A two-strain probiotic combination given twice a day for 3 months was able to reduce the symptoms of the common cold and school absenteeism in schoolchildren.

Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (ALRI) are one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in young children. Zinc supplementation has been shown to have a preventive effect against respiratory infections, but little evidence is available on its effect on the treatment of ALRI. This study examined the effect of zinc supplementation on the treatment outcome in children that were hospitalized with ALRI. A randomized, doubleblinded, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 64 hospitalized children with ALRI, who were aged between 2 and 60 months. Children were randomly allocated to receive zinc (30 mg elemental zinc/day) or placebo. The primary outcome was the time to the cessation of ALRI, while the secondary outcomes were the length of the stay in hospital and the individual features of the disease. The study found that ALRI cessation was faster in children who received zinc supplementation (median (IQR): 3 (2-4) days and 4 (3-5) days, respectively; P=0.008), and that their hospital stay was shorter (mean (SD): 3.8 (1.3) days and 6.1 (3.2) days, respectively; P<0.001) than the placebo group. Zinc supplementation was well-tolerated, and no adverse events were reported. In conclusion, zinc supplementation reduced the number of days of ALRI in Thai children, as well as their stay in hospital.

No abstract

Introduction: Internet based obesity prevention program is one approach in learning strategies to improve healthy behaviour. It has been advocated as one strategy to address the rising prevalence of childhood obesity; however, their efficacy is not seen consistently. Aim:The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of internet based obesity prevention program in Thai school children. Materials and Methods:Healthy children studying in public schools in one township of central Thailand were randomly assigned to either the intervention (internet based) program or the control group. Anthropometric characteristics were recorded at baseline and for the next four following months at monthly intervals. Changes in the percentage of overweight/obese children and changes in BMI at the end of study were considered as the primary and secondary outcome, respectively.

Background:In resource-poor settings, anthropometric parameters are evaluated as potential alternatives to the body mass index (BMI) for detecting overweight and obesity in children. To this end, the mid-upperarm circumference (MUAC) and the mid-upper-arm circumference-to-height ratio (AHtR) were evaluated as proxies to BMI in Thai school-age children.Study design: An observational, cross-sectional study was performed on school-aged children.Participants: Children in grades 1 through 6 at all public elementary schools in the Ongkharak district, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand during May and June 2013 were included. This is a rural district with low per capita income.Methods: Weight, height, and MUAC were measured in school-age children and analyzed to identify optimal cut-off values for MUAC and AHtR for detection of overweight and obesity in comparison to BMI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined the validity of MUAC and AHtR use.Results: Data from 3,618 children, aged 6.0-12.99 years, were analyzed. MUAC correlated with age and height (P < 0.001), but especially with body weight (r = 0.888 to 0.914) and BMI (r = 0.859 to 0.908) in both genders, while AHtR correlated with body weight and BMI (P < 0.001), but not with age. Cut-off values of MUAC for obesity diagnosis ranged from 18.9 to 25.5 cm for boys and from 19.8 to 25.4 cm for girls. Accuracy was excellent for both boys (AUC = 0.952-0.991) and girls (AUC = 0.917-0.990). Cut-off of MUAC for overweight diagnosis ranged from 17.2 to 22.4 cm for boys (AUC = 0.883-0.965) and from 18.0 to 23.2 cm for girls (AUC = 0.905-0.931). AHtR cut-off values for obesity and overweight diagnosis at 0.16 and 0.145, respectively, were determined with excellent diagnostic accuracy (AUC ranged from 0.920 to 0.975). Conclusion:MUAC and AHtR were reliable tools to detect overweight and obesity in Thai school-age children. Cut-off points for MUAC were age and gender specific, while AHtR at 0.16 and 0.145 were the optimal values for both genders, independent of age. These anthropometric measurements showed excellent accuracy in predicting overweight and obesity with high specificity and sensitivity. Keywords: Anthropometry; Mid-upper-arm circumference; Arm-to-height ratio; Pediatric obesity; Overweight T he widespread prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has become an alarming public health concern in both developed and developing countries. 1-3The most common cause of obesity in children is a positive energy balance due to caloric intake in excess of caloric expenditure, combined with a genetic predisposition for weight gain. 4 Even in developing countries, lack of physical activity and the nutritional transition toward high energy food/junk food have been associated with a rise in obesity prevalence. 5,6 A previous cross-sectional study of school-age children in Ongkharak, Thailand found a prevalence of 12.8% for overweight and 9.4% for obesity, a dramatic increase among Thai children. 7Comorbidities that were previously considered "adult" diseases,...