Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity among children, Shuttle Run Test (SRT) has been used as primary outcome for assessment of both physical performance and responses to different physical training programs. Thus, this study aimed to compare the performance on SRT between obese and non-obese children and the reproducibility of two SRTs carried out on different days. A cross-sectional study in which 40 children, aged from 8 to 10, were recruited from a public school. This study consisted of three visits in each school. On the first visit, we carried out a medical screening for recruited children. On the second visit, we applied the first SRT (SRT1), which was repeated on the third visit (SRT2, 24 hours apart). There was a significant difference in the distance traveled by non-obese in comparison with obese children (mean difference: 88 meters and 95% of confidence interval: 21 meters to 156 meters). Time and distance traveled of 27 children were higher in the SRT1, whereas nine children traveled a greater distance and presented higher testing time on the SRT2, with only four children showing the same distance traveled in both tests. Although both groups presented with reduction from the SRT1 to SRT2, this reduction was not significant (non-obese: 342 ± 97 meters to 319 ± 106 meters, respectively; obese: 269 ± 91 meters to 246 ± 90 meters, respectively). In obese children, the distance traveled in the best SRT had correlation with weight (r = -0.495, p = 0.043) and BMI (r = - 0.602, p = 0.011). No correlation was observed in the non-obese children. Overweight children had lower performance in SRT. Although reproducible, the best performance was in the first test, which leads us to suggest applying only one test.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a treatment that requires long periods of hospitalization. The mobility restrictions result in physical, functional and psychological impairments. Physical exercise is a therapy that can restore physical and functional capacities; however, it is necessary to understand the effects of its practice in post-HSCT individuals. The purpose of this systematic review (SR) was to assess the impact of physical exercise in children and adolescents undergoing HSCT. The SR was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines through search in the electronic databases Embase, Lilacs, PEDro, PubMed and SCOPUS, without limitation of dates and languages. Randomized or non-randomized clinical trials with children and adolescents who underwent HSCT, aged between 3 to 19 years old, who participated in a regular physical activity program, were assessed. After removing duplicates and selecting studies according to the eligibility criteria, seven parallel studies incorporating hospitalized and discharged participants undertaking aerobic and strengthening exercises were included in this study. The main outcomes analyzed were exercise capacity, quality-of-life, body composition and freedom. Five studies comprised the meta-analysis regarding the effects of the distance walked in the 6-min walk test and quality-of-life. Physical exercise is considered to be safe, feasible and efficacious to prevent the decline of the quality-of-life in children and adolescents undergoing HCST, as well as a considerable improvement in physical capacity.

A preschool four-year-old male patient had been admitted to the Mandaqui Hospital with a diagnosis of lobar pneumonia, pleural effusion, and right lung atelectasis. Treatment consisted of antibiotics and physiotherapy sessions, using a technique described in the literature as Insufflation Technique to Reverse Atelectasis (ITRA), which consists of a thoracic block of healthy lung tissue, leaving only the atelectasis area free, associated with the use of invasive or noninvasive mechanical ventilation with positive airway pressure for reversal of atelectasis. Two physiotherapy sessions were conducted daily. The sessions lasted 20 minutes and were fractionated into four series of five minutes each. Each series bilateral thoracic block was performed for 20 seconds with a pause lasting for the same time. Associated with the thoracic block, a continuous positive airways pressure was used using a facial mask and 7 cm H₂O PEEP provided via CPAP.Conclusion. ITRA technique was effective in reversing atelectasis in this patient.

Background: Earlier studies evaluated the physiological responses to video games in children with different clinical conditions; however, no study has compared active video games with an incremental field test in healthy children. The purpose of this study was to verify the agreement between the 20-m shuttle run test (20 m-SRT) and virtual system (VS). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 235 children (9.0 ± 0.8 years, 109 boys). The two tests were performed one week apart and the children were instructed not to engage in any physical exercise or sports in the 24 h preceding each test. Their resting heart rate was monitored for one minute and then throughout the tests. To evaluate the influence of motivation on the 20 m SRT and (VS), at the end of the tests the children were asked to rate their motivation on a scale of zero to 10, zero being “not cool” and 10 “awesome”. Perceived exertion at the end of the tests was assessed using the modified Borg scale. Results: Maximum heart rate (HRmax) did not differ between the 20 m-SRT and VS (194.4 ± 10.2 bpm vs. 193.2 ± 13.8 bpm, respectively). Both tests were similar for intensity > and < 96% HRmax. The children showed greater exertion on the Borg scale and motivation during the VS. The multiple logistic regression model showed that motivation (p = 0.98), sex (p = 0.53), age (p = 0.61), nutritional status (p = 0.65), and speed (p = 0.18) were not predictive factors of the child’s reaching HRmax. Conclusion: VS can be used as a tool to evaluate the intensity of maximal exercise tests, given that the percentage of children who achieved HRmax did not differ between the VS and 20 m SRT. The perceived exertion scales were correlated, but only the modified Borg scale correlated with HRmax in the 20 m SRT. The tests are motivational, and most children obtained the maximum VS score.

We aimed to systematically categorize evidence on the types of early visual stimulation applied to preterm infants (PTIs) admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), aiming to improve visual function parameters. This study was conducted according to PRISMA and registered in PROSPERO with CRD42022333753. Last search was conducted on March 15, 2023, in four different databases. Articles written in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian, and available in full text were included. Two independent authors performed study selection, data extraction, and bias risk assessment. If there was any disagreement, a third author was contacted. A total of eight studies were included. From these, 62.5% presented a low risk of bias. 100% used a multisensory intervention, which included visual stimulation. In 50%, visual intervention consisted of black and white stimulation cards placed inside the incubator for three minutes. The outcomes showed positive benefits in visual function parameters and other reported clinical benefits in breastfeeding and neuromuscular development. This review demonstrated there is still scarce literature on the effects of early visual stimulation on purely visual functional outcomes, although the existing findings are promising. Parental involvement has been generating unquestionable benefits for the binomial mother-infant and gaining greater acceptance by health professionals.