Irish journal of medical science
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In August 2019, 3848 children in Ireland were faced with emergency homelessness [1]. In recent years, lack of affordable housing, unemployment and shortage of rental properties have been the primary driving factors for the potentially devastating impact of familial homelessness in our society [1]. Our aim was to evaluate current knowledge on the psychological impact of homelessness in children. ⋯ Our study highlights violence, aggression and poor academic learning outcomes to be just some of the key findings in our review of homelessness in childhood, worldwide. Unfortunately, there has been minimum research to date on paediatric homelessness within the context of the Irish population. We anticipate this review to be the first chapter in a multipart series investigation to evaluate the psychological morbidity of paediatric homelessness within the Irish Society.
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Hope is considered as an important therapeutic factor in health and illness. Chronic pain affects a significant proportion of the world's population and causes great emotional and physical suffering to patients. ⋯ The findings of this review demonstrate that hope is influenced by several patient factors and has a positive impact on patients with chronic pain. The current literature supports the usefulness of hope as a therapeutic intervention for not only chronic pain but many chronic illnesses.
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Children with cerebral palsy may be at greater risk of being overweight or obese than their typically developed peers due to a number of biomechanical, behavioural, or medical issues that restrict participation. It has been a concern of our multi-disciplinary team that a greater number of children with cerebral palsy were presenting as overweight or obese. However, there are conflicting results in the literature as to prevalence and trends of overweight and obesity in these children. ⋯ Prevalence of overweight and obesity is not increasing in Irish ambulatory children with cerebral palsy. However, a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity was evident when compared with their typically developed Irish peers. It is therefore important that prevalence and trends are monitored.
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Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic intestinal immune-mediated disease occurring in genetically susceptible individuals who are exposed to gluten. Although it primarily affects the small intestine, CD has been associated with a wide spectrum of extraintestinal manifestations, including thromboembolism and cardiovascular events. ⋯ The pathogenetic mechanism of increasing hypercoagulability in CD is multifactorial and involves hyperhomocysteinemia due to malabsorption of vitamins B12, B6, and folic acid; endothelial dysfunction; acceleration of atherosclerosis; chronic inflammation; thrombocytosis; and thrombophilia. Therefore, in cases of thromboembolic complications and cardiovascular disease of obscure etiology, clinicians' awareness of possible celiac disease is warranted.
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Uncontrolled eating (UE) showed important relationships with the development of obesity. Homeostatic regulations of feeding and energy balance, as well as hedonic eating, are regulated by leptin. ⋯ The uncontrolled eating reflects hyperphagic eating behavior in obese and overweight subjects. Coexistence of uncontrolled eating and high level of leptin demonstrates a state of leptin resistance resulting in an inability to detect satiety. High circulating leptin can be considered a potential biomarker of uncontrolled eating.