Background: Immigrant and refugee populations are prone to important public health problems and among them and children constitute the most vulnerable subpopulation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the vitamin D levels of immigrant and refugee children.Methods: In the study, 4612 immigrant and refugee patients aged between 0 and 18years, in the years 2012-2018, were evaluated, retrospectively. The patients whose vitamin 250HD levels were coded included in the study. The patients were evaluated in terms of their age, nationality, gender, vitamin D levels and blood collection time, as well as calcium and phosphorus levels.Results: A total of 279 cases, whose vitamin D levels were examined, included in the study. Out of the cases, 149 were female (53.4%) and 275 were Syrians. Median age value was found to be three months (0-18). According to the vitamin D levels; vitamin D deficiency (<20ng/ml), vitamin D insufficiency (20-30ng/ml), and vitamin D sufficiency (>30ng/ml) were found to be 68.1%, 19.7% and 12.2%, respectively. Vitamin D levels were observed to be lower on sunless days (p=0.049). Age average of those who suffered from vitamin D deficiency was significantly higher (p=0.04). It was determined that calcium levels were higher in the group with numerically higher vitamin D levels; however, they were not statistically significant. Conclusion:Vitamin D deficiency is a preventable public health problem. We should consider administering the vitamin D prophylaxis in immigrant and refugee children.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, it was aimed to investigate the children's height, weight and the perception of mothers about these values and to reveal the factors that may affect it. METHODS: This cross sectional study included a total of 210 children and their mothers who applied İzmir Tepecik Education Research Hospital Pediatric Health and Diseases policlinics. Survey questions consisting of a total of 30 questions including child’s socio-demographic characteristics, duration of breastfeeding, time to start additional food, eating habits, mother's evaluations of appetite, nutrition, height and weight about their children were asked. RESULTS: The rate of mothers who were found to perceive the child's weight incorrectly was 54.3 % and the rate of mothers who were found to perceive their height incorrectly was 51.5%. Misperception rates were higher in mothers who have underweight and short children. Increased sibling number, the low level of education in the family, and the low household income affected the mother’s perceptions in false direction. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, it was seen that the ratio of mother’s misperceptions about their children's height and weight were about 50%. These misperceptions can cause the mother to be overly anxious about the child's nutrition and consequently develop negative nutritional behaviors which can lead to real nutritional problems such as low weight or obesity in the child. Therefore, more research is needed to reveal complications from maternal misperceptions.

The mother is an important determinant of the nutrition of her children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between obese or overweight mothers, their socio-demographic status and appetite on the anthropometric measurements of their children, and to evaluate the relationship between breastfeeding duration, initiation time of a complementary diet and children's body mass index (BMI) classification. Materials and Methods: Children whose ages were between 2 and 5 years old, with no additional chronic disease, were included. The sociodemographic data, anthropometric measurements and appetites of the children and their mothers were determined. Obese or overweight mothers and mothers with normal BMI were studied as two separate groups. The duration of breastfeeding and initiation time of a complementary diet for the children was classified as <4 months, 4-6 months and >6 months. Results: A total of 182 children (109 with obese and overweight mothers and 73 with mothers with normal BMI) were included. The ratio of overweight and obese children among the group of obese and overweight mothers was higher. When the weight, weight percentile and weight standard deviation score values of the obese or overweight mothers were compared with their children, a moderately statistically significant positive correlation was found. The ratio of overweight and obese children among the group of employed mothers, and the ratio of underweight children among the group of unemployed mothers, was high. A significant relationship was found between maternal appetite and the BMI classification of their children. No statistically significant difference was found between breastfeeding duration, initiation time of a complementary diet and children's BMI classification. Conclusion: It was determined that the mother's characteristics of having a BMI classification of overweight or obese, excessive appetite and being employed may be risk factors in the development of overweight and obese children.

Vitamin B12 is required for many organ systems. Its deficiency may cause hematological, neurological, gastrointestinal, dermatological and cardiac findings (1). Vitamin B12 cannot be synthesized naturally and it is absorbed from foods (2). Vitamin B12 deficiency develops easier in infants of vegetarian mothers and those not having access to foods containing vitamin B12 in the developing countries (3). In its long-term deficiency, irritability, apathy, loss of appetite and developmental delay may occur in the infant because of insufficient myelinization of ABSTRACT Vitamin B12 deficiency presents with many different clinical manifestations. Its deficiency may cause hematological, neurological, gastrointestinal, dermatological and cardiac findings. Vitamin B12 deficiency develops easier in infants of vegetarian mothers and infants those not having an access to foods containing enough vitamin B12 in the developing countries. In its long-term deficiency, irritability, apathy, loss of appetite and developmental delay may occur in the infant. In this report, we present an infant of vitamin B12 deficiency with a history of hypotonicity and growth retardation. We wanted to draw attention to the rapidly recovering neurological findings of this patient who responded quickly to treatment.

Objectives: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is one of the neuromuscular junction dystrophies, characterized by deficiency of dystrophin and inherited as an X-linked recessive trait. It has a progressive nature, and results in loss of ambulation and death. Poor bone-marrow health is an important issue in terms of morbidity in DMD. Vitamin D is an important pre-prohormone related to bone health. Although steroids used in treatment of DMD are effective on progression of the disease they have adverse effects on bone heatlh and 25(OH)-vitamin D (vitamin D) levels. We aimed in the present study to investigate levels of vitamin D and its relationship with steroid use and ambulation in the patients with DMD. Material and Metods:The present study is a case-control study including 96 male patients aged between 2 to 18 years with diagnosis of DMD and 48 healthy volunteers with matching gender and age distribution. Results: Deficiency or insufficiency of vitamin D level was found in 95.83% of the patients with DMD. The patients with DMD were compared to the healthy volunteers and significantly lower level of vitamin D was found in the group of patients (p = 0.003). No significant difference was found in levels of vitamin D between the patients with DMD who were using steroids and those not using steroids and between the patient who were ambulated or not ambulated (p = 0.741 and p=0.785). Conclusion: Majority of the patients with DMD had deficient or insufficient level of vitamin D. Thus, in the terms of protecting bone health it is important to assess level of vitamin D regularly from the early stages of the disease and during the routine controls, to implement additional treatments in the case of deficiency or insufficiency.