Background: Sleep problems are one of the main health issues raised by families. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the sleep problems of pre-school children in Iran. Methods: Five hundred and seventy-nine children aged 3–6 years were randomly recruited from 15 kindergartens in the city of Qazvin in Iran. The Iranian version of BEARS (Bedtime problems, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Awakenings during the night, Regularity and duration of sleep and Snoring) and the Children’s Sleep Habits questionnaire (CSHQ) were completed by interviewers. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 19. The data were analysed with a Student’s t-test, chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The study population consisted of 299 boys (51.6%) and 280 (48.3%) girls with a mean age of 4.1 years (SD 0.8). The mean body mass index (BMI) of the children was 15 (SD 2.1). The average sleep duration among the children was 10:54 h/day (SD 00:48). They went to bed late (23:18 h SD 00:48) and woke early (09:26 h; SD 01:00). Daytime sleepiness was reported by 6.9% of the participants. The incidence of awakening during the night, sleep-disordered breathing and snoring was 13.9%, 1.2% and 2.7%, respectively. Most of the children shared a room with their parents (87%) (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The children had sleep-related problems, including a late bedtime, delayed sleep onset, daytime sleepiness, midnight awakening, sleep-disordered breathing, and snoring. Sharing a room was very common among the Iranian children.

Background: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MetSyn and insulin resistance (IR) in children and adolescents in Qazvin, Iran. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 338 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years old who were selected by a multistage cluster random sampling method. We performed standardised measurements of variables including waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, plasma glucose level, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides, and insulin. MetSyn was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. IR was estimated by the homeostatic model assessment. Results: Of the 338 total subjects, 172 were female. The overall prevalence of MetSyn and IR were 3.4% and 18.2%, respectively. There was no sex difference for the prevalence of MetSyn. A total of 185 subjects (56.4%) had one or two components of MetSyn. The most common component was low HDL levels in both sexes, which was followed by high WC in females and high fasting plasma glucose levels in males. Conclusion: The lack of a standard definition of MetSyn in children and adolescents combined with the geographical and socioeconomic differences make it difficult to compare the results from different studies. Modification of lifestyle habits is an important strategy in preventing MetSyn and IR.

Medically important arthropods, including fleas, play an important role in causing clinical disorders and disease in man and domestic animals. This study was conducted to determine the seasonal flea infestations for domestic dogs from different geographic regions of Iran. A total of 407 fleas, belonging to 5 different species, were recovered from 83 domestic dogs from 3 regions. There was a distinctive pattern of species distribution and infestations with the highest infestation rates observed in a temperate climate and higher rainfall. Additionally, fleas were observed over all seasons, except February and March, with the highest infestation rate observed in August (24.7%) and the lowest rate in January (1.7%). They also parasitize dogs with a different spectrum of species. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (67.5%), exhibited the highest prevalence among all flea species found on dogs. Thus, climatic conditions and seasonal patterns impact on flea infestation and must be considered in developing control programs.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to determine the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level and Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children. METHODS: In this case-control study, 70 children with UTI (case group) were compared with 70 healthy children (control group) in terms of serum 25(OH)D levels. The children were between 1 month and 12 years of age. Serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were analyzed and compared between both groups. RESULTS: Among 70 children with UTI (case group), 5 children (7.2%) were male and 65 (92.8%) were female. Among the healthy children (control group), 9 (12.8%) and 61 children (87.2%) were male and female, respectively (P=0.39). The mean±standard deviation of age in the case and control groups were 53.2±35.6 and 36.1±60.2 months, respectively (P=0.24). The mean level of serum 25(OH)D in the case group was significantly higher than that of the control group (20.4±8.6 ng/mL vs. 16.9±7.4 ng/mL, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: This study showed that there was a relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and UTI in children. It seems that 25(OH)D plays a role in the pathogenesis of UTI.
Case-Control Studies ; Child* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

PURPOSE: Febrile seizures are induced by fever and are the most common type of seizures in children. Although numerous studies have been performed on febrile seizures, their pathophysiology remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that cytokines may play a role in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures. The present study was conducted to identify potential links between serum interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and febrile seizures. METHODS: Ninety-two patients with simple or complex febrile seizures (46 patients per seizure type), and 46 controls with comparable age, sex, and severity of temperature were enrolled. RESULTS: The median concentrations of serum IL-1beta in the simple, complex febrile seizure, and control groups were 0.05, 0.1, and 0.67 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.001). Moreover, the median concentrations of TNF-alpha in the simple, complex febrile seizure, and control groups were 2.5, 1, and 61.5 pg/mL, respectively (P=0.001). Furthermore, there were significant differences between the case groups in serum IL-1beta and TNF-alpha levels (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Unlike previous studies, our study does not support the hypothesis that increased IL-1beta and TNF-alpha production is involved in the pathogenesis of febrile seizures.
Child ; Cytokines ; Fever ; Humans ; Interleukin-1beta* ; Seizures ; Seizures, Febrile* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

Parasitic infections are the most common diseases worldwide, and enterobiasis is a common parasitic infection in children. Various studies have reported on the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in different regions of the world. However, no study has gathered and analyzed this data systematically. Our systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis among children globally. Data were extracted from 4 available databases for studies published from January 2002 to April 2022. The quality of the included studies was scored based on the standard Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology. A random-effect model was chosen to calculate the pooled prevalence and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the degree of heterogeneity in the included studies. Thus, 40 publications (42 data sets) that included 3,279 children with enterobiasis met all criteria and were included in the analysis. The meta-analysis showed that heterogeneity among the included studies was high (Q=4,399.35, I2=99.96%; df=41; p<0.001). The pooled global prevalence of enterobiasis among the studied children was 12.9% (95% CI, 8.2%–17.7%). Our systematic review and meta-analysis estimated that, for the past 20 years, 12.9% of children around the world have been infected with E. vermicularis.

Objective: To evaluate different doses of ivermectin in adult patients with mild COVID-19 and to evaluate the effect of ivermectin on mortality and clinical consequences. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial was performed at five hospitals. A total of 180 mild hospitalized patients with COVID-19 confirmed by PCR or chest image tests were enrolled and allocated to six arms including hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice per day, placebo plus hydroxychloroquine 200 mg twice per day, single dose ivermectin (200 μg/kg), three low interval doses of ivermectin (200, 200, 200 μg/kg), single dose ivermectin (400 μg/kg), and three high interval doses of ivermectin (400, 200, 200 μg/kg). The primary endpoint of this trial was all-cause of mortality or clinical recovery. The radiographic findings, hospitalization and low O