The time children spend in childcare overlaps with daily meals and opportunities to be active. Thus these environments have the opportunity to promote-or hinder-healthy weight gain among children who attend them. The purpose of this narrative review was to compile findings from studies examining childcare type and weight outcomes among preschool-age children. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsychInfo and ERIC. Inclusion criteria were infant- to 5-year-old children exposed to any type of childcare with a cross-sectional or longitudinal weight outcome. Among 385 studies screened, 18 were included. For comparison across studies, type of childcare was categorized as: childcare center, Head Start, nanny/babysitter, non-relative care/family childcare home and relative care. Four studies found no association with childcare type and obesity, and 10 studies reported mixed results by type of care or subpopulation analyses. Two studies found an overall positive association, and two reported an inverse association. There were differences in direction of associations and findings by type of care arrangement. For Head Start, three of eight studies demonstrated a negative relationship with obesity; none demonstrated a positive association. No other childcare type demonstrated this inverse association. Informal types of care (relative and non-relative care in a home) were positively associated with child obesity in 3 of 10 studies. This association was less commonly reported among formal childcare centers (2 of 15 studies). The majority of studies, however, reported mixed findings or no association by childcare type. Results suggested no consistent evidence for a relationship between childcare and obesity risk, except Head Start. This review exposed the need for a consistent definition of childcare type and the exploration of unmeasured confounders, such as the nutrition and physical activity environment of childcare settings, to understand how they contribute to or protect against the development of overweight/obesity among children.

Objectives To examine the relationship between maternal stress, work status, concern about child weight, and the use of restrictive feeding practices among mothers of preschool children. Methods 285 mothers of 2-to-5-year-old children completed an on-line survey. Questions included demographics, items from the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and the Child Feeding Questionnaire. Linear regression and ANOVA examined the relationship between maternal stress, work hours, concern about child weight, and the use of restrictive practices for one 2-to-5-year-old child living within the home. Results Mothers were 32.6 ± 5.2 years of age and spent 39.7 ± 12.0 h/week at work. Seventy-one percent worked full time. Children were 3.4 ± 1.0 years of age and 51% male. Stress (3.41 ± 0.77, p ≤ 0.001) and concern about child weight (3.41 ± 0.77, p ≤ 0.00) were associated with the use of restrictive feeding practices. Mothers with severe/extremely severe stress used restriction more than mothers with normal stress, respectively (3.63 ± 0.80, 3.30 ± 0.81, p = 0.03). No difference was found among mothers with mild/moderate stress (3.50 ± 0.63, p = 0.06). There was no association between work hours (p = 0.50) or work status (p = 0.91) and the use of restrictive feeding practices. Conclusions Maternal stress and concern about child weight were associated with the use of restrictive feeding practices. Considering the current rates of childhood obesity in the United States, understanding factors that influence a child's food environment is advantageous and can help improve maternal and child health.

BackgroundThe family environment is influential for a child's healthy development through parent and sibling influences on feeding practices. Multiple-child households may protect against unhealthy feeding practices, but additional children contribute to higher maternal stress. Households of married parents may decrease maternal stress by sharing parental demands.ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the collective influence of maternal stress, marital status, and number of children on feeding practices.MethodsMothers of 2- to 5-y-old children (n = 278) were recruited mainly on a university campus and completed an online survey to examine associations between maternal stress (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale), number of children, marital status, and feeding practices (restriction and pressure to eat; Child Feeding Questionnaire). Relationships were examined through the use of multivariate regression and structural equation modelling.ResultsA mainly married (85%) and Caucasian (73%) sample participated, with most mothers reporting multiple children [2 children (45%) or ≥3 children (24%)]. Marital status was not associated with either feeding practice, i.e., restriction and pressure to eat (P < 0.05). In adjusted models, maternal stress (β = 0.04, SE = 0.01, P = 0.003) and number of children (β = 0.24, SE = 0.08, P = 0.003) in the household individually contributed to higher feeding restriction; their interaction resulted in lower feeding restriction (β = −0.01, SE = 0.05, P = 0.005). In stratified models, maternal stress was associated with restriction in single-child households (β = −0.03, SE = 0.009, P = 0.002), but not multiple-child households (β = −0.004, SE = 0.005, P = 0.40).ConclusionsNumber of children had no effect on feeding practices individually, but may contribute to a less restrictive feeding environment. Additional investigation into creating less stressful and more positive feeding environments for all mothers can lead to healthier mothers and families.

Background: Recently a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the impact of intraoperative goal directed fluid and hemodynamic therapy (GDFHT) in children and postoperative outcome. This study is part of a vast and extended Thesis Project concerning the impact of Goal Directed therapies on postoperative outcome in the pediatric population. This systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 randomized and non randomized controlled trials in 3389 children, of which more than 90% of the studies (21 among the 23 studies) concerned pediatric cardiac surgical patients, revealed that trials where GDFHT aiming to determine the impact on postoperative outcome in children were not developed compared to what has been realized in adults. However this trial showed that a lot of studies concerning hemodynamic monitoring in children were prospective, retrospective, observational and non interventional. These studies demonstrated the existence of parameters or biomarkers of adverse postoperative outcome in pediatric cardiac surgical patients. Namely cerebral, renal, splanchnic regional oxygen saturation, serum lactate levels, mixed central venous oxygen saturation and arterial to venous carbon dioxide difference. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis with high level evidence studies can help to elaborate recommendations for improvement implementation programs for clinical practice. Objective of this Editorial: To analyze the results, conclusions and future perspective of this recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of intraoperative GDFHT on postoperative outcome in children. Methods: Editorial concerning the recent systemetic review and meta-analysis of the impact of intraoperative GDFHT on postoperative outcome in children. Results and Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 non randomized and randomized controlled trials (RCT) evidenced that randomized controlled trials concerning the impact on perioperative GDFHT on postoperative outcome in children are lacking. Secondly, unoptimal intraoperative parameters mentioned above were predictors of adverse postoperative outcome in pediatric cardiac surgical patients. Finally RCT using these parameters in GDFHT protocols should be developed to clarify the influence of this therapy on postoperative outcome in children in cardiac and non cardiac surgical pediatric populations. In the present time there are no answers concerning the effect of intraoperative GDFHT on postoperative outcome in children. Thus research in this field is highly recommended.

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