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Neurocutaneous melanosis is an uncommon congenital disorder consisting of benign or malignant melanocytic tumors of the leptomeninges with large or numerous cutaneous congenital melanocytic nevi. The Dandy-Walker malformation occurs as an enlarged posterior fossa with high insertion of the tentorium, hypoplasia or aplasia of the cerebellar vermis, and cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle. To our knowledge, the association of these two conditions has been reported only 14 times. In this article, we present a newborn patient with neurocutaneous melanosis associated with Dandy-Walker malformation, which was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging.

The aim of the study was to investigate simultaneously serum and milk malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and antioxidant potential (AOP) in active-smoking, passive-smoking, and nonsmoking mothers and to search if there is any difference between serum and milk oxidant/ antioxidant status caused by smoking. According to their smoking status, 60 mothers (age range: 20-35 yr) were classified into one of three groups: the active-smoking mothers (n=15), the passive-smoking mothers (n=22), and the nonsmoking mothers (n=23). Serum and milk MDA, SOD, GPx, and AOP values were determined in mothers on the postpartum seventh day by the spectrophotometric method. Serum Zn and Cu concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). There was no significant difference in serum samples with respect to MDA (p=0.17), SOD (p=0.51), and AOP (p=0.36) levels, but there was a significant difference in serum GPx (p=0.002) levels among the study groups. The significant differences were also found in milk samples in terms of MDA (p=0.002) and SOD (p=0.011), but not in GPx (p=0.11) and AOP (p=0.29) levels among the study groups. No significant difference was seen in serum zinc concentration (p=0.49), but copper concentration differed significantly among the groups (p=0.005). These observations suggest that human milk is more vulnerable to oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation than serum samples in smoking mothers, even if they are passive smokers.

The pathogenesis of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis is controversial. Various urodynamic studies showed bladder hyperactivity in enuretic children. But the exact cause is not precisely known. The aim of this study was to understand whether the autonomic nervous system dysfunction is involved in this bladder hyperactivity or not. Heart rate variability measurement is widely used for evaluation of cardiac autonomic activity. We evaluated cardiac autonomic nervous system functions in monosymptomatic nocturnal enuretic children by using 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram. The study group consisted of 32 enuretic children (20 boys and 12 girls) and the control group consisted of 20 healthy children (12 boys and 8 girls). In these two growps, we assessed cardiac autonomic regulation by analysis of heart rate variability, and found a significantly higher parasympathetic activity in enuretic children than controls. We suggest that the parasympathetic nervous system hyperactivity plays a role in nocturnal enuresis by causing vesical hyperactivity in monosymptomatic enuretic children. monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis; autonomic nervous regulation; heart rate variability; children

The authors describe a case of pulmonary endarteritis and subsequent embolization to the lungs as a complication of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Although 2-dimensional echocardiography has been shown to be of great value in the diagnosis of patients with infective endocarditis, echocardiographic detection of vegetation within the pulmonary artery and subsequent embolization to the lung is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, has been previously reported only in a few cases. In brief, our case not only shows the importance of echocardiography in making this rare diagnosis but also emphasizes the role of echocardiography as an effective means of following up such a case.

The risks of percutaneous toxicity must always be considered in children, especially in premature neonates, in whom the epidermal permeability barrier is frequently incompetent. Application of smaller drop size or wiping of overflowed drop from the skin may be useful to decrease the risk of systemic side effects.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of iron on haematological status of breastfed infants. One hundred and thirteen infants were randomized into four groups at 5 months of age. Iron supplementation was given at doses of 1 mg/kg/day, 2 mg/kg/day, and 2 mg/kg/every other day in the first three study groups, respectively, and the last group received placebo. The hematological values, except hemoglobin, were higher in the group supplemented with iron at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day, and ferritin values were statistically higher in the group supplemented with iron at a dose of 2 mg/kg/every other day than in the group supplemented with iron at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day. We suggest that intermittent iron supplementation is more effective than a daily regimen in equal dosages.

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