[Macciotta's disease and the biography of Giuseppe Macciotta]. / La malattia di Macciotta e la biografia di Giuseppe Macciotta.

Giuseppe Macciotta directed the Pediatric Clinic of Cagliari in Sardinia. He dedicated his work to the study of pathology present in Sardinia and the Mediterranean basin area, He identified a variant of the ß thalassemia major (homozygote Cooley's disease). He defined this variant as subchronic erythroblastosis, referred to by many as Macciotta's disease. Subchronic erythroblastosis, whose symptoms include earlier onset and a more difficult course of illness, was characterized by appearance generally at the beginning of the second trimester of the baby's life, and a course of illness between 5 and 10 months and a fatal outcome. The picture of the illness was dominated by hyperemolysis, erythroblastemia, medullar erythroblastosis and hyperbilirubinemia. The rapid course of the illness did not even allow time to damage the skeleton, and thus produced the formation of typical skeletal alterations and cardiomegalia. In the years which followed, transfusional and precocious and rational therapies were carried out which permitted the abeyance of the debilitating course of Macciotta's disease. The symptomatology was interrupted before any picture of greater or lesser seriousness could be drawn.

[Biography and bibliography of Francesco Fede, the founder of Italian pediatrics]. / Biografia e bibliografia di Francesco Fede, fondatore della pediatria italiana.

For the first time, an overall study of the life and works of Francesco Fede, the founder of Italian pediatrics, has been carried out. Unpublished biographical data was collected and the complete bibliographic works of Fede were presented. Fede is the hallmark of both scientific matter, which reached a climax in the definition of the Riga and Fede illness, and for his disinterested dedication as a Member of Parliament to foster development in didactics, research and assistance for pediatrics.

[Maria Sandrucci: up-to-date with science, supporter of equal rights]. / Maria Sandrucci: al passo con i tempi della scienza, testimone delle pari opportunità.

This is the first scientific study on Mary Sandrucci, who has been director of the Pediatric Clinic of the University of Turin from 1965-1966 up to 31 December 1989. Prof. Sandrucci led major studies on congenital heart disease, was the first Italian and among the first in Europe to describe phocomelia cases, to report on valuable studies antibiotics, uric acid, pediatric nephrology, nuclear medicine and genetics. She promoted the development of pediatric specialties, but at the same time promoted the study and practice of paediatrics as a whole. This study describes the past half century of medicine, history of Italian pediatrics and progress of the conquest of rights and equal opportunities for women.

[Libero Martoni: The paediatrician who brought "Nelson" to Italy]. / Libero Martoni il pediatra che portò in Italia il "Nelson."

Libero Martoni, director of the paediatric clinic in Bologna, brought the study of paediatrics to Italy and through an accurate and precise translation, introduced him to Italian paediatricians. Since 1955, the year of the first Italian translation, it has remained to today the fundamental text of paediatrics. It brought a remarkable contribution to the field of puericulture, hepatology and oncohematolgy, both in research and in manuals.

[Pediatric history in Pisa and the birth of world pediatrics]. / Storia della pediatria a Pisa dove à nata la pediatria mondiale.

The University of Pisa was the first in the world to nominate a professor of pediatirics. It was Gaetano Palloni who was nominated professor of ''children diseases'' on April 8(th), 1802 and was assigned to one of the two branch offices of the Pisan University, the one in Florence. He was assigned to ''Ospedale degli Innocenti'' where he taught and also supervised the clinical part. In 1923, he was nominated director of the Gennaro Fiore paediatric clinic and stayed there until 1952 when Augusto Gentili took over. In half a century there were only two professors and this didactic continuity made it possible for Pisa to become one of the greatest Italian pediatric schools.

[Pediatrics in Arezzo: a millennium]. / Un millennio di pediatria ad Arezzo.

The analysis of the evolution of Pediatrics in Arezzo, from 1100 until today, has been a very positive contribution to the study of pediatric history. It explains health problems and the true suburban environment allowing to verify the effective and operational applications of the laws issued by the central governments. In particular, it describes the care given to foundlings, the development of hospital facilities and the case of the six children who died of sepsis in 1959.

[Naples: the historic capital of Italian paediatrics]. / Napoli: capitale storica della pediatria italiana.

No other Italian city has contributed to the birth and development of paediatrics more than Naples. This is why it can be considered the historic capital of Italian paediatrics. Here are the main reasons: Luigi Somma was the first professor of Italian paediatrics whereas Francesco Fede was the first president of the Italian Paediatrics Association. Neapolitan paediatricians have been the most numerous amongst the founder members. The first three Italian journals of paediatrics were founded in Naples as well as the journal ''La Pediatria'' which was the most distributed and long-lasting journal in this field. Moreover, Neapolitans have been the most numerous presidents of the Italian Paediatrics Association, while Rocco Jemma was the one who remained the longest in charge. ''Rocco Jemma's school'' taught not only to most professors in paediatrics who afterwards taught in most Italian universities, but also four out of five paediatricians who took charge of the position as president. The first regional department of the Italian Paediatrics Association was founded in Naples as well as the Association of Nipiology.

[Antonino Longo: the school of Concetti and the birth of paediatrics in Catania]. / Antonino Longo:la scuola del Concetti e la nascita della pediatria a Catania.

The biography of Antonino Longo gives us the opportunity to gain knowledge in, even in everyday life, Luigi Concetti's school of paediatrics in Rome, the state of the art in some infectious diseases,and the reality of paediatrics in Catania where Longo founded University teachings and organised health care for children.

[Eugenio Schwarz Tiene was the pioneer of the study of congenital metabolic disorders]. / Eugenio Schwarz Tiene pioniere dello studio delle malattie metaboliche congenite.

Eugenio Schwarz Tiene was a key player in the field of Italian Paediatrics for over 30 years, dating back to 1946, when he became director of the Paediatrics Clinic at the University of Sassari and retired in 1976. During this period, he focused on developing the study of congenital metabolic disorders. At that time, very few types were known; subsequently, due to the introduction of new methods of diagnostic research, several thousand types were discovered. Also during this period, Eugenio Schwarz Tiene realised that scientific progress would require specialized training for specialist paediatricians. On this basis, he took charge of the organisation of the clinic in Milan, and, as a result, it was possible, after his retirement, to define a structure of Milanese clinics and hospitals in such a way as to create a series of paediatric centres, each with its own specialized direction. Thus the system currently in use in hospitals and universities can be traced to the one founded in Milan in 1976 by Tiene during his retirement.

[Alessandro Laurinsich, the key player in the progress of paediatrics in the 20(th) century]. / Alessandro Laurinsich, protagonista dei progressi della pediatria del XX secolo.

Alessandro Laurinsich was one of the greatest Italian paediatricians of the 20(th) century. He was born in Monfalcone (it was the province of Trieste, but now it belongs to Gorizia) on 29(th) May 1899. After having completed secondary school in Trieste, he obtained a medical degree with honours in 1922 at the University of Naples and entered the paediatric clinic run by Rocco Jemma. Laurinsich was in charge of teaching at the clinic of infectious diseases from 1937 to 1940. During this period he focused on the study of tuberculosis in children, the first applications of pnemoencephalography in Italy, but also studied different malignant tumors of the kidney, neurological and psychological disorders in children, as well as educational problems. In 1940 he had a teaching post in the peadiatric clinic at the University of Siena and remained until 1945 when he moved to Parma. He worked with illegitimate children as well as evacuees. During the 1945-46 academic year, Alessandro Laurinsich was called to direct the paediatric clinic of Parma University where he created a series of paediatric centres and took many initiatives in the area. In 1961 he was offered the paediatric teaching post at the University of Milan, but inexplicably refused it. He was Dean of the faculty of Medicine from 1956 to 1968. He passed away on 2(nd) February 1969 in Parma.

[Why was Rocco Jemma the greatest Italian paediatrician?]. / Perché Rocco Jemma è stato il più grande pediatra italiano?

Rocco Jemma was the greatest Italian paediatrician, because he left the greatest signs in history. The most important amongst his achievements is certainly the foundation of the Rocco Jemma School which spread all over Italy and provided the greatest number of paediatric teachers who reached excellence levels. He was, among all the presidents of the Italian Society of Paediatrics, the one who was in office for the longest time. The therapy of leishmaniosis, based on antimonial derivatives formulated by Jemma, is still used and respected today.

[Who was the very first teacher of paediatrics in Italy?]. / Chi é stato veramente il primo clinico pediatra d'Italia?

It has always been said that the first teachings of paediatrics in Italy were those of Dante Cervesato in Padua. However, documents indicate the historic groundlessness of such information. During the period after the unification of Italy and before Cervesato, teaching was carried out in Venice, Siena, Naples and Genoa. The first teaching post with a teaching hospital was founded in 1882 and appointed to Moisè Raffael Levi as a temporary professor following a national exam in Florence. Cervesato began lessons in May 1882, nevertheless was put in charge without a ward which was only assigned to him in 1889. He became temporary professor in 1885, 13 years after Levi. One cannot conclude without mentioning Aurelio Bianchi, Professor Levi's assistant, who had to abandon his university career in order to become head of the "Meyer" hospital in Florence due to the death of his predecessor.

[Ivo Nasso: infection medicine specialist and founder of neonatal intensive care]. / Ivo Nasso: infettivologo e fondatore della terapia intensiva neonatale.

Ivo Nasso (1892-1976), graduated in medicine in 1919, dedicated his work to the study of infectious diseases and was responsible for promoting the study of medicine for preterm and small for age patients and neonatal intensive care in Italy. Nasso developed one of the first pilot centres for immature infants. In fact, in the 1950s in Milan the mortality rate for immature infants in their first year of life was approximately 50%, whereas in the United States the figure was around 20-25% and in France around 35%. The installation of an immature infants' unit in Milan signaled a decrease in infant mortality down to 30%. The pilot centre for immature infants of the University of Milan was composed of 2 visiting rooms with wide glass doors, allowing the relatives to see the babies, an area for sterilisation, a milk bar and 4 hospitalisation rooms; one with incubators and one without, the room for babies in pre-discharging stages and one for isolated confinement. Thermostatic and thermo-electric cots were used. During the planning of the pilot centre Nasso arranged the isolated confinement area in such a way as to be able to identify the infections which he held to be of fundamental importance in the care of low weight babies. Particular importance was allotted to the pre-discharging area, which was comprised of a large area in the style of a veranda, enabling easier acclimatization.

[Adolescent emergencies: the need for active prevention to the spread of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)]. / Emergenza adolescenti: la necessità di fare una prevenzione attiva alla diffusione delle M.S.T. (malattie sessualmente trasmesse).

The authors suggest a program of diffusion of posters which invite young adolescents to pay attention to the symptoms of the S.T.D. They suggest also to found a telephone line where the adolescent can call for any problem or question.

[Adolescents and the conflict between generations. The role of the pediatrician]. / Gli adolescenti e il conflitto generazionale. Il ruolo del Pediatra.

In the period of adolescence the problems due to diseases go down and those due to the personality of young boys and girls increase. While the former can be cured by drugs, the latter need much reflection and help from Pediatricians.