Capturing growth indices on the road to health booklets in clinics in Free State, South Africa.

Background: Growth monitoring plays an essential role in the development of young children. Anthropometric indices are of utmost importance for healthcare professionals to identify children at risk of inadequate growth and malnutrition. Aim: This study aimed to assess the capturing of the growth indices in the Road to Health Booklets (RTHB) in clinics. Setting: The study was carried out in Mangaung Metropolitan municipal clinics in the Free State province, South Africa. Methods: A descriptive quantitative study was conducted using a checklist to audit 264 RTHBs. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. Results: The findings showed that birth weight was recorded in most 99% (n = 262) of the RTHBs. The mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) was not recorded in 58% (n = 153) of the cases during the last visit. Weight-for-Age (WfA) was routinely plotted in 91% (n = 241) of the RTHB. The length or Height-for-Age (LHfA) was plotted in 38% (n = 99) of the RTHB and Weight-for-Length or height (WfLH) was plotted in 31% (n = 81) of the RTHB. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that certain anthropometric measures including MUAC, length, or height were absent from the records of the RTHB. Consequently, RTHB may not be effectively used as a means of evaluating nutritional status, affecting early detection of malnutrition in children. Contribution: The research makes a valuable addition to the existing body of knowledge for monitoring growth and measurement of anthropometric indices in the RTHB, as well as the appropriate execution of these practices.

Growth monitoring and promotion service utilization and its associated factors among mothers of children under two years in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is a nutritional intervention designed to identify and address growth faltering before a child's nutritional status deteriorates into severe malnutrition. Despite GMP being recognized as a priority in Ethiopia's national nutrition program, there is no national aggregated figure to show the extent of GMP service utilization. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess GMP service utilization and associated factors in Ethiopia. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Hinari, EMBASE, Scopus, and grey literature sources like Google Scholar, WorldCat, and Institutional repository. The Joanna Briggs Institution (JBI) quality assessment tool was used to appraise the quality of the articles, and articles scoring > 50% were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence and odds ratio of associated factors with 95%CI was computed using STATA version 16. A random-effect model was employed to estimate the effect size, and I-squared statistics and Egger's test were used to assess heterogeneity and identify potential publication bias, respectively. Subgroup analysis was conducted with publication year, sample size, and region to identify the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Nine studies with 4,768 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled utilization of GMP service among children under two years of age in Ethiopia was 23.21% (95% CI: 16.02, 30.41, I2 = 97.27% & P = 0.0001). Mothers who received counselling on GMP service (OR = 3.16 (95%CI: 2.49-4.00), parents who use family health card (FHC) (OR = 3.29 (95%CI: 1.49-7.28), and mother who use postnatal care (OR = 3.93 (95%CI: 2.40-6.42), and Anti natal care (OR = 3.15 (95%CI: 1.29-7.69) were the factors associated with GMP service utilization among children under two years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of GMP services among children under the age of two in Ethiopia remains inadequate. Therefore, it is crucial to provide health education and counselling focusing on GMP to the mothers/caregivers of the child and encourage utilization of FHC. In addition, integrating GMP with other maternal health services should be promoted.

Cell growth monitoring in a tetrapolar electrode configuration.

There are various methods for cell growth monitoring. However, most of these methods have drawbacks, such as being invasive, not providing real-time results, or being costly. In this study, we present an alternate method of cell growth monitoring, which is low-cost, non-invasive, real-time, and uses Electrical Impedance Spectro-scopy (EIS). In this work, commercially available culture plates were fitted with custom tetrapolar electrodes, and mouse cells were cultured on them. The variation of culture media impedance, resulting from cell growth, proliferation and other metabolic activities, was recorded over a period of seven days. The results demonstrated an initial increase in impedance corresponding with the cell growth phase, followed by a decrease during the cell death (apoptosis) phase, as confirmed by microscope images. Overall, the results show that our method to monitor cell growth using tetrapolar electrodes is promising and can be further refined for related applications.

Assessment of Childhood Stunting Prevalence over Time and Risk Factors of Stunting in the Healthy Village Programme Areas in Bangladesh.

Childhood stunting is a significant public health concern in Bangladesh. This study analysed the data from the Healthy Village programme, which aims to address childhood stunting in southern coastal Bangladesh. The aim was to assess childhood stunting prevalence over time and explore the risk factors in the programme areas. A cross-sectional, secondary data analysis was conducted for point-prevalence estimates of stunting from 2018 to 2021, including 132,038 anthropometric measurements of under-five children. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for risk factor analysis (n = 20,174). Stunting prevalence decreased from 51% in 2018 to 25% in 2021. The risk of stunting increased in hardcore poor (aOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.68) and poor (aOR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.33, 1.70) versus rich households, children with mothers who were illiterate (aOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.44) and could read and write (aOR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.16, 1.56) versus mothers with higher education, and children aged 1-2 years compared with children under one year (aOR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.45). The stunting rate was halved over three years in programme areas, which is faster than the national trend. We recommend addressing socioeconomic inequalities when tackling stunting and providing targeted interventions to mothers during the early weaning period.

Assessment of growth monitoring among children younger than 5 years at early childhood development centres in Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa.

Introduction: Early childhood development (ECD) centres are important community hubs in South Africa and act as sites for community detection of childhood nutrition problems. This study aimed to assess the ability of trained ECD practitioners with optimal support to correctly classify the nutritional status of infants and young children at ECD centres in the Nelson Mandela Bay. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was used to collect data from 1645 infants and children at 88 ECD centres. Anthropometric measurements were taken by trained fieldworkers and growth monitoring and promotion infrastructure was audited at ECD centres. Results: Of the sample, 4.4% (n = 72) were underweight by weight for age Z-score (WAZ < -2) and 0.8% (n = 13) were severely underweight (WAZ < -3). Results showed that 13.1% (n = 214) were stunted by height for age Z-score (HAZ < -2) and 4.5% (n = 74) were severely stunted (HAZ < -3). The prevalence of moderate acute malnutrition was 1.2% and severe acute malnutrition was 0.5%, while the prevalence of overweight was 9.2% and the prevalence of obesity was 4%. A significant level of agreement between the correct interpretation and the ECD practitioners' interpretation was observed across all the anthropometric indicators investigated. The true positive wasting cases had a mean mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of 14.6 cm, which may explain the high false negative rate found in terms of children identified with wasting, where ECD practitioners fail to use the weight for height Z-score (WHZ) interpretation for screening. Conclusion: By using ECD centres as hub to screen for malnutrition, it may contribute to the early identification of failure to thrive among young children. Although it was concerning that trained ECD practitioners are missing some children with an unacceptably high false negative rate, it may have been due to the fact that wasting in older children cannot be identified with MUAC alone and that accurate WFH plotting is needed. Onsite mentorship by governmental health workers may provide ECD practitioners with more confidence to screen children for growth failure based on regular WFH measurements. Moreover, ECD practitioners will be more confident to monitor the Road to Health booklets for missed vaccinations, vitamin A and deworming opportunities.

Single-Use, Metabolite Absorbing, Resonant Transducer (SMART) Culture Vessels for Label-Free, Continuous Cell Culture Progression Monitoring.

Secreted metabolites are an important class of bio-process analytical technology (PAT) targets that can correlate to cell conditions. However, current strategies for measuring metabolites are limited to discrete measurements, resulting in limited understanding and ability for feedback control strategies. Herein, a continuous metabolite monitoring strategy is demonstrated using a single-use metabolite absorbing resonant transducer (SMART) to correlate with cell growth. Polyacrylate is shown to absorb secreted metabolites from living cells containing hydroxyl and alkenyl groups such as terpenoids, that act as a plasticizer. Upon softening, the polyacrylate irreversibly conformed into engineered voids above a resonant sensor, changing the local permittivity which is interrogated, contact-free, with a vector network analyzer. Compared to sensing using the intrinsic permittivity of cells, the SMART approach yields a 20-fold improvement in sensitivity. Tracking growth of many cell types such as Chinese hamster ovary, HEK293, K562, HeLa, and E. coli cells as well as perturbations in cell proliferation during drug screening assays are demonstrated. The sensor is benchmarked to show continuous measurement over six days, ability to track different growth conditions, selectivity to transducing active cell growth metabolites against other components found in the media, and feasibility to scale out for high throughput campaigns.

Impact of Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme, on health workers' maternal and child health, and nutrition knowledge and skills in Nepal.

Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme in Nepal, aimed to advance knowledge and skills of frontline health workers to improve the quality of nutrition and health services at health facility and community levels. This study assessed the impact of Suaahara interventions on knowledge and skills of health facility workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs). The study used a quasi-experimental design in which four Suaahara intervention districts were compared with pair-matched comparison districts. One health facility worker and three FCHVs from each survey cluster were included. Baseline survey consisted of 93 health facility workers (2015) and 118 FCHVs (2012), and endline survey (2022) consisted of 40 health facility workers and 120 FCHVs. Difference-in-differences regression models employing intent-to-treat analysis, accounting for clustering at the district level, assessed the impact of intervention. The intervention, relative to comparison, had no effect on health facility workers' knowledge. There was a positive effect, however, on FCHVs' knowledge in intervention relative to comparison areas on exclusive breastfeeding, timing of introduction of complementary feeding, sick child feeding and growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) for children under 2 years. Health facility workers and FCHVs in intervention versus comparison districts had higher endline scores for skills related to measuring the weight of children and pregnant women, measuring the height/length of children, conducting GMP for children under 2 years and identifying malnourished children. Suaahara interventions improved the capacity of health workers, particularly nutrition-related knowledge among FCHVs and GMP-related skills of both health facility workers and FCHVs.

Development and evaluation of an artificial intelligence for bacterial growth monitoring in clinical bacteriology.

In clinical bacteriology laboratories, reading and processing of sterile plates remain a significant part of the routine workload (30%-40% of the plates). Here, an algorithm was developed for bacterial growth detection starting with any type of specimens and using the most common media in bacteriology. The growth prediction performance of the algorithm for automatic processing of sterile plates was evaluated not only at 18-24 h and 48 h but also at earlier timepoints toward the development of an early growth monitoring system. A total of 3,844 plates inoculated with representative clinical specimens were used. The plates were imaged 15 times, and two different microbiologists read the images randomly and independently, creating 99,944 human ground truths. The algorithm was able, at 48 h, to discriminate growth from no growth with a sensitivity of 99.80% (five false-negative [FN] plates out of 3,844) and a specificity of 91.97%. At 24 h, sensitivity and specificity reached 99.08% and 93.37%, respectively. Interestingly, during human truth reading, growth was reported as early as 4 h, while at 6 h, half of the positive plates were already showing some growth. In this context, automated early growth monitoring in case of normally sterile samples is envisioned to provide added value to the microbiologists, enabling them to prioritize reading and to communicate early detection of bacterial growth to the clinicians.

A Handheld Laser-Scanning-Based Methodology for Monitoring Tree Growth in Chestnut Orchards.

Chestnut and chestnut byproducts are of worldwide interest, so there is a constant need to develop faster and more accurate monitoring techniques. Recent advances in simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms and user accessibility have led to increased use of handheld mobile laser scanning (HHLS) in precision agriculture. We propose a tree growth monitoring methodology, based on HHLS point cloud processing, that calculates the length of branches through spatial discretization of the point cloud for each tree. The methodology was tested by comparing two point clouds collected almost simultaneously for each of a set of sweet chestnut trees. The results obtained indicated that our HHLS method was reliable and accurate in efficiently monitoring sweet chestnut tree growth. The same methodology was used to calculate the growth of the same set of trees over 37 weeks (from spring to winter). Differences in week 0 and week 37 scans showed an approximate mean growth of 0.22 m, with a standard deviation of around 0.16 m reflecting heterogeneous tree growth.

Agreement between parent-report and EMR height, weight, and BMI among rural children.

Introduction: Remote anthropometric surveillance has emerged as a strategy to accommodate lapses in growth monitoring for pediatricians during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this investigation was to validate parent-reported anthropometry and inform acceptable remote measurement practices among rural, preschool-aged children. Methods: Parent-reported height, weight, body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, and BMI percentile for their child were collected through surveys with the assessment of their source of home measure. Objective measures were collected by clinic staff at the child's well-child visit (WCV). Agreement was assessed using correlations, alongside an exploration of the time gap (TG) between parent-report and WCV to moderate agreement. Using parent- and objectively reported BMI z-scores, weight classification agreement was evaluated. Correction equations were applied to parent-reported anthropometrics. Results: A total of 55 subjects were included in this study. Significant differences were observed between parent- and objectively reported weight in the overall group (-0.24 kg; p = 0.05), as well as height (-1.8 cm; p = 0.01) and BMI (0.4 kg/m2; p = 0.02) in the ≤7d TG + Direct group. Parental reporting of child anthropometry ≤7d from their WCV with direct measurements yielded the strongest correlations [r = 0.99 (weight), r = 0.95 (height), r = 0.82 (BMI), r = 0.71 (BMIz), and r = 0.68 (BMI percentile)] and greatest classification agreement among all metrics [91.67% (weight), 54.17% (height), 83.33% (BMI), 91.67% (BMIz), and 33.33% (BMI percentile)]. Corrections did not remarkably improve correlations. Discussion: Remote pediatric anthropometry is a valid supplement for clinical assessment, conditional on direct measurement within 7 days. In rural populations where socioenvironmental barriers exist to care and surveillance, we highlight the utility of telemedicine for providers and researchers.

Designing and evaluating a Nutritional Assessment and Intervention Kiosk for mother-child dyad to combat double burden of malnutrition.

The study protocol focuses on DBM, proposing a preventive strategy for mother-child pairs that would be accessible, affordable, sustainable, and human-centred. The aim is to guide the development of tools and technologies, passing through stages for gathering a process and presenting health data. The initial stage identifies the rules and models synthesising existing digital interventions combating forms of malnourishment, followed by designing and developing a Nutrition Informatics Intervention, i.e. NAIK. The last stage includes evaluation of the effectiveness and utility of NAIK. The system aims to address malnutrition by assessing different associated elements, with the participants. An SMS system will provide follow-up assistance. Overall, this study is an amalgamation of technology, data collection, personalised interventions, growth monitoring, and education to address malnutrition effectively by promoting positive health-behaviours within the community. So, a computerised health kiosk will help provide preventive strategies from the healthcare professional, especially in circumstances requiring immediate attention.

Incidence of neonatal morbidity in small-for-gestational-age twins based on singleton and twin charts.

OBJECTIVE: To compare morbidity, as measured by length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in twin and singleton gestations classified as small-for-gestational age (SGA) according to estimated fetal weight < 10th percentile on twin or singleton growth charts. METHODS: NICU length of stay was compared in 1150 twins and 29 035 singletons that underwent ultrasound assessment between 35 + 0 and 36 + 6 weeks' gestation. Estimated fetal weight was obtained from measurements of head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length using the Hadlock formula. Gestational age was derived from the first-trimester crown-rump length measurement, using the larger of the two twins. Singletons and twins were compared in terms of NICU admission rate and length of stay according to classification as SGA by the Fetal Medicine Foundation singleton and twin reference distributions. RESULTS: The overall proportions of twins and singletons admitted to NICU were similar (7.3% vs 7.4%), but twins tended to have longer lengths of stay in NICU (≥ 7 days: 2.4% vs 0.8%; relative risk (RR), 3.0 (95% CI, 1.6-4.4)). Using the singleton chart, a higher proportion of twins were classified as SGA compared with singletons (37.6% vs 7.0%). However, the proportion of SGA neonates entering NICU was similar (10.2% for twins and 10.1% for singletons) and the proportion of SGA neonates spending ≥ 7 days in NICU was substantially higher for twins compared with singletons (3.7% vs 1.4%; RR, 2.6 (95% CI, 1.4-4.7)). CONCLUSIONS: When singleton charts are used to define SGA in twins and in singletons, there is a greater degree of growth-related neonatal morbidity amongst SGA twins compared with SGA singletons. Consequently, singleton charts do not inappropriately overdiagnose fetal growth restriction in twins and they should be used for monitoring fetal growth in both twins and singletons. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Fetal Medicine Foundation charts for fetal growth in twins.

OBJECTIVE: To derive reference distributions of estimated fetal weight (EFW) in twins relative to singletons. METHODS: Gestational-age- and chorionicity-specific reference distributions for singleton percentiles and EFW were fitted to data on 4391 twin pregnancies with two liveborn fetuses from four European centers, including 3323 dichorionic (DC) and 1068 monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies. Gestational age was derived using the larger of the two crown-rump length measurements obtained during the first trimester of pregnancy. EFW was obtained from ultrasound measurements of head circumference, abdominal circumference and femur length using the Hadlock formula. Singleton percentiles were obtained using the Fetal Medicine Foundation population weight charts for singleton pregnancies. Hierarchical models were fitted to singleton Z-scores with autoregressive terms for serial correlations within the same fetus and between twins from the same pregnancy. Separate models were fitted for DC and MCDA twins. RESULTS: Fetuses from twin pregnancies tended to be smaller than singletons at the earliest gestational ages (16 weeks for MCDA and 20 weeks for DC twins). This was followed by a period of catch-up growth until around 24 weeks. After that, both DC and MCDA twins showed reduced growth. In DC twins, the EFW corresponding to the 50th percentile was at the 50th percentile of singleton pregnancies at 23 weeks, the 43rd percentile at 28 weeks, the 32nd percentile at 32 weeks and the 22nd percentile at 36 weeks. In MCDA twins, the EFW corresponding to the 50th percentile was at the 36th percentile of singleton pregnancies at 24 weeks, the 29th percentile at 28 weeks, the 19th percentile at 32 weeks and the 12th percentile at 36 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: In DC and, to a greater extent, MCDA twin pregnancies, fetal growth is reduced compared with that observed in singleton pregnancies. Furthermore, after 24 weeks, the divergence in growth trajectories between twin and singleton pregnancies becomes more pronounced as gestational age increases. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Utilization of growth monitoring and promotion services among children younger than 2 years in West Armachiho district, Northwest Ethiopia.

Introduction: Inadequate physical growth and poor development of children are prevalent and significant problems worldwide, with 149 million children younger than 5 years stunted and 49 million wasted. Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is one of the major activities implemented with the aim of capturing growth faltering before the child reaches the status of undernutrition. In relation to this, the Amhara region, where the study area is found, is a highly burdened area for child malnutrition. Thus, it needs further investigation about the utilization of GMP services and associated factors among children younger than 2 years in the study area. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the utilization of growth monitoring and promotion services and associated factors among children younger than 2 years. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the West Armachiho district, including 703 mother-child pairs, with a response rate of 94.7%. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyzes were performed. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Results: The proportion of utilization of growth monitoring and promotion services in the West Armachiho district was 13.7% (95%Cl; 11.2, 16.4). Factors such as maternal educational status (AOR = 2.17, 95%Cl; 1.05, 4.49), institutional delivery (AOR = 3.16, 95%Cl; 1.62, 6.13), family size (AOR = 2.66, 95%Cl; 1.13, 6.23), access to health facility (AOR = 3.17, 95%Cl; 1.45, 6.95), and maternal knowledge (AOR = 4.53, 95%Cl; 2.71, 7.59) were significantly associated with the utilization of growth monitoring and promotion services. Conclusion: Utilization of growth monitoring and promotion services in children younger than 2 years in the West Armachiho district was low. Thus, giving due attention to the improvement of the knowledge of the mothers/caregivers about child GMP services and counseling them about the importance of facility delivery is vital to improving growth monitoring and promotion services in the area.

Monitoring of a Productive Blue-Green Roof Using Low-Cost Sensors.

Considering the rising concern over climate change and the need for local food security, productive blue-green roofs (PBGR) can be an effective solution to mitigate many relevant environmental issues. However, their cost of operation is high because they are intensive, and an economical operation and maintenance approach will render them as more viable alternative. Low-cost sensors with the Internet of Things can provide reliable solutions to the real-time management and distributed monitoring of such roofs through monitoring the plant as well soil conditions. This research assesses the extent to which a low-cost image sensor can be deployed to perform continuous, automated monitoring of a urban rooftop farm as a PBGR and evaluates the thermal performance of the roof for additional crops. An RGB-depth image sensor was used in this study to monitor crop growth. Images collected from weekly scans were processed by segmentation to estimate the plant heights of three crops species. The devised technique performed well for leafy and tall stem plants like okra, and the correlation between the estimated and observed growth characteristics was acceptable. For smaller plants, bright light and shadow considerably influenced the image quality, decreasing the precision. Six other crop species were monitored using a wireless sensor network to investigate how different crop varieties respond in terms of thermal performance. Celery, snow peas, and potato were measured with maximum daily cooling records, while beet and zucchini showed sound cooling effects in terms of mean daily cooling.

Prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months: a cross-sectional analysis from South-East Ethiopia.

To meet the 2030 goal to end all types of malnutrition, thoroughly investigating and addressing context-specific factors of undernutrition is crucial. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in South-East Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 580 randomly sampled mother-child pairs in February 2022. Socio-demographic, dietary intake, household food security (HFS), maternal knowledge and practices of child feeding, and the child's weight and height data were collected. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was done. The prevalence of stunted, wasted, and underweight children was 32⋅1, 7, and 9 %, respectively. Being male (AOR = 1⋅75), not using the growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) service (AOR = 1⋅50), household food insecurity (HFI) (AOR = 1⋅67), lack of improved water (AOR = 2⋅26), and bottle-feeding (AOR = 1⋅54) were significantly associated with stunting. Being male (AOR = 3⋅02), having low maternal knowledge on child-feeding practices (AOR = 3⋅89), not listening to the radio/television (AOR = 3⋅69), having a history of fever (AOR = 3⋅39), bottle-feeding (AOR = 3⋅58), and HFI (AOR = 3⋅77) were significantly predicted wasting. Being male (AOR = 3⋅44), not using GMP service (AOR = 2⋅00), having a history of fever (AOR = 4⋅24), lack of knowledge on optimal breastfeeding duration (AOR = 3⋅58), low maternal knowledge on child feeding (AOR = 2⋅21), HFI (AOR = 2⋅04), and lack of improved water (AOR = 3⋅00) showed significant association with underweight. In conclusion, stunting is alarmingly common while wasting and underweight are sub-optimal. Prevention of infectious disease, providing basic education for fathers, ensuring HFS; enhancing media access, maternal knowledge about IYCFP and improving water access; and GMP service utilisation are crucial to improve child nutrition.

Aplicación móvil para el seguimiento del crecimiento y cuidado nutricional del bebé en hogares colombianos

Introducción: El predominio y asequibilidad actual de los teléfonos móviles inteligentes han permitido una amplia difusión de variedad de aplicaciones a nivel mundial para el monitoreo del crecimiento y del estado nutricional de los lactantes. No obstante, la mayoría de estos recursos no son lo suficientemente completos para proveer una interfaz amigable de seguimiento del crecimiento, combinada con una adecuada educación parental en materia de nutrición y alimentación complementaria. Objetivos: Este trabajo pretende presentar el desarrollo y evaluación de la aplicación propuesta "Baby Home", con el fin de estudiar su potencial como herramienta digital de apoyo a padres y cuidadores en el cuidado nutricional de sus niños desde el hogar. Materiales y métodos: Baby Home integra una interfaz de seguimiento interactivo del crecimiento del bebé con una serie de contenidos educativos alimentarios, posibilitando al usuario consultar las prácticas recomendadas según el estado nutricional estimado de su bebé. Un conjunto de 7 jueces expertos fue reunido para evaluar la validez de estos contenidos consignados en la aplicación. Posteriormente, se llevó a cabo un estudio de prueba piloto con 8 madres participantes, las cuales aportaron en las fortalezas y debilidades de las funcionalidades propuestas. Resultados: la aplicación desarrollada muestra una aprobación positiva por los especialistas consultados y una aceptación satisfactoria entre las madres participantes gracias a su diseño amigable y funcionalidades de fácil uso. Los recursos visuales implementados prueban ser adecuados para la apropiación de los contenidos alimentarios y el empoderamiento del usuario en torno a los cuidados nutricionales que requieren sus niños. Conclusiones: Baby Home se ubica como un soporte práctico y accesible para el cuidado nutricional del lactante, otorgando seguridad y confianza al usuario en la alimentación de su niño y disponiendo la posibilidad de detectar oportunamente problemas de crecimiento.

Introduction: The current prevalence and affordability of smartphones have enabled a broad diffusion of a variety of mobile applications worldwide for monitoring infant's growth and nutritional status. However, most of these resources are not comprehensive enough to provide a user-friendly interface for growth tracking combined with proper parental education on nutrition and complementary feeding. Objectives: This work aims to present the development and evaluation of the proposed application "Baby Home", in order to study its potential as a digital tool for supporting parents and caregivers in the nutritional care of their children from home. Materials and methods: Baby Home integrates an interactive baby growth monitoring interface with a collection of educational content on infant feeding, allowing the user to check the recommended practices based on the estimated nutritional status of their baby. A panel of seven expert judges was assembled to evaluate the validity of these contents included in the application. Subsequently, a pilot study was carried out with eight participating mothers who contributed to the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed functionalities. Results: The developed application received positive feedback by the consulted specialists and a satisfactory acceptance within the participating mothers thanks to its friendly design and easy-to-use functionalities. The implemented visual resources proved to be well suited for the user's appropriation of feeding contents and their empowerment regarding the nutritional care required by their children. Conclusions: Baby Home is positioned as a practical and accessible support for the nutritional care of infants, providing safeness and confidence to the user in their child's feeding and the possibility of timely detection of growth problems.

Short Stature for Age in Children of 5 to 16 Years: The First Research from the Northern Himalayan Region of India.

Introduction: Anthropometric parameters play vital role in monitoring growth in pediatrics. Many etiological factors lead to short stature. So, before assessing the etiological factors short stature needs to be addressed. This study aimed to screen short stature for age in school-going children aged 5 to 16 years in Uttarakhand. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, the height (through stadiometer) and weight (through weight machine) of 4189 students of government and private school in Rishikesh (Uttarakhand) aged 5-16 years were measured after the verbal assent of the students and individual's height is in the 3rd percentile for the mean height of a given age, sex, and population group and was considered short stature. The data collection was performed from October 2019 to July 2021. The data were categorized according to different age groups to 5-8 years, 9-12 years, and 13-16 years. The data were recorded in Microsoft (MS) Excel spreadsheet program. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v23 (IBM Corp.) was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics were elaborated in the form of means or standard deviations and medians or Interquartile range IQRs for continuous variables and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. The Chi-square test was used for group comparisons for categorical data. Results: 7.1% of children were short stature (height 143.16 ± 15.09 cm) in the Himalayan belt, and males were more prone to short stature at age of 9-12 years. Conclusion: In the growing phase of children, the etiology of short stature has to be rectified, so the children can achieve such proper growth. Parents and physicians have to assess and monitor the growth of children timely. This study can be a stepping stone for further epidemiological studies.

Analyzing Best Practices for Pediatric Well-Child Clinic Visits in the United States for Children Aged Three to Five Years: A Review.

Inadequate routine healthcare check-up visits for children aged three to five years impose substantial economic and social burdens due to morbidity and mortality. The absence of regular well-child visits and vaccinations leads to avoidable diseases, underscoring the need for a renewed emphasis on childhood immunizations and check-ups. Out of 160 articles initially screened after removing duplicates, 45 were chosen for full-text review following initial title and abstract screening by two independent reviewers. Afterward, 20 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria during the final assessment of full-text articles, and data were systematically extracted from these selected studies using standardized forms to ensure accuracy and consistency. Well-child visits promote holistic development, health, and well-being in children aged three to five years. Following established guidelines and evidence-based practices, healthcare professionals provide assessments, vaccinations, and guidance for a healthy future. Despite challenges, well-child visits are vital for preventive care, empowering informed decisions for children's growth and development. The benefits of well-child visits encompass growth monitoring, anticipatory guidance, and preventive measures, crucial for children with chronic illnesses. Key components include comprehensive assessments, developmental screenings, vision and hearing evaluations, immunizations, health education, and counseling. In the case of juvenile diabetes, parental education is paramount. Parents need to understand the intricacies of insulin administration, including proper dosage calculation based on glucose measurements, meal planning, and the importance of timing insulin injections. Implementing guidelines and principles by organizations such as Bright Futures and the American Academy of Pediatrics ensures holistic care, parent involvement, and evidence-based practices. This review explores best practices and guidelines for such visits, emphasizing their role in monitoring and promoting children's development.

Socioeconomic disparities in Rwanda's under-5 population's growth tracking and nutrition promotion: findings from the 2019-2020 demographic and health survey.

BACKGROUND: Regular growth monitoring can be used to evaluate young children's nutritional and physical health. While adequate evaluation of the scope and quality of nutrition interventions is necessary to increase their effectiveness, there is little research on growth monitoring coverage measurement. The purpose of this study was to investigate socioeconomic disparities in under-5 Rwandan children who participate in growth monitoring and nutrition promotion. METHODS: We used data from the 2019-2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS), which included 8092under-5 children. Percentage was employed in univariate analysis. To examine the socioeconomic inequalities, concentration indices and Lorenz curves were used in growth monitoring and nutrition promotion among under-5 children. RESULTS: A weighted prevalence of 33.0% (95%CI: 30.6-35.6%) under-5 children growth monitoring and nutrition promotion was estimated. Growth monitoring and nutrition promotion among under-5 children had higher uptake in the most disadvantaged cohort, as the line of equality sags below the diagonal line in Lorenz curve. Overall, there was pro-poor growth monitoring and nutrition promotion among under-5 in Rwanda (Conc. Index = 0.0994; SE = 0.0111). Across the levels of child and mother's characteristics, the results show higher coverage of under-5 growth monitoring and nutrition promotion in the most socioeconomic disadvantaged cohort. CONCLUSION: The study found a pro-poor disparity in growth monitoring and nutrition promotion among under-5 children in Rwanda. By implication, the most disadvantaged children had a higher uptake of growth monitoring and nutrition promotion. The Rwanda government should develop policies and programmes to achieve the universal health coverage for the well-off and underserved population.