ABSTRACT
Varicella vaccination in children has been performed worldwide in recent years. Despite established effectiveness, many countries still do not routinely vaccinate children against varicella, probably due to concerns about complications, such as herpes zoster infection. We aimed to compare the herpes zoster incidence in children before and after implementing the mandatory varicella vaccine in Israel in 2008. As a secondary aim, we characterized several parameters, including age, sex, and ethnic sector among herpes zoster cases, and we evaluated the complication rate to identify data relevant to the immunization status of the pediatric population. A retrospective study was conducted between 2000 and 2021, including patients aged 0-18 years old in a large cohort in southern Israel. A time series analysis and complication rates evaluations were performed in the pre- and post-vaccination eras. A total of 109.24 herpes zoster cases per 100,000 population per year were diagnosed between 2000 and 2007 (pre-vaccination era), compared to 354.71 herpes zoster cases per 100,000 population per year diagnosed between 2008 and 2021 (post-vaccination era) (p < 0.001). No change in the complication rate was documented. Thus, we concluded that there is an association between the varicella vaccine implementation program and the increase in the rate of herpes-zoster occurrence without a concurrent negative contribution to herpes zoster-related morbidity.
ABSTRACT
Data on the impact of paediatric atopic dermatitis on parental sleep are scarce. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of paediatric atopic dermatitis on the quality of parents' sleep. This cross-sectional study included parents of patients with atopic dermatitis and parents of healthy children who completed validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires. The study and control groups were compared, as were results for mild and moderate atopic dermatitis with severe atopic dermatitis, mothers and fathers, and different ethnic groups. A total of 200 parents were enrolled. Sleep latency was significantly longer in the study group compared with the control group. Sleep duration was shorter in the parents of the mild AD group compared with the moderate-severe and control groups. Parents in the control group reported more daytime dysfunction than parents in the AD group. Fathers of children with AD reported more sleep disturbance than mothers.
Subject(s)
Dermatitis, Atopic , Sleep Quality , Humans , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Dermatitis, Atopic/diagnosis , Parents , SleepABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: One-third of psoriasis cases occur in the pediatric population. Pediatric psoriasis has a negative long-term impact on the quality of life of children and their families. However, data regarding the impact of pediatric psoriasis on parental sleep quality are scarce. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of pediatric psoriasis on the quality of parents' sleep compared to parents of healthy, non-psoriatic children. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted from September 2020 to November 2021, using the validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The study population included parents of patients aged 2-18 years diagnosed with psoriasis and parents of healthy children of the same gender and ethnicity. We further compared sleep quality between parents of children with mild and moderate-to-severe psoriasis, and fathers to mothers. RESULTS: A total of 301 parents were enrolled; 151 parents of 83 children diagnosed with psoriasis and 150 parents of 124 healthy controls. Parents of children with psoriasis had significantly longer sleep latency (p = 0.031), worse subjective sleep quality (p = 0.043), and greater use of sleep medications (p < 0.001). The comparison between parents of moderate-severe with mild psoriatic children as well as mothers with fathers showed no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality was demonstrated among parents of children diagnosed with psoriasis compared to parents of healthy children. This finding is crucial for the direction of treatment efforts regarding parental well-being and functioning.
