Background and Objectives: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic and serious condition that is characterized by inadequate pancreatic-β-cells’ insulin production. The connection between T1DM and Helicobacter pylori infection remains uncertain. This study aimed to conduct a systematic meta-analysis to examine the association between H. pylori infection, hemoglobin A1c levels, and the development of T1DM. Materials and Methods: The initial search identified 451 articles on the association between H. pylori infection and T1DM. Among them, 12 articles had 2797 participants who met the inclusion criteria for an advanced meta-analysis. Results: A significant association was observed between H. pylori infection and T1DM (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.47–2.12, p < 0.0001), with heterogeneity: Tau² = 0.47; Chi² = 57.07, df = 11 (p < 0.0001); I² = 81%. Subgroup analysis showed that H. pylori infection was significantly associated with a longer duration of T1DM and higher hemoglobin A1c levels (p < 0.001 for both) but not with age at T1DM diagnosis (p = 0.306). Conclusions: These findings contribute to the understanding of the association between H. pylori infection and T1DM and highlight the potential role of H. pylori in influencing the duration and glycemic control of diabetes. Therefore, pediatric patients who have longstanding T1DM and poor glycemic control should be screened for H. pylori infection.

Background and Objectives: Drug-induced esophageal ulcer is caused by focal drug stimulation. It may occur in adults and children. Limited research is available in pediatric patients with drug-induced esophageal ulcer; therefore, we designed this study to determine the characteristics of this disease in this population. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two pediatric patients diagnosed with drug-induced esophageal ulcers from a hospital database of upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopies were included. After treatment, patients were followed for 2 months after upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Results: Female patients were predominant (56.2%/43.8%). The mean age of patients was 15.6 years (median, 16 years; interquartile range, 2 years). Doxycycline was administered in most cases (56.3%); other drugs were dicloxacillin, amoxicillin, clindamycin, L-arginine, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Doxycycline was associated with kissing ulcers. Esophageal ulcers induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were more often associated with gastric or duodenal ulcers. The most common location was the middle-third of the esophagus (78.1%). Patients were treated with proton pump inhibitors, sucralfate, or H2-blockers. The mean duration for which symptoms lasted was 9.2 days. No esophageal stricture was found in 24 patients who were followed for 2 months after upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Conclusions: The authors suggest informing patients to take medicine with enough water (approximately 100 mL) and enough time (15–30 min) before recumbency, especially high-risk drugs, such as doxycycline or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Background: This study evaluated early childhood comorbidities of cerebral palsy (CP) in low birth weight (LBW) children and assessed the impact of maternal bio-psychosocial factors on CP risk in preterm infants of varying birth weights (BWs). Methods: Data from 15,181 preterm infants (2009–2013) and 151,810 controls were analyzed using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. CP prevalence and LBW-associated comorbidities were examined, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. Results: This study confirmed increasing prematurity and LBW rates in Taiwan, with LBW infants showing higher CP prevalence. Significant maternal risk factors included age extremes (40 years). LBW infants exhibited higher risks for respiratory, circulatory, nervous system, and psycho-developmental comorbidities compared with controls, with the lowest BW having even higher ORs. Maternal factors such as family income, the number of hospital admissions, and length of hospital stay were remarkably correlated with BW and subsequent complications. Each additional gestational week crucially reduced the risk of complications in premature infants. Conclusions: LBW infants are at a higher risk for CP and various comorbidities, with maternal bio-psychosocial factors playing a critical role. Addressing these factors in prenatal care and interventions is essential to improve outcomes for premature infants.

Background: Neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. The incidence of citrin deficiency is estimated between 1/10,000 and 1/20,000 in Taiwan. Case report: This report describes a case of a 42 day old female infant who suffered from prolonged jaundice, poor weight gain, and anemia. The initial total/direct bilirubin levels were 8.1/3.11 mg/dL. Liver biopsy was performed at 47 days old. The pathology revealed lobules marked with macrovesicular and microvesicular fatty metamorphosis. The serum amino acid profile showed elevated levels of threonine, methionine, citrulline, and arginine. Newborn screening disclosed normal results, but the genetic study revealed SLC25A13 mutation 851–854 del and 615 + 5G > A. The genetic study of her parents showed that the father carried the SLC25A13 mutation 851–854 del and the mother carried the SLC25A13 mutation 615 + 5G > A. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid decreased the bilirubin levels to a normal range at the age of 5 months. Conclusion: This report illustrates that hepatic steatosis is a feature of NICCD. For every young infant patient who develops cholestasis, the pediatrician must consider NICCD as a differential diagnosis even if newborn screening shows normal findings.

Introduction: The present study investigated the relationship between air pollution, specifically PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, and childhood and adolescent obesity in northern and central Taiwan. Previous research has shown a positive correlation between air pollution and pediatric obesity, but no study has been conducted in Taiwan. We used data from the K-12 Education Administration, Ministry of Education, and the Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring Network to analyze the association between PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposures and obesity rates among elementary and junior high school students. Methods: Data on students’ height and weight were combined with air pollution data obtained from monitoring stations to assess exposure. A multivariable model estimated the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals of obesity linked to PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposures. Cities were categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4) based on pollutant accumulation to compare the obesity rates. Results: Students living in areas with higher PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposures (Q4) had a significantly higher risk of obesity than those living in areas with lower exposures (Q1). The effect was more pronounced in girls and older students, with PM_2.5 exhibiting a stronger relationship than PM₁₀. Conclusions: PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exposures are significantly associated with an increased obesity risk in children and adolescents, particularly in girls and older students. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and to control for socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Introduction: This prospective study (NCT06283641) was the first real‐world, multicentre, post‐marketing surveillance of GLP‐1 receptor agonist liraglutide as an adjunct for weight management in adults with obesity in Taiwan. Methods: Data were collected from 14 sites at baseline, week 13 and week 26 (February 2024–January 2025). Safety and effectiveness outcomes, including adverse event (AE) incidence proportions (IPs) and body weight (BW) change, were investigated. Results: Among 259 adults, 61.0% were female (mean ± SD age 42.6 ± 11.3 years, BW 90.4 ± 17.6 kg, BMI 33.0 ± 4.7 kg/m ² ). Dyslipidaemia (38.2%), hypertension (26.3%), and diabetes (21.2%) were common. Mean daily and maximum doses were 1.4 ± 0.5 and 1.8 ± 0.7 mg/day, respectively. Overall IP of AEs was 11.2%; 90.9% of events were mild. General/injection‐site and gastrointestinal events were most frequent. Medication cost (49.0%) was the predominant factor for dose non‐escalation. At weeks 13 and 26, mean BW loss was −5.7 ± 3.5 and −8.5 ± 5.7 kg (both p < 0.0001; ≥ 5% BW loss in 58.4% and 76.7%) and mean systolic blood pressure decrease was 9.0 ± 16.7 and 10.4 ± 18.9 mmHg, respectively. Conclusion: Liraglutide at < 3.0 mg/day was well‐tolerated, with BW reduction observed over 26 weeks in Taiwanese adults. Medication cost is a barrier to long‐term obesity management and a significant consideration for health policies in Taiwan.