Thigh a better injection site for DTaP than arm
January 17th 2013Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine given in the thigh to children aged 3 years and younger presents a significantly lower risk of a local reaction needing medical attention than does intramuscular (IM) injection in the arm, a new study shows.
Half of high-school girls who drink binge drink
January 10th 2013Sobering statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that in 2011, 54.6% of high-school girls who consumed alcohol reported binge drinking. The prevalence was highest for high-school seniors: 61.7% of 12th-grade girls who used alcohol reported binging.
Young children still bear burden of influenza
January 10th 2013The 2012-2013 influenza season has not yet reached its halfway point, but already 18 pediatric deaths have been reported nationwide. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that despite expanded vaccine recommendations, many young children are not sufficiently protected against seasonal influenza.
Pediatric professionals support strict gun control
January 3rd 2013In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is calling for federal action on stricter gun control and pledging its support for changes that will ensure the safety of children in their schools and communities.
AAP endorses concept of school physicians, nurses
January 3rd 2013The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that all school districts should have a school physician to oversee student health services and policies. The recommendation appears in a new policy statement that addresses the overall well-being of children within the context of the school setting.
Keep recess in school, says AAP
January 3rd 2013Cutting recess to increase time for academics makes children less productive in the classroom and diminishes their social and emotional development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises in a new policy statement that school recess is a vital complement to academics for developing the whole child.
AAP endorses concept of school physicians, nurses
January 3rd 2013The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that all school districts should have a school physician to oversee student health services and policies. The recommendation appears in a new policy statement that addresses the overall well-being of children within the context of the school setting.
Pediatric professionals support strict gun control
January 3rd 2013In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is calling for federal action on stricter gun control and pledging its support for changes that will ensure the safety of children in their schools and communities.
Iron supplements reduce impaired neurodevelopment in LBW babies
December 31st 2012Researchers in Sweden have found that giving iron supplements to infants of low birth weight during the first 6 months of life appears to significantly reduce the risk of behavior problems by the time the children are preschoolers.
Procalcitonin level accurate biomarker for invasive bacterial infection
December 31st 2012A retrospective study in more than 1,000 well-appearing infants aged younger than 3 months with fever without a source (FWS_ found that procalcitonin (PCT) performs better than C-reactive protein (CRP) in identifying patients with invasive bacterial infections (IBIs), which are positive bacterial cultures of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) or blood, and seems to be the best marker for ruling out IBIs.
Recurrent Lyme disease usually caused by reinfection
December 31st 2012A study of 17 adult patients with culture-confirmed episode of erythema migrans-whose first bout with Lyme disease was treated appropriately with standard courses of antibiotics-found that additional consecutive episodes of erythema migrans were due to reinfection, not relapse.
Glue adhesives for repairing minor skin lacerations
December 31st 2012Laceration repairs in pediatric patients ideally should be quick and painless, be strong and resistant to infection, promote healing, and yield good cosmetic outcomes. Tissue adhesives offer these advantages and are a wise choice for children who present with minor, low-tension wounds, especially on the head and face.
A 14-month old boy with coughing, fever, and failure to thrive puzzles doctors.
December 31st 2012It's been a busy day in the emergency department (ED). You pick up the next chart and prepare to see a 14-month-old Arab American boy with a 10-day history of rhinorrhea, cough, fever, and tugging of his ear. The boy's mother explains that his pediatrician evaluated her son about 1 week ago and that the pediatrician prescribed amoxicillin for otitis media.