Prevention of vitamin D deficiency in children. The state of the problem in the world and in Ukraine.

The article presents current data on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and criteria for its deficiency in children in different countries. Vitamin D is recognized as one of the most important vitamins involved in many biochemical processes in the body. Its active metabolites play a key role in calcium absorption, bone mineralization and promote phosphate and magnesium metabolism. At the same time, in addition to affecting mineral metabolism, there is a wide range of conditions in which vitamin D also plays a preventive role. Vitamin D has been shown to play a vital role in innate immunity maintenance and is important in prevention of several diseases, including infections, autoimmune diseases, certain forms of cancer, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Vitamin D is of particular importance for newborns and young children. This vitamin is involved in important physiological regulatory processes such as bone metabolism, lung development, maturation of the immune system and differentiation of the nervous system. Vitamin D deficiency increases risks of neonatal sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, respiratory distress syndrome, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Adequate intake of vitamin D and calcium during childhood can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and other diseases associated with vitamin D deficiency in adults. Recently, vitamin D deficiency has shown to be a potential risk factor for COVID-19 propensity. It has been established that to date most scientific pediatric societies have recognized the need to prevent vitamin D deficiency in healthy children of all ages, but data on the dosage of vitamin D in its prophylactic use differ. Most scientific societies recommend an average of 400-600 IU per day of vitamin D for prophylactic purposes. The analysis of published data shows the need to follow a strategy based on an individual approach, taking into account physiological characteristics, individual requirements and lifestyle.Copyright © 2021 University of Tartu Press. All rights reserved.

Societal drivers of antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is caused by and exacerbates social and health inequalities. Human and animal antimicrobial use is contributing as much as societal failures to dispose of and manage our waste and respect our environment. A multisector, multidisciplinary approach is required to resolve these issues.Copyright © ERS 2023.

Evolution in Infectious Causes of Death in Liveborn Children in a Major Tertiary Children's Hospital: A Retrospective Autopsy Review of over 1200 Cases

Background: Infections have historically been a leading cause of death, particularly in children. Medical advances, including vaccines and antimicrobials, have significantly decreased infection-related deaths, but infections remain a cause of pediatric mortality, especially in premature infants. The types of infections implicated in childhood deaths have changed with these advances, for example, meningitis and meningococcal infections were leading causes in 1981 but not in the later period. The incidence and etiologies of infection- related deaths may be altered by major events that modify not only medical practices but also societal attitudes and activities. Examples of such events include the HIV/AIDS epidemic that began in the early 1980s and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic. In order to investigate changes in infection-related pediatric deaths over time, we analyzed and compared autopsy cases performed during 5-year span prior to both the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic in which infections contributed to death. Method(s): Review of all autopsy cases performed at our institution between 1/1/1975-1/1/1980 and between 1/1/2015-1/1/2020 was performed to identify cases in which infection directly contributed to death, comprising 1262 cases. Only liveborn children were considered, and neonatal sepsis from amniotic sac infections was excluded. Comparison of decedent characteristics and infectious etiologies between the two time periods was performed, identifying age, race, sex, gestational age (for decedents less than 3 months of age), and etiologic class of agent (bacterial, viral, fungal or parasitic). TORCH infections and vaccine-preventable illnesses were specifically assessed. Proportions were compared using 1 (assessing TORCH, vaccine-preventable, and prematurity deaths)- or 2-tailed (all others) z-tests, with significance calculated at the < 0.05 level. Result(s): In the 1970s cohort, 300 infectious autopsy cases were identified in liveborn children;73 were identified in the 2010s. Compared to the 2010s cohort, the 1970s decedents were more likely to be white (85% v 53%, p=0.012), comprise children aged 1-5 and 13+ (22% v 6.8% [p=0.003] and 16.4% v 8.3% [p=0.036]), and were less likely to be premature (66.7% v 80.4%, p=0.039). Vaccine-preventable illnesses (for example: measles) accounted for 36 deaths in the 1970s cohort but only 2 in the 2010s cohort (p=0.009). Thirteen children died of TORCH infections (CMV, toxoplasmosis and HSV) versus 5 in the 2010s (CMV and HSV), which did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion(s): Pediatric mortality secondary to infections has decreased significantly compared to fifty years ago, especially in younger children and in relation to vaccine-preventable infections such as meningococcal disease. This drop is largely attributed to medical advances, including vaccines and antimicrobial medications. Additional contributing factors could include practices adopted post-HIV/AIDS, especially in the community. Further exploration of how such changes in medical and social practice impacted mortality and comparing them to changes occurring in the intra/post-COVID-19 era, is helpful. Yet, with the increased survival of premature infants, they remain at risk of devastating consequences from infections.

A Case of SARS-CoV-19-Associated Encephalitis in a Neonate

Objective: To describe a case of SARS-CoV-19-associated encephalitis in a neonate. Method(s): Case report. Report: A 9-day-old term neonate presented with two focal motor seizures (right upper limb jerking and facial twitching). He had a 1-day history of coryzal illness with reduced feeding, but was afebrile. Antenatal course was uneventful. He was born at term via vaginal delivery. He did not require resuscitation or admission to SCBU. Maternal history was notable for symptomatic SARS-CoV-19 infection at time of delivery. Two siblings subsequently tested positive for SARS-CoV-19. He had further seizures in the emergency department and was loaded with phenobarbitone. The infant was stabilised locally and transferred to a tertiary paediatric hospital for the management of neonatal sepsis. He never required respiratory support. However, he was diffusely hypotonic with poor suck, necessitating nasogastric feeding. Nasopharyngeal PCR was positive for SARS-CoV-19. Lumbar puncture microscopy was negative (WCC 6). All CSF bacterial and viral investigations were negative. CSF testing of SARS-CoV-19 was not available. Brain MRI revealed bilateral asymmetric areas of reduced diffusivity involving the subcortical white matter, medulla and the corpus callosum with frontal lobe predominance. He made a full neurologic recovery with supportive therapies and was discharged following a 9-day admission. He had no further clinical seizures and phenobarbitone was successfully weaned pre-discharge. Conclusion(s): In the absence of another aetiology or antenatal risk factor, SARS-CoV-19 infection was presumed causative in this case of focal seizures and white matter changes in this term neonate. White matter abnormalities on MRI imaging are reported in neonates with seizures in the context of other viral infections. Single case reports have been published of SARS-CoV-19 infection with associated abnormal MRI brain findings, particularly diffusion abnormalities of the corpus callosum, as seen in our case.

Severe Pulmonary Hemorrhage in a 3 Weeks Old Neonate with Covid-19 Infection

Aims To describe a case of 3 weeks old neonate presenting with severe pulmonary hemorrhage due to COVID-19 infection and its outcome. Methods We report an interesting case of pulmonary hemorrhage presenting at a young age of 3 weeks, in a previously healthy neonate who was infected with COVID-19 virus;Literature review and investigation results are included. This is a 3-week-old female, a product of full-term pregnancy and an uneventful perinatal course. She was admitted from the emergency department initially as a case of late neonatal sepsis, where a full septic workup was done. Her presenting complaints were low-grade fever and a blocked nose for one day. She was hemodynamically stable in the emergency department except for tachycardia secondary to fever, which improved once the fever was controlled. Her initial blood workup, including blood gas and CSF study, was reassuring (table 1a). Her COVID PCR was positive with a CT value of 17.77. She was treated with IV antibiotics and supportive management. Later that day, the patient developed cardiopulmonary arrest, CPR was initiated, and the patient was intubated. The patient was found to have pulmonary hemorrhage as evident by the fresh blood coming out of the endotracheal tube and the chest X-Ray findings of ground-glass opacities and dense consolidation (figure 1). After initial brief stabilization, the patient started deteriorating requiring escalation of respiratory support to HFOV. The patient continued to deteriorate and developed bilateral pneumothorax requiring bilateral chest tube insertion. After chest tube insertion, there was a mild transient improvement in oxygenation. The patient was put on the maximum ventilatory settings, but she kept having frequent desaturation, requiring frequent manual bag to tube ventilation. Later, she started developing progressive hypotension, that required support with maximum doses of inotropes. Her urine output started decreasing, for which frusemide were started with no response. Blood investigations showed severe DIC picture (table 1b and 1c). She was empirically covered with Meropenem and Vancomycin along with Remdesivir and Dexamethasone for COVID 19 pneumonia. Eventually, the child developed progressive desaturation, hypotension, and poor perfusion. Shortly after that, she developed cardiac arrest and was declared dead. Results The clinical picture of COVID 19 infection is more indistinct in children than in adults, with the most common symptoms being fever, cough, dyspnea, and malaise. In the few published cases of COVID-19 in the neonate, the presentation was that of late neonatal sepsis;interestingly, the lung involvement was not described as frequently as in older age groups. Pulmonary hemorrhage has been reported in adults but rarely in children. Some reports in adults suggested that patients with COVID infection had an increased inflammatory state that led to the development of vasculitis and pulmonary hemorrhage. Up to our knowledge, this is the youngest age at which a patient with COVID-19 infection developed pulmonary hemorrhage with no other underlying cause of it. Conclusion While many of the cases of COVID infection in children are mild, fatal complications like pulmonary hemorrhage can be present. Adding new challenges to the management of this viral infection.

COVID-19 Infection in Parturients: Comparative Neonatal and Maternal Outcomes in a Single-institute Regional Hospital in Thailand

Objective: Chonburi province is ranked fourth in Thailand in terms of COVID-19 cases. The objective was to compare neonatal and maternal outcomes among pregnant women with and without COVID-19 infection delivered in Chonburi hospital. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective matched cohort study that included all pregnant women who delivered between January 1 and August 31, 2021, at Chonburi Hospital, Thailand. The exposure group comprised women with a current or previous positive COVID-19 PCR test, while the comparators were the PCR negative group. The matching ratio was 1:4, based on gestational and maternal age, parity, and the closest delivery date. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Results: Forty-six pregnant women had a positive COVID-19 PCR, 24 (52.17%) were Thai and 22 (47.83%) were of other ethnicities. Most (60.87%) were asymptomatic or required no medical assistance. Three (6.52%) had severe pneumonia and required respiratory support. Neither maternal death nor vertical transmission was detected. Compared with 184 COVID-19-negative pregnant women, no significant differences in low APGAR score of less than 7, and preeclampsia in the 46 COVID-19-positive pregnant women were observed. However, COVID-19-positive pregnant women showed an increased rate of neonatal respiratory distress (RD) (relative risk [RR] 2.55;95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04 to 6.21] and clinical early-onset neonatal sepsis (RR 3.60;1.55 to 8.36). Additionally, a higher cesarean section rate was observed in the COVID-19 positive group (RR 1.45, 1.11 to 1.85). Conclusion: There were no significant differences in neonates with APGAR of less than 7 between the cohort of 46 pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19 and those who tested negative. However, a higher rate of cesarean delivery, presumed early-onset neonatal septicemia, and RD in the COVID-19 positive group were noted and should be monitored.

Early detection of cerebral palsy among a high-risk cohort in low resource settings

Objective: Delayed diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) limits access to early interventions when the infant brain has the most neuroplastic potential, particularly in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The 2017 clinical guideline on the early diagnosis of CP outlines best practice tools to support diagnosis. We aimed to assess the feasibility of implementing these tools for early detection of CP in Bangladesh. Design: Prospective cohort study. Method: Neonates admitted to a regional tertiary hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Bangladesh with major risk factors for CP (preterm birth, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy/ neonatal encephalopathy [HIE/NE], neonatal sepsis and/or severe jaundice/kernicterus) were enrolled. A physician identified eligible neonates via physical assessment, medical record review and parent interview using a risk factor questionnaire developed for this study. General Movements Assessment (GMA) were completed at the time of recruitment (writhing period) and 13 weeks corrected age (fidgety age);neuroimaging data collected from the NICU;and Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) conducted at 12 months corrected age. Due to the impact of COVID-19, a proportion of the cohort were not able to have GMA fidgety videos completed and the first HINE assessment was delayed to 12 months. GMA data is not currently reported in this . Results: A total of 227 high risk neonates were recruited between November 2019 to March 2020. All neonates had evidence for prematurity and infection/sepsis on physical examination, 83.7% (n = 190) had HIE/NE and 14.5% (n = 33) had severe jaundice/kernicterus. Only 1.8% (n = 4) had cranial ultrasound and none had magnetic resonance imaging. Of the surviving (76.7%, n = 174) infants, 77.0% (n = 134) were assessed at 12 months. Among them, writhing videos and fidgety videos were previously collected for 100% (n = 134) and 29.9% (n = 40) respectively. At 12 months, 32.1% (n = 43) infants were identified to have CP of whom 90.7% (n = 39) infants had global HINE score <66 (sensitivity 90.7% and specificity: 97.8%). Conclusion: Despite study attrition and the impact of COVID-19, it was feasible to collect GMA videos in inpatient setting and infants at risk of CP were diagnosed as early as 12 months in a LMIC. Use of the structured risk factor questionnaire and adherence to best practice guidelines ensured a highly sensitive screening process and diagnostic outcomes. Our interim findings demonstrate the scope of this simple and scalable protocol in supporting clinicians for the early identification of infants with CP to facilitate early intervention and shared decision-making with families for best outcomes in LMICs.