International Journal of Pediatrics最新文献

{"title":"Analysis of Fluid Balance as Predictor of Length of Assisted Mechanical Ventilation in Children Admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)","authors":"Praveen Unki, S. Save","doi":"10.1155/2022/2090323","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2090323","url":null,"abstract":"Background Ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) is a devastating complication of assisted mechanical ventilation (AMV) and is one of the root causes of prolonged AMV. Many strategies were made to decrease the effect of the same. This study is conducted to determine the association of prolonged AMV with fluid balance and pediatric index of mortality 2 (PIM2) score. Methods This prospective observational study was carried out in a PICU of a tertiary care centre over a period of 12 months. Patient's fluid balance was calculated by tabulating fluid input-output over initial 48 hours of AMV. The PIM2 score on admission was documented. The association between qualitative variables was assessed by a chi-square test. Comparison of quantitative data measured between cases with duration of AMV ≥ 7 days and <7 days was done using the Mann–Whitney U test. Correlation between quantitative data was done by using the Pearson product moment correlation. Results Out of 40 patients, 27 patients who had ≥15% positive fluid balance required prolonged mechanical ventilation. Similarly, 27 patients with PIM2 score ≥ 5 required prolonged AMV. On applying the Pearson chi-square test, we found a significant association between positive fluid balance and prolonged mechanical ventilation (P value = 2.25 × 10−7 (<0.05)). Likewise, a statistically significant association was found between PIM2 score and prolonged ventilation (P value = 1.19 × 10−5 (<0.05)). Conclusion There is a significant association of prolonged AMV with positive fluid balance (>15%) and PIM2 score (>5). By strict maintenance of fluid balance with appropriate intervention, the length of AMV and PICU stay can be decreased.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48211548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effectiveness of Synbiotic on the Improvement of Clinical Symptoms in Children with Eosinophilic Esophagitis","authors":"N. Amini, M. Khademian, Tooba Momen, H. Saneian, Peiman Nasri, F. Famouri, Giti Ebrahimi","doi":"10.1155/2022/4211626","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4211626","url":null,"abstract":"Background Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic inflammatory disorder of the esophagus. Today, probiotics are included as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of allergic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of synbiotic on clinical symptom improvement in EoE patients. Methods This study is designed by a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with two parallel groups, which was performed on 30 children with eosinophilic esophagitis. All participants were children aged 6 months to 15 years. Both groups received the same treatment (elimination diet, topical steroid, and proton pump inhibitor). A synbiotic (KidiLact) was added to the medication regimen of 15 patients (case), while the next 15 patients received a placebo (control). Severity and frequency of symptoms were assessed with a checklist derived from a validated scoring tool in both groups before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Results There was a significant reduction in the severity score of chest pain and poor appetite (P value < 0.05) in the case group taking probiotics, while nausea and poor appetite were the only symptoms with a significant reduction in the frequency score after intervention in this group. Conclusion Probiotics can be used as adjuvant treatment for patients with EoE. Improvement in the severity of chest pain and poor appetite and reduction in the frequency of nausea and poor appetite in these patients can be seen.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45244737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nonurgent Visits to the Pediatric Emergency Department before and during the First Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Laura Guckert, H. Reutter, N. Saleh, R. Ganschow, A. Müller, F. Ebach","doi":"10.1155/2022/7580546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7580546","url":null,"abstract":"Background Nonurgent visits in pediatric Emergency Departments are a growing burden. In order to find predictors for those nonurgent visits, we performed a retrospective analysis of unscheduled visits at the Pediatric Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Bonn, Germany, in the year 2017. Additionally, we compared these findings to unscheduled visits during the first peak of the worldwide pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019, to see if there would be an effect on nonurgent pediatric Emergency Department attendances. Methods For our retrospective cohort study, we analyzed more than 5.000 visits at the pediatric Emergency Department of the University Hospital of Bonn, Germany, before and during the first peak of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019, particularly with regard to their urgency. Data included gender, age, zip code, urgency, and preexisting conditions. Results Our study shows that more than half of unscheduled pediatric Emergency Department visits (69%) at the University Hospital in Bonn are for nonurgent reasons, with short living distance being a factor to present children to a pediatric Emergency Department, even with minor complaints. During the first peak of the pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019, nonurgent visits decreased significantly, potentially due to hesitation to attend a pediatric Emergency Department with minor issues, fearing an infection with SARS-CoV-2 at the hospital. Conclusion Many people use pediatric Emergency Departments for nonemergency complaints. In order to address the reasons for nonurgent visits to pediatric Emergency Departments and to prevent parents from doing so, further studies and targeted education concepts for parents are needed.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47702576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Blood Acylated Ghrelin Concentrations in Healthy Term Newborns: A Prospective Cohort Study","authors":"N. Parveen, Ayesha Ahmad, S. Ali, S. Moin, N. Noor","doi":"10.1155/2022/9317425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9317425","url":null,"abstract":"Objective The effect of ghrelin, a growth hormone (GH) secretagogue on growth of neonates, has been studied in the past, but not fully clarified. We aimed to investigate the relationship between ghrelin and growth parameters at birth and at the age of three months in healthy term infants. Methodology. This was a prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care hospital. Eighty-four infants born at gestational ages between 37 and 42 weeks and classified as term small for gestational age (SGA) and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) were included in the study. Estimation of acylated ghrelin (AG) concentrations was done in the cord blood at birth and in venous blood at the age of 3 months in all the infants. The correlation between AG concentrations and growth parameters at birth and at 3 months was studied. Results AG concentrations were significantly higher in SGA (236.16 ± 152.4 pg/ml) than AGA neonates (59.45 ± 20.95 pg/ml) at birth. Concentrations were observed to be negatively correlated with birth weight (r = −0.34, p value 0.03), birth length, and head circumference (r = −0.509 and -0.376, respectively) in SGA neonates. However, at 3 months, AG concentrations did not correlate with changes in anthropometric parameters in both the groups. Conclusion Cord acylated ghrelin concentrations are higher in SGA neonates, and the concentrations are inversely proportional to the birth weight. Hence, its role as a surrogate marker for intrauterine nutrition can be suggested. However, its concentrations do not correlate with anthropometric parameters in early postnatal growth, suggesting it may not have a direct role in postnatal growth.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45561837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns and Determinants of Change in Cortisol Levels and Thyroid Function as a Function of Cardiac Risk in Children Undergoing Cardiac Surgery","authors":"K. Al-Sofyani, M. S. Uddin, Ebtehal Qulisy, Osman O. Al-Radi","doi":"10.1155/2022/6730666","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6730666","url":null,"abstract":"Background Children undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are exposed to the risk of hormonal imbalances resulting from acute stress, which may eventually result in high postoperative mortality and morbidity. Objective We assessed adrenal and thyroid hormonal changes and their determinants following cardiac surgery in children and explored their prognostic value in predicting cardiac outcomes. Study Design and Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), between 2017 and 2018. The study involved 46 children aged 14 years or younger who underwent elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Serum levels of cortisol, TSH, fT3, and fT4 were measured preoperatively and 24, 48, and 72 hours after surgery. The cardiac risk was assessed using the risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery (RACHS) scale. A composite cardiovascular outcome was analyzed as a numerical variable and calculated as the number of cardiovascular events. Results Overall, the changes in thyroid function parameters resulted in a U-shaped curve, while cortisol levels yielded a bell-shaped curve. The most significant changes occurred at 24 hours postop, including a decrease in mean TSH by 2.08 μIU/L (p < 0.001), fT3 by 2.39 pmol/L (p < 0.001), and fT4 by 2.45 pmol/L (p < 0.001) and an increase in cortisol levels by 406.48 nmol/L (p < 0.001) with respect to the baseline. Cortisol concentration peaked higher and recovered slower among patients with high cardiac risk than their counterparts. Cardiovascular outcomes were independently predicted by the extent of the decline in fT4 and TSH at 48 and 72 hours postop, with reference to the baseline, and by the cortisol level at 24 h postop, independent of the baseline, besides the RACHS category. Conclusion Cardiac surgery among children yields a high adrenocortical response and a high incidence of nonthyroidal illness syndrome, increasing cardiovascular risk. A preventive management strategy involves improving surgical techniques to minimize trauma-related stress.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45737660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Undernutrition and Predictors on the Survival Status of HIV-Positive Children after Started Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Northwest Ethiopia","authors":"Mulugeta Molla, Fassikaw Kebede, Tsehay Kebede, Assefa Haile","doi":"10.1155/2022/1046220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1046220","url":null,"abstract":"Malnutrition and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have complex and multidirectional relationships. Ethiopia is one of the countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic as well as malnutrition. This study was aimed at assessing the effects of undernutrition on the survival status of HIV-positive children who received HIV/AIDS care in Northwest Ethiopia. Materials and Methods. A facility-based retrospective follow-up was conducted from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2020. The data was entered into EpiData version 4.2.0. Then, the entered data was exported to STATA 14 software for further analysis, and the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to estimate survival time after the initiation of ART. The Bivariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were conducted to identify predictors of mortality associated with undernutrition. Results. The mean (±SD) age of participant children was found 118.4 (±38.24) months. The overall mortality rate in this study was determined as 5.4 per 100 child-years (95% CI: 3.6, 5.8). Children with CD4 cell counts below the threshold [AHR = 1.6; 95% CI (1.19, 7.85)], advanced WHO clinical stages (III and IV) HIV [AHR = 4.5; 95% CI (2.80, 8.40)], and being severe stunting at the beginning [AHR = 2.9; 95% CI (1.80, 6.40)] were significantly associated with mortality of HIV-positive children. Conclusion. The findings of the current study indicated that HIV-positive children on ART had a high rate of mortality. Baseline undernutrition has the mortality of children who had CD4 counts below a threshold, advanced WHO HIV clinical staging (III and IV), and being severe stunting (HAZ ≤ −3 Z score) which were found to be independent predictors for mortality of undernourished HIV.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43849960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Practices of Procedural Pain Management in Neonates through Continuous Quality Improvement Measures.","authors":"Jigar P Thacker,&nbsp;Deep S Shah,&nbsp;Dipen V Patel,&nbsp;Somashekhar M Nimbalkar","doi":"10.1155/2022/8605071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8605071","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Although the benefits of pain control measures in neonates are well known, the actual usage was not optimal in our unit. Therefore, we implemented a quality improvement project to improve pain management practices through multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Our project included hemodynamically stable newborns weighing ≥1300 g. We identified four common procedures: intravenous cannulation, venous sampling, heel prick, and nasogastric tube insertion. The selected pain control measures were skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, expressed breast milk orally, and oral sucrose. Between April 2019 and September 2019, we intervened multiple times and reassessed shortcomings. We encouraged evidence-based practices and gave solutions for shortcomings. Data were interpreted weekly to assess the compliance to pain control interventions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Minimal pain control measures (3-4%) were utilized for identified procedures before the project began. We could improve the use of pain control measures steadily and achieve the target of 80% of procedures after seven different interventions over five months. There was a retention of the effect on reassessing twice at second and fourth months of stopping further intervention once the target got achieved.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Quality Improvement science can identify the shortcomings and help to improve the compliance for pain control practices in neonates, as demonstrated in this neonatal unit.</p>","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":"2022 ","pages":"8605071"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8858718/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39823379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of Neonatal Mortality in Ethiopia: A Comprehensive Review of Follow-Up Studies.","authors":"Derara Girma,&nbsp;Hiwot Dejene,&nbsp;Leta Adugna","doi":"10.1155/2022/1491912","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1491912","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Neonatal mortality remains a prominent public health problem in developing countries. Particularly, Ethiopia has a higher neonatal mortality rate than the average sub-Saharan African countries. Hereafter, this review article was aimed at synthesizing existing predictors of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search and review of peer-reviewed articles were conducted on the predictors of neonatal mortality in Ethiopia. A search of key terms across different databases including Web of Science, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Hinari, and Google Scholar was conducted, supplemented by reference screening. The SANRA tool was used to critically appraise studies included in the review.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After removing duplicates and applying the eligibility criteria, 14 of the 64 initially identified articles were included in the final review. These were original articles published between 2011 and 2021. The identified predictors were narrated and presented under different domains. Accordingly, sociodemographic predictors such as residence, distance from the health facility, and maternal age; service delivery-related predictors such as no ANC follow-up, not taking iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, and no PNC visit; neonate-related predictors such as low birth weight, extreme prematurity/preterm, and low APGAR score; pregnancy and childbirth-related predictors such as birth interval < 18 months, twin pregnancy, and time of rupture of membrane > 12 hours; and maternal-related predictors such as maternal HIV infection, maternal childbirth-related complications, and maternal near-miss were stated to increase a likelihood of newborn death in Ethiopia.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Public health interventions directed at decreasing neonatal mortality should address the rural residents, mothers not having ANC follow-up, low birth weight, twin pregnancy, and maternal HIV infection. The wealth of data gathered during primary research should not only lead to identification of predictors, but should also provide guidance for health system intervention strategies in a country aiming to reduce neonatal mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":"2022 ","pages":"1491912"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8856832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39941914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Patients with Drug-Induced Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in Iran: Different Points of Children from Adults.","authors":"Bahareh Abtahi-Naeini,&nbsp;Mohammad-Sadegh Dehghan,&nbsp;Fatemeh Paknazar,&nbsp;Zabihollah Shahmoradi,&nbsp;Gita Faghihi,&nbsp;Ali Mohammad Sabzghabaee,&nbsp;Mojtaba Akbari,&nbsp;Mahdi Hadian,&nbsp;Tooba Momen","doi":"10.1155/2022/8163588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8163588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Different epidemiologic aspects of drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) in children are scarce.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To compare the clinical and epidemiological features of patients with drug-induced SJS and TEN in children and adults.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This retrospective study was conducted at two academic referral centers (Isfahan, Iran) over 5 years. SJS and TEN were clinically diagnosed and confirmed by skin biopsy as needed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred one patients (31 children and 70 adults) with a female to male ratio of 1.1 : 1 was identified in the present study. SJS was more commonly diagnosed in both pediatric and adult patients. The most frequent reason for drug administration identified was the infection (45.2%) and seizure (45.2%) in children and infection (34.3%) and psychiatry disorder (27.1%) in adults (<i>P</i> = 0.001). The most common culprit drugs in the pediatric were phenobarbital (9/31), cotrimoxazole (4/31), and amoxicillin (4/31); however, in the adult group, the most common drugs were carbamazepine (11/70) and lamotrigine (9/70). Fever was significantly more common in adults (44.3%) compared to pediatric patients (22.6%) (<i>P</i> = 0.03). Multiple logistic regression models showed that pediatric patients had significantly lower odds of hospitalization (OR [odds ratio]: 0.14; 95% CI 0.02, 0.67). In addition, patients with SCORTEN 1 had significantly higher odds of hospitalization (OR: 6.3; 95% CI: 1.68, 23.79) compared to patients with SCORTEN 0.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study showed several differences between the pediatric and adult patients with SJS and TEN, including the reason for drug administration, culprit drugs, length of hospital stay, presence of fever, and final diagnosis of disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":"2022 ","pages":"8163588"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2022-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8847037/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"39932967","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual health challenges in Iranian intellectually disabled adolescent girls: a qualitative study","authors":"Shadi Goli, M. Noroozi, M. Salehi","doi":"10.22038/IJP.2021.59974.4659","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22038/IJP.2021.59974.4659","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Sexual health is individuals’ ability to express their sexual needs within framework of society’s values without being afraid of sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, violence and discrimination. Given the importance of sexual health in intellectually disabled adolescents, the present study was conducted to explore the sexual health challenges in intellectually disabled adolescent girls.\u0000Materials and Methods: The present qualitative study with content analysis approach was conducted on 48 participants including parents, teachers, healthcare providers and managers who were selected through purposeful sampling method in Isfahan, Iran. Data were gathered using semi-structured in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and field notes. Data were analyzed using conventional content analysis.\u0000Results: After data analysis, four sub-categories of “adolescent’s disability in understanding sexual matters and respecting social rules”, “the coexistence of psychiatric disorders and intellectual disability”, cultural taboos on sexual issues” and “teachers’ inability to deal with issues related to adolescent’s sexual health” were extracted. These sub-categories together formed the main category of “sexual health challenges”.\u0000Conclusion: Based on the results, designing comprehensive programs of sex education for intellectually disabled adolescent girls seems necessary. Also, empowering teachers to teach sexual health to these girls and their parents is of particular importance. Furthermore, the interaction between parents and school to maintain the sexual health of intellectually disabled adolescent girls could have an effective role in decreasing the rate of sexual abuse/harassment and their involvement in sexual relationships.","PeriodicalId":51591,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Pediatrics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2021-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47160845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}