0 at baseline to 16.7 at follow-up (p less then 0.001). Activity levels improved, but not significantly. This proof of concept study showed that the family-based intervention had a positive effect on impairments and self-management of disabilities, family quality of life and stigma. We recommend a large-scale efficacy trial, using a randomised controlled trial and validated measurement tools, to determine its effectiveness and long-term sustainability.Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is an uncommon condition characterized by inflammation and fibrosis in the retroperitoneal space. More than two-thirds of RPF are idiopathic, with the remaining stemed from a variety of secondary causes. It was suggested that IgG4-related RPF is a secondary form of RPF. We undertook this study to compare detailed demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of IgG4-related RPF and IRPF in a large Chinese cohort. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 132 RPF patients diagnosed at Peking University People’s Hospital between March 2010 and March 2018. Among the 132 patients, the mean age at disease onset was 54.8 years. IgG4-related RPF group showed greater male predominance compared to IRPF group. IgG4-related RPF patients showed a longer interval between symptom onset and diagnosis, and allergic diseases were more common in this group. Sixty-four patients (48.4%) had lower back pain, which was more common in IRPF group than that in IgG4-related RPF patients. In terms of organ involvement, although 42 of 47 patients (89.3%) with IgG4-related RPF had other organ involvement, there were no patients in the IRPF group with other organ involvement. In addition, the serum IgG4 level, elevated eosinophils counts and IgE level were significantly higher in IgG4-related RPF patients. We described the demographic, clinical and laboratory differences between IgG4-related RPF and IRPF patients, indicating their potential differences in pathogenesis, which was of great importance to diagnose and manage the two phenotypes.

The Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) strategy was launched in 2017 in response to the resurgence of yellow fever in Africa and the Americas. The strategy relies on several vaccination activities, including preventive mass vaccination campaigns (PMVCs). However, to what extent PMVCs are associated with a decreased risk of outbreak has not yet been quantified.

We used the self-controlled case series (SCCS) method to assess the association between the occurrence of yellow fever outbreaks and the implementation of PMVCs at the province level in the African endemic region. 4ChloroDLphenylalanine As all time-invariant confounders are implicitly controlled for in the SCCS method, this method is an alternative to classical cohort or case-control study designs when the risk of residual confounding is high, in particular confounding by indication. The locations and dates of outbreaks were identified from international epidemiological records, and information on PMVCs was provided by coordinators of vaccination activities and internudy illustrates that the SCCS method can be advantageously applied at the population level in order to evaluate a public health intervention.

To describe maternal and neonatal glycaemic control following antenatal corticosteroid administration to women with diabetes in pregnancy.

Retrospective cohort study.

A tertiary hospital in Auckland, New Zealand.

Women with diabetes in pregnancy who received antenatal corticosteroids from 2006-2016.

Corticosteroid administration, maternal and neonatal glycaemia data were retrieved from electronic patient records. Demographic data were downloaded from the hospital database. Relationships between variables were analysed using multivariate analysis.

Maternal hyperglycaemia and neonatal hypoglycaemia.

Corticosteroids were administered to 647 of 7317 of women with diabetes (8.8%) who gave birth to 715 babies. After an initial course of corticosteroids, 92% and 52% of women had blood glucose concentrations > 7 and > 10 mmol/L respectively. Median peak blood glucose concentration of approximately 10 mmol/L occurred 9 hours after corticosteroid administration and hyperglycaemia lasted approximatelternal hyperglycaemia in the 24 hours prior to birth is associated with increased risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia. Limitations included the retrospective study design, so that not all data were available for all women and babies and the glucose testing schedule was variable.

A rapid increase of recreational nitrous oxide use (i.e. laughing gas, N2O) has been reported in several countries, while it has received limited attention in scientific research. We aimed to study the association of socio-demographic characteristics, mental well-being, sickness absence, truancy, and substance use with the frequency of lifetime nitrous oxide use among adolescents.

We used self-reported questionnaire data of adolescents (N = 555) attending secondary schools to cross-sectionally assess the frequency of nitrous oxide use and potential factors associated with nitrous oxide use, such as gender, mental well-being, and binge drinking. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied with lifetime nitrous oxide use (never, once, ≥ two times) as the outcome variable.

Adolescents were on average 15.6 years old (SD = 0.83, range 14-18), 47.0% were female. In total, 86 (15.6%) adolescents had used nitrous oxide at least once in their life. In the multivariable ordinal regression model, the risk of having a higher category of lifetime nitrous oxide use was associated with a non-Dutch ethnic background (OR = 2.10, 95% CI 1.22; 3.61), attending pre-vocational education (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.06; 3.34), a higher score on the scale of externalizing problems (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.01; 1.20), binge drinking twice or more in the past four weeks (OR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.25; 4.94), and cannabis use (OR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.03; 3.79).

Youth Health Care professionals should be aware of nitrous oxide use in adolescents, especially among adolescents with a non-Dutch ethnic background, lower education levels, externalizing problems, frequent binge drinking, and cannabis use.

Youth Health Care professionals should be aware of nitrous oxide use in adolescents, especially among adolescents with a non-Dutch ethnic background, lower education levels, externalizing problems, frequent binge drinking, and cannabis use.