Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between H. pylori positivity with specific symptoms, risk factors and endoscopic patterns among the pediatric population in northeastern Romania. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was performed in 18 months on 185 children aged 6–18 years with an indication for upper digestive endoscopy. Demographic, anamnestic, symptomatic, endoscopic and histologic data were recorded. Results: Of 116 H. pylori-positive children, the most affected group was 15–17 years. Most (65.5%) of them were girls, with a significant association (p < 0.001). The majority (66.4%) lived in a rural area and 47.4% of children had an unsafe source of water and lived in overcrowded houses with no basic sanitary comfort. The most frequent symptom was epigastric pain (56.9%), and the main endoscopic appearance was nodularity and hyperemia. Patients diagnosed with H. pylori started triple-therapy treatment for 14 days. Only 13.8% stopped the treatment, mainly because of a misunderstanding of the treatment protocol (9.5%). Conclusions: Romanian teen girls living in rural areas are at high risk for H. pylori infection. Epigastric pain and endoscopic nodularity of the gastric mucosa were associated with the infection. As the resistance of the bacteria is unknown in our country, future research is needed in order to improve the eradication rate.

(1) Background: The recent epidemiological events were high-stress level generators for humanity, particularly for pregnant women, influencing their attitude, behavior, and decisions regarding vaccination during pregnancy or regarding their future child. The aim of this study was to analyze the anti-pertussis vaccination decision-shaping factors in pregnant women during two epidemiological periods: the measles epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: Two groups of pregnant women were invited to be part of a medical education program, having as the main theme the infectious disease risks and their prevention through vaccination. Before launching the program, participants received a 12-item questionnaire. From a total number of 362 pregnant women enrolled in the study, 182 participated in 2019, and 180 participated in 2022. (3) Results: The socio-demographic data revealed that the age of pregnant women participating in medical education programs increased in 2022 by 1.7 years (p < 0.01). In vitro fertilization was reported in a significantly higher proportion (20% in 2022 vs 9.8% in 2019, p < 0.01). Participation in community-initiated educational programs almost doubled during the pandemic time from 18.7% in 2019 to 33.9% in 2022 (p < 0.01). Pertussis vaccine acceptancy (VA) dropped from 85% in 2019 to 44.4% in 2022 (p < 0.01) (4) Conclusions: In this study, we reported fast-growing vaccine hesitancy and severe declared vaccine reluctance. The results of this complex long-term study, which evaluated pregnant women over several years, showed a five-fold increase in the percentage of pregnant women who disagreed with personal pertussis vaccination. This draws attention to the risks of pertussis epidemic outbreaks in pregnant women and their future infants in the first couple of months of life before the initiation of vaccination.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common digestive condition, representing one of the most frequent reasons for medical examination, especially in pediatric gastroenterology departments. GERD could be associated with biochemical alterations representing either its systemic manifestations or markers of complications. The aim of our paper was to evaluate biochemical parameters secondary to GERD in children. Two hundred and sixty-seven children of both genders aged between 1 month and 18 years who displayed suggestive symptoms for this condition were included in the study and were monitored for a period of 5 years. Depending on the range of symptoms and technical possibilities, the following procedures/investigations were performed: esophageal pH monitoring and imagistic or endoscopic examination, besides specific biochemical investigations. The cohort was sub-divided into two groups: one that included 213 children with confirmed GERD who represented the study group and 54 healthy children where GERD had been excluded, the control group. Out of all the investigated children, 39.0% displayed low hemoglobin values, 43.7% displayed low values of erythrocyte indices (MCH), and 68.5% had increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values, while increased eosinophil levels were recorded in 46.9% of the cases. Such parameters were proven to be a biomarker of suspected eosinophilic esophagitis, whereas 32.9% of the cases displayed high blood glucose values that could be correlated with gastroesophageal reflux symptoms. Other measured parameters (such as magnesium, aminotransferases and proteins) remained within the normal limits, without statistically significant differences compared to in the control group. This condition is diagnosed based on invasive investigations, which are often difficult to accept by the patients’ parents. The biochemical modifications correlated to the clinical manifestations can anticipate the progression of the disease, thus limiting the necessity of performing invasive diagnosis tests.

Many relevant health social actors have voiced concerns about the danger of self-medication in times of growing use of over-the-counter medicines and, in some contexts, unregulated selling of them. Previous research has examined the incidence of parental self-medication as well as the use and abuse of antibiotics without professional advice. However, these studies have limited evidence on the role of family doctors and the perceived severity of self-medication in the case of parents. Based on Health Belief Model, our research tested the effects of exposure to medical information on the perceived level of self-treating the children without medical advice. Specifically, we aimed to assess whether exposure to information warning about the risks of treating children without a medical prescription influences parents' attitudes toward administering medicines to their children without medical advice. The results showed that our respondents evaluated the practices of self-medication negatively, especially when it came to treating their children without medical advice. However, their attitudes towards self-medication varied depending on their beliefs about administering certain medications. Additionally, the results showed that the perceived level of satisfaction with the family physician could be a significant factor in controlling and avoiding the treatment of children without professional advice.