فهرست مطالب farid imanzadeh

 Kawasaki disease is an idiopathic febrile systemic vasculitis, recognized as the leading cause of acquired heart disease in pediatric patients. Gastrointestinal manifestations can lead to delayed treatment, underscoring the importance of identifying and predicting factors associated with these manifestations to enable timely intervention.

 The primary objective of this study was to identify the aforementioned factors.

 This retrospective study collected demographic information, medical history, physical examination findings, and laboratory results of 359 children suspected of having Kawasaki disease and referred to Mofid Children’s Hospital between 2013 and 2022. The study assessed the frequency of gastrointestinal manifestations and their association with physical examination findings and laboratory data.

 A total of 359 patients were included in the study, comprising 153 males and 206 females. The mean age of participants was 2.8 ± 2.6 years. Abdominal pain was the most common clinical manifestation, reported in 39% of patients. Elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were observed in 38.1% of patients, while 30.2% showed elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and 10.5% exhibited direct hyperbilirubinemia. Patients with elevated ALT and AST levels had a higher incidence of abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, and anorexia. Moreover, patients with positive findings of red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) in their stool examination had a higher incidence of fever and abdominal pain.

 Based on our statistical analysis, elevated AST and ALT levels, hyperbilirubinemia, and positive stool findings of RBC and WBC appear to be predictive factors for gastrointestinal manifestations in Kawasaki disease.

 Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) occurs with the pathological accumulation of fat in the liver and is one of the most common liver disorders worldwide among adults and even children. Obesity is a risk factor for NAFLD.

 Considering the increasing prevalence of obesity in Iran and worldwide, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of NAFLD and its related factors in overweight and obese students of schools in Tehran, Iran.

 This cross-sectional study was performed on 115 overweight and obese students [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25] with an age range of 7 - 17 years. Eligible individuals were classified into two groups with and without NAFLD. Liver ultrasonography and measurement of serum parameters, including fasting blood sugar, lipid profile, and liver enzymes, were performed. Next, the demographic and anthropometric characteristics were compared between the two groups.

 Out of 115 studied students, 71 subjects were boys (61.7%). The results showed that the mean BMI in patients with fatty liver was significantly higher than in individuals without fatty liver (P = 0.03). According to our findings, the mean total cholesterol in NAFLD patients was significantly higher than in the group without NAFLD (P = 0.008). The univariate logistic regression model results for measuring factors related to fatty liver in students showed a significant positive correlation between male gender, BMI, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase.

 NAFLD is a substantial problem in school children and correlates with elevated BMI. Therefore, the measurement of BMI can be used as a useful predictor and screening tool for NAFLD in school children.

Portal hypertension (PH) refers to a clinical syndrome characterized by an elevation in the pressure gradient between the portal and hepatic veins. It is necessary to identify the underlying causes to manage this disorder effectively.

This study aimed to investigate the etiology, clinical manifestations, and endoscopic findings in children with PH.

This analytic cross - sectional study was performed on patients (< 18 years) with PH who were referred to the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic of Mofid Children’s Hospital in Tehran, Iran, within 2014 - 2020. The demographic details of the patients were collected from their medical records. Clinical manifestations, age at diagnosis, family history, and endoscopic findings were also recorded.

A total of 102 patients participated in this study. The subjects’ mean age was 6.81 ± 4.46 years. The results revealed that 50 (49.0%) and 46 (45%) cases had PHdue to extrahepatic and intrahepatic diseases, respectively. Autoimmune hepatitis and portal vein thrombosis were the most common etiology of intrahepatic and extrahepatic PH, respectively. Based on the endoscopic analysis, esophageal varices were the most common findings (95.8%) observed in patients with PH.

Extrahepatic diseases were the most prevalent PH etiology in children referred to the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic of Mofid Children’s Hospital.

Constipation is one of the most common complaints in children. Guidelines on functional constipation recommend digital rectal examination (DRE) when constipation is suspected. However, diagnosis of megarectum by ultrasonography would differentiate children with constipation from those with dysfunctional defecation.

In this research, we evaluated the utilization of ultrasonography to measure the diameter of rectal ampulla for the diagnosis of functional constipation.

In this study, 94 patients < 14 years old diagnosed with functional constipation were included. Patients were examined by both DRE and ultrasonography before and after a conventional stool softener treatment.

The diameter of the rectal ampulla was significantly wider in patients with large stool mass in DRE than in patients with normal digital rectal exams. There was a significant relationship between fecal incontinence and pre-treatment DRA. By increasing the severity of fecal incontinence, the average DRA in patients increased significantly. Additionally, there was a significant statistical difference between the patient’s DRA before and after treatment. Finally, the relationship between constipation and DRA adjusted model showed that the risk of abnormal DRA was 3.1 times larger in patients with three and four symptoms than in patients with two symptoms and this relationship was statistically significant.

Ultrasonography can be a suitable replacement for DRE; however, further investigations are required.

Acute diarrhea in children with an annual prevalence of about 2 billion episodes accounts for 1.9 million deaths in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), only 35% of children with diarrhea receive proper treatment for dehydration; hence, the detection of appropriate interventions enables us to prevent mortality and decrease the morbidity rate.

This prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted from September 2018 to May 2019 in the Pediatric Gastroenterology Ward at the Mofid Children’s Hospital, where 95 children were hospitalized with non-exudative acute gastroenteritis and moderate to severe dehydration. Among these patients, 53 children were administered intravenous (IV) fluid therapy and oral rehydration solution (ORS), and 42 children received IV rehydration and ORS plus Racecadotril (ORS+R). Daily bowel movements and their consistency were recorded at admission, 24 hours, and 48 hours after hospitalization. All data were analyzed by SPSS software version 25.

There was no statistically meaningful difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of age, gender, and weight. According to the statistical analysis, the dehydration severity was same in both groups, and no difference was revealed between the two groups regarding fever and vomiting. All laboratory findings were similar in both groups at the time of admission. Although the average duration of diarrhea was shorter in the racecadotril group than in the control group, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The results indicated a rapid decline in the number of bowel movements by the first and second days after beginning of the treatment in both groups; however, no statistically meaningful difference was noticed. The present results indicated no significant difference between the two groups regarding the recovery rate in the first 24 hours of treatment. Moreover, although the recovery rate of children treated for 48 hours was faster in the racecadotril+ORS group than in the oral rehydration group, no significant difference was revealed.

There was no meaningful relationship between the administration of racecadotril with the duration of diarrhea, the frequency of diarrhea, and the recovery rate in the first and second days after treatment. However, in 24 and 48 hours after treatment, there were a decrease in the number of watery stools and an increase in solid stools; hence, further studies with larger sample sizes and more accurate measurements determining factors affecting acute diarrhea and differentiating different types of diarrhea are recommended to further illustrate the role of racecadotril on the treatment of diarrhea in children

Malnutrition undermines the beneficial outcomes of clinical interventions and also increases hospital costs. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition through a multicenter observational study at the time of admission and discharge in Iranian hospitalized children and adolescents.
The present cross-sectional study was performed on children and adolescents aged one month to 18 years from three Iranian public tertiary pediatric hospitals located in different cities of Iran. To determine the participants’ nutritional status, Z-score of the weight for height (for those with 1month to 5years of age) and Z-score of BMI (for ≥5 to 18-year-old patients) were calculated using the WHO growth standards. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23.
Information about 1499 patients was collected. At the time of admission, 64% of the participants had a good nutritional status, 15.5% were at high risk of wasting, 8.4% were wasted, and 12.1% were severely wasted. Among 295 malnourished patients, the nutritional status of 182 patients (63%) had been improved at the time of discharge. Also, 23% of all subjects with normal nutritional status at the admission time (85 participants), were at risk of malnutrition at discharge. The prevalence of moderate and severe malnutrition at the discharge time was about 20%.
More than one-third of the hospitalized children had moderate or severe malnutrition or were at high risk. Although the prevalence of malnutrition decreased somewhat during hospitalization, some children were not malnourished at the time of admission and were malnourished at discharge.

Right-sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery is a rare congenital anomaly of the aorta that occurs in less than 0.1% of the population. Patients are asymptomatic in most cases, and the anomaly is found incidentally; however, symptoms can occur due to the compression of other structures, mostly the trachea and esophagus. In this report, we present a case of esophageal compression by a right-sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery that mimicked gastro-esophageal reflux in a 3-month-old (87-day-old) infant with complaint of regurgitation, vomiting, and failure to gain weight who was diagnosed through a barium meal study.

We report a 22-month-old boy who referred due to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and watery non-bloody diarrhea and after thorough evaluation, a large defect in the left postero-lateral side of diaphragm and presence of bowel loops, spleen, stomach and left lobe of liver in the left hemi-thorax were detected. So, he was operated and managed with the impression of Bochdalek hernia. We have also reviewed the similar case reports in the past 10 years, briefly, in order to map the presentations and clinical course of cases with Bochdalek hernia which were diagnosed late, for giving physi-cians a better insight on this issue.

Considering the allergic basis of Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), this study was conducted to evaluate peripheral blood Tregs in children with EoE.

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic inflammatory disease of gastrointestinal tract. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a confirmed role in allergic disorders.

Children with EoE, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and healthy controls (HC) (10 subjects in each group) were recruited after diagnosis by a pediatric gastroenterologist and allergist. After obtaining informed written consent, peripheral blood was obtained. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll gradient centrifugation. Flowcytometry was used to enumerate peripheral blood Tregs (CD4 +CD25+FOXP3+ gated lymphocytes were considered as Tregs).

CD4+ gated lymphocytes significantly increased in EoE and GERD groups compared to HC group (p= 0.018). Tregs also was significantly increased in EoE in comparison to HC group (p=0.016). There were no statistically significant differences in Tregs of EoE as compared to GERD subjects (p=0.085).

Peripheral blood Tregs increase in patients with EoE as compared to healthy controls, which may be indicative of a feedback mechanism to regulate inflammatory responses.

 In December 2019, a new coronavirus appeared in China, as a cause of acute respiratory disease. Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in children's hospitals are one of the groups who are at a high rate of exposure to COVID-19 patients. The detection of antibodies is useful and helps diagnose late or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Most children may present with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and can be silent sources of infection in the community and hospitals.

 This study was conducted to determine the antibodies (IgM and IgG) against SARS-CoV-2 in Mofid children's hospital staff.

 This cross-sectional study evaluated 475 staff from Mofid children's hospital from April 20 to May 5, 2020, in Tehran. We collected blood samples for the antibody assay with a rapid test kit. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic and clinical data.

 Of 475 staff who participated in this study, 25 (5.3%) were diagnosed with COVID-19 by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and/or CT scan. Besides, 140 (29.4%) of them were positive for IgM and/or IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

 The seropositivity of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among children's hospital staff was higher than expected. Approximately 5% of the participants were diagnosed as definitive positive COVID-19 cases by PCR and/or CT scan, but 29.4% of them were seropositive. The difference is a warning, as it shows seropositive people could be silent sources of transmission during asymptomatic infection.

Malnutrition is one of the most common disorders among children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The present study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional consultation on the type and severity of malnutrition in children with CF. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 78 children with CF referred to Mofid Pediatric Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2017-2018. Their parents filled the demographic questionnaire. Participants with malnutrition were undergoing the assessment on growth indices, including weight, height, ideal body weight, mid-upper arm circumference, and Z-score. Moreover, the nutritional consultations were considered for them (30-45 minutes). Children and their parents were consulted and trained about total daily calorie acquirement, type, number of the meal, amount of food intake, drinks, and avoided eating of any low-calorie food like snacks, during the consultation. All patients were reassessed three months later for growth indices. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 22.0. We assessed 78 children with CF, 21 (26%) of them had mild, 26 (34%) moderate malnutrition, and 31 (40%) severe malnutrition. The result showed that nutritional intervention was effective. Consequently, 1 (3.8%) of the moderately malnourished child was improved to mild malnutrition and 5 (27.8%) children under five years old were improved from severe to moderate malnutrition. Moreover, 1 (5.6%) child were improved from severe to mild, and 2 (15.4%) of children over five years old were improved from severe to moderate malnutrition. According to the results, the early growth assessment in hospitalized and outpatient, diagnosis of malnutrition and nutritional interventionwill be useful in improving the severity of malnutrition and growth indices in children with CF.

Prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) during pregnancy is recommended due to severe complications for mothers and infants. Considering that NCDs have a significant impact on infant mortality, this study was conducted to investigate the relationship between mothers’ underlying diseases and gestational diabetes and infant mortality in Iran.

Mothers who referred to the health centers in nine provinces of Iran were included. This case–control study used data collected from pregnant women. There were 1162 cases and 1624 controls. The required data were collected from mothers’ health records and through interviews.

The chances of neonatal mortality in women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30–35, 1.7 times (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–2.44, P = 0.003) was higher compared with women with a normal BMI. The chance of neonatal mortality among mothers with high blood pressure was three times higher compared with healthy mothers (OR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.98–4.65, P < 0.001). The chance of neonatal mortality in women with kidney disease was also 1.64 times higher than mothers without kidney problems (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.1–2.45, P = 0.015). In the study of gestational diabetes, the chance of neonatal mortality among the mothers who had at risk was 1.63 times higher than mothers without gestational diabetes (OR = 1.63, 95% CI: 0.84–3.16, P = 0.014). Furthermore, the chance of neonatal mortality among the mothers who had heart disease was 1.10 times higher than mothers without heart disease (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 0.88–4.99, P = 0.014).

This study showed that undiagnosed underlying diseases were related to neonatal mortality, which highlights the importance of caring for and counseling about the underlying diseases, screening, and controlling blood sugar levels before and during pregnancy to prevent infant mortality by all means possible.

Different dietary practices are applied worldwide to treat diarrheal diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the mothers’ knowledge and perception about childhood diarrhea and the way they manage it with diet.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on mothers who had at least one child (6 to 60 months) with diarrhea and needed home management. They were selected by multistage cluster sampling from health centers affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. The data were collected using socio-demographic characteristics and the knowledge about the mothers’ behavior related to nutritional factors during diarrhea questionnaires. The total knowledge score was 39. The classification of low, medium, high and excellent the knowledge scores was less than 20, 20-25, 25-31 and above 31, respectively. The data analysis using SPSS-18. P-value <0.05 was considered as significant level.

The mean age of the mothers was 29.1 ± 4.9% years. The highest incidence of diarrhea was seen in children aged 6-24 months (52.2%). Acute diarrhea (duration < 14 days) was predominant (n = 379, 94.75%), while only 21 (5.25%) of the children reported persistent diarrhea (duration ≥14 days). The mean score of the mothers’ knowledge was 23.75±4.41, ranging from 10 to 39. The mothers' knowledge score was significantly correlated with their education levels (p<0.001).

The mothers had little information on nutritional management of diarrhea. Therefore, the healthcare providers have a crucial role in increasing the mothers’ awareness of appropriate and optimal use of a specific diet to control diarrhea.

Salmonella typhi is a Gram-negative microorganism. This enteric pathogen causes a variety of signs and symptoms, but the more prevalent is fever and gastrointestinal signs. It is important to consider this microorganism in the differential diagnosis in patients coming from the regions with a high prevalence of salmonella typhi and unusual signs and symptoms.

Broncho-esophageal fistula (BEF) is a rare congenital anomaly affecting the respiratory and upper gastrointestinal tract. The rarity makes its timely diagnosis very challenging. This study presents a rare case of missed congenital BEF in a six-year-old girl with repaired esophageal atresia in the neonatal period suffering from recurrent respiratory symptoms, choking, and respiratory distress following eating, resulting in vomiting or regurgitation for three years before admission. While the contrast esophagography and endoscopy had failed to diagnose her problem, the methylene blue test via an esophageal catheter observed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy could detect the presence of BEF reliably in the present case. Presenting this case can raise physicians’ knowledge of the diagnostic role of methylene blue test via fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with very early onset manifestations (younger than six years of age) is an essential pediatric gastrointestinal disease that encompasses a group of diverse and rare genetic defects. It may be associated with chronicity, premalignant nature, and high morbidity and mortality during childhood. Because of overlapping phenotypes, the definitive diagnosis based on conventional strategies is frequently a challenge. However, many patients with different molecular pathologies are treated with the same therapeutic strategy. In this context, it is essential to define a more reliable method to provide an opportunity for a rapid and accurate diagnosis. Here we report a novel homozygous exonic variant in a patient with an IBD-like lesion in the colon during the infancy period. A 7 months old boy who was born of a consanguineous marriage developed gastrointestinal disorders early in life. After complete diagnostic workups, this case underwent conventional therapy of IBD for five months; but clinical remission was not achieved. We identified a novel homozygous mutation (c.684C>T p. (=)) in exon 7 of IL-12RB1 gene that in silico studies indicated its significance in the splicing process. At the 14th month of age, this case died. Our finding reveals the importance of genetic screening as an early diagnostic tool in the identification of the underlying causes of IBD with very early onset manifestations, particularly infantile (< 2 years of age) IBD. This strategy makes an opportunity in prompt diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID) are a heterogeneous group of gastrointestinal disorders, associated with an increase of the eosinophils in the gastrointestinal mucosal tissue. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), as a subset of T cells, have a proven prominent role in immunopathology and protection against allergic diseases. Also, they appear to play a role in EGID pathogenesis. In the present study, serum levels of Tumor Growth Factor (TGF)-β and interleukin (IL)-10 were measured in patients with EGID compared to patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and healthy subjects. A total of 34 patients with EGID, 23 with GERD, and 25 healthy controls were included in the study. The diagnoses of EGID and GERD were made based on the patients’ clinical symptoms, endoscopic findings, and biopsy confirmation. A questionnaire of demographic information, allergy history, as well as endoscopic-pathological and skin prick test results were completed and performed. The serum levels of TGF-β and IL-10 were measured using the ELISA method. Family history of allergic disorders in patients with EGID or GERD was significantly high compared to healthy controls (P=0.010, P=0.005, respectively). There was a statistically significant increase in serum levels of TGF-β1 (P=0.025), but no significant difference was observed in serum level of IL-10 among three groups. However, the serum level of IL-10 was significantly high in a subgroup of patients with upper gastrointestinal eosinophilic involvement compared to the healthy controls (P=0.018). Significant increase in the serum level of IL-10 and TGF- β might be due to the Tregs dysfunction in EGID patients. Further studies should determine the role of Tregs in the pathogenesis of EGID.

Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) as a gram-negative bacterium is the most common infection of the gastrointestinal tract, and worldwide it affects the children over three years of age. H. pylori could cause gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal manifestations. Antibiotic resistance can happen primarily and occurs during treatment. We aimed to evaluate the resistance gene of H. pylori obtained from gastric biopsy by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in Iranian children over 3 years old. This study was a cross-sectional to evaluate the resistance gene of H. pylori obtained from gastric biopsy by polymerase chain reaction method for metronidazole and clarithromycin in children over three years old referring to the Mofid Children's Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. Finally, data from seventy-nine samples included (mean age=10.7 years and male gender = 60.8%). Beta Globulin (BG) gene were detectable in 75 (94.93%) specimens of 79 (100%). Seventeen out of 75 specimens showed positive results for molecular detection of H. pylori. The results of RFLP-PCR technique showed that mutation of RdxA gene in seven of 17 (41.1%) for Metronidazole resistance and one case of 17 (5.8%) mutation of 23Y RNA gene that leads to clarithromycin resistance. Regarding the results of our study, it is better to check microbial resistance by culture and antibiogram for the antibiotic regimen of the first and second line of H. pylori treatment in children

Given the important role of amino acids in regulating many metabolic pathways of the body and considering the scarcity of markers for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and its differentiation, we aimed to investigate the status of serum amino acids chromatography in children with IBD.
This case-control study was conducted among children with primary diagnosis of IBD who referred to Mofid Children's hospital in Tehran, Iran. Children with a definite diagnosis of chronic IBD on the basis of endoscopy and biopsy were enrolled. In addition, 100 children without any history of predisposing, chronic, or inflammatory disease who referred to the same hospital during the period of the study were also selected. All samples underwent serum amino acids chromatography via HPLC method.
Of all the patients in the IBD group, 18 patients (18%) suffered from Crohn's disease and 82 patients (82%) had ulcerative colitis; the disease was active in 54 patients (54%). The results of serum amino acids chromatography showed that several amino acids were significantly higher in patients with IBD. Considering the normal serum levels of amino acids, only the levels of two amino acids of histidine and tryptophan were significantly different in the IBD group compared the control group. In total, of all the subjects, 30 children (15%) had abnormal amino acid serum chromatography; hence, its prevalence was significantly higher in the IBD group (P=0.048).
The current study showed that serum amino acid chromatography in children with IBD were different from that in healthy children. More specifically, the decrease in tryptophan level was more observed in patients with active disease.

Wilson's disease (WD) is a genetic disorder with various clinical presentations due to excessive accumulation of copper in the liver and other organs. It can present as acute/chronic hepatitis, liver failure, extrahepatic and neuromuscular manifestations. Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a necroinflammatory disease of the liver, which affects a lot of people particularly the children population. AIH has a broad clinical presentation that is similar to WD. Coexistence of WD with elevated creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) and AIH, may be a diagnostic dilemma.
Case Report: We presented a 6 years old boy with dysarthria, aggressive behavior, weak attention, concentration and weight loss with abnormal physical examination. Laboratory, histochemical, genomic studies, muscle/liver biopsy and atomic absorption test confirmed the diagnosis of both WD and AIH in the boy.
Although CPK and liver enzyme elevation is a rare presentation of chronic hepatitis with dominant feature of WD and AIH; however, simultaneous therapy with immunosuppressive drugs and Penicillamine may have superior benefit with a significant response.

Diarrhea refers to the passage of three or more loose of watery stools per more than 15ml/kg/day in infant or >200 gr/day in older children and adolescence. Selenium (Se) is suggested, like other trace mineral and anti-oxidant enzymes, is one of the important immune factor that neutralized free oxygen radicals. Selenium deficiency leads to occurrence of bacterial infections, hair fall, loss of skin elasticity, or disease progression of some viral infections. Recent research has suggested that selenium deficiency has role in gastroenteritis therefore we designed a study for relation between serum selenium level and acute gastroenteritis.
Subjects and This is a case-control study which performed on 80 infants and children in the range of 6-36 month of age. In case group were 35 children with acute gastroenteritis and in control group were 45 healthy children. We measured serum selenium level by atomic absorption via spectrophotometer method. In control group performed once and in the case group twice during admission and recovery phase 7-10 days after treatment. The mean serum selenium level in the acute phase was 80.8±18.2 µg/L and after 7-10 days in recovery phase was 105.6±18.4 µg/L. Mean serum selenium in control group was 94.5±15.3 µg/L. Serum selenium level decreased significantly in severe dehydration than mild and moderate dehydration (P<0.001). There was no relationship between selenium level with age, weight, sex, breastfeeding, socioeconomic and underlying disease. The results of this study indicate that decrease selenium level in acute phase of gastroenteritis compared to control group and significantly lower than in recovery phase. We suggest during treatment of gastroenteritis, attention to selenium deficiency need to be made

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients causes problems in treatment and increases hospitalization duration. The aim of this research was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized children.
Children aged 1 month to 18 years (n = 1186) who were admitted to medical and surgery wards of Mofid children’s hospital from November 2015 to February 2016, entered the study. We measured different anthropometric variables in patients with malnutrition. Also, nutritional counseling was performed and three months follow-up was done.
Patient data were registered in questionnaires particularly for children 2 years old and less. 597 children under 2 years of age and 607 children over two years entered the study. The data analysis was done by SPSS version 22.0 (Chicago, IL, USA). The t test inferential method was used in comparing variables. P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Based on the body mass index (BMI) Z score, and in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) cut-off, among children over 2 years, 9% were diagnosed as overweight or obese, 54% were within the normal range and 37% were underweight at time of admission. In the underweight group, 43% were mildly, 21.2% were moderately and 35.8% were severely underweight. Based on the weight for length Z score in patients less than 2 years of age at time of admission, 6% were overweight, 60% were in normal range and 34% were underweight. Among children with malnutrition, 21% had mild, 3.0% had moderate and 10% had severe malnutrition. No significant meaningful relation was found between prevalence of malnutrition and severity of illness. In the moderate to severe undernutrition group, nutritionist counseling was done. Comparison of BMI and weight, before and after admission (the baseline and the follow up visits), was done by means of repeated measurements. Comparison of the patient’s weight at time of admission with weight at 1, 2 and 3 months after the first nutritional consultation showed statistically meaningful difference (P value Growth indices need to be evaluated in every hospitalized child. Nutritional consultation is useful in children with malnutrition. The main purpose of early diagnosis of malnutrition is to prevent its progression, and also to design a useful, applicable and cost-effective nutritional intervention for malnutrition treatment.

We aimed to evaluate the role of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and its prognosis after surgery in infants with biliary atresia.
This retrospective study was conducted using the medical records of patients diagnosed with biliary atresia who underwent surgery and liver biopsy in Mofid Children’s Hospital from 2008 to 2016. The sampling method was complete enumeration and all patients admitted to the hospital in these 8 years were selected as the sample. In this study, an author - made checklist was used. According to data available in the archives of Mofid Children’s Hospital, a total of 100 patients with preoperative diagnosis of biliary atresia entered the study. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The significance level in this study was considered to be 0.05.
A total of 100 patients were enrolled in this study, with 64 male patients and 36 female. The patients gave birth at a minimum of 29 weeks and a maximum of 40 weeks. The gestational age was significantly related to the final diagnosis of the disease among children (p = 0.011). With a cut off value of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio of 0.95, 25 patients (50%) with biliary atresia were in the group of significant fibrosis (F4, cirrhosis) and the others were in the non - significant fibrosis group (p value = 0.021).
In our study, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio was calculated and showed significant relationship to the final diagnosis based on liver biopsy categorizations among infants with Biliary Atresia after Portoenterostomy.

As a standard measure in some chronic liver disorder, liver transplantation (LT) has performed for about 3 decades in pediatric populations. Post operatively some patients suffering from infectious complications by viral, bacterial and fungal etiologies. Here in we presented 10 children diagnosed as bacterial sinusitis presenting with prolonged fever and upper respiratory tract symptoms post LT and review the literature.
Ten pediatric LT recipients including 7 boys and 3 girls, aged 1.5 to 8 years (4.7±2.34) with mean weight of 15.6 Kg (range; 11.4–27.5 Kg) were diagnosed as bacterial sinusitis during December 2013 to March 2017. Patients were suffering from respiratory symptoms and prolonged fever. After ruling out other diagnosis and by performing through investigation, we confirmed bacterial sinusitis by sputum culture and result of antibiogram and paranasal Computed Tomography (CT) scan. All patients dramatically responded to intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic.
In post LT patients who are, suffering from fever or prolonged fever with upper respiratory signs and symptoms, acute sinusitis should kept in mind. Therefore, timely diagnoses coupled with taking therapeutic measures using broad-spectrum antibiotics could prevent disease progression and complications.

The World Health Organization program on Ending Childhood Obesity (WHO‑ECHO) has developed a comprehensive and integrated package of recommendations to address childhood obesity. The present study, entitled IRAN‑ECHO, was designed and implemented in the framework of the WHO‑ECHO program.
The IRAN‑ECHO program is implementing multicomponent interventions by considering life course dimensions. The program has two parts: a population approach and an individual approach. The population approach considers different periods in life, including prenatal, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, as well as family and society. The individual approach targets those children or adolescents with overweight or obesity; this part is conducted as a referral system that is now integrated in the current national health system. As part of the population approach, a quasi‑experimental study was conducted in six provinces to compare the status before and after implementing parts of the interventions. By intersectoral collaboration with different organizations, multicomponent interventions are conducted for different age groups.
The IRAN‑ECHO program is being conducted in six provinces, and will be considered in all provinces in the near future. Its main effects could be assessed in future years. Part of this program that was conducted as a quasi‑experimental survey comprised 7149 students and showed that a high percentage of students had acceptable knowledge about adverse health effects of overweight and obesity. However, the knowledge about the low nutritional value of unhealthy snacks such as potato chips, puffs, industrial juices, and carbonated drinks was not appropriate. Many participants had the undesirable attitude of skipping one of the main meals when attempting to lose weight.
The IRAN‑ECHO program is presenting the feasibility of conducting the WHO‑ECHO recommendations in Iran. The scope of potential policy recommendations to decrease childhood obesity is extensive and includes various elements. This program considers multisectoral interventions through population and individual approaches. The multicomponent interventions of this program address the obesogenic environment by considering the life course dimensions. It is expected that, by its life course interventions, it could help in primordial and primary prevention of noncommunicable diseases.