A review of recent pediatric research published in Brazilian indexed journals

This review surveys articles appertaining to the general field of pediatrics that have been published in Brazilian scientific periodicals over recent years. its main purpose was to bring to the attention of the readership of the São Paulo Medical Journal original contributions from specialty and non-specialty journals. we hope that this can be seen as a general scientific update for the readers. We have covered articles appearing in Brazilian ISI-indexed journals, following a PubMed search.


INTRODUCTION
Brazilian medical journals, whether multidisciplinary or specialty, have seen an increase in the quality and volume of published original science.This is due to the enhanced visibility induced by the SciELO collection and by the very large increase in Brazilian journals accepted by and indexed in the ISI-Thomson Journal of Citation Reports (JCR).This review catalogues and summarizes pediatric research papers appearing in clinical and surgical JCR journals in 2010 and 2011.The criteria observed for selecting articles were generally based on the new concept of continuously variable rating, in which articles are evaluated with regard to citations, in comparison with other articles cited in the same journal. 1METHOD A PubMed search was conducted for all Brazilian journals registered in the JCR database, using "children" or "child" as the keyword and limiting the search to the years 2010 and 2011.All articles representing other than original research were manually excluded.Articles published in J Pediatria (Rio de Janeiro) were limited to the most frequently cited in that collection.

Infectious diseases
1.1.Aids-related research.Contri et al. 2 described nutritional status, body composition and lipid profile in HIV-infected children and adolescents receiving protease inhibitors.Costa et al. 3 used delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests to evaluate in vivo cell-mediated immunity to common antigens in HIV-1-infected pediatric patients.Cruz et al. 4 analyzed how immunological changes in HIV-infected children interfere in atopy determinants.de Sousa Paiva et al. 5 analyzed non-verbal mother-child communication under conditions of maternal HIV.Gonçalves et al. 6 determined prevalence of vertical HIV-1 transmission in the western region of the state of São Paulo.Guimarães et al. 7 reported findings from the first national sample of psychiatric patients about lifetime practice of unsafe sex and associated factors.
Machado et al. 8 characterized urinary excretion of human polyomaviruses in human HIV-infected children and adolescents.Silva et al. 9 investigated the evolution of children with vertically transmitted HIV/AIDS.Sitoe et al. 10 studied samples from Mozambique by means of ELISA, using serum samples from 150 pregnant women and six cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from AIDS patients with encephalitis.Tremeschin et al. 11 reported on nutritional and metabolic alterations among pediatric patients continuously exposed to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HART).Werner et al. 12 described the lipid profile, body shape changes and cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents infected with HIV/AIDS who were receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.
1.2.Gastrointestinal tract.Borges et al. 13 evaluated Rotavirus genotypes circulating in Goiânia, Brazil.El Khoury et al. 14 projected the effectiveness of the RV5 rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq in terms of the percentage reduction in rotavirus gastroenteritisrelated hospitalizations among children less than five years of age in four Brazilian regions (Goiania, Porto Alegre, Salvador and São Paulo).Morillo et al. 15 reported the results from a five-year surveillance study on rotavirus strains in children under the age of five years with acute gastroenteritis at day care centers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.Vieira et al. 16 described the incidence and disease burden of rotavirus diarrhea in two cohorts of 250 children (Rotarix vaccinated and unvaccinated) under one year of age, enrolled from a low-income residential area in northeastern Brazil.Silva et al. 17 investigated Group A rotavirus in fecal samples from suspected children seen within the public health system of the state of Pernambuco.Gonçalves et al. 18 135 characterized the population seen at the dentistry unit of the hematology-oncology service of a tertiary medical center in São Paulo.Lima et al. 136 aimed to comprehend the experiences of family members regarding their children's oral healthcare.Motta et al. 137 determined whether there was any correlation between halitosis and mouth breathing among 55 children between 3 and 14 years of age, divided into two groups (nasal and mouth breathing).Perinetti et al. 138 investigated whether malocclusion traits correlated with body posture alterations among 122 young subjects, in order to determine possible clinical applications.Souza et al. 139 investigated dental abnormalities and oral health condition among pediatric patients suffering from hypophosphatemic rickets through a prospective study on oral conditions.Cunha Filho et al. 140 evaluated the effects of L-alanyl-glutamine (L-Ala-Gln) pretreatment on oxidative stress, glycemia control and inflammatory response among 30 boys (age range: 2-10 years) who were scheduled to undergo routine palatoplasty.The patients were randomly assigned to saline control or L-Ala-Gln groups.

CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that the volume and quality of pediatric research published in Brazilian journals has increased perceptibly over this period.
investigated the prevalence of intestinal parasites in 133 children who attended two daycare centers maintained by the municipality of Uberlândia, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.Silva et al. 19 analyzed the prevalence and intensity of infection by Ascaris lumbricoides by means of a cross-sectional study among 220 children (1-12 years of age) living in the municipality of Tutoia, Maranhão, Brazil.Jure et al. 20 studied the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of 60 strains of Salmonella sp.isolated from children with gastroenteritis and/or extraintestinal complications.Machado et al. 21evaluated the usefulness of Western blot (WB) analysis as a diagnostic tool for congenital toxoplasmosis in 215 newborn infants.Nakano et al. 22 examined the antimicrobial resistance profile and the prevalence of resistance genes in Bacteroides spp.andParabacteroides distasonis strains isolated from children's intestinal microbiota.Krebs et al.23  estimated the prevalence of anti-hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) antibodies in 465 serum samples from 1-9 year-old children and adolescents obtained at two clinical pathology laboratories in the city of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, and compared their findings with those from a study carried out in the 1990s.Bertolini et al.24  investigated whether the laboratory diagnosis methods available, comparing antigen detection by means of the indirect immunofluorescence assay and a specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for detecting adenovirus in 381 respiratory samples collected from pediatric patients admitted to hospital with acute respiratory disease.Two other papers come under this heading.Paula et al.38  collected 532 nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) over a nine-year period from children at a tertiary hospital in the state of Minas Gerais and tested them for human rhinovirus RNA using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Moretti et al.39    conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of two definitions used as epidemiological tools, in adults and children, during the influenza A H1N1 epidemic: influenza-like illness definition (coughing + temperature ≥ 38 °C) in period 1, and the definition of severe acute respiratory infection (coughing + temperature ≥ 38 °C and dyspnea) in period 2. 1.4.Chagas disease.Carvalho et al. 40 conducted two serological surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of Chagas disease vector control in the state of São Paulo.The first (1968-1970) evaluated schoolchildren living in all municipalities of the state of São Paulo.The second (1973-1983) involved schoolchildren in municipalities with high trypanosomiasis prevalence.Ostermayer et al. 41 surveyed the seroprevalence of Chagas disease among 104,954 Brazilian children (≤ 5 years of age) in rural areas.Rassi and Rezende 42 studied the esophagus and colons of 94 pediatric patients with acute Chagas disease, through deglutition and radiological examination of the esophagus.Intestinal transit was assessed in 59 patients (56.7%).1.5.Herpesvirus.Magalhães et al. 43 assessed the prevalence of human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) in 141 serum samples from children less than four years of age with exanthematic disease.Magalhães et al. 44 used a nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to diagnose human herpesvirus 6B primary infection, differentiate it from infections caused by human herpesvirus-6A and compare it to antibody avidity tests, and found that the PCR technique was not suitable for diagnosing primary infection by HHV-6B in children with exanthematic disease and should not substitute the immunofluorescence assay (IFA).1.6.Leishmania.Carranza-Tamayo et al. 45 aimed to confirm suspected autochthonous cases of visceral leishmaniasis among individuals in Brasilia, through a retrospective review of the surveillance data and clinical records of reported cases.Fraga et al. 46 reported on the use of PCR on peripheral blood samples to diagnose leishmaniasis among 45 children in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.1.7.Schistosomiasis.Palmeira et al. 47 determined the occurrence rate of Schistosoma mansoni among 690 students (7-15 years of age) in two municipalities, located in the Mundau and Paraíba river basins.Pereira et al. 48evaluated school-age children (6-15 years) in the schistosomiasis endemic area of Pernambuco, both as a target group for and an indicator of schistosomiasis control in the community.1.8.Tuberculosis.Basta et al. 49 described the clinical and radiological characteristics of children and adolescents in a population of Surui Indians in Rondônia, Brazil, where the incidence of tuberculosis was 2,500/100,000 inhabitants (1991-2002), with about 50% in children < 15 years of age.Sales et al. 50analyzed the spatial distribution of childhood tuberculosis in Espírito Santo, between 2000 and 2007, according to municipal notifications.1.9.Blastomycosis.Eymael et al. 51 evaluated the effectiveness of different techniques for diagnosing Blastocystis hominis among 100 children and adults.1.10.Chlamydia.Nishiwaki-Dantas et al. 52 identified Chlamydia trachomatis via the PCR versus via the direct fluorescent antibody assay in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis. 1.11.Others.Martins et al. 53 conducted a study in which the molecular types of 63 cryptococcal isolates recovered from the cerebrospinal fluid of meningitis patients diagnosed in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil, were analyzed.Costa and Façanha 54 studied blood samples from children with the aim of identifying dengue virus serotypes in Manaus, Brazil.Miranzi et al. 55 described the epidemiological profile of the population with a diagnosis of leprosy in the municipality of Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, through a retrospective study.Emiasegen et al. 56 established the prevalence of human parvovirus immunoglobulins G and M (IgG and IgM) antibodies, including correlates of infection, among 273 pregnant women (aged 15-40 years) attending an antenatal clinic in Nigeria.Gbotosho et al. 57 looked at the effects of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) on transmission of Plasmodium falciparum after a policy change instituting the use of combination therapy in an endemic area.Fernandes et al. 58 evaluated the prevalence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant and metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from 56 blood-stream samples collected from 49 patients admitted to a tertiary Pediatric Oncology service.Goud et al. 59 aimed to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community of Bangalore, southern India.2. Nutrition.Aprile et al. 60 described the growth and clinical evolution of 30 very low birth weight infants who were fed during their hospital stay with milk from a human milk bank according to the caloric-protein value, versus 10 who were fed milk from their own mothers.Lins et al. 61 determined the prevalence of cow's milk protein allergy among 65 children with symptoms attributed to cow's milk intake.Venancio et al. 62 presented the breastfeeding indicators obtained in the Second Survey on Breastfeeding Prevalence in Brazilian State Capitals and the Federal District and analyzed their evolution from 1999 to 2008.Caetano et al. 63 assessed the feeding practices and dietary intake of healthy infants in three Brazilian municipalities by means of a prospective study using the food records of seven consecutive days from an intentional sample (quota and weighted sampling) of 179 healthy infants aged between 4 and 12 months who were not being exclusively breastfed.Silveira et al. 64 investigated the association of malnutrition with maternal nutritional status and environmental conditions among children living in substandard settlements (shantytowns) in Maceio, Brazil.3. Metabolic syndrome.Balaban et al. 65 investigated whether early weaning constitutes a risk factor for overweight at preschool age, and identified other factors that affect this association, through a case-control study on 366 children aged 2 to 6 years in three Brazilian cities. Nascimento et al. 66 analyzed the usefulness of the weight gain/height gain ratio from birth to two and three years of age as a predictive risk indicator of excess weight at preschool age, among 409 preschool children (3.2 ± 0.3 years).Pergher et al. 67 presented the components of the metabolic syndrome among children and adolescents and discussed how they are assessed in the pediatric population.4. Neurology.Samelli et al. 68 developed and analyzed the efficacy of a low-cost screening tool to identify and classify hearing loss in children.A total of 214 children (2 -10 years) participated in this study.Schochat et al. 69 determined the middle latency response (MLR) characteristics (latency and amplitude) in children with central auditory processing disorder, categorized as such by their performance in the central auditory test battery, and the effects of these characteristics after auditory training.Gonçalves et al. 70 evaluated neurophysiological auditory brainstem responses to clicks and repeated speech stimuli to determine whether they differed between normal children and children with phonological disorders.Prudente et al. 71 analyzed the quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy, correlated with the evolution of their children's gross motor function after ten months of rehabilitation.An observational, longitudinal study was carried out in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, involving 100 mothers and children with cerebral palsy.Unlu et al. 72 described the effect of multilevel botulinum toxin-A injections on the lower extremities through a retrospective study, focusing mainly on gross motor function and functional status among 72 cerebral palsy patients.Bem et al. 73 evaluated a retrospective cohort of Wilson's disease patients from southern Brazil over a 40-year follow-up period in what they claimed to be the first retrospective description of a population of Wilson's disease patients of mainly European continental origin who were living in southern Brazil.Murphy and Schochat 74 investigated the ability to learn the generalization of a specific skill of auditory temporal processing (temporal order detection) among children with dyslexia.Nunes and Dupas 75 developed a theoretical model concerning the experience of families of children with Down syndrome at preschool and school age using Symbolic Interactionism and Grounded Theory.Olandoski et al. 76 analyzed the evolution of renal function in patients with congenital neurogenic bladder by reviewing the records of 58 pediatric patients with regard to 13 attributes.5. Psychiatry.Neves et al. 77 evaluated 40 parents of children with autism and 41 healthy controls.All participants were administered the Penn Emotion Recognition Test (ER40) and were genotyped for 5HTTLPR.The authors 77 assessed facial emotion recognition among 40 parents of children with autism versus 41 controls, and its associations with functional polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR).Pinheiro et al. 78 described the prevalence of depressive and bipolar spectrum episodes among 739 fathers during the antenatal and postnatal periods, and at 12 months after childbirth.Zappitelli et al. 79 identified psychiatric diagnoses in a sample of 35 children (6-17 years) who had at least one parent with bipolar disorder type I. Fávero-Nunes and dos Santos 80 evaluated the prevalence of dysphoria/depressive symptoms in 20 mothers of autistic children and identified correlations between quality of life and the sociodemographic profile by applying a sociodemographic profile questionnaire, the Brazilian version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the WHOQOL-BREF quality-of-life scale.Guimarães et al. 7 reported findings from the first national sample of psychiatric patients relating to lifetime practice of unsafe sex and associated factors.Lin et al. 81 evaluated the risks and rates of readmission and their predictors at 14 days, one year and five years after discharge for the psychiatric population in Taiwan, based on claims from 44,237 first-time hospitalized psychiatric patients who were discharged in 2000.Salum et al. 82 described the design, methods and sample characteristics of the Multidimensional Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents (PROTAIA) project, as applied to students between 10 and 17 years of age at all six schools belonging to the catchment area of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.A total of 2,457 subjects were screened.Turkiewicz et al. 83 examined the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of family-based treatment for anorexia nervosa for patients aged 12-17 years in Brazil, through an observational study.6. Hematology.Fernandes et al. 84 described the deaths of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, who had been followed up at the Hemominas Foundation.Clinical and epidemiological data were abstracted from death certificates, the newborn screening database, individual medical records and interviews with families.Menegassi et al. 85 investigated hematological variables relating to iron deficiency and food intake in cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder among 62 children and adolescents (6-15 years old).Sellami et al. 86 examined the effect of histocompatibility antigen HA-1 disparity on the incidence of both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease in Tunisian recipients of hematopoietic stem cells.Bortolini and Vitolo 87 evaluated the prevalence of anemia, iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in a cohort of children, through a cohort study nested in a randomized field trial.Children were recruited at birth at the maternity unit of the only public hospital in the city of São Leopoldo, southern Brazil.Reis et al. 88 conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study as part of a multicenter project, to determine the prevalence of anemia among 121 children aged three to 12 months who were treated at a health service unit in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.7. Cardiology and angiology.Dumaresq et al. 89 evaluated the metabolic and oxidative effects of sevoflurane and propofol among 20 children aged between one day and 14 years, with acyanotic congenital heart disease, who were scheduled for elective corrective cardiac surgery including cardiopulmonary bypass.They were randomly assigned to two groups: one received total intravenous anesthesia using propofol, and the other received balanced anesthesia using sevoflurane.Tedde et al. 90 compared bar displacement and complication rates in three retrospective series of mostly pediatric patients operated on by the same surgical team to treat pectus excavatum.Kayiran et al. 91 described the demographic, clinical and laboratory features of 35 children with Kawasaki disease who were diagnosed and managed in the American Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.Orlando et al. 92 analyzed the results from treating patients with deep venous malformations using low doses of ethanol.Vanderlei et al. 93 compared the autonomic function of 121 obese and eutrophic children (8-12 years) by analyzing heart rate variability.Guimarães et al. 94 assessed pulmonary function and the prevalence of atopy among 85 school-age children who had presented very low birth weight as infants, and compared those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia with those who did not.Munhoz et al. 95 described the clinical and laboratory characteristics of 155 pediatric patients undergoing longterm home O 2 therapy (53% male; median age at onset of therapy: 3.6 years; median duration of therapy: 7 years; median survival after start of O 2 therapy: 3.4 years).Soeiro et al. 96 described the demographic data, etiology and pulmonary histopathological findings of different diseases from autopsies on 4,710 patients (age range: 1-99 years) with acute respiratory failure.8. Pediatric oncology.Carrilho et al. 26 conducted a national survey to update hepatocellular carcinoma epidemiology in Brazil and determined the clinical and epidemiological profiles of patients in different Brazilian regions.Cicogna et al. 97 aimed to comprehend chemotherapy from the perspective of children and adolescents with cancer.Ten children and adolescents between eight and 18 years of age, at different phases of chemotherapy, participated in this exploratory qualitative study.Estrozi and Bacchi 98 described some clinical pathological characteristics of neuroendocrine tumors of the gastroenteropancreatic tract in Brazilian patients.The study investigated the clinical pathological features of 773 Brazilian gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cases from all the geographical regions of Brazil.Gualco et al. 99 provided clinical pathological characteristics of 1301 cases of pediatric/adolescent lymphomas in patients from different geographical regions of Brazil.Pan et al. 100 characterized hospitalizations of children and adolescents with cancer, from 1998 to 2008, to describe the clientele that was being followed up in the regional health area of Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.Tamashiro et al. 101 assessed the clinical and laboratory features that differentiate acute lymphoblastic leukemia from systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis at disease onset among 102 systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who were retrospectively evaluated.Vaisman et al. 102 designed a study to evaluate 65 patients (4-20 years of age) with differentiated thyroid carcinoma diagnosed before 20 years of age and to determine the factors associated with the response to the initial therapy.9. Immunology.Guimarães et al. 94 assessed pulmonary function and the prevalence of atopy among 85 school-age children who had presented very low birth weight as infants and compared those who had bronchopulmonary dysplasia with those who did not.Lins et al. 61 determined the prevalence of cow's milk protein allergy among 65 children with symptoms attributed to cow's milk intake.Yu-bao et al. 103 obtained the recombinant group 2 allergen product of Dermatophagoides farinae (the Der f 2 gene), which was synthesized by means of RT-PCR.Sole et al. 104 identified the main clinical manifestations, triggers and treatments of severe allergic reactions in patients who were seen by allergists from July 2008 to June 2010 in 15 Latin American countries and Portugal.Costa et al. 3 used delayed-type hypersensitivity skin tests to evaluate in vivo cell-mediated immunity to common antigens among HIV-1-infected pediatric patients.Macêdo et al. 105 investigated risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in a population of 277 children in public schools.A protocol for gathering sociodemographic data, body mass index, blood pressure, capillary blood glucose and waist circumference was applied.10.Critical care, trauma and anesthesiology.Carvalho et al. 106 determined the incidence and risk factors of accidental extubation in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit through a prospective cohort study that was conducted to determine its incidence density per 100 patient-days among 222 newborns who were receiving assisted ventilation.Costa et al. 107 used the pediatric risk-of-mortality tool to determine mortality risk factors in tertiary pediatric intensive care units.Vendrusculo et al. 108 characterized burn accidents in domestic environments and identified the circumstances of accidents affecting children, adults or elderly people who needed supervision or care.Dumaresq et al. 89 evaluated the metabolic and oxidative effects of sevoflurane and propofol among 20 children aged between one day and 14 years, with acyanotic congenital heart disease, who were scheduled for elective corrective cardiac surgery including cardiopulmonary bypass.Shoroghi et al. 109 investigated and compared the efficacy of oral midazolam at two different dosages in orange juice, on perioperative hemodynamics and behavioral changes among 90 children who underwent laser skin treatment at a university teaching hospital.11.Orthopedics.Chen et al. 110 determined the features of earthquake-related pelvic crush fractures versus non-earthquake fractures by means of digital radiography and multidetector array computed tomography.The frequency of occurrence among children was reported.Chu et al. 111 compared the features of head traumas caused by the Sichuan earthquake with those of other common head traumas using multidetector computed tomography.Occurrences of lesions in children were described.Ribeiro et al. 112 determined bone quantity by means of ultrasound measurements on the proximal finger phalanges of 1356 healthy Brazilian schoolchildren (age 6-11 years) living in Paraná, Brazil, and compared these values with European populations.Taveira et al. 113 longitudinally assessed bone mineral density and factors involved in bone remodeling in nine children and adolescents with chronic cholestatic liver disease (Child-Pugh A). 12. Gastroenterology.Castro-Antunes et al. 114 evaluated the frequencies of the HLA genotypes DQ2 and DQ8 and the alleles A1*05, A1*0201, B1*0201 and B1*0302 in individuals with celiac disease in Recife, northeastern Brazil.Gonzales et al. 115 assessed the concentration of fecal elastase-1 (EL-1) in 51 pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis with mutation DeltaF508, through a cross-sectional study.Hong et al. 116 aimed to develop a decision model based on classification and regression tree analysis for prediction of large esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients.13.Rheumatology.Hua-Li et al. 117 explored the characteristics of seasonal distribution and the influences of meteorological factors, including temperature and humidity, on active systemic lupus erythematous through a retrospective analysis on 640 patients living in the city of Zhanjiang, China.Tamashiro et al. 101 assessed clinical and laboratory features that differentiate acute lymphoblastic leukemia from systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis at disease onset among 102 systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who were retrospectively evaluated.14.Urology.Dutra et al. 118 evaluated the prevalence of testicular microlithiasis among pediatric patients with inguinoscrotal conditions.The study prospectively evaluated 1504 children ranging from 1 to 15 years with these conditions.Olandoski et al. 76 analyzed the evolution of renal function in patients with congenital neurogenic bladder by reviewing the records of 58 pediatric patients with regard to the following attributes: gender, age, etiology of neurogenic bladder, reason for referral, medical/surgical management, episodes of treated urinary tract infections, urodynamics, dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy, weight, height, blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, microalbuminuria and metabolic acidosis.15.Drug abuse.Medina Arias and Ferriani 119 analyzed the protective factors that prevented drug use among the families of children who were attending Community Homes for Family Wellbeing in a small Colombian locality, through a quantitative descriptive transversal study, with 256 families constituting the sample.Cid-Monckton and Pedrão 120 aimed to verify protective and risk factors within the family in relation to drug use among 80 female adolescents, taking into consideration the interaction patterns developed in the family and their degree of adaptability and vulnerability, through a cross-sectional and quantitative study.16.Cystic fibrosis.Mattar et al. 121 compared sweat chloride values obtained by means of quantitative pilocarpine iontophoresis (classic test) with sweat conductivity values obtained using the Macroduct collection system in patients with and without cystic fibrosis.Stollar et al. 122 studied correlations between forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), chest radiography, chest computed tomography, six-minute walk test and Shwachman-Kulczycki score among 43 pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis, and they tested whether this score was still useful in monitoring the severity of the disease.17.Other medical topics.Bousso et al. 123 endeavored to determine the relationship between the experiences of families of children with a life-threatening disease and their religion, illnesses and life histories, based on oral history.Dutra et al. 124 aimed to test five microsatellite markers (D7S1870, D7S489, D7S613, D7S2476 and D7S489_A) for diagnosing Williams-Beuren syndrome, in order to determine the size and parental origin of microdeletion.Eren et al. 125 presented the special clinical and laboratory features of 294 cases of mushroom poisoning in a Turkish university hospital (Cumhuriyet).Ferrer et al. 126 described the causes of admission to the public health system among children from zero to nine years of age in the city of São Paulo during the years 2002 to 2006 and compared these results with other Brazilian data.Fomin et al. 127 described clinical and laboratory data and phenotypic characteristics relating to patients with DiGeorge syndrome.Luque et al. 128 evaluated care for at-risk newborns under follow-up in their first year of life through the Growing Happily Program, developed in a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.Nascimento et al. 129 aimed to understand how mothers regard their children's pain management by the nursing team in the late postoperative phase of cardiac surgery.Empirical data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 17 mothers who accompanied their children.Noma et al. 130 endeavored to identify barriers to attendance for eye examinations among schoolchildren.Noreña Peña and Cibanal Juan 131 described the experience of children in their interactions with nursing professionals while in hospital, through a qualitative study supported by the critical incident technique.Wang et al. 132 reported the incidence and recurrence of acute otitis media in Taiwan's pediatric population and estimated that the annual incidence rate was 64.5 cases per 1,000 children.Zambrano-Sanchez et al. 133 identified the frequency of risk factors for learning disabilities among children of low socioeconomic level (5.5 years of age and total intelligence quotient of 99 on average) in Mexico City, who were studied by means of the Wechsler, Bender-Gestalt and human drawing tests.18. Dentistry.Areias et al. 134 characterized the environmental and host factors associated with dental caries among Portuguese children with and without Down syndrome, through a siblingmatched, population-based, cross-sectional survey.Carrillo et al.