Effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms, anthropometric measurements, and breastfeeding duration in infants with colic: a randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Infantile colic has a multifactorial etiology. Recent studies have suggested that probiotics may be effective in its management. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the Actiregularis strain (5×106 cfu\ml) included in maternal nutrition on gastrointestinal problems, growth development, and breastfeeding outcomes in infantile colic. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in the neonatal outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital in Turkey. METHODS: A probiotic drink containing the Actiregularis (5×106 cfu\ml) strain was added to the diet of mothers in the probiotics group once daily for 15 consecutive days. Data were collected for each infant's 0th (birth), 1st, 4th, and 6th months. RESULTS: Infants whose mothers were administered Actiregularis for 15 days had decreased crying intensity (P = 0.000). When the difference in breastfeeding rates between the groups was significant at the 4th and 6th months (P = 0.044; P = 0.035). There was no difference in anthropometric values except the babies' weights at the 6th month. (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Infants treated with Actiregularis, which was added to their mothers' diet for 15 days, showed a decrease in the frequency of crying, and the difference in breastfeeding rates between the groups was significant at the 4th and 6th months. There was no difference in anthropometric values except the babies' weights at the 6th month. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04374955 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/).

Effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms, anthropometric measurements, and breastfeeding duration in infants with colic: a randomized control trial

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Infantile colic has a multifactorial etiology. Recent studies have suggested that probiotics may be effective in its management. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the Actiregularis strain (5×106 cfu/ml) included in maternal nutrition on gastrointestinal problems, growth development, and breastfeeding outcomes in infantile colic. DESIGN AND SETTING: The study was a randomized controlled trial conducted in the neonatal outpatient clinic of a training and research hospital in Turkey. METHODS: A probiotic drink containing the Actiregularis (5×106 cfu/ml) strain was added to the diet of mothers in the probiotics group once daily for 15 consecutive days. Data were collected for each infant's 0th (birth), 1st, 4th, and 6th months. RESULTS: Infants whose mothers were administered Actiregularis for 15 days had decreased crying intensity (P = 0.000). When the difference in breastfeeding rates between the groups was significant at the 4th and 6th months (P = 0.044; P = 0.035). There was no difference in anthropometric values except the babies' weights at the 6th month. (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Infants treated with Actiregularis, which was added to their mothers' diet for 15 days, showed a decrease in the frequency of crying, and the difference in breastfeeding rates between the groups was significant at the 4th and 6th months. There was no difference in anthropometric values except the babies' weights at the 6th month. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT04374955 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/).

The Effect of 3 Methods (Buzzy, ShotBlocker, and DistrACTION Cards) Used While Taking Blood Samples From Children with Pain and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of 3 methods (Buzzy, ShotBlocker, and DistrACTION Cards) in reducing pain and anxiety while taking venous blood samples in children. METHODS: The study population consisted of children aged 9 to 12 years admitted to the Child Health and Diseases Department in a Faculty of Medicine in Turkey. The sample of the study consisted of 242 children (Buzzy = 60, ShotBlocker = 61, DistrACTION Cards = 60, control = 61) who met the patient selection criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The data were obtained using an Information Form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, visual analog scale, and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised. DESIGN: This article is an experimental randomized controlled study. RESULTS: During venous blood collection, the scores of visual analog scale were significantly lower in ShotBlocker, Buzzy, and DistrACTION Cards groups than the control group. It was also observed that the control group experienced more anxiety than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Methods such as Buzzy, ShotBlocker, and DistrACTION Cards can be used to reduce the anxiety and pain of children during painful procedures such as blood collection and vascular access. Among these methods, "Buzzy" and "DistrACTION Cards" can be preferred as it is equally effective, and then ShotBlocker can be preferred.

Probiotics added to maternal nutrition affect infantile colic symptoms and fecal microbiota profile: a single-blind randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Infantile colic has a multifactorial etiology; although various treatments have been attempted to manage and alleviate its symptoms, a solution is lacking, adversely affecting mothers and their babies. Recent studies have suggested that dysbiosis may play a role in the pathogenesis of infantile colic and that modulating the gut microbiota, including the use of probiotics, may aid its management. PURPOSE: This single-blind randomized controlled study evaluated the effect of probiotics (Actiregularis, 5×106) added to the diet of mothers on infantile colic symptoms and neonatal gut microbiota content. METHODS: A probiotic drink containing the Actiregularis (5× 106) strain was added to the diet of mothers in the experimental group once daily for 15 consecutive days. Stool samples were collected from each infant twice, on days 0 and 15, and fecal 16s rRNA gene sequencing and compositional-based metabolomic analyses were performed. The mothers recorded the babies' crying frequency and severity for 15 days using a daily form created by the researchers. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04374955). RESULTS: Infants whose mothers were supplemented with Actiregularis for 15 days showed a decreased frequency (P= 0.00) and intensity (P<0.001) of crying as well as a significantly increased bacterial diversity in the stools (P=0.017). This variety was substantially affected by the addition of probiotic products. The greatest species diversity was observed in the group treated with probiotics, while the least diversity was observed in the control group (Shannon, P=0.0043; Simpson, P=0.017). CONCLUSION: Babies treated with Actiregularis added to their mother's diet for 15 days showed decreased crying frequency and intensity and increased bacterial diversity and density.

Parenthood experiences of LGBT+ individuals: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to analyze the parenthood experiences of LGBT+ individuals. METHODS: The review was carried out between February and June 2020 and used key words about LGBT+ and/or parenthood, including, "lesbian and mother," "lesbian and parenthood," "gay and father," "gay and parenthood," and "trans and parenthood," which were published in databases, such as PubMed, Google Academic, Wiley Online Library, and ScienceDirect. RESULTS: We reviewed 19 research articles, and the majority of these articles suggested that LGBT+s faced negative reactions and discrimination when they decided to become parents. Once they became parents, the relationship of most of the LGBT+ individuals with their partners and the surrounding social environment improved and social support for and self-esteem of the LGBT+ individuals increased. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the heterosexual parents, LGBT+ individuals faced with various problems in their social, family, and professional lives during parenthood. Therefore, they need more family, legal, and social support.

Parenthood experiences of LGBT+ individuals: a systematic review

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to analyze the parenthood experiences of LGBT+ individuals. METHODS: The review was carried out between February and June 2020 and used key words about LGBT+ and/or parenthood, including, "lesbian and mother," "lesbian and parenthood," "gay and father," "gay and parenthood," and "trans and parenthood," which were published in databases, such as PubMed, Google Academic, Wiley Online Library, and ScienceDirect. RESULTS: We reviewed 19 research articles, and the majority of these articles suggested that LGBT+s faced negative reactions and discrimination when they decided to become parents. Once they became parents, the relationship of most of the LGBT+ individuals with their partners and the surrounding social environment improved and social support for and self-esteem of the LGBT+ individuals increased. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the heterosexual parents, LGBT+ individuals faced with various problems in their social, family, and professional lives during parenthood. Therefore, they need more family, legal, and social support.

Reliability and validity of the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool in the Turkish population.

BACKGROUND: breast milk is a natural source of nourishment, with a high level of bioefficacy that is easily digestible, easy to deliver, providing all the fluids, energy and nutrients that are needed for the optimum growth and development of a newborn. OBJECTIVE: this research aims to conduct a reliability and validity study of the Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (BBAT) in the Turkish population. DESIGN: the research was conducted in methodological design. SETTING: the Child Health Follow-up Polyclinic of a university hospital in Istanbul. PARTICIPANTS: the participants were 217 breastfed infants and their mothers. FINDINGS: the internal consistency of the Turkish version of Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77) and the intraclass correlation level are high (ICC = 0.89). Breastfeeding Assessment Tool displayed a high correlation with LATCH (Latch Audible, Swallowing, Type of Nipple, Comfort of Breast/Nipple, H-Hold/Position) (Pearson r = 0.76; p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding Assessment Tool was successfully adapted into Turkish as a reliable and valid breastfeeding assessment tool that can be quickly and easily administered, and it was shown that the instrument could be readily adapted into other languages as well. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the Turkish version of Breastfeeding Assessment Tool is now available to Turkish midwives and nurses, who will be able to employ an instrument for breastfeeding assessment that has been proven effective. More studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of the instrument.

Effect of Nonpharmacologic Pain Control During Examination for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of infant swaddling with oral administration of sucrose, swaddling with oral administration of breast milk, and swaddling with oral administration of distilled water (control) on pain perception in premature infants during a screening examination for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). DESIGN: A prospective, randomized controlled design was used. SETTING: The research was conducted in the NICU of a Level III university hospital in Istanbul. PARTICIPANTS: Data were obtained from 87 premature infants (54% female) who were less than 32 weeks gestation and 1500 g body weight. METHODS: The nonpharmacologic methods of swaddling with orally administered 0.2 ml of 24% sucrose, swaddling with orally administered breast milk, and swaddling with orally administered distilled water were implemented immediately before the ROP examination. The Premature Infant Pain Profile was used to evaluate pain. Means, standard deviations, and repeated-measures analysis of variance and one-way analysis of variance tests were used to evaluate pain score data. RESULTS: For 72.4% of the infants, the experimental session was the first time they were examined for ROP. No significant differences in Premature Infant Pain Profile scores were found across the three groups. CONCLUSION: Infant swaddlings with oral administration of sucrose or breast milk were no more effective than swaddling with oral administration of distilled water to reduce pain in premature infants during ROP examinations.

Prevalence of nocturnal enuresis and related factors in children aged 5-13 in istanbul.

OBJECTIVE: Enuresis is a health problem frequently encountered in childhood. This study was carried out in two socio-demographically different districts of the province of Istanbul, for the purpose of determining the relationship between the prevalence of primary nocturnal enuresis and certain demographic characteristics. METHODS: The study design is a cross-sectional carried out on 420 children (5 to 13 yr old) through random sampling. The research was conducted at two health centers in two different districts in the province of Istanbul. Data was collected with a questionnaire created by the researchers. Diagnosis of enuresis considered nocturnal voiding twice a week for at least three consecutive months. FINDINGS: Enuresis was a complaint expressed by 16.2% of the cases in the study group; 8.3% reported intermittent bedwetting. The data collected in the two districts pointed to a significant difference in terms of the frequency of enuresis in favor of the district where socio-demographic features were inferior (P<0.005). When family histories were explored in cases of children with enuresis, it was found that the mothers of 76.2% had the problem of enuresis while 14.9% had enuretic fathers. Thus statistically, the presence of enuresis in the family history was seen to have had a markedly significant impact on the occurrence of enuresis in the child (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that familial predisposition to the condition constituted a more significant risk factor for enuresis compared to socio-demographic or economic characteristics.

The Level of Knowledge and Behavior of Adolescent Male and Female Students in Turkey on the Matter of Reproductive Health.

In this research, the objective is to determine the level of knowledge, the sources of information and the behavior of adolescent male and female students in Turkey on the matter of reproductive health. The sample is comprised of 600 students randomly chosen from four different elementary schools. The survey form was used for data collection. In analyzing the data, we calculated averages and performed Chi-square tests. We determined that 82.3% of the students are aware of the changes in their own bodies, and 69.2% of them have knowledge about the place and the functions of their reproductive organs. We found established that 55.2% of the students have knowledge about puberty prior to this phase, and girls attain this knowledge mostly (78.2%) through their mothers, whereas boys (25.4%) attain it from the media. We found significant differences between boys and girls, including the following: the level of disturbance caused by puberty symptoms, the individuals informed about the symptoms, the feelings and the style of dress in puberty, and situations such as being happy or unhappy about the symptoms differ according to the sex of the student. These findings are statistically significant (p < 0.00). It is observed that the perception of puberty symptoms is different for boys and girls, and the girls are more open to communicate with their mothers, while the boys are more open to communicate with their friends.

Assessing mandated breastfeeding education in Istanbul.

PURPOSE: To assess the implementation of a breastfeeding education program for women in Istanbul against the backdrop of the relevant policies adopted by the country of Turkey. METHODS: Descriptive and cross-sectional survey of mothers of 801 infants, ages 0 to 12 months, who presented at the vaccination and neonatal follow-up unit of the Yenibosna Mother and Child Health and Family Planning Center in Istanbul. Mothers were interviewed using a questionnaire developed by the investigators. Frequency distributions and chi-square analyses were used for the data. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of the women in the sample had received breastfeeding education either when they gave birth or right afterward; 63.8% had initiated breastfeeding in the first hour after birth. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding was 81.1% in the first month, 51.5% in the fourth month, 19.8% in the sixth month, and 1% in the twelfth month. The average duration of exclusive breastfeeding was 3.45 months (+/-2.1). Introduction to a supplementary food started at an average of 4.4 months (+/-2.1), usually with tea, water, fruit juice, or yogurt. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Despite a government mandate to educate every new mother about the advantages of breastfeeding, less than one-half of the women in this study actually reported receiving the education. Nurses who work with pregnant and postpartum women can use this study to help guide implementation of interventions to increase breastfeeding programs. It is clear that more effort needs to go into teaching women not only about initiating breastfeeding, but also about exclusive breastfeeding until at least 6 months of age.

Evaluation of the birthweight values of newborns presenting at the Mother-Child Health and Family Planning Center in Yenibosna, Istanbul, Turkey.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of a number of variables related to the mother (age, educational level, employment status, cigarette smoking during pregnancy) and to the baby (sex and birth order) on newborns' birthweight. The research was carried out in the province of Istanbul, one of Turkey's large metropolises, at the Mother-Child Health and Family Planning Center in the district of Yenibosna, where 0-1 month old infants had been brought in for phenylketonuria screening and vaccinations. The mean age of the mothers was 26.1 +/- 4.8 years and the mean birthweight of the newborns was 3236.7 +/- 542.2 g. Of the infants, 6.3% were classified as having a low birthweight and 8.3% were large infants. The mean birthweight showed a statistical significance depending upon the infants' sex and birth order. The mean birthweight of the infants of the working mothers, as opposed to the unemployed mothers and the mothers in nuclear families, as opposed to the mothers in extended families, was higher.