Aim: To determine the prevalence and to estimate factors associated with food hypersensitivity in young children of the Lviv region in Ukraine.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional survey study was conducted between 2016 and 2017 in the Lviv region of Ukraine. A specially designed questionnaire about food hypersensitivity of young children developed and validated by M. J. Flokstra-de Blok was used after translation into the Ukrainian language. The questionnaire included 34 questions, grouped into general and detailed information. Parents of children aged 0–3 years were asked to complete the questionnaire at pre-schools and medical institutions.

Results: Among 4,500 distributed questionnaires, 3,214 (71%) were completed and processed. Parents reported that 25% of their young children had food hypersensitivity. According to the survey the most common agents involved in food hypersensitivity in young children were cow's milk (34%), egg (28%), and wheat (24%). Hypersensitivity to milk occurred in 50% of children in the age group of 1–2 years. Regional differences associated with food hypersensitivity were also found. Namely, in the Carpathians, there was more hypersensitivity to fish (27%) and honey (22%) than in other regions, while hypersensitivity to soy was detected mostly in Lviv City residents (8.5%). Unknown causes of food hypersensitivity were highly reported (34%) in the Carpathians.

Conclusion: Prevalence and some distinctiveness of food hypersensitivity revealed in four geographic and climate zones as well as in Lviv City have a considerable practical use for formulation of recommendations for children with food hypersensitivity.

Premature infants are at high risk for diseases associated with impaired adaptation of the immature digestive tract, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or late-onset sepsis (LOS), as well as severe neonatal morbidities associated with these diseases. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic enteral use of bovine lactoferrin for the prevention of severe neonatal diseases in premature infants. The prospective cohort study included 117 premature infants with gestational age (GA) of ≤32 weeks, a birth weight of ≤1,500 g, and an age of ≤72 hours. 27 infants who were receiving enteral feeds were randomized to receive lactoferrin at a dose of 100 mg/day until postmenstrual age (PMA) of 36 weeks or discharge (at least 4 weeks). 90 infants formed the control group and received standard treatment. The primary outcome was the incidence of LOS, the secondary outcomes were the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), severe brain damage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), overall mortality, as well as the age of achieving full enteral feeds, duration of antibacterial therapy, length of stay in NICU and the total length of hospital stay. Enteral lactoferrin supplementation did not reduce the incidence of LOS (29.6% in the lactoferrin group against 22.7% in the control group; p=0.85), NEC (5.6% vs. 1.8%, respectively; p=0.11) and overall mortality (18.5% vs. 9.1%, respectively; p=0.06), as well as the incidence of severe intraventricular hemorrhages (18.5% vs. 9.8%, respectively; p=0.17), PVL (11.1% vs. 2.2%, respectively; p=0.17) and BPD (14.8% vs. 25.6%, respectively; p = 0.25). Infants receiving lactoferrin were achieving full enteral feeds significantly faster compared to the control group (14 (10-17) days vs. 19 (13-32) days, respectively; p=0.007). The total length of hospital stay of infants with GA ≤28 weeks in the lactoferrin group was significantly shorter compared to the control group (74 (68-89) vs. 98 (83-109) days, respectively; p=0.048). Enteral lactoferrin supplementation at a dose of 100 mg/day does not affect the main morbidity and mortality of prematurely born infants with GA ≤ 32 weeks but may facilitate significantly faster achievement of the full enteral feeds and the reduction of the length of hospital stay in the tiniest infants.

Lead is known to be highly toxic to humans, causing various disorders infetal development. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of lead acetate on the structural organization of female rat ovaries. The study involved 40 non-linear female rats divided into four groups: a control group, a low-dose group, a moderate-dose group, and a high-dose group. The rats were given lead acetate solutions in varying doses for 30 days, and their ovarian tissue was examined using light microscopy.The results showed that increasing doses of lead acetate led to morphological changes in the cortex and medulla of the rat ovaries. The changes were characterized by a decrease in ovarian mass, alterations in the thickness of the tunica albuginea (protein envelope), and a reduction in the number of follicles. Light microscopy revealed that exposure to lead acetate resulted in a significant decrease in the number of follicles in all experimental groups, with the high-dose group experiencing the most significant decrease.These findings suggest that lead acetate has a dose-dependent negative impact on the morphology and function of female rat ovaries. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential impact of lead on human ovarian tissue.

The effects of severe burn injuries on the cardiovascular system, specifically the atria and auricles of the heart, were investigated. The potential benefits of using lyophilized xenodermotransplants as a treatment option were also evaluated. The experiments were conducted on adult guinea pigs divided into three groups: intact animals, animals with burns, and animals with burns who underwent early necrectomy followed by wound closure with lyophilized xenodermotransplants. Third-degree burns caused significant ultrastructural changes in atrial cardiomyocytes, leading to long-term destructive changes in the structural components of the atria. However, the use of lyophilized xenodermotransplants had a positive effect on the atrial ultrastructure over time. This study highlights the complex and varied effects of burn injuries on the body and the potential benefits of lyophilized xenodermotransplants in treating severe burn injuries. By preventing destructive changes in the heart and activating regenerative processes, lyophilized xenodermotransplants can improve the condition of the heart after thermal injury. Further research and development in this area are necessary for understanding the potential of lyophilized xenodermotransplants in tissue repair and regeneration. 

Гіпертрофічний пілоростеноз (ГПС) є одним із найчастіших чинників блювання в новонароджених, що потребує хірургічного втручання [1,21]. Незважаючи на спроби медикаментозної терапії [11,24], пілороміотомія залишається основним методом лікування ГПС [2,10,16]. Тоді як інтраопераційні ускладнення і безпосередні результати пілороміотомії широко висвітлені в літературі [14,15,22], то віддалені наслідки цього втручання, особливо залежно від методу корекції, недостатньо вивчені та містять суперечливі результати [6,7,17,19].