Journal of tropical pediatrics
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Use of iron-fortified rice reduces anemia in infants.
Food fortification is advocated to tackle iron deficiency in anemic populations. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of iron-fortified rice (Ultrarice(®)) weekly on hemoglobin and anemia levels compared with standard rice (control). This cluster-randomized study deals with infants (10-23 months) from two public child day care centers in Brazil, n = 216, in an 18 week intervention. ⋯ Anemia prevalence for intervention center was 31.25% at baseline, and 18.75% at end of study, p = 0.045; for control 43.50% were anemic at baseline, and 37.1% at the end of study, p = 0.22. Number Needed to Treat was 7. Iron-fortified rice was effective in increasing hemoglobin levels and reducing anemia in infants.
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In critically ill patients, mild to moderate reductions in glomerular filtration rate are not instantly followed by parallel changes in serum creatinine (SCr). The aim of this study was to identify a value of serum cystatin C (cys-C) level as a marker for monitoring renal function in critically ill pediatric patients. ⋯ Serum cys-C was found to be superior to SCr to predict renal impairment (area under the curve for cys-C, 0.932 and for SCr, 0.658). It can be concluded that cys-C is superior to SCr for the detection of renal impairment in critically ill children.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Milk-based cornstarch porridge fortified with iron is effective in reducing anemia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
This study evaluates the impact of a milk-based cornstarch porridge fortified with iron, in 4-year olds, compared with control on hemoglobin levels and anemia prevalence. This trial was a cluster-randomized, double-blind one, and used milk-based cornstarch porridge fortified with 10 mg elemental iron (FeSO(4)), daily, during 14 weeks, compared with control. The study population comprised 4-year-old preschoolers (n = 131). ⋯ Anemia prevalence reduced from 75% to 20%, p < 0.0001, in the intervention group, with no reduction in the control group. Number needed for treatment was four. This study showed that milk-based cornstarch porridge fortified with ferrous sulfate increased hemoglobin levels and reduced anemia prevalence in 4-year-old preschoolers.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Comparison of effects of 3 and 7% hypertonic saline nebulization on lung function in children with cystic fibrosis: a double-blind randomized, controlled trial.
Beneficial effects of hypertonic saline on lung function in cystic fibrosis patients are well documented. However, the effects of various concentrations of hypertonic saline are not well studied. We, therefore, compared the effects of 3 and 7% hypertonic saline administered by nebulization on lung function in children with cystic fibrosis. ⋯ The results suggest that 3% hypertonic saline nebulization was better than 7% saline inhalation. There is a need for studies with larger sample size and longer duration to confirm our results.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Therapeutic hypothermia using gel packs for term neonates with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy in resource-limited settings: a randomized controlled trial.
To evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) using gel packs in reducing mortality and morbidity in term neonates with HIE and study the associated problems with TH. ⋯ TH using gel packs reduces the risk of death or developmental delay at 6 months of age in infants with HIE.