Developmental level of joint attention ability in children aged 16-30 months and related influencing factors / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the developmental level of joint attention ability in children aged 16-30 months and factors influencing the developmental level.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A questionnaire survey was performed among 1 675 children aged 16-30 months who visited the Department of Child Health Care in Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital between September and December, 2016 to investigate their joint attention ability and related influencing factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 1 675 children, 1 579 (94.27%) had reactive joint attention ability at the age of 16-30 months, and 1 428 (85.25%) had active joint attention ability. The percentages of children with reactive joint attention ability and active joint attention ability in boys were lower than in girls (P<0.001). Mother's age, father's occupation, annual family income, way of conception, intended or unintended pregnancy, and mode of delivery were factors influencing the total score of joint attention ability and the scores of reactive/active joint attention ability (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Most children have reactive joint attention ability and active joint attention ability at the age of 16-30 months. During this period of age, boys tend to have poorer joint attention ability than girls. Mother's age, father's occupation, annual family income, way of conception, intended or unintended pregnancy, and mode of delivery are associated with the development of joint attention.</p>

Relationship between the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids and the leukotriene expression in children with asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the relationship between leukotriene expression in blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) and the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) in children with asthma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-two children with asthma (5-12 years) and ten healthy children (control group) were enrolled. The asthmatic children were subdivided into ICS well-controlled and ICS poorly-controlled groups based on their clinical symptoms and lung function. The level of leukotriene C4 synthase (LTC4S) mRNA in PMNL was detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The level of LTC4S mRNA was expressed by the value of qCt, and the value of qCt was diversely correlated with the level of LTC4S mRNA expression. The concentration of urinary leukotriene E4 (LTE4) was measured using ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of LTC4S mRNA in PMNL was significantly higher in children with asthma (qCt: 1.12+/-0.27) than that in the control group (qCt: 1.42+/-0.12; P< 0.05). The expression of LTC4S mRNA in PMNL in the ICS poorly-controlled group (qCt: 1.03+/-0.17) was significantly higher than that in the ICS well-controlled group (qCt: 1.24+/-0.33; P< 0.05) and the control group(1.42+/-0.12; P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in the level of urinary LTE4 among the the ICS poorly-controlled, the ICS well-controlled and the control groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LTC4S mRNA expression in PMNL in asthmatic children increases, and the LTC4S mRNA expression in the ICS poorly-controlled group is higher than that in the ICS well-controlled group. This suggests that an increased leukotriene expression might be associated with poorly-controlled asthma.</p>

Simultaneous treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children with a nasally inhaled glucocorticosteroid / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the efficacy of a nasally inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) through a spacer with mask aiming at simultaneous treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma in children and make an analysis on the costs.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A total of 72 children with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma were randomized into two groups. Experimental group received budesonide inhaler (400 microg/d) through the nose using a spacer attached to a face mask, control group children orally inhaled budesonide dry powder (400 microg/d) plus a nasal spray of budesonide aquae (256 microg/d).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The patients were observed for 12 weeks. The symptom scores of rhinitis of both experimental group and control group declined (F=6.529 and 7.014, all P<0.01), symptom scores of asthma in both group were also reduced (F=4.132 and 4.950, P<0.01). The pulmonary function PEF (L/min) in both groups continuously increased (F=2.750 and 3.282, P<0.05). But the clinical scores, PEF value and FEV1 all did not differ between the two groups at admission or at nearly all follow-up visits (P>0.05 for all). The proportion of dry nose was lower in experimental group than in the control group (5.6% vs. 19.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant. The cost in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Nasal inhalation of ICS provides a therapeutic strategy for controlling AR and asthma in children, especially it result in higher compliance, lower costs, and fewer side effects.</p>