cervical cancer (ICC). METHODS: A population-based study was conducted in Italian areas covered by cancer registries and OCSPs. The study included all women aged 25-65 years diagnosed with ICC between 1995 and 2008, and their screening histories within OCSPs were retrieved. Hazard ratios (HR) of death and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed according to screening pattern, using Cox models adjusted for age, ICC stage, and major confounders. RESULTS: Among 3268 women with ICC, 20% were never-invited to OCSP, 36% were never-compliant with OCSP's invitation, 33% were compliant and had a screen-detected ICC within OCSP (i.e., after a positive cytology), and 11% were compliant but had a non-screen-detected ICC. Screen-detected ICCs were more frequently micro-invasive (42%) compared to non-screen-detected ones (14%). Compared to women with screen-detected ICC, the adjusted HRs of death were 1.9 (95% CI 1.5-2.4) for those never-invited, 2.0 (95% CI 1.6-2.5) for never-compliant, and 1.7 (95% CI 1.3-2.4) for compliant women having non-screen-detected ICC. CONCLUSION: Prolonged survival, beyond down-staging, of women with ICC detected within OCSPs in Italy, further calls for improvements of OCSPs' invitational coverage and participation.

Nutritional risk, functional status and mortality in newly institutionalised elderly.

Previous studies have reported a close relationship between nutritional and functional domains, but evidence in long-term care residents is still limited. We evaluated the relationship between nutritional risk and functional status and the association of these two domains with mortality in newly institutionalised elderly. In the present multi-centric prospective cohort study, involving 346 long-term care resident elderly, nutritional risk and functional status were determined upon admission by the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and the Barthel Index (BI), respectively. The prevalence of high (GNRI <92) and low (GNRI 92­98) nutritional risk were 36·1 and 30·6 %, respectively. At multivariable linear regression, functional status was independently associated with age (P=0·045), arm muscle area (P=0·048), the number of co-morbidities (P=0·027) and mainly with the GNRI (P<0·001). During a median follow-up of 4·7 years (25th­75th percentile 3·7­6·2), 230 (66·5 %) subjects died. In the risk analysis, based on the variables collected at baseline, both high (hazard ratio (HR) 1·86, 95% CI 1·32, 2·63; P<0·001) and low nutritional risk (HR 1·52, 95% CI 1·08, 2·14; P=0·016) were associated with all-cause mortality. Participants at high nutritional risk (GNRI <92) also showed an increased rate of cardiovascular mortality (HR 1·93, 95% CI 1·28, 2·91; P<0·001). No association with outcome was found for the BI. Upon admission, nutritional risk was an independent predictor of functional status and mortality in institutionalised elderly. Present data support the concept that the nutritional domain is more relevant than functional status to the outcome of newly institutionalised elderly.

Prevalence of gestational diabetes and recourse to postpartum oral glucose tolerance test in the Autonomous Province of Trento (Italy).

OBJECTIVE: The occurrence of gestational diabetes (GDM) is increasing worldwide, and such a diagnosis is important for women's health beyond pregnancy. Therefore, many guidelines suggest the re-evaluation of glucose tolerance with a postpartum oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in women with GDM. This study reports the prevalence of GDM and the use of a postpartum OGTT in women assisted at maternity units in the Autonomous Province of Trento in the years 2017-2018, investigating the socio-demographic and health-care variables that can facilitate access to the test. STUDY DESIGN: For the diagnosis of GDM, the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group criteria were used. The Birth Assistance Certificate and the Hospital Information System were used to retrieve clinical and socio-demographic data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the stratification of the use of a postpartum OGTT. RESULTS: In total, 8,308 pregnant women were assisted at the maternity units in Trento. There were 532 recorded cases of GDM (266 cases per year) and the overall average prevalence was 6.4 % (95 % CI, 5.90-6.90), 4.9 % of whom were Italian (95 % CI, 4.38-5.42) and 10.4 %, foreigners (95 % CI, 9.13-11.67). 135 women diagnosed with GDM and residing in Trento out of 513 were evaluated using a postpartum OGTT (26.3%, CI 95% 22.50-30.10), with pathological results in 61 cases (45.2%). In the multivariate analyses, insulin therapy during pregnancy, delivery at a third-level birth point, and a discharge letter informing of the presence of GDM and of the need for a postpartum OGTT were independent factors associated with the probability of carrying out a postpartum OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of GDM in our study is lower than in previous Italian studies; however, it is consistent with European data. The proportion of women who were assessed using the postpartum OGTT is lower than that reported by previous studies. The health-care factors seem predominant among the socio-demographic characteristics of the cases in influencing access to the test. The awareness of women, the sharing of guidelines among the different sectors of the health system, and an optimal management of the discharge from the birth point are critical in ensuring an optimal follow-up in women with GDM.

Early childhood eye diseases and perinatal risk factors: potential of record linkage between current information flows.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the occurrence of specific maternal, obstetric or neonatal factors, by performing a comparison between children with refractive error, strabismus and/or amblyopia (cases) and unaffected children (controls) in the province of Trento (North-East Italy). METHODS: In 2012-2014, 14,346 children attending the second year of nursery school were assessed through the preschool orthoptic screening scheme (covering 91% of the preschool population). Record linkage was performed between the orthoptic screening database and birth records (birth confirmation certificate database) for the corresponding birth cohorts (2008-2010), to examine specific maternal factors (age, smoking, nationality/race), obstetric factors (type of delivery) and neonatal factors (gestational age, weight at birth, Apgar Score, congenital birth defects, hospitalization at birth). The correlations were investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis in accordance with the logistic regression method. RESULTS: During orthoptic screening, 6.4% of children were found to have at least one refractive error, with astigmatism being the most common condition (5.1%). 1.9% of children were found to have strabismus and 1.8% amblyopia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of developing a refractive error is associated with: maternal age ≥45 years, foreign nationality, vacuum-assisted delivery and neonatal weight <1500 grams. An excessive risk of strabismus was observed in children whose mother had smoked during pregnancy (adjusted OR=1.64). CONCLUSIONS: Preschool orthoptic screening is a well-consolidated practice in the province of Trento, with adhesion values consistently over 90%. Studies of this type show the potential of record linkage between current information flows.

The descriptive epidemiology of melanoma in Italy has changed - for the better.

A recent research project using data from a total of 40 cancer registries has provided new epidemiologic insights into the results of efforts for melanoma control in Italy between the 1990s and the last decade. In this article, the authors present a summary and a commentary of their findings. Incidence increased significantly throughout the study period in both sexes. However, the rates showed a stabilization or a decrease in men and women aged below 35 years. The risk of disease increased for successive cohorts born until 1973 (women) and 1975 (men) while subsequently tending to decline. The trend towards decreasing tumor thickness and increasing survival has continued, but a novel favorable prognostic factor has emerged since 2013 for patients - particularly for males - with thick melanoma, most likely represented by molecular targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Due to this, the survival gap between males and females has been filled out. In the meanwhile, and despite the incidence increase, dermatologists have not lowered their threshold to perform skin biopsy. Skin biopsy rate has increased because of the increasingly greater volume of dermatologic office visits, but the proportion of skin biopsies out of dermatologic office visits has remained constant. In summary, an important breakthrough in melanoma control in Italy has taken place. Effective interventions have been implemented across the full scope of care, which involve many large local populations - virtually the whole national population. The strategies adopted during the last three decades represent a valuable basis for further steps ahead in melanoma control in Italy.

Cancer prevalence in Italy: an analysis of geographic variability.

PURPOSE: Statistics on cancer prevalence are scanty. The objectives of this study were to describe the cancer prevalence in Italy and to explore determinants of geographic heterogeneity. METHODS: The study included data from 23 population-based cancer registries, including one-third of the Italian population. Five-year cancer prevalence was observed, and complete prevalence (i.e., all patients living after a cancer diagnosis) was estimated through sex-, age-, cancer site-, and observation period length-specific completeness indices by means of regression models. RESULTS: In 2006, 3.8 % of men and 4.6 % of women in Italy were alive after a cancer diagnosis, with a 5-year prevalence of 1.9 % and 1.7 % in men and women, respectively. A relevant geographic variability emerged for all major cancer sites. When compared to national pooled estimates, crude cancer prevalence proportions were 10 % higher in the north and 30 % lower in the south of Italy. However, these variations were consistently reduced after age adjustment and, in both sexes, largely overlapped those of incidence rates, with correlations >0.90 between variations of prevalence and incidence for all cancer sites and areas. CONCLUSIONS: Magnitude of the cancer prevalence and the geographic heterogeneity herein outlined in Italy will help in meeting the needs of specific population of survivor patients.

Screening of group B Streptococcus infection in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in the province of Trento, Italy.

The study analyzes the trend of group B streptococcal (GBS) infection in pregnancy in the province of Trento, Italy, where a universal screening of GBS infection in pregnancy has been active for some time. Data from pregnant women who gave birth at local maternity units between 2015-2019 were obtained from birth attendance certificates (BAC), the main - and mandatory - source of information for monitoring pregnancies, births and neonatal health in Italy. The BAC used in the province of Trento acquires the results of a vast range of infections in pregnancy. The data collected from the BAC were integrated with those provided by the Hospital Information System (SIO). The occurrence of neonatal GBS infection was investigated on 2019 birth cohort, using the hospital discharge archive as an ancillary information source. Between 2015-2019, 20,905 pregnant women received care at maternity units of the province of Trento, Italy, of whom 25.5% were foreigners. The average coverage of GBS testing in pregnancy was 91.8% (95% CI 91.25-92.35) without significant variations from one year to the next. Test coverage varies in relation to maternity units and some socio-demographic characteristics of mothers. The average proportion of GBS positive cases over the study period was 21.0% (95% CI 20.7-21.3), a value that does not show statistically significant changes from one year to the next. The proportion of positive cases appears uneven among the subgroups of pregnant women considered, even if the differences are not statistically significant. In the 2019 birth cohort, newborns to GBS-positive mothers had an excess of stillbirths, of those born with Apgar at 5 minutes <7 and hospitalized at birth. However, these excesses were not statistically significant. Intravenous Antibiotic Prophylaxis (IAP) was performed in 86.8% of births from GBS positive mothers who had an indication for IAP. IAP was inadequate in 7.4% of the GBS positive mothers. Postnatal evaluation of 783 live births to GBS positive mothers identified 3 cases of early neonatal GBS infection. The incidence of neonatal GBS infection over the whole series of live births is 0.71/1,000 (95% CI 0.56-0.86), 0.68/1000 (CI 95% 0.55-0.79) in Italians and 1.07/1000 (95% CI 0.45-1.65) in foreigners. Data collection on infections in pregnancy through BAC allows area-based assessment. The quality of the data recorded in the BAC can be considered satisfactory but it was necessary to access to other information sources. The local availability of various information sources should allow periodic audits and closer monitoring of neonatal GBS infection.