Maternal HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy in Pregnancy: Implications for Vertical Transmission, Fetal Safety, and Long-Term Infant Outcomes.

HIV mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) continues to pose a significant public health challenge, especially in regions with limited resources, although the worldwide distribution of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has drastically lowered the risk of vertical transmission to even below 1% in some regions. There are still uncertainties regarding the safety of some ART regimens during pregnancy and their longer-term effects on infants who are perinatally exposed to HIV but remain uninfected. This review explores current evidence regarding the interplay between maternal HIV infection, ART during pregnancy, and both maternal and pediatric outcomes.

General Practitioner's Practice in Romanian Children with Streptococcal Pharyngitis.

: A correct diagnosis of (GAS)-pharyngitis allows the prevention of complications and unnecessary use of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to assess the management of pediatric GAS-pharyngitis in Romanian general practitioners (GPs)' practice. : a cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire distributed to Romanian GPs.

Microbiota-A Rescuing Modulator in Children Struggling with Functional Constipation.

Constipation affects around 30% of children and in 95% of cases is functional (FC), a consequence of alterations in digestive tract peristalsis, modulated by the immune and nervous systems, bile acid metabolism, and the gut microbiota. The aim of this review was to assess the role of gut microbiota and the use of probiotics in children with constipation. The current treatment involves education, toilet training, and oral laxatives, effective in only 50% of patients.

The Negative Impact of Maternal HIV Infection on Birth Outcomes-Myth or Reality?

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection during pregnancy poses significant risks to both maternal and child health, with potential adverse effects on perinatal outcomes. This study aimed to compare perinatal outcomes, including birth weight, length, Apgar scores, and prematurity rates, between HIV-exposed, uninfected (HEU) children and HIV-unexposed, uninfected (HUU) children. A total of 204 neonates were included in the study, comprising 102 born to HIV-positive mothers and 102 born to uninfected mothers.

, a "Friend" of SARS-CoV-2: A Case Report.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is present in a latent state in 70-90% of the immunocompetent population, and its reactivation might be triggered by inflammatory conditions such as post-COVID multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) or by immunosuppression induced by steroids. The aim of this paper was to highlight the unexpected complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection that require a complex clinical approach for accurate diagnosis.

Materials And Methods: We present the case of a 4-year-old male patient who, during an initially favorable course of PIMS, experienced symptoms of respiratory failure.

The Most Recent Insights into the Roots of Gastric Cancer.

() is the most common bacterial infection worldwide, usually being acquired during childhood, and its persistence into adulthood represents one of the main contributors of gastric carcinogenesis. Based on these statements, it would be of great importance to know if the most early premalignant transformation occurs in children or later since, this would enable the development of effective anti-tumorigenesis strategies. The interplay between virulence factors, the host's responses modified by this infection, and the gastric microecology are complex and eventually lead to the development of gastric cancer in susceptible individuals.

Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Synbiotics-A Research Hotspot for Pediatric Obesity.

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem worldwide with an increasing prevalence, associated not only with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but also with psychosocial problems. Gut microbiota is a new factor in childhood obesity, which can modulate the blood lipopolysaccharide levels, the satiety, and fat distribution, and can ensure additional calories to the host. The aim of this review was to assess the differences and the impact of the gut microbial composition on several obesity-related complications such as metabolic syndrome, NAFLD, or insulin resistance.

Cyberbullying in teenagers - a true burden in the era of online socialization.

Cyberbullying represents a major concern worldwide, especially among teenagers with major negative psychological impact. We performed a prospective online questionnaire-based study on 316 teenagers in order to assess the prevalence of cyberbullying in Romania, evaluate its psychosocial consequences, and examine the factors that may predispose them to bullying. Almost 50% of the responders stated that they have been previously bullied, with females having a higher risk of being harassed (P = .

COVID-19 and Cardiac Implications-Still a Mystery in Clinical Practice.

Although initially the evolution of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seemed less severe in pediatric patients, in the three years since the beginning of the pandemics, several severe cases have been described, pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) has been defined, pathogenesis is being continuously studied, and many aspects regarding the long-term evolution and multi-organ damage are still unexplained. Cardiac injuries in COVID-19 represent most-likely the second cause of mortality associated with the infection. A wide-spectrum of cardiac abnormalities were reported to be associated with COVID-19 in children including ventricular dysfunction, acute myocardial dysfunction, arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, coronary artery dilation or aneurysms, and less common pericarditis and valvulitis.

Current Worldwide Trends in Pediatric Antimicrobial Resistance.

() has acquired several resistance mechanisms in order to escape the currently used eradication regimens such as mutations that impair the replication, recombination, and transcription of DNA; the antibiotics capability to interact with protein synthesis and ribosomal activity; the adequate redox state of bacterial cells; or the penicillin-binding proteins. The aim of this review was to identify the differences in pediatric antimicrobial-resistance trends between continents and countries of the same continent. In Asian pediatric patients, the greatest antimicrobial resistance was found to metronidazole (>50%), probably due to its wide use for parasitic infections.

Not Every Dyspepsia Is Related to -A Case of Esophageal Inlet Patch in a Female Teenager.

infection is one of the main causes of dyspepsia, but it is not the only cause. Esophageal inlet patches are areas of heterotopic gastric mucosa within the esophagus and are commonly located in the cervical part of the esophagus. We report the case of a 16-year-old female, previously known to display symptoms of anxiety, who was admitted to our clinic for dyspeptic symptoms lasting for approximately 1 month in spite of the treatment with proton pump inhibitors.

Pathogen-Specific Benefits of Probiotic and Synbiotic Use in Childhood Acute Gastroenteritis: An Updated Review of the Literature.

Probiotics represent viable microorganisms which are found within the normal gut microbiota, that exert strain-specific benefits in the management of several gastrointestinal disorders in children, including acute gastroenteritis. This review aims to evaluate the pathogen-specific role of probiotic supplementation in childhood diarrhea. A search of scientific databases was conducted to identify studies which investigated efficacy of probiotics and synbiotics in influencing outcome of acute gastroenteritis of known etiology.

Cardiological Monitoring - A Cornerstone for Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Temporally Associated with COVID-19 Outcome: A Case Report and a Review from the Literature.

Introduction: Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS) is a rare life-threatening condition requiring a complex management and multidisciplinary approach, whose outcome depends on the early diagnosis.

Case Report: We report the case of a 2 years and-5-month-old boy admitted in our clinic for fever, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The clinical exam at the time of admission revealed influenced gen-eral status, bilateral palpebral edema and conjunctivitis, mucocutaneous signs of dehydration, and abdominal tenderness at palpation.

Worldwide Prevalence and Risk Factors of Infection in Children.

is usually acquired during childhood. The reports from the last two decades pointed out a decrease in prevalence across geographical areas worldwide compared to previously reported data. Most of the studies performed in America found an overall infection prevalence of approximately 50%.

-Related Extraintestinal Manifestations-Myth or Reality.

It is well documented that () can cause both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal manifestations. The latter one represents a major burden in terms of diagnosis and treatment. -associated systemic subclinical inflammation is mostly responsible for the development of extraintestinal manifestations, and its early eradication might result in preventing all adverse events related to their occurrence.

COVID-19 and PIMS-Two Different Entities, but the Same Trigger.

COVID-19 and PIMS represent two novel pathologies that have challenged the medical world during the last two years on account of their being very similar, but yet very different. Our aim was to comparatively assess children with SARS-CoV-2 infection and PIMS in terms of symptoms, clinical findings, laboratory parameters, echocardiography, and evolution. Our retrospective study included 46 children with COVID-19 (group 1), and 20 children with confirmed PIMS (group 2).

Old and New Aspects of -Associated Inflammation and Gastric Cancer.

is involved in the development of 80% of gastric cancers and 5.5% of all malignant conditions worldwide. Its persistence within the host's stomach causes chronic inflammation, which is a well-known hallmark of carcinogenesis.

Traditional and Modern Diagnostic Approaches in Diagnosing Pediatric Infection.

() is the most common bacterial infection worldwide, is usually acquired during childhood and is related to gastric carcinogenesis during adulthood. Therefore, its early proper diagnosis and subsequent successful eradication represent the cornerstones of gastric cancer prevention. The aim of this narrative review was to assess traditional and modern diagnostic methods in terms of diagnosis.

The Challenges of Eradicating Pediatric Infection in the Era of Probiotics.

(), the most common infection of childhood, results in life-threatening complications during adulthood if left untreated. Most of these complications are related to -induced chronic inflammation. The dysbiosis caused by is not limited to the gastric microenvironment, but it affects the entire gastrointestinal tract.

COVID-19 Vaccine-A Potential Trigger for MOGAD Transverse Myelitis in a Teenager-A Case Report and a Review of the Literature.

MOGAD-transverse myelitis is a rare disorder in children and adults, but with a higher incidence in pediatric patients. We report a case of MOGAD-transverse myelitis in a boy who was admitted to hospital with bilateral motor deficit of the lower limbs associated with the impossibility of defecating and urinating. The symptoms progressively developed with severe fatigue within the week prior to admission, with the impossibility to stand occurring 36 h before admission.

The Yin-Yang Concept of Pediatric Obesity and Gut Microbiota.

The era of pediatric obesity is no longer a myth. Unfortunately, pediatric obesity has reached alarming incidence levels worldwide and the factors that contribute to its development have been intensely studied in multiple recent and emerging studies. Gut microbiota was recently included in the wide spectrum of factors implicated in the determination of obesity, but its role in pediatric obese patients is far from being fully understood.

Innate Immune Responses in Pediatric Patients with Gastritis-A Trademark of Infection or Chronic Inflammation?

The aim of this study was to define the relationship between several environmental, laboratory, and genetic factors, i.e., TLR2 and NLRP3 polymorphisms, and () infection in children, by comparing three different groups of pediatric subjects: -induced gastritis, non- gastritis, and healthy controls.

Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Children-From Atomistic to Holistic.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has become the most common chronic liver disease in children due to the alarmingly increasing incidence of pediatric obesity. It is well-documented that MAFLD prevalence is directly related to an incremental increase in BMI. The multiple hits theory was designed for providing insights regarding the pathogenesis of steatohepatitis and fibrosis in MAFLD.

Pediatric COVID-19: Low Incidence, but Possible Fatality-A Case Report and a Review of the Literature.

Background: Pediatric COVID-19 is a current health burden mostly due to the lack of knowledge in terms of symptoms, clinical course and management. COVID-19-associated coagulopathy is one of the most recently described complications among adults, along with acquired thrombophilia resulting in an increased risk for venous, arterial and microvascular thrombosis.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 4-year-old male child, admitted to our clinic for generalized seizures being intubated and mechanically ventilated before admission, with a personal history of ureterovesical junction obstruction, mild hydronephrosis, and an episode of generalized seizures.