Functional enuresis is defined as repeated voiding of urine into bed or clothes in children after 5 years of age following the exclusion of major somatic diseases. Autonomic nervous system dysregulation has been proposed as a pathophysiologic mechanism in the etiopathogenesis. The objective of this study was to evaluate autonomic nervous system functions with pupil diameter measurement in enuretic children. The study group consisted of 17 children with functional enuresis (ten boys, seven girls), and the control group consisted of 34 healthy children (20 boys, 14 girls). Pupil diameter measurements were performed under photopic and mesopic lighting conditions by using a pupillometer. Mean photopic pupil diameter was found to be larger in the enuretic children than in the healthy controls (4.47 +/- 0.52 mm vs. 4.03 +/- 0.75 mm; P = 0.03). Autonomic nervous system imbalance of the ocular system is considered to be part of the autonomic nervous system dysregulation in functional enuretic children.

Among childhood psychiatric disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is of greatest interest to practitioners. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a drug that is widely used in the treatment of children in whom ADHD has been diagnosed. Although this treatment has been used for years, its effects on the heart remain the subject of debate. The QT interval comprises the ventricular activation and recovery periods as seen on electrocardiogram (ECG). The acute effect of MPH on QT interval dispersion is unknown. Researchers in the present study sought to investigate the acute effects of MPH on QT interval as seen on ECG. A total of 25 patients with ADHD (mean age, 9.4+/-2.1 y) who were treated with MPH were enrolled in the study. Twelve-lead derivation ECGs were taken before and 2 h after administration of 10 mg of MPH. Maximum QT interval, minimum QT interval, and interval durations were measured, and QT dispersion was calculated, for each ECG. QT dispersion measured after medication administration decreased significantly from 59.6+/-16.3 ms to 50.8+/-10.9 ms (P=.016); corrected QT dispersion decreased significantly from 70.9+/-17.6 ms to 61.3+/-13.3 ms (P=.011). Maximum QT interval duration decreased from 73.7+/-21.8 ms to 361.8+/-29.0 ms (P=.006); minimum QT interval duration rose from 317.0+/-23.3 ms to 322.3+/-21.6 ms (P=.312). In conclusion, the findings of this study show that MPH reduces QT dispersion during the acute period shortly after its administration.

The inhalation of a wide range of organic solvents has become popular among young adults. Toluene is one of the most commonly used solvents in industry; it is easily available and convenient to use. Many toxicologic effects on biological systems secondary to deliberate inhalation of toluene have been reported, but investigations on adverse effects associated with bone morbidity is limited. The purpose of this study is to determine bone mineralization and investigate the adverse effects of toluene on bone. The bone mineral density and content of the femoral neck of mice exposed to toluene at 300 ppm for 8 wk were measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry and found significantly reduced compared to the control group. Chronic exposure to toluene was found to affect bone metabolism, and toluene-induced changes could contribute to bone resorption and inhibition of bone formation. Toluene seems to be the responsible component for the demineralizating effects of commonly abused substances, and medical doctors must promote their education about the health hazards in those who abuse solvents especially in areas where inhalant abuse is endemic.

Introduction: Chronic systemic diseases in childhood have negatively affecting the quality of life and debilitating effects for both children and parents. In our study, we investigated depression, anxiety and hopelessness situations at parents of children with these diseases. Materials and methods: The study was done at parents of children diagnosed with malignancy or chronic disease in GATA Department of Pediatrics Heath and Disease, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinics. Beck Depression Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale were applied to the participants. Results: Parents of children, who are followed due to malignancy or chronic disease in department of pediatrics heath and disease, pediatric hematology and oncology clinics, constituted the study group. 60 mothers and 51 fathers as study group and 64 mothers and 45 fathers as control group were enrolled in the study between 1st July 2009 and 1st June 2010. The mean age of the parents in study group was 35,7±5,1 and 33,3 5,6 age in control group. The depression score was significantly higher statistically in study group (p=0,035). No difference was fond for the anxiety and hopelessness scores between the groups (p=0,064 and p=0,695 respectively). There was no difference for depression, hopelessness and anxiety scores between mothers and fathers of the children (p=0,217, p=0,447, p=0,102, respectively). Conclusion: Without gender discrimination the parents of children with malignancy and chronic disease are in the risk group for depression. It is necessary to support the parents both socially and psychologically. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2012; 11(5.000): 577-582

No abstract