0000000001285301
AUTHOR
Pietro Ferrara
showing 56 related works from this author
Measuring universal health coverage based on an index of effective coverage of health services in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systema…
2020
Publisher's version (útgefin grein)
The Health Risks of Electronic Cigarettes Use in Adolescents
2020
The evidence to date suggests that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking tobacco. This, coupled with the worrying trend of young nonsmokers being attracted to vaping, raises fears of yet another generation suffering from chronic lung disease and other acute and chronic health conditions. Finally, due to the insufficient regulations in several countries, up-to-date data on the prevalence of e-cigarette use and studies on the health's implications of their use are urgently needed to inform policy at a national and international level (ie, European Union). Pediatricians are typically on the front line for identifying emerging risks for children and adolescents ; therefore, they may effec…
The Economic Burden of Child Maltreatment in High Income Countries.
2015
Maltreatment is a common cause of children’s functional and emotional impairment. Costs for the society are high, as a substantial amount of resources have been allocated for various types of services connected to maltreatment of children. These include acute treatment, long-termcare, family rehabilitation programs, and judiciary activities.There is a long-lasting debate on how child abuse could be prevented or reduced. How can the costs of related services be contained? What is the role of pediatricians in such efforts? This article raises these important questions within the framework of the debate opened by the article by Gerber-Grote et al regarding the role of health economics in impro…
Age–sex differences in the global burden of lower respiratory infections and risk factors, 1990–2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study…
2022
Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Background: The global burden of lower respiratory infections (LRIs) and corresponding risk factors in children older than 5 years and adults has not been studied as comprehensively as it has been in children younger than 5 years. We assessed the burden and trends of LRIs and risk factors across all age groups by sex, for 204 countries and territories. Methods: In this analysis of data for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we used clinician-diagnosed pneumonia or bronchiolitis as our case definition for LRIs. We included International Classification of Diseases 9th edition codes 079.6, 466–469, 470.0, 480–4…
Smartphone use and addiction during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: cohort study on 184 Italian children and adolescents
2021
Abstract Background The lives of many children and adolescents are today increasingly influenced by new technological devices, including smartphones. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic occurred in a time of outstanding scientific progress and global digitalization. Young people had relevant adverse psychological and behavioral effects due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly related to infection control measures, which led them to spend more time at home and with major use of technological tools. The goal this study proposes is to evaluate health and social outcomes of smartphone overuse among Italian children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing patterns and ai…
Impact of Distressing Media Imagery on Children
2016
Children are particularly fragile and vulnerable to the impact of traumatic events or their mediated representation because they lack the skills and experience in the management of difficult information. Children have different concepts of health and disaster than adults and institutions, depending mainly on their cognitive, emotional, social, psychological, and physical development. If left alone with threatening messages, children are less able to fully understand the information to which they had been exposed. Therefore, they may fail to integrate the external data into their psychological schema of coping strategies. Children usually count on caregivers to deal with stressors, and they …
The burden of mental disorders, substance use disorders and self-harm among young people in Europe, 1990–2019: Findings from the Global Burden of Dis…
2022
Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAM
The Role of Pediatricians in Caring for the Well-Being of Children Living in New Types of Families.
2017
Pediatricians are on the front line of child care and advocacy, and it is their role to promote children's well-being and to help parents raise healthy children, independent of the configuration of their families. This report aims to draw attention to the evolving social scenarios and to emphasize that pediatricians must be trained to coordinate new challenges that may arise from differently configured families, particularly single-parent and same-sex–parent families.
Gambling disorder in adolescents: what do we know about this social problem and its consequences?
2018
Abstract Gambling disorder (GD) is a psychiatric condition and it is characterized by a maladaptive pattern of gambling behavior that persists despite negative consequences in major areas of life functioning. In Italy, CNR (National Research Council) underlined how over 17 million, 42.8% of the population aged 15–64 have a gambling behavior. Among them, there are over one million students, aged 15–19, equal to 44.2% of Italian students; the number of minors in Italy with GD in 2017 was 580,000, equal to 33.6%. Various psychosocial treatment models have been adapted for GD; on the other hand no drug has received regulatory approval in any jurisdiction as a specific psychopharmacological trea…
Cyberbullying a modern form of bullying: Let's talk about this health and social problem
2018
Abstract Cyberbullying or electronic aggression has already been designated as a serious public health threat. Cyberbullying should also be considered as a cause for new onset psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms of unclear etiology or a drop in academic performance. Pediatricians should be trained to play a major role in caring for and supporting the social and developmental well-being of children.
Global injury morbidity and mortality from 1990 to 2017 : results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
2020
Publisher's version (útgefin grein)
Children Witnessing Domestic and Family Violence: A Widespread Occurrence during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
2021
Across the world, children and adolescents are exposed daily to toxic levels of violent behaviors, including domestic and family violence. Violence increasingly has permeated and profoundly affected the lives of children, who are the most vulnerable members of society.1 Pediatric societies in Europe and North America have raised great concern over the effect that abusive experiences will have on present and future generations.1, 2, 3, 4 The global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the past year has dramatically worsened the situation, contributing to a further increase in violence and aggression within households. Reports of domestic abuse and family violence have increas…
High-dose folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin on a weekly schedule in the treatment of advanced cancer of the head and neck
1992
A group of 60 patients with advanced head/neck cancer were treated with high-dose folinic acid (500 mg/m-2/week-1) plus 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m-2/week-1 on day 1, and cisplatin (20 mg/m-2/week-1) 24 h after folinic acid infusion was completed. Out of 55 evaluable patients, 10 patients (18%) experienced a complete response with a mean duration of 11.4+ months, 25 patients had a partial response (45%) of 6.7+ months, 6 patients (11%) showed a stabilization of 4.8+ months, and 14 (25%) progressed. The overall response rate was 63.6% (95% confidence limits 56.5%-69.5%). Patients pretreated with radiotherapy had a 67% overall response rate, while those pretreated with chemotherapy showed a 54% …
Burden of non-communicable diseases among adolescents aged 10-24 years in the EU, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases S…
2022
Background: Disability and mortality burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have risen worldwide; however, the NCD burden among adolescents remains poorly described in the EU. Methods: Estimates were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. Causes of NCDs were analysed at three different levels of the GBD 2019 hierarchy, for which mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were extracted. Estimates, with the 95% uncertainty intervals (UI), were retrieved for EU Member States from 1990 to 2019, three age subgroups (10–14 years, 15–19 years, and 20–…
Applying system dynamics to foster organizational change, accountability and performance in the public sector: A case-based Italian perspective
2010
The goal of this paper is to discuss the role System Dynamics (SD) can play to enhance performance improvement in the public sector. It is remarked how SD can help decision makers to properly perceive the boundaries of the relevant system underlying observed phenomena. To this end, three real cases are analysed to show how SD can facilitate a better understanding of the relationships between the political and the organisational system in the public sector, and how to promptly attain efficiency and improve outcome, given the constraints that the institutional and political systems constitute. The goal of this paper is to discuss the role System Dynamics (SD) can play to enhance performance i…
Prevention and contrast of child abuse and neglect in the practice of European paediatricians: a multi-national pilot study
2021
AbstractBackgroundChild abuse and neglect, or maltreatment, is a serious public health problem, which may cause long-term effects on children’s health and wellbeing and expose them to further adulthood vulnerabilities. Studies on child maltreatment performed in Europe are scarce, and the number of participants enrolled relatively small. The aim of this multi-national European pilot study, was to evaluate the level of understanding and perception of the concepts of child abuse and neglect by European paediatricians working in different medical settings, and the attitude toward these forms of maltreatment in their practice.MethodsThe study was performed by a cross-sectional, descriptive, onli…
The "Invisible Children": Uncertain Future of Unaccompanied Minor Migrants in Europe.
2016
Because of their particular helpless condition, the unaccompanied minor migrants are at serious risk to be further deprived of their rights, and to become de facto “invisible” to the authorities, to the public health services, and in general to the public opinion. Furthermore, when they arrive at a destination, or during their journey through Europe, many children often vanish. The full dimension of such phenomenon that further hits the unaccompanied minors along their European migration routes currently is unknown. However, the intense migration that has affected the south Mediterranean borders of the EU over the last 10 years has allowed the collection of sufficient data to raise the high…
Increased Exposure to Violence and Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children
2021
Exposure of children and adolescents to violence has significant short and long-term consequences in terms of academic, social, physical, and psychological functioning.1,2 The relationship of exposure to traumatic events, including various forms of violence, with depression, anger, anxiety, dissociation, posttraumatic stress, and total trauma symptoms has been widely debated.1-3 It is largely accepted that adverse early life experiences and abusive events suffered during childhood can cause profound effects on the development and function of the nervous system and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.4 Studies investigating the relationship between various types of neurodevelop…
Internet Addiction: Starting the Debate on Health and Well-Being of Children Overexposed to Digital Media.
2017
Previous articles published in the European Paediatric Association (EPA) pages have discussed the importance of children's well-being and its role in different areas of children's health, such as well-child care and child-friendly health care. The goal of this commentary is to raise pediatricians' awareness on the risks of children's overexposure to digital media. It is important to protect the psychological and emotional health of children from uncontrolled external influences to preserve their well-being. We also emphasize the importance of alerting parents and tutors to the risks related to the unrefrained use of the Internet.
Adequate Training and Multidisciplinary Support May Assist Pediatricians in Properly Handling and Managing Gender Incongruence and Dysphoria.
2022
What we call “sexual identity” refers to the complex relationship between biological sex, gender identity and role, and sexual orientation.1 “Gender identity” means the unified and persistent perception of oneself as belonging to the male or the female gender or ambivalent. For many, gender identity coincides with sexual identity; traditional culture has long provided for the definition of only 2 genders, corresponding to the 2 biological sexes. The person with gender incongruence experiences a disharmony between biological aspects and gender identity, with the constant awareness that he or she belongs to the opposite gender and is imprisoned in a body that does not represent him or her. Ge…
The Child Health Care System in Italy
2016
Pediatric care in Italy has been based during the last 40 years on the increased awareness of the importance of meeting the psychosocial and developmental needs of children and of the role of families in promoting the health and well-being of their children. The pediatric health care system in Italy is part of the national health system. It is made up of 3 main levels of intervention: first access/primary care, secondary care/hospital care, and tertiary care based on specialty hospital care. This overview will also include a brief report on neonatal care, pediatric preventive health care, health service accreditation programs, and postgraduate training in pediatrics. The quality of the Ital…
Children left unattended in vehicles in Italy: look behind you before leaving your car
2018
In recent years, the number of children left unattended in parked vehicles is increasing and, according to the Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act, this phenomenon can be considered a form of neglect. In addition, the exposure of children to warm environments could cause their death from hyperthermia and heat stroke. Children are more vulnerable than adults to heat for three reasons: children have a high surface area body mass ratio, a less heat dissipation from center of the body to periphery and a less sweat production. In addition, a study was carried out to evaluate the effects of stress on Working Memory, whose alteration could bring a parent to forget his child in the car. In Ita…
Murdered women’s children: A social emergency and gloomy reality
2018
Femicide, defined as the killing of females by males because they are females, is be-coming recognized worldwide as an im-portant ongoing manifestation of gender inequality. Actual or imminent separation, abuser’s access to firearms, prior threats with a weapon, prior threats to kill the victim, a stepchild in the household, prob-lematic alcohol and illicit drug use, as well as mental health problems, are associated with a substantially higher risk of femi-cide. Little is known about the number of orphaned children who have instantane-ously lost both parents. Sparse attention has been focused on children whose moth-er was murdered: these are difficult cases for child psychiatry teams. Decis…
Estimating global injuries morbidity and mortality
2020
Background. While there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria. Methods. In this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then est…
Epidemiology of enuresis: a large number of children at risk of low regard
2020
Abstract Aim To describe the epidemiological aspects of nocturnal enuresis (NE). In this study we identify the prevalence and the familial conditions in a large, representative sample of children with monosymptomatic NE (MNE) and nonmonosyptomatic NE (NMNE). Material and methods In this descriptive-analytic study the Italian Society of Pediatrics (SIP) promoted a prevalence study of NE using a questionnaire involved 320 primary care Pediatricians from Northern, Central and Southern Italy, from January 2019 to July 2019, with a total of 130,000 children analyzed by questionnaire related to epidemiology and type of NE, familiarity, quality of sleep, eating and drinking habits, pharmacological…
The Hikikomori Phenomenon of Social Withdrawal: An Emerging Condition Involving Youth's Mental Health and Social Participation.
2020
The objective of this editorial is to raise awareness on the burden and risks faced by adolescents developing this emerging form of social withdrawal. The hikikomori phenomenon is part of the group of new morbidities causing children and adolescents to limit their activity owing to a chronic health condition with attendant psychological problems. We further emphasize the importance of including new morbidities involving mental health and social participation in formal pediatric training, to enable new generations of pediatricians to identify and properly manage these disorders.
An Appeal for Implementing Social Assistance and Welfare Programs for European Children Challenged by Parental Loss
2018
The authors of this commentary, many of whom are part of a working group on social pediatrics supported by some of the European national pediatric societies member of EPA-UNEPSA, conclude that more studies are needed to cross the boundaries between disciplines, for example, looking at the inter-relationship of family life and child health and how parental loss is affecting the micro and macro level of child healthcare service systems. Therefore, this article aims to alert pediatricians to the impact of parental loss on child health and wellbeing. It emphasizes the importance of implementing preventive and social support programs for achieving health promotion and health-protective effects.
The burden of injury in Central, Eastern, and Western European sub-region: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 Study
2022
Abstract Background Injury remains a major concern to public health in the European region. Previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study showed wide variation in injury death and disability adjusted life year (DALY) rates across Europe, indicating injury inequality gaps between sub-regions and countries. The objectives of this study were to: 1) compare GBD 2019 estimates on injury mortality and DALYs across European sub-regions and countries by cause-of-injury category and sex; 2) examine changes in injury DALY rates over a 20 year-period by cause-of-injury category, sub-region and country; and 3) assess inequalities in injury mortality and DALY rates across the countries…
Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Family Functioning
2021
More than a year and a half after the first clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China,1 , 2 the magnitude of the pandemic across the globe and its related clinical and social effects3 remain unclear.4 The pandemic has affected lives and sparked concerns about everything from health to job security. In high–Gross Domestic Product (GDP) countries, despite trillions in coronavirus aid released by governments, many families still struggle to pay for basic necessities like food and rent, and these difficulties worsened during the pandemic.5 , 6 The general social uncertainty caused by the pandemic seems to have also affected family resilience, w…
Caring for Infants and Children Following Alternative Dietary Patterns
2017
The number of people that refrain from eating meat has apparently increased. This is due to a variety of factors other than economic constraints or religious concerns, which have long been reasons for such dietetic conduct. Several reasons for adopting diets excluding meat include improved health, concerns regarding animal welfare, the use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock, and the excessive exploitation of environmental resource. Consequently, the number of children whose parents decide to follow alternative diets, such as vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, or fruitarian, is also growing. Clinical research regarding adults adopting such diets has expanded, and their nutritional impact …
Femicide and murdered women’s children: which future for these children orphans of a living parent?
2015
Background: To assess the prevalence of femicides in Italy over the last three years and the potential long lasting effects of these traumatic events for the children of a woman who dies a violent death. Methods: The data used in this study come from an internet search for the number of femicides occurring in Italy between 1st January, 2012 and 31st October, 2014. Results: The total number of femicides was 319; the average age of murdered women was 47.50∈±∈19.26. Cold arms in the form of sharp object -mostly knives- have caused the death of 102/319 women; firearms were used in 87/319 cases; asphyxiation was the chosen method in 52/319 cases. About the place where the femicides occurred, 209…
Foster Care: A Fragile Reality Needing Social Attention, and Economic Investments.
2016
The combination of psychosocial, medical, and educational care usually leads to immediate and long-term extra cost, which may pay out only decades later. This social and economic investment may be regarded by economists as being hardly affordable, especially during recession periods. However, we strongly believe that there are alternatives allowing adequate care even in times of economic turmoil. The aim of this report is to raise the awareness of the pediatric community and the public opinion toward the importance of investing in health programs offering adequate protection, prevention, and provision of care for orphan, abandoned, maltreated, and neglected children.
Physical, psychological and social impact of school violence on children.
2019
Abstract Violence against children includes all forms of violence against people under 18 years old whether perpetrated by parents or other caregivers, peers, partners, teacher or strangers. This is a public health, human rights, and social problem: levels of violence against children are frightfully high and it is estimated that up to 1 billion children aged 2–17 years, have experienced a type of violence. Very few studies provided physical violence perpetrated at school but it can have a physical impact, causing psychological distress, permanent physical disability and long-term physical or mental ill-health. Children who experienced any type of violence at school may develop reactive att…
The Dark Side of the Web—A Risk for Children and Adolescents Challenged by Isolation during the Novel Coronavirus 2019 Pandemic
2021
In response to the global novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries around the world adopted social isolation measures to contain the spread of the virus.1 For children and adolescents, limitations in faceto-face activities and interactions with their traditional peer groups has been a frustrating experience. After disease containment measures, which included school closures, social distancing, and home quarantine, children and adolescents faced a prolonged state of physical isolation from their peers, teachers, extended family, and community networks that affects their emotional and behavioral health.2 Parents and pediatricians are reporting signs of mental distres…
FISIOPATOLOGIA DELLA FONAZIONE ED INQUADRAMENTO CLINICO DELLE DISFONIE
2006
Additional file 1 of Epidemiology of enuresis: a large number of children at risk of low regard
2020
Additional file 1.
AUTOIMMUNE HEARING LOSS
2005
ADENOIDECTOMIA:IERI ED OGGI
2005
Il trattamento chirurgico delle fistole liquorali dell'orecchio medio
2004
Rara complicanza di un caso di litiasi parotidea
2006
L’otite sieromucosa ricorrente. Follow-up a 5 anni.
2005
LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF RECURRENT OTITIS MEDIAWITH EFFUSION
2005
FISIOPATOLOGIA DELLE PRIME VIE AEREE
2006
LA PATOLOGIA RINOSINUSALE
2005
LA TERAPIA MEDICA E CHIRURGICA DELL'OTITE MEDIA ADESIVA
2008
TAVOLA ROTONDA: ATTUALI ORIENTAMENTI PATOGENETICI E CHIRURGICI NEL COLESTEATOMA DELL'ORECCHIO MEDIO
2006
Additional file 1 of The pandemic within the pandemic: the surge of neuropsychological disorders in Italian children during the COVID-19 era
2022
Additional file1: Table S1. Regional centers enrolled in the study, list of hospitals and departments involved in the study.