Aim: To evaluate using different iron preparations for iron deficiency and/or iron deficiency anemia prophylaxis in infants and their iron status. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated the electronic patient records of 651 healthy children aged 9 to 13 months who met the inclusion criteria and who were followed up in pediatric follow-up outpatient clinics between January 2023 and June 2023. Results: A total of 651 children with a mean age of 11.2 ± 1.4 months, 54.7% of whom were boys, who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study; 56.5% of the children were using Fe + 3 salt and the others were using Fe + 2 salt, microencapsulated iron, or sucrosomial iron drops. After the fifth month of prophylaxis, when the effects of the iron preparations used on the mean laboratory values were evaluated, it was found that hemoglobin, serum iron, and ferritin levels were lower in sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron users compared to other preparations (p = 0.001). When statistically pairwise comparisons were made between the groups, hemoglobin and serum iron values were found to be lower in the group using sucrosomial iron compared to the groups using Fe + 2 and Fe + 3 salts (p < 0.0001). Hemoglobin and ferritin levels were higher in the group using Fe + 2 salt compared to both sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron groups (p < 0.0001). When the infants were evaluated according to iron status, it was found that 208 (31.9%) had iron deficiency. Iron deficiency was found to be less in infants of families who defined their economic status as rich and in infants who used iron regularly (p-values 0.044 and 0.001, respectively). Iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia was observed at a higher rate in the group using sucrosomial iron and microencapsulated iron prophylaxis (p = 0.001). Conclusions: To prevent iron deficiency, it is very important to use appropriate iron preparations for prophylaxis and to feed foods with high iron content. Although we found that families were willing to use different iron preparations other than iron salts for their infants, the results presented herein indicate that the rate of iron deficiency was lower in patients using iron salts. However, randomized controlled studies are needed to determine whether these preparations are effective in iron prophylaxis in infants.

Article: Bodily sensations and quality of life in adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain: a comparative study for the undetermined part of a frequent health problem - Minerva Pediatrics 2024 June;76(3):299-307 - Minerva Medica - Journals

Introduction: Chest pain in children is rarely associated with a cardiac cause. Musculoskeletal system-related pain is one of the main reasons for chest pain in children. Vitamin D deficiency in children might cause severe symptoms in the skeletal system.Objectives: To determine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and non-cardiac chest pain among children aged 9-17 years.Method: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed 92 children with non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) and a control group of 94 children who presented to the cardiology outpatient clinics of Tepecik Teaching and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey, between 1 December 2019 and 31 March 2020. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured and compared between these groups.Results: The median (interquartile range) vitamin D levels in patients with non-cardiac chest pain and healthy controls were 12.78 (7.28) and 12.27 (9.02) ng/mL respectively. Vitamin D levels were similar in both groups (p=0.625).Conclusions: This study did not show any association between vitamin D deficiency or suboptimal vitamin D levels and non-cardiac chest pain in children aged 9-17 years.Sri Lanka Journal of Child Health, 2022; 51(1): 58-61

Chest pain is highly prevalent in adolescence, represents a considerable burden for health services, and rarely associated with cardiac disease. Since psychosocial factors are related to chest pain there is a need for exploring the accompanying family functioning and mental health problems in adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain. Here, we assessed these determinants in 68 adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain and 68 age and-sex matched control participants using the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 for a brief screening for anxiety and depression and the Family APGAR Scale to assess the perception of family functioning. Adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain reported more depression, anxiety and experienced impaired family functioning (p=0.003, p<0.001, p<0.001). The results indicated that non-cardiac chest pain is a warning sign of an underlying mental health problem with accompanying family issues and it deserves further psychosocial investigation including anxiety, depression, and impaired satisfaction of the adolescents’ family’s responsiveness.