[PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Infant Scales Parents Report for infants (ages 13-24 months). Linguistic validation from original US English version to Italian version]. / PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Infant Scales Parents Report versione per i genitori di bambini in eta prescolare (eta 13-24 mesi): validazione linguistica della versione italiana.

AIM: The purpose of this research was to show the translation and linguistic validation of the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Infant Scales Parents Report for Infants (ages 13-24 months) from its original English version to Italian language. METHODS: The linguistic validation consists in three steps: a) different forward translations from the original US English instrument to Italian; this step includes the drawing of a "reconciliation" version (version 1); b) backward translations from the Italian reconciliation version to US English; c) patient testing: the second version of the questionnaire (obtained after the backward translations) has to be tested on a panel of a minimum of 5 respondents, throughout cognitive interviewing methodology, in order to obtain the final italian version of the PedsQL™ Parents Report for Infants (ages 13-24 months). In this report we summarize the third step of this process. To study the content validity, the applicability and comprehension of our questionnarie translation, we tested it through a qualitative methodology in a sample of parents whose children were hospitalized in Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital with two different kinds of interview: 4 parents responded to the questions posed through a "thinkaloud interview" and 3 parents responded to the questionnaire and to a "respondent debriefing" interview. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We modified the main question of each section and also one of the possible answer in order to maintain the Italian translation that appeared in others PedsQL™. We did not modify the questions of each section because respondents expressed that are clearly comprehensible and easy to understand.

[Lactitol in chronic idiopathic constipation in children]. / Il lattitolo nella stipsi cronica idiopatica del bambino.

Fifty-one children affected by chronic idiopathic constipation (23 males, 28 females), ranging in age from 8 months to 16 years were enrolled in the study; 42 completed the trial. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A: 19 children treated with lactitol (250-400 mg/kg/day); Group B:23 patients treated with lactulose (500-750 mg/kg/day). Parents filled a questionnaire concerning clinical response to therapy for a period of 30 days. In 17 Group A children and in 17 Group B children orocecal transit time using H2 Breath Test with lactulose was performed. A statistically significant increase of week stool frequency was found after treatment both with lactitol or lactulose (p < 0.001). Nevertheless Group B patients complained abdominal pain (p < 0.005) and flatus (p < 0.001) more frequently. Other adverse reactions, such as vomiting and meteorism, were more frequent in Group B patients (n.s.). In addition patients treated with lactitol found that sugar as more palatable and had a better compliance to the therapy. Orocecal transit time did not show statistically significant differences after the therapy with both these sugars, indicating that the activity of lactulose and lactitol occurs in the colon and that small bowel functions are not affected by a previous therapy with these sugars. In conclusion, our study demonstrate that lactitol, because of the less number of side effects compared to lactulose, should be considered as an useful agent in the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation in childhood.