Ninety-one children with cancer (thirty-seven with leukemia and fifty-four with solid tumors)--school aged (elementary and middle school), residing in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy), and receiving treatment at the Department of Pediatrics (III), University of Bologna, from August 1973 to April 1987--took part in a study of school behavior as perceived by the teacher. The research was carried out through a 29-item forced-choice questionnaire based on the questionnaire proposed by Deasy-Spinetta for a similar study in the U.S.A. Results revealed that children with cancer have a school behavior scoring at levels significantly lower than controls. There are more difficulties for children attending middle than elementary school, for children on therapy than off therapy, and for children with leukemia than with solid tumors. In conclusion, the main obstacle to school performance seems to be lower attendance, which is mainly due to treatment and clinic visits and probably in part to an overprotection and an excessive concern on the part of physicians and parents.

Objective: The impact of pediatric intestinal failure (IF) on neurodevelopment beyond infancy has not been systematically studied. Our aim was to evaluate cognitive and motor impairment and to identify risk factors for adverse outcomes among children with IF. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional single-center study at the Helsinki University Children's Hospital. Patients with IF with >60 days of parental nutrition (PN) dependency aged between 3 and 16 years (n = 40) were invited to participate. The cognitive and motor skills were evaluated using validated tests: Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, 3rd edition, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, 4th edition, and Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd edition. Results: All the patients attending the study tests (n = 30, males = 24) were included. Their median age, gestational age, and birth weight was 7.5 (range 3–16) years, 35 (interquartile range [IQR] 28–38) weeks and 2238 (IQR 1040–3288) grams, respectively. Median duration of PN was 13 (IQR 5–37) months and 9 patients were currently on PN. Median intelligence quotient was 78 (IQR 65–91) and 10 (35%) patients had an intelligence quotient under 70 (−2 standard deviation). Significant motor impairment was detected in 10 patients (36%) and milder difficulties in 8 (28%). Adverse cognitive outcome was associated with neonatal short bowel syndrome, number of interventions under general anesthesia, and length of inpatient status, whereas adverse motor outcome was associated with prematurity. Conclusion: Clinically significant cognitive and motor impairments are alarmingly common among neonatal patients with IF. We recommend early neurodevelopmental follow-up for all children with IF.

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Objective: We aim to study the clinicalcharacteristics, the evolution of COVID-19 on pregnant women and survival factors. Study design: Its a prospective cohortstudy in a large tertiary maternity unit within the Mother and Child University Hospital Ibn Rochd of Casablanca with an average annual birth of over 6950 births. We prospectively collected and analyzed data for a cohort of 40 pregnant patients tested positive for COVID-19 between January 2020 and December 2020 inclusive to assess the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy. Results: Forty pregnant patients testedpositive for COVID-19, 36 patients gave birth and 4 patients died pregnant. The severity of the symptoms ranged from mild in 20/40 (50%) of the patients, moderate in 7/40 (17,5%), and severe in 13/40 (32,5%). Thirteen of our patients were admitted to invasive care units, six were in their third trimester, and seven in their second trimester nine were intubated and ventilated prior to delivery and three of them required Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Among these patients intubated only two survived. Most common comorbidities were gestational diabetes 4/40 (10 %), asthma 4/40 (10 %), preeclampsia 7/40 (17,5%). Of the 40 pregnant patients 31 (77,5%) were in their third trimester, 8 (20%) women in their second trimester, and one in her first trimester. Of the 36 patients who delivered, 12/36 (33,3 %) were preterm delivered by elective C-sections. The death rate was 17,5% (7/40). Conclusion: COVID-19 is associated with high prevalence of preterm birth, caesarean section, and a high mortality rate.