[Treatment of eating disorders during hospitalization: presentation of a hospital intensive care program in pediatric age]. / Gestione dei disturbi del comportamento alimentare durante il ricovero: presentazione di un programma di terapia intensiva ospedaliera in eta pediatrica.

AIM: The aim of this study was to present a hospital intensive care program for patients affected by a severe eating disorders, with a significant loss of weight (BMI<15 and weight less than 25° centile), severe medical complications (orthostatic hypotension, bradycardia <40 bpm or tachycardia >110 bpm or inability to sustain core body temperature), abnormal laboratory data, especially electrolyte imbalance and refusal to take food and fluids. METHODS: In our study we reported 2 year follow-up of 16 patients treated with the hospital intensive care program between 2007 and 2008 in our department. RESULT: The proposed program was proved an efficient method in a critical phase of the alimentary behavior disorders. It was possible for all the patients to avoid alternative feeding techniques (enteral or parenteral) and to obtain a correct alimentation with a satisfactory improvement of clinical conditions. Eight patients (50%) fully recovered. 5 patients (31.25%) had a significant improvement reaching a BMI>18.5 and one of them had a regular menstrual cycle, too. However in this group of patients a strict modality to alimentation and concern about weight and physical appearance remain. In 3 patients (18.5%) the BMI is still low and amenorrhea persists. CONCLUSIONS: The hospital intensive care program, inspired by the cognitive-behavioral model, through a food rehabilitation and a psychotherapeutic and psychoeducational help, lets the patients and their family understand and modify the dysfunctional patterns, experimenting a right modality to approach alimentation, with a satisfactory improvement in clinical conditions.

[Classification of the instrument of assessment of children between 0 and 3 years of age]. / Classificazione degli strumenti di valutazione per bambini da 0-3 anni.

One of the difficulties described in epidemiological studies about psychopathology in children 0-3 years of age appears during the assessment phase. In fact, the assessment of indicators of particular difficulties in children is hampered by the rapid processes of transformation of behavior that cross all areas of child development. The aim of this article was to provide an overview as complete as possible of all instruments used in the assessment phase of children 0-3 years. The literature shows a number of tools for evaluation and diagnosis of psychopathology that have been divided into four categories: mental development tests, interviews with parents, questionnaires and rating scales, evaluation of the parent-child assessment of specific diagnostic entities. The main features of each instrument are described.