Background: Iron deficiency anemia remains a significant public health issue in developing countries. The regulation of iron metabolism is primarily controlled by hepcidin, a key regulatory protein. During erythropoiesis, erythroferrone (ERFE), a hormone produced by erythroblasts in response to erythropoietin (EPO) synthesis, mediates the suppression of hepcidin. In this study, it was aimed to determine the correlation between erythroferrone (ERFE) and hepcidin levels in children with iron deficiency anemia. Methods: This is a case-control study conducted at Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Training and Research Hospital Pediatrics Clinic between 1 and 31 September 2020. The study included 26 healthy children and 26 children with iron deficiency anemia. In order to evaluate iron status,whole blood count, serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin levels were analyzed. The study measured the levels of hepcidin and erythroferrone in the serum of children diagnosed with iron deficiency before and after one month of iron treatment, as well as in a control group, using the ELISA method. Correlation between whole blood count, initial ferritin, hepcidin, ERFE and ferritin in the iron deficiency group was evaluated. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the iron-deficient group had significantly lower haemoglobin (p < 0.001), MCV (p = 0.001), MCH (p < 0.001), MCHC (p < 0.001), iron (p < 0.001), ferritin (p < 0.001) and hepcidin (p = 0.001). Ferritin and hepcidin levels increased while erythroferrone levels remained unchanged after iron deficiency treatment. There was no correlation between hepcidin and ferritin levels in treatment group. Conclusions: The study found a strong and positive correlation between ferritin and hepcidin levels in iron-deficient children, but not between ERFE levels, suggesting that hepcidin is largely regulated by iron deposition levels. In addition, there was an increase in ferritin and hepcidin levels after iron treatment. The study found no significant difference in erythroferrone levels between the iron-deficient group and the control group. It is thought that this may be due to the short duration of iron treatment given to the patients with iron deficiency anemia included in the study.

Introduction: It is not always possible to differentiate between influenza and COVID-19 based on symptoms alone. This is a topic of significant importance as it aims to determine whether there are specific hematological parameters that can be used to distinguish between influenza and COVID-19 in children.Methodology: Two hundred thirty-one children between the ages of 1 month and 18 years who presented to the children’s outpatient clinic between June 2021 and June 2022 with similar symptoms and were tested with an influenza test and a COVID-19 PCR test were included in the study. Of the patients included in the study, 130 tested positive for COVID-19 and 101 positive for influenza. The patients were evaluated for hematological parameters.Results: Age, eosinophils and monocyte factors were shown to be statistically significantly effective in COVID-19. The risk of COVID-19 increased 1,484-fold with age, 10,708-fold with increasing eosinophil count, and 1,591-fold with increasing monocyte count. The performance of the monocyte count and eosinophil count was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. According to the performed ROC analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) value was observed to be 0.990 for monocytes. According to the cutoff point >1.50, the sensitivity value was determined as 98.4% and the specificity value as 97.0%. AUC significance for eosinophils was found to be 0.989. According to the cutoff point >0.02, the sensitivity value was determined as 99.2% and the specificity value as 93.1%.Conclusion: In the diagnosis of COVID-19, the eosinophil count and monocyte count are easily accessible, inexpensive, and important parameters in terms of differential diagnosis and can help in the differentiation of COVID-19 from influenza during seasonal outbreaks of the latter. Developing parameters for clinicians to use in diagnosing COVID-19 and influenza can facilitate their work in practice.

The foramen magnum (FM) is a crucial transition zone between the skull and spine, with its growth mostly completed by the end of the age of four. A study on adults reported that the ratio of the anteroposterior to transverse diameter of the FM and skull aligns with the golden ratio (4.62), suggesting a harmonious relationship. Our study aims to investigate whether this ratio is present in children by analyzing Computed Tomography (CT) images, and whether FM shape variations affect this ratio. We analyzed CT images of 201 Turkish children (male: 117, female: 84), measuring maximum cranial length (MCL), width (MCW), foramen magnum length (FML), and width (FMW). Group comparisons were made using the Independent t-test and ANOVA. Relationships between continuous variables were examined using Pearson correlation analysis. Ratios of MCW to FMW and MCL to FML were consistent in children aged 6-17. The ratio of 4.90 obtained from these parameters observed between the skull and FM reveals the presence of a unique anatomical balance in the skull. FM shapes were classified morphologically, with their frequency and incidence recorded. For categorical variables, associations were analyzed using the Chi-Square test. A total of 12 distinct FM shapes were identified, with the two semicircle shape being the most prevalent, appearing in 32.8% of cases. In contrast, the pentagonal and triangular shapes were the rarest, each representing only 0.5% of the cases. Recalculating these ratios across different FM shapes may provide a clearer understanding of the validity of the golden ratio.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused people to stay home all over the world. People started to perform their daily tasks remotely. Due to staying at home, the use of technology increased, and people began to live in a digital environment. This situation has started to cause problems in young people as well as adults. During the pandemic, children experienced social and psychological consequences, including a decrease in social activities, an increased desire to use technological devices, aggression towards their family and surroundings, a decreased desire to play with friends, and becoming quieter and more introverted. In this context, the aim of this study is to determine the usage patterns, reasons, and resulting consequences of children's excessive use of technology during the pandemic. The study was designed based on a survey model. For this purpose, a measurement tool developed by the researchers was used, and data were collected from 132 parents. The participants' educational levels were generally at the undergraduate level (62%). Descriptive statistics (%, f, x̄, sd), Mann Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H test were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the analyses, the most significant finding of the study is that children spent a significant amount of time with technological devices during the pandemic and this had a negative impact on their sleep patterns and physical health. It was determined that there was no significant difference in parents' situations in terms of variables such as gender, educational level and internet use experience. However, there was a significant difference in terms of the number of children they had. It was found that problems related to excessive technology use in children occurred. In this regard, families have certain responsibilities. Parents are primarily responsible for protecting their children from the effects of technology. Training programs can be developed for parents to fulfill these responsibilities and become conscious parents. Parents can direct their children towards physical activities and spend more time with them.

Background and Objectives: Childhood obesity is a major problem in the nutritional aspect of childhood and is becoming increasingly important. The objective of this research was to examine the fluctuations in concentrations of asprosin and neuregulin 4, novel and significant adipokines, in obese pediatric individuals. Materials and Methods: In this study, comparisons were made between serum levels of asprosin and neuregulin 4, along with various anthropometric, biochemical, and hormonal parameters associated with obesity, among 40 children with obesity and 40 children with normal weight who sought medical attention at the Child Health and Diseases outpatient clinic of Kırşehir Training and Research Hospital between September 2021 and September 2022. Results: The study showed that of the 80 cases, 35 (43.8%) were male and 45 (56.2%) were female. The average BMI of the obese individuals was 27.27, with values ranging from 25.04 to 47.78. The serum levels of asprosin were similar between the two groups. Neuregulin 4 and HOMA-IR values exhibited statistically significant elevation in the obese group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The research findings indicated that neuregulin 4 levels were greater in children with normal weight compared to those with children with obesity. Additional investigations are warranted to comprehensively grasp the impact of asprosin and neuregulin 4 on pediatric obesity.