Pediatric News back issues from October 2006:
Safe bets in pets keep kids healthy.(News)(dialogue with Sandra Lefebvre)(Interview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... With reports of rabies, salmonella, Clostridium difficile, Lyme disease, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and other infectious diseases being transmitted from animals to humans, what do you tell families with children who ask you which pets are safest? Sandra ...
Alarm sounded on rising obesity rate in infants, toddlers: 'Baby fat' is not likely to be outgrown.(News)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Efforts to prevent childhood obesity should begin in the womb and infancy to turn the tide on the startling increase in the number of overweight and obese children in this country, according to Dr. Matthew W. Gillman. In a study of more than 120,000 children enrolled in a ...
30% of upper respiratory infections linked to AOM.(News)(risk of acute otitis media)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Nearly a third of infants and toddlers with upper respiratory infections also will develop acute otitis media, Dr. Krystal F. Z. Revai reported at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. Dr. Revai and her colleagues at the University of Texas ...
Lifestyle changes improve NASH.(News)(nonalcoholic fatty liver disease )
Oct 01, 2006; ... Simple changes in diet and exercise significantly improve glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, liver enzymes, and liver steatosis in children who have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, reported Dr. Valerio Nobili of the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital, Rome, and associates. ...
No home run yet with cystic fibrosis therapies.(News)
Oct 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- A variety of new therapeutic approaches are being utilized to control airway inflammation in cystic fibrosis, but the optimal form of therapy remains to be defined, Dr. Felix Ratjen said at the Seventh International Congress on Pediatric Pulmonology. Airway ...
Pneumococcal immunization coverage has jumped to 80%.(News)
Oct 01, 2006; ... At least 80% of children aged 19-35 months received three or more of the four required doses of pneumococcal vaccine in 2005--a big jump from 40% coverage 3 years ago, according to results of the National Immunization Survey released in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention press ...
100 million flu vaccine doses due this season.(News)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Manufacturers of influenza vaccine are on track to produce and distribute 100 million doses of the agent by early January--more than ever before and nearly 25% more than were shipped last year--with most to arrive in October and November, according to the Centers for Disease Control and ...
Restricting transfusions did not worsen PICU outcomes.(News)(pediatric intensive care units)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN DIEGO -- Critically ill children fared no worse when red blood cell transfusions were restricted in an international randomized, controlled trial that compared conservative with liberal strategies for treating anemic patients in pediatric intensive care units. Mortality and ...
FDA eases community access to portable testing for lead in blood.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The Food and Drug Administration has expanded access to portable lead testing devices, which will allow for rapid screening of children and adults at more than 115,000 community clinics, mobile health units, schools, and work sites across the country. Until now, the LeadCare II ...
NICU is ideal setting for parental flu vaccination.(Infectious Diseases)(neonatal intensive care unit)
Oct 01, 2006; ... OLD GREENWICH, CONN. -- The neonatal intensive care unit is an ideal setting for delivering the trivalent influenza vaccine to parents of high-risk infants, Dr. Shetal Shah said at a meeting of the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research Flu vaccination rates among U.S. adults ...
Influenza often missed as a clinical dx.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... In a prospective analysis of data from children who had laboratory-confirmed influenza, researchers found that most influenza cases were not recognized clinically, and the resulting symptoms were treated on an outpatient basis far more often than through inpatient care. Dr ....
Use fluoroquinolones judiciously.(ID Consult)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The American Academy of Pediatrics' new policy statement on fluoroquinolone use in children is a thoughtful, measured step in the right direction. As we await the availability of new agents in this class, as well as new pediatric indications for those already licensed, it's very helpful to ...
Antibiotic prescribing patterns in U.S. vary by specialty.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... NICE FRANCE -- Family physicians prescribe penicillins most often, whereas surgeons prescribe fluoroquinolones more frequently than any other specialty. These are some of the findings from a 3-year study examining prescribing patterns of oral antibiotics by physician specialty ...
Amoxicillin and GAS pharyngitis.(Clinical Capsules)(group A streptococcal )(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Amoxicillin given once daily to treat group A streptococcal pharyngitis was no less effective than a twice-daily dose, based on data from 652 children seen in a private pediatric practice during a 2-year period. Although once-daily penicillin has less effectiveness against group ...
Pertussis booster may be needed.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Children may need a booster dose of the acellular pertussis vaccine between the ages of 5 and 7 years to ensure protection from illness, according to data from a 7-year population-based study. A total of 1,293 cases of culture-confirmed pertussis were seen in Swedish children ...
Infant flu vaccination rates are low.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Only 7.4% and 17.5% of children aged 6-23 months received at least one dose of the influenza vaccine during 2002-2003 and 2003-2004, respectively, based on a representative sample of 13,881 children from the 2003 and 2004 National Immunization Surveys. The 2002-2003 and ...
Fluconazole reduces candidiasis in VLBW infants.(Infectious Diseases)(very low-birth-weight)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Fluconazoleprophylaxis reduced fungal infections and mortality in very low-birth-weight infants at two neonatal intensive care units in retrospective studies that were presented during the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. Incidence of invasive ...
Call for revision of national pandemic flu plan: there is considerable disparity among state plans for epidemic surveillance, pandemic containment, etc.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... A revision of the national pandemic influenza plan could help to remedy the current patchwork of state plans "that will not adequately detect and control" an influenza pandemic, according to a review by Scott D. Holmberg, Ph.D., and his colleagues at Research Triangle Institute ...
Low-dose, whole-virion vaccine for avian flu looks promising.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... A whole-virion vaccine for the H5N1 avian influenza virus produces acceptable levels of immunity even at low doses, researchers found in a preliminary study. Developed at the Sinovac Biotech Co. in Beijing, the vaccine appears to be effective when delivered in two 10-mcg doses ...
Missed chances for flu vaccine noted in children with asthma.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The majority of children with asthma fail to get vaccinated for influenza even when they visit health care providers during the flu season. Addressing these missed opportunities for vaccination could significantly improve vaccination rates among these children, according to ...
Watch for LCMV eye disease in little children: patients should not get hamsters for their 4-year-olds if they plan to have other children, an expert says.(Infectious Diseases)(lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus)
Oct 01, 2006; ... TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Although only 49 cases of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus have been reported in the medical literature worldwide, Dr. Marilyn Baird Mets has a hunch that the prevalence could be much higher. Since 1997, she has seen seven children with the condition present ...
New tickborne Ehrlichia species emerges, hits U.S.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Physicians who see patients presenting with extreme localized pain beginning a few days after a tick bite have a new reason to consider the possibility of ehrlichiosis, based on findings reported at a meeting of the Southwest Conference on Diseases in Nature Transmissible to ...
Salmonella infections are traced to classroom snake's feed mice.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- Salmonella infections that simultaneously occurred in four children at a Michigan elementary school were traced to mice that had been shipped to the school from a business in Texas as food for a classroom pet snake, according to a researcher with the Texas Department of ...
Endemic dengue hemorrhagic fever surfaces.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN ANTONIO -- What is likely the first-ever case of dengue hemorrhagic fever to originate within Texas occurred last year among residents of the border area of South Texas, as did three endemic cases of classic dengue fever. Physicians should consider dengue when diagnosing any ...
Fusarium keratitis cases spur call for vigilance.(Infectious Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The recent outbreak of fusarium keratitis that spread to 33 states carried "a high degree of morbidity," with corneal transplantation required or planned for 55 of the 164 affected patients identified, reported Dr. Douglas C. Chang of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ...
Teens face unique risks for STDs--biological to behavioral.(Infectious Diseases)(Sexually Transmitted Diseases)
Oct 01, 2006; ... NEW YORK -- Adolescents are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted diseases due to biological, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral factors, as well as poor access to health care, Dr. Robin Recant said at a gynecology conference sponsored by Mount Sinai School of Medicine ....
Adacel shortage should be resolved by 2007.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... A temporary shortage in the supply of Adacel--the tetanus-diphtheriapertussis vaccine marketed by Sanofi-Pasteur--announced in September is expected to last until the end of the year. Boostrix, the Tdap booster vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is in good supply, ...
Azithromycin no use as pityriasis rosea therapy.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Azithromycin had no influence on the clinical course of pityriasis rosea, according to a small randomized controlled trial presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. The etiologic agent for pityriasis rosea, an acute inflammatory skin ...
Teens tap doctors, parents, net for health info.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... WASHINGTON -- Teen vaccine educational material must be quick, accurate, understandable, and relevant, said Dr. Sharon Humiston at a meeting of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee. The bottom line is that no single information source will hit everyone in a target audience, ...
Human plague cases total 13, most since 1994.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... So far this year, 13 cases of human plague have been reported in four states. This marks 2006 as the year with the largest number of reported cases in the United States since 1994. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chief cause of the increase is ...
When mental disorders suspected, tools abound.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... WASHINGTON -- When mental health disorders or family problems are suspected, a number of tools can help pediatricians assess the situation, Dr. Barbara J. Howard said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Oftentimes, when we have a problem child, we have ...
AAP will offer developmental screening tool kit.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(American Academy of Pediatrics)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Physicians will soon have new tools for the early diagnosis of developmental problems in young children. Officials with the American Academy of Pediatrics are finalizing the details of the new edition of the Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, ...
Near-term infants at risk for learning problems.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Healthy near-term infants are at increased risk of learning problems during their preschool and kindergarten years, according to findings of a poster presentation by Dr. Stephen B. Morse at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. Compared with ...
Expansion of anterior cingulated cortex tied to learning disability.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- Volumetric measurement of the brains of children with learning disabilities of unknown etiology has revealed subtle abnormalities in regions associated with the anterior thalamocortical tract that correlate with the severity of the learning disability, according to a report ...
Frequent contact with babies in 62% of partners of teen mothers.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- A study of adolescent mothers revealed that that over half of the fathers had frequent contact with the babies, Dr. Lee Ann Beers reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. This was associated with several beneficial effects, ...
Drug abuse down in U.S. kids, federal study says.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Survey)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Abuse of illegal drugs by minors dropped between 2004 and 2005 in the United States, though it increased among young adults as well as those over age 50, according to survey data reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. For persons aged 12-17 ...
Severe sleep apnea linked to CNS abnormalities: researchers say OSA 'could permanently alter the trajectory of a ... child's ultimate cognitive potential.'.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(central nervous system)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Children with severe obstructive sleep apnea demonstrate decreased IQ and other neuropsychological deficits, and have metabolic brain abnormalities that can be seen on imaging, indicating possible neuronal injury, according to a new study. "We speculate that untreated ...
Depression tied to sleep problems.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Sleep problems in school-aged children appear to be associated with depression but not with anxiety, reported Alice M. Gregory, Ph.D., of King's College of London, and her colleagues. The investigators' study of sleep problems in twins suggests that genetics also may play a role ...
Melatonin-sleep hygiene combo aids insomnia in ADHD patients.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Sleep hygiene combined with melatonin is safe and effective for initial insomnia in children aged 6-14 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder who take stimulants, reported Dr. Margaret D. Weiss of the Children's and Women's Health Care Centre of Vancouver, B.C., and her ...
Preventive programs cut meth use in rural teens.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Participating in a drug prevention program during middle school can reduce methamphetamine usage years later, reported Richard L. Spoth, Ph.D., and his associates at Iowa State University, Ames. In the first studies of their kind, researchers examined outcomes of preventive ...
Cerebral palsy patients cite positive quality of life.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... BOSTON -- Children and teens with cerebral palsy consider their quality of life to be similar to that of their typically developing peers, the results of a study suggest. A convenience sample of 81 youths with cerebral palsy (CP) and 30 age- and gender-matched typically ...
Parents of CP kids see more behavioral/ emotional woes.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(cerebral palsy)
Oct 01, 2006; ... BOSTON -- Children with cerebral palsy have a higher incidence of behavioral and emotional difficulties than their typically developing peers, results of a recent study suggest. These difficulties have a potentially deleterious effect on quality of life, Nicholas Hall of ...
Underage binge drinking is mapped.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(national survey on binge drinking among youth in Unites States)(Survey)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The highest rates of underage binge drinking in the United States occurred in the northeast region of North Dakota in 2002-2004, with the lowest rates reported in the District of Columbia's Ward 7, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency. ...
Seek context in explosive behavior.(Behavioral Consult)
Oct 01, 2006; ... During the first red-faced toddler rage or the very first time a teenager goes off on an explosive rant, parents are likely to be caught off guard and respond impulsively. They may yell back, or punish their child's out-of-the-blue, blue-in-the-face, out-of-control behavior. In ...
Stereotypy may arise early, persist into teens.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
Oct 01, 2006; ... BALTIMORE -- Motor stereotypies can affect otherwise normal children at an early age and persist at least through adolescence, but may be amenable to behavioral therapy and some medications, Dr. Harvey S. Singer said at a meeting on developmental disabilities sponsored by Johns Hopkins ...
Body satisfaction low? Unhealthy behavior likely.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Adolescents who are unhappy with their bodies are more motivated to engage in health-compromising behavior than in health-promoting behavior, said Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and her colleagues. Their goal in Project EAT (Eating ...
What's your recipe?(Letters From Maine)(Recipe)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Practicing pediatrics is a lot like baking brownies. I've been to enough picnics and to enough potluck suppers to know that everyone likes brownies. And it is clear that every parent wants quality health care for their children. The problem is that there ...
Is it time for universal influenza immunization?(Point/Counterpoint)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Yes, it's time to move forward. Influenza is the only epidemic that occurs annually and that is preventable. Every year, influenza kills about 36,000 Americans. On top of that, more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized annually from complications of ...
Identifying autism early on.(Special Needs: Realizing Potential)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Autism is a complex brain disorder that involves disrupted social and communication development. There is evidence to suggest that the neurobiologic abnormalities in autism have their onset in the prenatal or neonatal period. Although autism usually is not diagnosed before 3 years of age, ...
Antihistamines do not help chronic cough.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... A review of three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of 162 children with nonspecific, chronic cough indicates that empirical treatment with antihistamines is not recommended in this setting, the authors concluded. Moreover, the use of antihistamines for ...
Age-specific cholesterol guidelines are proposed.(Clinical Rounds;)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Primary care providers now have another option for assessing abnormal lipoprotein levels in adolescents, one that attempts to take into account variations based on gender and natural fluctuations with age. Ian Janssen, Ph.D., and Courtney J. Jolliffe of Queen's University, ...
Many a murmur is innocent, but check carefully.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Heart sounds and their location, along with patient age, can help office-based pediatricians distinguish innocent from pathological heart murmurs. "Learn what is normal--so you can say to the parents that the murmur is innocent or 'I'm really not sure, so ...
Duration, syncope, male sex rate high as risk factors in long-QT syndrome.(Clinical Rounds)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Factors that predict a high risk of life-threatening events in adolescents with the hereditary long-QT syndrome are duration of the QT interval, timing and frequency of recent syncope, and male sex, according to a new study by Dr. Jenny B. Hobbs of the University of Rochester Medical ...
Supplemental calcium seems no aid in fracture prevention.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Calcium supplementation has little effect on bone mineral density in children and is unlikely to prevent fractures in childhood or adulthood, according to a data analysis published. Metaanalysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (BMJ 2006 [Epub doi: 10.1136/bmj.38950.561400 ...
Testicular torsion more common at puberty.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... NEW YORK -- Consider acute scrotal pain to be testicular torsion until proved otherwise, Dr. Richard N. Schlussel said at a meeting on pediatric surgery that was sponsored by Columbia University. However, all scrotal swelling is not necessarily testicular torsion, said Dr ....
Keppra, children's claritin chewable tablets.(New & Approved)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Keppra (levetiracetam, UCB Inc.) The Food and Drug Administration approved a new indication for Keppra (levetiracetam) as an adjunctive treatment for myoclonic seizures in adults and adolescents 12 years and older with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. * Recommended ...
Early allergen sensitization affects later lung function.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... Sensitization to perennial allergens early in life in children with wheezing was associated with a loss of lung function at school age in a study of more than 1,300 children. Ninety percent of the children who had wheezing but no atopy lost their wheezing symptoms at school age ...
Better communication means better asthma Tx: to adhere to regimens, families need to believe in the seriousness of asthma and the benefits of medicine.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... WASHINGTON -- Better communication is the key to better asthma management, said one expert in pediatric asthma, who offered a few tips on improving communication with patients and parents at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The bottom line is that it is ...
Depression, anxiety worsen asthma in preteens and teens.(Clinical Rounds)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO Preteenagers and adolescents with asthma who were also depressed or anxious suffered from asthma symptoms on significantly more days and were more prone to individual symptoms, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. ...
Some diary not so dire in lactose-intolerant diet.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... It's usually unnecessary to eliminate dairy foods from the diets of lactose-in. tolerant children and adolescents, and doing so may compromise their long-term skeletal health. Most of these patients still can consume enough dairy every day to meet their calcium and vitamin D ...
Individualize counseling for cystic fibrosis coping.(Clinical Rounds)(Disease/Disorder overview)
Oct 01, 2006; ... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Pediatricians can assist patients and families coping with cystic fibrosis from initial diagnosis through the many challenges that occur as the child grows up, according to a presentation at a meeting on pediatrics for the primary care physician sponsored by Nemours ....
Consider stress and avoid steroids in treating habit cough.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... MONTREAL -- When treating habit cough, avoid steroids and consider potential psychological stressors, Dr. Louis Landau said at the Seventh International Congress on Pediatric Pulmonology. Habit cough is a rare diagnosis in adults, but studies suggest it is made in 3%-10% of ...
Fiber predicts CV risk better than cholesterol, fat.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- The amount of plant food adolescents eat is a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than is their intake of cholesterol or saturated fat, according to a poster presentation by Dr. Karen A. Ortiz at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. Using ...
Screen for sleep apnea in tonsillar hypertrophy cases.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
Oct 01, 2006; ... SALT LAKE CITY -- Routine polysomnographic screening for obstructive sleep apnea may be warranted in children with tonsillar hypertrophy, Dr. Joseph E. Modrak reported in a poster at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. Children with tonsillar ...
Doc groups see Plan B access hardship for teens.(Clinical Rounds)
Oct 01, 2006; ... The Food and Drug Administration's approval of Plan B emergency contraception for over-the-counter sale to people aged 18 years and older and prescription-only sale for those younger has received a widely varying, but generally positive, response from medical societies and physicians. ...