Update on percutaneous and perventricular device closure of congenital ventricular septal defect.

INTRODUCTION: Ventricular septal defect is the most common congenital heart defect. Surgical repair has been standard therapy for symptomatic ventricular septal defects since the 1950s. Catheter-based device closure of ventricular septal defects emerged in the 1980s and has become a safe and effective alternative in select patients. AREAS COVERED: This review focuses on patient selection and procedural techniques for device closure of ventricular septal defects, including percutaneous and hybrid perventricular approaches. The available devices used for these procedures and outcomes of their use are reviewed. EXPERT OPINION: Percutaneous and perventricular device closure of ventricular septal defects is safe and effective in select patients. However, the majority of ventricular septal defects requiring closure continue to be managed with conventional surgery. Further development and investigation of transcatheter and hybrid surgical approaches for closing ventricular septal defects is required.

Parental perceptions of child's healthy diet: Evidence from a rapidly developing country.

BACKGROUND: There are no studies in Qatar or in the Middle East to investigate parental perception of healthy diet in childhood. PURPOSE: To investigate parental perception of childhood healthy diet in the State of Qatar. METHODS: Cross-sectional prospective study at Hamad Medical Corporation, State of Qatar. Parents of children <14 years old were invited to complete a questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 398 parents agreed to participate, while 22 parents refused (response rate 94%). About 80% of parents were between 20 and 39 years of age, and 77% were females. Around 230 (58%) parents had ≥1 housemaid to help with housework, including food preparation. Whilst 151 children (37%) fell into the overweight and obese category, only 68 parents (17%) perceived that their child was in this category. Less than half the participants (n = 179, 45%) stated that childhood weight should be monitored prior to 5 years of age, while around 35% stated the same, but for children ages 5-14 years. Most participants (n = 324, 81%) agreed that parental eating habits could influence childhood weight. In terms of food preparation at home, mothers cooked almost 50% of the times, housemaids 30%, followed by grandmothers (16.6%), and fathers (3.4%). When asked about the frequency of school meals being prepared at home, 237 parents (60%) prepared their children's lunch box only 1-2 times per week. Moreover, 63% of parents chose the quality of food based on nutritional values, while 44% and 35% chose it based on safety and taste, respectively. When queried about whether the child's pediatrician or the primary care physician counsel families regarding childhood healthy diet, 187 families (47%) had not received counseling by their children's health care providers. Most families agreed that healthy diets lead to better school performance (n = 372, 94%) and better physical activity quality (n = 379, 96%). Compared to families living in the rural areas, parents living in the capital Doha had better insights that healthy diets result in better in school performance (p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Parental perception is an important target for public health interventions. Within the current sample, families were aware of the positive impact of healthy diet on overall wellbeing. Qatar is a well-resourced country and it would be cost effective to train and professionally develop pediatricians and primary care physicians to be more proactive in tackling childhood obesity.