Salmonella outbreaks associated with pet frogs
August 1st 2011The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning parents and caregivers that Salmonella Typhimurium present in pet frogs is responsible for a national outbreak of Salmonella illness and continues to pose a serious risk to children, especially sick children.
Enhancing our ability to treat various conditions
August 1st 2011As we continually enhance our ability to prevent and treat a wide variety of conditions that threaten the health and lives of our children, our tolerance diminishes for ailments that seemed trivial when infection shortened too many lives.
Premature Infant With Motor Delays
August 1st 2011This 1-year-old African-American boy is being followed for developmental delays. His 35-year-old mother has no known health problems, and this was her third pregnancy.Premature delivery at 27 weeks was uncomplicated, yielding appropriate birth weight and Dubowitz scores for gestational age.
Bedsharing in toddlers does not result in behavioral, cognitive deficits
July 28th 2011Although parents still need to be warned that allowing infants to sleep in adult beds is a dangerous practice that should be avoided, bedsharing with toddlers does not seem to negatively affect their behavior or cognition, according to a new study. Find out what may cause those problems.
Secondhand smoke, not just loud music, may harm teens' hearing
July 28th 2011Teenagers may seem to be not listening but they actually may be having trouble hearing. And the reason may not always be their ubiquitous iPod earbuds, especially if they live in a home where someone smokes, new research has suggested. That study recommended that pediatricians consider secondhand smoke exposure to be a risk factor for hearing loss in adolescents and screen accordingly.
Varicella vaccine dramatically reduces morbidity, mortality in children
July 28th 2011In its first 12 years, the chicken pox vaccine was been an unqualified success, dramatically reducing deaths and hospitalization in young people, even among groups that cannot be vaccinated. Researchers speculate that the newer 2-dose formulation could completely eliminate any severe outcomes from the childhood disease.
Grants make school a medical home for more children
July 28th 2011For many kids, their medical home is at school. A $95 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to 278 school-based health centers this month means 440,000 more children will be able to get the primary care, mental health services, dental exams, health education, and chronic disease monitoring they need?without having to miss hours of class time.
New policy for pediatricians seeks to protect patients in wake of sexual abuse case
July 28th 2011In the aftermath of a shocking case of child abuse by a pediatrician in Delaware, the American Academy of Pediatrics has published a new policy statement on protecting children from sexual abuse by health care providers. Meeting the recommendations may require changes in the way your pediatric practices operates.
Child Alone in a Parked Car: Is This Child Abuse?
July 27th 2011A sleeping 12-month-old child was spotted alone in a parked car by a passerby. The passerby observed the situation for a period of time, only to see no one returned for the child. The passerby then called 911 for help after an undetermined length of time.
Medical home far less likely for publicly insured children
July 21st 2011Designed to create an excellent care environment among patients, parents, and care providers, AAP says that the medical home should be ?accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective.? A new study provides a perspective on accessibility to the medical home for children who may need comprehensive primary care the most?those with public health insurance.
Younger children respond better to amblyopia treatment but still valuable in older children
July 21st 2011The age of children does seem to affect how well amblyopia responds to interventions, but a new study suggests that treating older children remains worthwhile, even if their response is less pronounced than in younger children. Find out how long to continue treatment, even for children older than 7 years.
Antiretroviral combination prevents HIV transmission but dangerous for some infants
July 21st 2011Although drug regimens such as the protease inhibitor lopinavir-ritonavir may have lowered the HIV transmission rates in newborns to less than 1%, a study finds that postnatal treatment with the combination was more likely to cause adrenal dysfunction in newborns when compared with a zidovudine-based treatment. Read about the nuances of the study and the researchers? recommendations.
No dog breeds are hypoallergenic, study says
July 21st 2011The myth of the hypoallergenic dog is so pervasive that even President Obama?s family adopted a Portuguese water dog because of his daughter?s allergies. But a new study says that neither the First Dog, Bo, nor any other breeds actually are hypoallergenic. Here?s information to help you counsel parents on the pros and cons of getting a family dog and when.
Diabetes in adolescents not accurately diagnosed by HbA1c test, study says
July 21st 2011Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) may now be internationally accepted for diagnosing diabetes, but it appears to be far less accurate for adolescents than adults, according to a new study. Read the results and analysis of a recent study here.
Head injuries create confusion for pediatricians, not just patients
July 15th 2011Concussions don?t cause confusion just for young athletes. Recent research on the subject confounds pediatricians, too, making it less clear how to follow guidelines and new legislation calling for physician evaluation and medical clearance before returning to play. Our experts review the concerns and considerations.
Pediatrics market still growing, changing
July 15th 2011The number of children in the United States was 74.2 million in 2010 and is expected to reach 88 million by 2030, according to a recent government report. The market is not only growing, but changing, which may present new challenges for pediatricians in understanding cultural differences and even the language spoken by parents. See the stats on what to expect.
Autism could be caused by environmental factors
July 15th 2011New, groundbreaking studies are finding links between development of autism spectrum disorder and environmental influences in the womb, during the birth process, and possibly after. Here's a list of potential and neonatal factors that may be associated with autism risk.
New rapid test differentiates viral, bacterial infections
July 15th 2011Imagine if you had a quick and easy way to prove to a parent that their child?s illness was viral not bacterial, and that an antibiotic was not necessary. That day may be coming sooner than you think. Israel researchers have developed such a test that is time-saving, easy to perform and may soon be commercially available.
Antipsychotic drugs may affect children's adiposity and insulin sensitivity
July 8th 2011Aripiprazole, olanzapine, and risperidone appear to increase body fat and change insulin sensitivity in children being treated for disruptive behavior disorders, according to new research presented at the meeting of the American Diabetes Association meeting in San Diego.