Effect of family-based cognitive behavioral therapy in modification of self-image associated with obesity among children

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of family-based cognitive behavioral therapy in modification of self-image associated with obesity in children. Materials and methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed in children with obesity (BMI � 95th percentile(aged 8-15 years old. Using convenience sampling, the participants were recruited from Children Hospital and Morsali clinic in Arak, Iran. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n= 15) or control group (n= 15). The children in experimental group received family-based cognitive behavioral therapy (6 group sessions) and their parents attended 5 group sessions. All participants completed Body Parts Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BPSS-R) and Standard Figural Stimuli Scale (SFSS) in pretest, posttest and follow-up. BMI was calculated in all three stages. Results: Family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy was found effective in improving the body parts satisfaction (P=0.023) and body image satisfaction (P=0.0001). The improvement maintained only in body image at follow-up (P=0.0001). Conclusion: According to these results, family-based cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in modification of self-image in children. © 2016, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Efficacy of montelukast for prevention of upper respiratory tract infection in children: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Background: Upper Respiratory tract infection (URTI) or common cold is very prevalent in children particularly in young children. Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) like montelukast are effective drugs in asthma and some other respiratory diseases. Our purpose was to study preventive effects of montelukast on pediatric URTI. Methods: This randomized, placebo-controlled, and double blind trial was performed on 450 healthy children aged 1-5 year in Amir Kabir Hospital, Arak, Iran. Children were randomized 1:1 to placebo group or montelukast group for 12 weeks. Number of URTI episodes and duration were the primary end points and were compared at baseline and after termination of treatment. Results: Mean age was 28 ± 12.3 months. Mean of URTI episodes was 0.7 ± 0.57 in children treated with montelukast and 1.27 ± 0.72 in children treated with placebo, respectively. Differences were statistically significant (P =0.01). A significant difference was seen in URTI duration between two study groups (6.3 ± 6.1 vs 4.1 ± 3.9, P = 0.05). In addition, duration of fever was shorter in children receiving montelukast (P=0.001). Conclusion: Our study indicates that 3 month treatment with montelukast is effective for reducing the incidence of URTI in young children. This treatment has an acceptable safety without any serious concern. © 2020 Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Clinical signs, causes, and risk factors of pediatric kidney stone disease: A hospital-based case-control study

Background: Nephrolithiasis in children is an important cause of morbidity worldwide. The current retrospective study aims at identifying epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of nephrolithiasis among children under 18 years old attending at nephrology clinic of Amir Kabir hospital of Arak, Iran, in 2014. Methods: The current case-control study was conducted among 166 children in 2 equal groups of cases (with nephrolithiasis) and controls (without kidney stone). Clinical and paraclinical characteristics of children along with their sociodemographic and risk factors were collected. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 using Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Results: The current study showed that the most common symptoms of pediatric nephrolithiasis included fever (81.1), urine discoloration (8.4), pain (6) and dysuria (3.6). Urinary tract infection (42.2) was the most common cause to seek medical care. The present study findings revealed series of predicative factors for nephrolithiasis including father’s occupation, growth retardation, type of nutrition during infancy, weight-for-age percentile, body mass index (BMI), and gestational age. Conclusions: Findings of the current study, which require further consideration, identified common symptoms of nephrolithiasis in children. Future studies are greatly recommended to investigate risk factors of pediatric nephrolithiasis along with confounders in studies with a larger sample size. © 2017, Nephrology and Urology Research Center