Bubble Wrap PLUS – January 2025

Can’t get enough of Bubble Wrap? The Bubble Wrap Plus is a monthly paediatric Journal Club reading list from Professor Jaan Toelen (University Hospitals Leuven) and Dr Anke Raaijmakers (Sydney Children’s Hospital). 

This comprehensive list is developed from 34 journals, including major and subspecialty paediatric journals. We suggest this list can help you discover relevant or interesting articles for your local journal club or allow you to keep a finger on the pulse of paediatric research.

During the first days of the new year, many people make solemn resolutions. If yours is to (continue to) stay up-to-date, we have the perfect present for you: a brand new Journal Club list. Other New Year’s resolutions might include: staying alert when asked to attend the delivery of a foetus with a major congenital heart defect, avoiding planning pre-referral ultrasounds for cryptorchidism, and keeping an eye out for behavioural interventions that
include a digital component. As our highlights may show…

A study in JAMA Pediatrics assessed the impact of foetal major congenital heart defects (MCHDs) on the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. Using data from the Danish Fetal Medicine Database (from 2008 to 2018), it found that pregnancies with MCHDs had a significantly higher rate of complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and foetal growth restriction compared to those without MCHDs (23% versus 9%), except for transposition of the great arteries. The study underscores the need for specialized obstetric care (and of course paediatric care) and counselling for these patients. A study in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health investigated the use of ultrasound in children referred for cryptorchidism. Despite guidelines advising against it, ultrasounds were
frequently performed. The researchers found that ultrasounds did not significantly contribute to diagnosing or managing the condition, with only 25-30% concordance with surgical diagnoses. The use of ultrasound imposed financial costs and time burdens on families, and caused parental concern and anxiety. It should be noted that the study was performed from the ‘urological’ perspective (namely experts in the field) and that most guidelines are written from the perspective of the hospital, rather than the general physicians. It could be that non-specialists use technical investigations to ensure that they do not miss anything relevant that would be picked up by a specialist with a focused clinical examination.

A study in JAMA tested a digital childhood obesity prevention intervention alongside routine health behaviour counselling from paediatric primary care clinicians. It involved 900 children randomized into two groups: one receiving standard clinic-based counselling and another adding digital support. Results from the 24-month follow-up showed that children in the combined digital and clinic intervention group had better outcomes in terms of weight-for-length trajectory and BMI scores, with a notably lower incidence of obesity compared to the clinic-only group. This approach proved effective across a diverse participant group, suggesting that integrating digital tools into early childhood healthcare may enhance obesity prevention efforts.

You will find the list is broken down into four sections:

If we have missed out on something useful or you think other articles are absolutely worth sharing, please add them in the comments!