The paper is part of a collaborative research organized by the International Association of Youth and Family Judges and Magistrates (AIMJF/IAYFJM) on child participation as victims or witnesses in criminal cases. The article explains the legal, institutional and procedural aspects of child participation in the Justice System in Iraq.
In the current digital era, the taking and disseminating of photographs and videos of children has become a prevalent practice. The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the perspectives of preschool children, their mothers, and teachers regarding the photographing and sharing of children’s photos. Twelve 5-year-old children, their mothers (12), and their teachers (12) in northwestern parts of Turkey were taken into consideration in this study. Data were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The findings reveal that mothers and teachers believed children had limited awareness about being photographed and having their images shared due to their young age, and they underlined that they did not consider it necessary to obtain permission from children. However, children’s statements about being photographed and having their photos shared showed that, contrary to what adults thought, they were aware of this issue and were concerned about the negative consequences they might face if their photos were shared. The findings emphasize children’s need for child-centered practices in preschool classrooms and reveal the ways in which adults’ perspectives on this matter run counter to child-centered practices.
The purpose of this study was to clarify how parental willingness to allow child participation in thyroid ultrasound examinations (TUE) changed after reading about the merits and demerits of TUE. This study was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. A total of 2,200 parents and guardians, who had children <18 years old, were included in the final analysis. First, basic characteristics of parental participants and willingness to allow child participation in TUE were assessed (pre-survey). Second, parental participants read an explanation about the merits and demerits of TUE. Third, the understandability of the explanation and intention regarding child participation in TUE were assessed (post-survey). The primary outcome was the change in willingness for child participation in TUE after reading the explanation about the merits and demerits. After reading the explanation, the number of parents in both the "yes" and "no" groups decreased, while the numbers in the "up to the child" and "undecidable" groups increased. This trend was especially prominent among parental participants who were previously unaware of the merits and demerits. Among those who changed their willingness from "yes" to "up to the child" or "undecidable," the proportion was higher in the group that had not known about the merits and demerits than the group that had known (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.76 (1.32-2.34) and 2.97 (1.87-4.71), respectively). Repeated dissemination of information about the merits and demerits of TUE is necessary to support appropriate decision-making.
Yurie Kobashi, Masaharu Tsubokura, Hiroki Shimura et al.
This study examines how the selected barangay local government units (BLGUs) in the Southern Philippines are implementing meaningful child participation in governance. It focuses on three key aspects: informing children of their rights, actively hearing their perspectives, and involving them in decision-making. The study found a diverse group of respondents, with a majority from Gen Z and Millennials. Many are college graduates and actively involved in organizations, showcasing their potential as future leaders. A significant effort is put into ensuring children are well-informed about their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This highlights a commitment to both inclusivity and upholding children's rights. The research also found a positive perception towards "hearing" children's voices. This suggests a cultural shift towards participatory governance, where children's perspectives are valued in decision-making. This empowers them, communicates the importance of their opinions, and leads to policies that better reflect their needs. The study concludes that meaningful child participation is not only achievable but essential for sustainable development and good governance. It's an investment in the future, fostering a generation of informed, engaged, and responsible citizens. These findings offer valuable insights for local governments in Southern Philippines and contribute to the global discussion on empowering children as active contributors to society. Secure spaces for participation and formal structures within schools, communities, or local government, like the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), can further empower children to effectively engage in governance.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was firstly reported at the end of 2019. The disease rapidly spread all around the world in a few months and was declared a worldwide pandemic by WHO in March 2020. By April 9, there were 1,436,198 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, nearly with 6% mortality rate. This novel infectious disease causes respiratory tract illness that may generally occur as mild upper respiratory tract disease or pneumonia. In older patients and/or patients with underlying conditions, it may result in acute respiratory distress syndrome, multi organ failure and even death. According to the current literature, children account approximately for 1%–5% of diagnosed COVID-19 cases. Generally, COVID-19 seems to be a less severe disease for children than adults. Approximately 90% of pediatric patients are diagnosed as asymptomatic, mild, or moderate disease. However, up to 6.7% of cases may be severe. Severe illness is generally seen in patients smaller than 1 year of age and patients who have underlying disesases. The epidemiological and clinical patterns of COVID-19 and treatment approaches in pediatric patients still remain unclear although many pediatric reports are published. This review aims to summarize the current epidemics, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 in pediatric patients.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the current COVID-19 pandemic, children below the age of 12 could manifest COVID-19 symptoms and serve as a reservoir for the virus in the community. The present study was conducted to evaluate the reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of BBIBP-CorV, prior to involving this age group in the vaccination program in the kingdom of Bahrain. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 582 children from 3 to 12 years old of Bahraini and non-Bahraini nationality, all of which contributed to the reactogenicity study. Of those, 401 contributed to the immunogenicity study. All children received 2 doses of BBIBP-CorV inactivated virus 3 weeks apart. To assess reactogenicity, children were followed up for 5 weeks to evaluate any vaccine-related adverse events (AE). To assess immunogenicity, blood was collected on day 0 and day 35 to assess antibody titer against S, N, and neutralizing antibody. RESULTS: Of the 582 participants, (45.4%) were female, (54.61%) were male, with 49% in 9-12 age group. Of the 401 children contributing to the immunogenicity study, 274 (68.3%) had no prior exposure to COVID-19. The overall incidence of AE was 27.7%. No significant difference was found among different age groups. The most frequent AE was local (at the injection site) and occurred in 16% of children, followed by fever in 9.3%. No serious adverse events were reported. The Seroconversion rate was 100% among children with no prior exposure to COVID-19. Children with previous COVID-19 exposure had higher averages of anti-S (2379 U/mL compared to 409.1), anti-N (177.6 U/mL compared to 30.9) and neutralizing antibody (93.7 U/mL compared to 77.1) than children with no prior exposure at day 35. CONCLUSIONS: Two doses of COVID-19 BBIBP-CorV on the subjects aged between 3 to 12 has good safety and tolerance and can induce an effective immune response and neutralizing antibody titer.
Khaled F. Greish, Abdulla Ismaeel AlAwadhi, Ahmed Jaradat et al.
India's diverse socio-cultural landscape shapes the dynamics of media behavior and digital messaging. With the nation's rapid technological growth, AI and Social Media are significantly influencing public opinion and political campaigns. However, these sources often facilitate the spread of misinformation, by contributing to incidents of unrest. The media behavior in India is characterized by trust in forwarded messages and a preference for vernacular content, underscores the necessity for comprehensive digital literacy. Parents and educators play a crucial role in fostering a digital society. Despite efforts from the government and NGOs, the digital literacy gap in rural areas remain particularly vulnerable to manipulative messaging. This paper addresses these gaps by identifying key digital competencies that needs to be imparted such as, critical thinking, media literacy, AI literacy, ethical use, data privacy, content creation, collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and problem-solving skills. This can be done by integrating essential competencies into education, with active and continuous involvement from parents and educators.
Background/Objectives: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) may cause severe complications and death in children. It is also a common cause of outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific Region. Incidence among children 1 to <2 years was over 3000/100,000 population in China. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to review evidence on vaccine efficacy (VE), immunogenicity, and safety of two doses of EV71 vaccine in children. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing EV71 vaccine with placebo or with another EV71 vaccine in children and adolescents aged ≤18 years were searched on PubMed, Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, and CNKI (Chinese) in week 5 November 2024. The reference list of each study and the websites of vaccine manufacturers were also searched. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool (RoB2) was used to assess the risk of bias. VE, immunogenicity (including seropositive rate, seroconversion rate, geometric mean titer (GMT), Geometric Mean Fold Increase (GMFI)), and rate of adverse events were analyzed. Results: A total of 4199 articles were identified, and 25 studies were finally included. VE (%) against EV71 HFMD in children aged ≤5 years at 12 months was 94.8% (95%CI 87.2–97.9) for Sinovac and 90.9% (95%CI 70.4–97.2) for Wuhan Institute of Biological Products (WIBP), while the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) reported 97.4% (95%CI 92.9–99.0) at 11 months. At 1 month after the second dose, 99.19% (95%CI 98.15–99.65) of children aged ≤5 years in the vaccine group were seropositive, and 96.30% (95%CI 92.71–98.17) achieved seroconversion. GMT at 1 month after the second dose in the vaccine group was 46.78 (95%CI 26.18–83.61) times that in the placebo group. GMFI at 1 month after the second dose in the vaccine group was 28.41 (95%CI 22.18–36.39) times that of the placebo group. The rate of serious adverse events (AEs) was lower in the vaccine group than the placebo group (1.23% (95%CI 0.58–2.69) vs. 1.34% (95%CI 0.58–3.07)) at 1 month after the second dose. There was no significant difference in other adverse events between the vaccine and placebo groups. Conclusions: EV71 vaccines were effective, immunogenic and safe. Areas with a high incidence of EV71 may consider introducing EV71 vaccines.
Guan Xing Lai, Albert Ka-Wing Au, Edmond Siu-Keung Ma
