Caregiving for children with cerebral palsy (CP) has proved to negatively impact on the physical and psychological well-being of their primary caregivers. The aim of the current study was to examine the overall impact of caregiving for children with CP on the primary caregivers' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and family functioning, and to identify potential factors associated with primary caregivers' HRQOL and family functioning. The cross-sectional study involved a total of 159 primary caregivers of children with CP with a mean age of 42.8 ± 8.4 years. Demographic data and information on the physical and leisure activities of the primary caregivers were collected, and their quality of life (QOL) was measured based on the self-reported Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM). Primary caregivers in the current study have shown good HRQOL and family functioning, with scores of 82.4 and 85.3 out of 100, respectively. Through multiple linear regression analyses, the mother's level of education, family monthly income, sleeping problems in children with CP, and the existence of children with other types of disability have been identified as factors contributing to HRQOL and family functioning. The findings help set out the course for stakeholders to establish action to enhance the QOL of primary caregivers.
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a proliferative retinal vascular disorder attributed to an ischaemic stimulus in preterm infants. Haemoglobin, the main component for oxygen transportation, may be implicated in ROP development. This retrospective study compared the mean weekly haemoglobin levels between infants with and without ROP over the first six weeks of life. Premature infants of less than 32 weeks gestational age and less than 1.5 kg birth weight were grouped into age and birth weight-matched ROP cases and controls. Weekly mean haemoglobin levels were documented. An independent t-test was used to analyze the difference in mean haemoglobin levels between infants with ROP and infants without ROP. Adjustment for confounders was performed using one-way analysis of covariance. There was a statistically significant difference in adjusted mean haemoglobin levels between the ROP and non-ROP group during the first week of life (p = 0.038). No significant intergroup differences were observed at the other weeks. Haemoglobin monitoring during the first week of postnatal life may be useful to guide ROP screening in premature infants.
Chromosomal rearrangement can disrupt gene function by interfering with coding sequences or their regulatory regions. The breakpoint in these rearrangements can pinpoint the disease-related gene's location. This paper presents two rare cases of chromosomal rearrangement involving chromosome 6 (6p24-25) and chromosome 14 (14q22-23). The first case involves a girl with hearing impairment, inheriting a balanced translocation of chromosomes 6 and 14 from her father. The second case describes a dysmorphic baby boy with congenital bilateral choanal atresia and a tertiary trisomy, involving a translocation between chromosome 6 (6p24) and chromosome 14 (14q22), resulting in a derivative chromosome (14) in addition to the normal complement of chromosomes 6 and 14. The boy's mother had a history of four recurrent miscarriages. However, the origin of this tertiary trisomy in the second case presented could not be delineated because the parents did not consent and declined their blood samples for karyotyping. Parental karyotyping and chromosomal analysis are crucial for investigating recurrent miscarriages, identifying genetic causes, guiding reproductive decisions, and improving successful pregnancy outcomes for affected couples.