We report a case of a suspected intestinal myiasis of a child from Southeast Argentina. Diptera larvae were sampled by a physician from the nappy worn by the child and submitted for examination and identification to the Laboratorio de Artrópodos (Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata). Based on diagnosis of the anterior and posterior spiracles and mouthparts, the larvae were identified as the false stable fly Muscina stabulans (Fallén, 1817) (Diptera: Muscidae). A comparison of diagnostic characters between Argentinean and European third instars of this species is presented. Muscina stabulans is a prevalent species in the district of General Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires province, where the case occurred. Its abundance in the area coincidentally peaked at the time of the infestation. This is the 1st report of M. stabulans as a suspect of intestinal myiasis for the whole of the southern cone of South America (Chile and Argentina).

This research investigated the impact of the number of talkers with whom children engage in daily conversation on their language development. Two surveys were conducted in 2020, targeting two-year-olds growing up in Japanese monolingual families. Caregivers reported the number of talkers in three age groups and children’s productive vocabulary via questionnaires. The results demonstrated significant effects of variability in talkers in fifth grade or above in Study 1 (N = 50; male = 23; r = .372) and in adult talkers in Study 2 (N = 175; non-nursery going; male = 76; r = .184) on children’s vocabulary development, after controlling for language exposure time and demographic variables. Possible mediating factors are discussed. This research extends previous findings from immigrant bilingual children to monolingual speakers in Japan, suggesting the potential contribution of available talkers other than caregivers in conversational environments.

Mental State Talk (MST) is utterances describing invisible mental aspects. The first aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of Parental MST and Child MST and their concurrent association in a Swedish population, and the second aim was to relate these MST measures to the children’s general language abilities. Seventy-seven dyads of parents and their 25-month-old toddlers participated. MST was assessed by videotaping the dyads during free-play sessions in a laboratory and general language abilities were based on parental reports. Forty-nine toddlers did not produce MST, while all parents used MST. Child MST was positively associated with vocabulary and grammar. Parental MST was not associated with Child MST nor the children’s general language abilities. In exploratory analyses, Parental MST referred to another than the child was positively correlated with vocabulary and grammar. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and continue studying MST in different linguistic contexts.

Dietary behaviours in early childhood are understudied despite links with later health. Assessing the distribution of key food groups across the day could identify opportunities for improvements. This study aimed to describe the 24-hourly distribution of dietary intakes and frequency of eating occasions for weekdays and weekend days among children aged 18 months and assess associations of eating frequency with vegetable, fruit and discretionary intakes and zBMI. Using two parent-reported 24-h recalls of child dietary intakes from the Melbourne Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (InFANT) Program, mean frequency of daily eating occasions and hourly intake distributions were calculated for vegetables, fruits, discretionary foods, and total foods and energy-containing beverages on weekdays (n 428) and weekend days (n 376). Multivariable regression analyses assessed associations between frequency of eating occasions, total intake of food groups and zBMI. Overall, children had 7·8 ± 1·8 (mean ± sd) eating occasions/d on weekdays, where 1·5 ± 0·8 contained vegetables, 2·2 ± 1·1 contained fruit and 2·5 ± 1·5 contained discretionary foods. Weekend day intakes were similar. Energy intakes were highest at dinner time. Intakes of total foods, fruits and discretionary foods were spread across the day (06.00–22.00). Vegetable consumption was mainly about 18.00 with minimal intake at other times. Eating frequency was associated with amount of food consumed but not consistently with zBMI. These 18-month-old children ate frequently throughout the day, with little distinction between weekdays and weekend days. Most eating occasions lacked vegetables, and frequency of discretionary foods was higher than of vegetables. Promoting vegetable consumption at occasions other than dinner could improve vegetable intake.

This paper provides specific guidelines for the neurodevelopmental evaluation of children aged birth through 5 years with complex congenital heart disease. There is wide recognition that children with congenital heart disease are at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairments that are first apparent in infancy and often persist as children mature. Impairments among children with complex congenital heart disease cross developmental domains and affect multiple functional abilities. The guidelines provided are derived from the substantial body of research generated over the past 30 years describing the characteristic developmental profiles and the long-term trajectories of children surviving with complex congenital heart conditions. The content and the timing of the guidelines are consistent with the 2012 American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics scientific statement documenting the need for ongoing developmental monitoring and assessment from infancy through adolescence. The specific guidelines offered in this article were developed by a multidisciplinary clinical research team affiliated with the Cardiac Neurodevelopmental Outcome Collaborative, a not-for-profit organisation established to determine and implement best neurodevelopmental practices for children with congenital heart disease. The guidelines are designed for use in clinical and research applications and offer an abbreviated core protocol and an extended version that expands the scope of the evaluation. The guidelines emphasise the value of early risk identification, use of evidence-based assessment instruments, consideration of family and cultural preferences, and the importance of providing multidimensional community-based services to remediate risk.