What parents say about e-cigarettes and kids
January 7th 2014Almost half (48%) of parents across the United States are concerned or very concerned that their children and teenagers will try electronic cigarettes, according to a poll conducted by the University of Michigan. In fact, nearly 44% of parents worry that trying the electronic devices will make their adolescents more likely to start smoking tobacco products.
Therapy plus amitriptyline reduces migraine days
January 7th 2014Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with amitriptyline results in fewer days with headache and migraine disability in kids and teenagers with chronic migraine than does education about migraines and the tricyclic antidepressant.
Narrow-spectrum and broad-spectrum antibiotics effective for inpatient pneumonia
January 1st 2014Investigators compared outcomes in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia who were treated with a narrow-spectrum antibiotic (ampicillin/penicillin) versus a broad-spectrum agent (ceftriaxone/cefotaxime), each by a parenteral route.
Unintentional ingestion of cough and cold medicines has declined
January 1st 2014Restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications for children aged younger than 2 years and subsequent labeling changes in these products has led to a decline in their unintentional ingestion, therapeutic errors, health care facility referrals for ingestions, and serious medical outcomes in these children, a retrospective database study showed.
HEEADSSS 3.0: The psychosocial interview for adolescents updated for a new century fueled by media
January 1st 2014The latest update to the HEEADSSS psychosocial interview for adolescents includes new questions on electronic media use in addition to its time-tested strategies for identifying the critical stressors that affect the overall well-being of teenaged patients.
Parents often are not aware of available enhanced access services
January 1st 2014Do parents know whether their pediatric provider offers enhanced access services? Is access to such services associated with fewer visits to an emergency department (ED)? Investigators conducted an Internet-based national survey of 820 parents to answer these questions and determine the prevalence of such enhanced access services in pediatric primary care.
Infant with a persistent nodular skin rash
January 1st 2014The worried mother of a 4-week-old boy brings her son to you for evaluation of a rash that started 3 weeks ago on his left eyebrow and chest, then spread to his back, arms, and legs despite treatment with topical steroids. What’s your diagnosis?
Drug safety and efficacy data lacking for neonates
December 27th 2013Despite some key pieces of federal legislation passed in recent years, most drugs-about 93%-are still not studied in neonates. Of those drugs that researchers have studied in this vulnerable population and that bear labels reflecting the changes in pediatric prescribing information, only about half (54%) are used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Narrow versus broad antibiotics for pneumonia
December 16th 2013Although little difference exists in outcomes between broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotics for children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), narrow-spectrum agents are associated with a shorter hospital stay, according to a recent study, and, not incidentally, help to minimize the problem of antibiotic resistance.
Beware of expensive computer programs for ADHD
December 10th 2013Computer-based cognitive training programs that claim to improve things such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and academic and social success in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) probably don’t live up to those promises.
“Kangaroo care” for preemies has long-term pluses
December 10th 2013While experts have known that maternal-preterm infant contact produces highly beneficial short-term effects on preemies’ physiology, psychology, and behavior, a new study shows that early and consistent touching between mother and child produces benefits that span the first 10 years of life and potentially beyond.
Driving distractions especially risky for teens with ADHD
December 1st 2013An investigation of the combined risks of adolescence, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and driving while engaged in texting or cell phone conversation found that while distractions significantly impair the driving performance of all adolescents, the negative effects of texting are especially prominent in youngsters with ADHD.
Encouraging trend seen in adolescents' obesity-related behaviors
December 1st 2013Efforts to increase the time adolescents spend in physical activity and reduce the time they spend watching television seem to be paying off, according to analysis of data from 3 quadrennial surveys of students in grades 6 to 10.