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.
Parents want hearing tested for older kids too
December 20th 2012Adolescents who use earbuds and headphones with their music players and game systems could be damaging their hearing without knowing it. Now parents overwhelmingly want them screened for hearing loss, says the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s HospitalNational Poll on Children’s Health.
How to talk to children about disasters
December 19th 2012The kindergarteners and first graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, saw first hand horrors that many of their parents will never see in their lifetimes, yet the children will eventually cope with this tragedy and grow up without long-term emotional problems, say experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).
Hypoxia in pregnancy may be cause for ADHD
December 18th 2012Children exposed to ischemic-hypoxic events in utero are at increased risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), especially those born prematurely. The findings add to growing evidence that both prenatal and postnatal factors affect neurodevelopment.
TV in bedrooms another risk factor for child obesity
December 18th 2012Children who watch TV in their bedrooms are at double the risk for being obese and almost 3 times as likely to develop heart disease and diabetes than children who watch the family set,researchers found when they examined how viewing time affects health in children and adolescents.