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Background: Childhood obesity is a significant public health issue. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among 8- and 9-year-old children in Szczecin, Poland, and unlike other studies to assess differences in nutritional status within a single urban agglomeration of nearly 500,000 residents, it was influenced by place of residence and socioeconomic status. Methods: The study included 4705 children (2327 boys and 2378 girls) aged 8 and 9 years, attending 50 primary schools in Szczecin (45 public, 5 private) across four districts: North, Right Bank, City Center, and West. Anthropometric measurements were used to calculate BMI. Overweight was diagnosed when BMI was ≥85th percentile but lower than the 95th percentile for age and sex, while obesity was when the BMI was ≥95th percentile. Data on parental BMI, education, and place of residence were also collected. Results: The prevalence of overweight was 16.6%, and obesity was 6.2%. Overweight was more common in girls, while obesity was more frequent in boys. Children attending special education schools and living in the Right-Bank district had the highest rates of overweight and obesity. Parental obesity and low parental education, particularly the father's, were the strongest risk factors for excess body weight. Conclusions: Differences in childhood nutritional status exist even within the same city, influenced by residence and socioeconomic factors. Parental obesity, low education, living in the city's rural districts, and attending special education schools are key risk factors. Enhanced prevention programs tailored to these factors are crucial to combat childhood obesity effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by pathological accumulation of adipose tissue. The exponentially increasing number of children with severe obesity draws attention to the tragic consequences of the lack of, or inadequate treatment of, obesity in this age group. This article aims to present ways of preventing obesity and ways of treating its complications in order to reduce the risk of the life-threatening problems caused by it. Case Report: The first patient was a 9-year-old boy with Prader–Willi syndrome, severe obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, status post myocarditis, and recurring episodes of desaturation up to 70–80%. Respiratory support using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and two-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) were included in the treatment and the resolution of desaturation was observed. The second patient was a 5-year-old girl with simple obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and subclinical hypothyroidism, hospitalized for sudden cardiac arrest, most likely caused by excessive fat tissue compressing the airway. Despite the introduced treatment, tracheostomy, and tonsillectomy, the girl remained unconscious during hospitalization and in the rehabilitation clinic, where she spent 7 months in a coma. Currently, her health is slowly improving as her weight significantly decreases. In both cases, serious consequences were observed due to non-adherence to dietary recommendations, lack of regular medical check-ups, and failure to implement appropriate treatment. Conclusions: Obesity can lead to life-threatening consequences, including respiratory arrest and a need for respiratory support, if proper treatment is not administered and if medical recommendations are not followed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing prevalence of severe obesity among children and adolescents poses a significant challenge for pediatricians and general practitioners. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between biochemical results, anthropometry, blood pressure measurements, and bioimpedance analysis (BIA)-derived parameters to identify potential cardiometabolic complications associated with severe obesity. Methods: This study included 347 children (162 boys, 185 girls) aged 0–19 years, meeting the criteria for severe obesity based on BMI thresholds for different age groups. The patients were recruited in four pediatric endocrinology centers in Poland (Zabrze, Cracow, Rzeszow, Szczecin). Each participant underwent anthropometric measurements, pubertal stage assessment, blood pressure measurement, biochemical and hormonal tests, and BIA. Results: BMI showed significant associations with fat mass percentage (FM%) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) but not waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). The relationship between BMI and FM% was stronger in girls and prepubertal children. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) Z-score showed a strong positive correlation with BMI in the pubertal children. A negative correlation between HDL and triglycerides was observed only in the boys. The prepubertal children exhibited more significant correlations, despite a smaller sample size and shorter duration of obesity. Conclusions: Considering multiple parameters beyond BMI alone provides a better understanding of cardiometabolic risks associated with severe obesity in children. MetS Z-score was not a reliable indicator of increased cardiometabolic risk in younger children. Early-onset severe obesity was associated with a higher risk of metabolic complications. Early intervention is crucial to mitigate metabolic complications in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our paper draws attention to the impact of lead (Pb) on the specificity of obesity development in children exposed to environmental pollution. An advantage of this paper is the homogeneous study group comprising children of identical age from a single geographic region. Moreover, while the influence of environmental toxins on adults has been extensively explored, this study delves into pediatric populations, which have yet to receive comprehensive scrutiny within the scientific literature. Methods: Initially, a group of 136 obese children (the research program lasted three consecutive years: 2016, 2017, and 2018) living in the north-western region of Poland, from whom biochemical tests and auxological data were obtained, were enrolled for analysis. Blood lead levels (BLLs) were determined in 115 children. The age of the children ranged from 7.1 to 10.4 years. The body mass index (BMI) of children averaged 21.5 ± 2.2. Results: The results showed that a large proportion of the participants had BLLs above the threshold for Pb. BLLs ≤ 5 µg/dL (considered safe for children and pregnant women) were found in over 70% of the participants, with BLLs in the range of 5.01–10.00 µg/dL in over 26% of the children, and concentrations > 10 µg/dL (considered toxic threshold for adults) in nearly 2% of the children. The results of our research revealed a positive association between BLLs and average systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the studied children. Moreover, we found a negative correlation between BLLs and absolute fat tissue content and triglyceride concentration. Among the included biochemical factors, only insulin demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with fat mass. This result suggests that early carbohydrate metabolism disorders in overweight children involve decreased peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity. Conclusions: Lead exposure may significantly contribute to the development of hypertension, insulin resistance, and glucose metabolism disorders in overweight and obese children. It is essential to implement multidirectional actions to increase awareness of the harmful effects of xenobiotic exposure, including lead, in order to prevent early-life exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth hormone therapy (GHT) can improve growth velocity and final height, but can also accelerate the process of bone growth, which is related to structural bone modeling in both formation and resorption. This study evaluated the capacity of bone turnover markers to predict early growth response to one year of GHT in short stature children born small for gestational age (SGA). This study included 25 prepubertal children born SGA. We estimated P1NP (N-terminal procollagen type 1), CTX (C-terminal telopeptide of collagen type 1), P3NP (N-terminal procollagen type 3), NT-pro-CNP (amino-terminal C-type natriuretic peptide) and Ca-P metabolism using standard ECLIA (electrochemiluminescence), RIA (radioimmunoassay), and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) methods. A statistically significant increase in bone resorption markers (CTX) was found at both 6 and 12 months. P1NP bone markers were increased at 6 months and after 12 months of therapy. The P3NP marker for collagen synthesis also increased after 12 months of therapy. We obtained significant increases in phosphorus levels at 6 and 12 months, and similar ALP (alkaline phosphatase) increases. We found a significant correlation between height (cm) and CTX after 6–12 months, as well as a P1NP/height (SD) correlation after 12 months. Calcium levels significantly correlated with height (SD) after 12 months. We found strong reactions of bone resorption and bone formation markers during growth hormone therapy, which may determine their selection as predictors of GHT outcome in children born SGA. However, the issue requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity as a very active method of type I diabetes mellitus (DM) complex therapy must be systematic and load-graduated. For patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) they are strictly graded to each patient. This work presents our study data about effects of three-month physical training in 8-year old girl with type 1 DM. In her case with well compensated type 1 DM, the physical training brought about improvement of her health status and insulin dose reduction. Control over exercising is essential. Heart rate (HR) measuring was done not only before and after training. A continuous HR monitoring was conducted during whole workout in order to make, if necessary, a correction of load volume and intensity. The control testing conducted after 3- month use of physical exercises against a background of insulin therapy and balanced diet in the 8-year old patient showed that there took place a definite organism's adaptation to physical training. The length of distance in 6-min walking test increased from 700 to 780 m. The heart rate during test performance reduced from 165 to148 beats/min. The glycolyzed haemoglobin level reduced from 6.891% to 6.570 %.

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology / Endokrynologia Pediatryczna is the property of Proqurat Andrzej Prokurat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction. The detailed interview with auxological parameters and additional examinations including growth hormone secretion stimulating test are obligatory to establish the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency. The aim. The aim of the study was to estimate the prognostic value of the growth hormone secretion stimulating test with clonidine and L-dopa. Material and methods. Medical records of 149 children, including 103 (69.1%) boys and 46 (30.9%) girls from the Western Pomeranian region treated with rhGH (mean dose 0.031mg/kg/d) in the Department of Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolic Diseases and Cardiology Developmental Age, PUM, in Szczecin between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed. All patients were qualified for the therapy and withdrawn according to agreed criteria; children with chronic illnesses, genetic disorders and malformations influencing growth pattern were excluded. Based on the results of GH secretion stimulating tests with clonidine and L-dopa the severe GHD group (sGHD - peak GH under 5 ng/ml in both tests) and the partial GHD group (pGHD - peak GH between 5 and 10 ng/ml, never reaching the value of 10ng/ml) were formed. The therapy was accomplished in 117 (78.5%) children. Retesting based on insulin tolerance test (ITT) was performed in 82 of them. Patient were divided into two groups: a group of constant growth hormone deficiency cGHD-GH max. below 3ng/ml (12 children) and the group of transient growth hormone deficiency tGHDGH max. = 3ng/ml (70 children). The results of the GH secretion obtained in retesting were matched to those of prior the onset of the therapy. Results. The secretion of GH after L-dopa stimulation was significantly higher comparing to clonidine (p = 0.0001). The mean peak GH concentrations resulted of ITT was significantly higher in pGHD group comparing to sGHD (p = 0.0081). There was no such a significance analyzing the clonidine test results. We found the significant difference between mean peak GH after L-dopa administration in cGHD and tGHD groups (p = 0.0023). The study also revealed the significant correlation of the mean peak GH secretion in L-dopa and insulin tolerance tests r = 0.32, p = 0.0054). No such a significance was found between clonidine and insulin tests' results. Conclusions. 1.It seems that L-dopa is a better stimulator of GH secretion than clonidine. 2. The L-dopa test results correlated with the insulin test result (conducted in retesting). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology / Endokrynologia Pediatryczna is the property of Proqurat Andrzej Prokurat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism is the property of Termedia Publishing House and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Kallmann syndrom is one of the causes of delayed puberty. The co-existance of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and hyposmia or anosmia is described. Numerous phenotypic abnormalities can be associated with this condition. The diagnosis is usually established during puberty period or early adulthood. The genetic confirmation is obtained in 30% cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pediatric Endocrinology / Endokrynologia Pediatryczna is the property of Proqurat Andrzej Prokurat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS, Morris syndrome) is a congenital, inherited in a recessive, X-linked manner disorder of sex development. A case of an 11-year-old girl diagnosed because of clitoromegaly is presented. Female gender identity, testes in inguinal canals and 46,XY karyotype in a cytogenetic analysis were recognized. Hormonal and imaging investigations confirmed the diagnosis of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome. Due to the increased risk of testicular malignancy and possibility of advancing virilisation the patient was qualified for a complete removal of the gonads. The surgical correction of the external genitalia was postponed until postpuberty. An estrogen replace-ment therapy was started. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]