Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among healthy schoolchildren. It is noteworthy that 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in girls and during autumn. We recommend vitamin D supplementation for children in addition to more time spent for outdoor activities for sensible sunlight exposure.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) usually leads to a mild infectious disease course in children, while serious complications may occur in conjunction with both acute infection and neurological symptoms, which have been predominantly reported in adults. The neurological complications in these patients vary based on patient age and underlying comorbidities. Data on clinical features, particularly neurological features, and prognostic factors in children and adolescents are limited. The present study provides a concise overview of neurological complications in pediatric COVID-19 cases. Materials and Methods The retrospective study reviewed medical records of all patients who were admitted to our hospital and were diagnosed with COVID-19 by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assay between March 11, 2020 and January 30, 2021. Patients with a positive PCR result were categorized into two groups: Out Patient Departments (OPD) patients and In Patient Departments (IPD). Results Of the 2,530 children who underwent RT-PCR during the study period, 382 (8.6%) were confirmed as COVID-19 positive, comprising 188 (49.2%) girls and 194 (50.8%) boys with a mean age of 7.14±5.84 (range, 0-17) years. Neurological complications that required hospitalization were present in 34 (8.9%) patients, including seizure (52.9%), headache (38.2%), dizziness (11.1%) and meningoencephalitis (%5.8). Conclusion The results indicated that neurological manifestations are not rare in children suffering from COVID-19. Seizures, headaches, dizziness, anosmia, ageusia, and meningoencephalitis major neurological manifestations during acute COVID-19 disease. Although seizures were the most common cause of hospitalization in IPD patients, the frequency of meningoensalitis was quite high. Seizures were observed as febrile seizures for children under six years of age and afebrile seizures for those over 6 years of age. Febrile seizure accounted for half of all seizure children.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to compare HMGB‐1, TLR4, IL‐1β, IL‐1R1, and TNF‐α levels in patients with mild and severe epilepsy with those in a healthy control group. Methods: Children aged 4–17 years, diagnosed with epilepsy for at least three years and with no progressive neurological disease, metabolic disease or infection, were selected for the study. The severe epilepsy group consisted of 28 children with at least one episode a week despite receiving three or more antiepileptic drugs. The mild epilepsy group consisted of 29 children with no seizures in the previous year, receiving only one antiepileptic drug, while 27 healthy children were selected as the control group. HMGB‐1, TLR4, IL‐1R1, TNF‐α and IL‐1β levels were investigated in these three groups. The MRI findings and clinical characteristics of the patients in the epilepsy group were also compared with these markers. Results: HMGB‐1, TLR4, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β levels in the severe epilepsy group were higher than in the control group and the mild epilepsy group (p<0.05), and were higher in the mild epilepsy group than in the control group (p<0.05). IL‐1R1 was also higher in the severe epilepsy group than in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: In this first report to identity a possible correlation between HMGB‐1, TLR4, IL‐1β, IL‐1R1, and TNF‐α levels and severity of epilepsy, our data demonstrates that the serum level of these cytokines is higher in cases of drug‐refractory epilepsy.

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Listeria monocytogenes is an uncommon cause of bacterial meningitis beyond the neonatal period. Patients with immunosuppression or neoplastic disease are at increased risk of developing serious invasive disease, particularly meningitis. L. monocytogenes meningitis in two previously healthy, immunocompetent children aged 7 years and 18 months is described. One of them was successfully treated with ampicillin and amikacin. In the other there was resistance to ampicillin, and meropenem, vancomycin and amikacin were given. One patient developed unilateral abducens paralysis and inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. L. monocytogenes should be suspected in children with bacterial meningitis who fail to respond to empirical antibiotic therapy.