News

A new report -- Guiding Principles for Development of ACIP Recommendations for Vaccination During Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding -- approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in March, may help standardize procedures for policy formulation and presentation of the rationale and recommendations for the vaccination of pregnant and breast-feeding women, according to an article published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's May 30 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Rats prenatally exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to have gasping breathing patterns after hypoxia and take longer to recover normal breathing after hypoxia at higher temperatures, investigators have found. The research suggests that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke may affect the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to a report in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Adverse events experienced by hospitalized children may increase length of stay and costs, and pediatric-specific quality indicators are useful in calculating these effects, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics in June.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was ranked as the best children's hospital this year by U.S. News & World Report.

Anna Freud's contribution to psychoanalysis, child development, and pediatrics in general.

Weighing the risks and benefits of withholding antiobiotic treatment for acute otitis media.

Investigators studied the genetic origins of asthma, as well as concerns about asthma that vary according to ethnic groups.

An overview of how to prevent, diagnose, and manage common pediatric clinical situations in which tick-borne Lyme disease is the likely culprit.

A guide for parents about making sure children understand the concept of "no."

In teaching discipline techniques to parents, it is important for pediatricians to emphasize the value of setting limits and saying "no."

A guide for parents about preventing medication errors in their children.

Children continue to be the innocent victims of prescribing, dispensing, and medication administration errors, whether as inpatients, outpatients, or in their own homes.

The mother of a 6-week-old infant is concerned about a generalized, scaly eruption evident over the past 10 days.

A 4-day-old with a suspicious "forward bend pose", poor suck, and hypotonia is diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome.

How to distract a child at the pediatric office to give more time to talk to Mom and Dad.

Senators are concerned about the new child state health insurance rules mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in an August 17, 2007.

Discussion on toddler biting.

The importance of individualizing clinical practice guidelines to the specific needs of each patient.

A 4-month-old girl was admitted to a rural hospital with nonbilious vomiting and bloody stools that began the prior evening. The parents reported that the infant had periods of excessive irritability mixed with periods of calm. She had no fever, exposure to illness, or surgical history.

Alignment. Accommodative esotropia is treated initially with glasses. The glasses may not improve visual acuity. They are used so the child does not have to make the accommodative effort; the eyes may not "turn in" and the child can use the eyes together, binocularly. If the eyes are aligned with spectacle correction, surgery may never be required. However, if the eyes are not aligned with glasses and/or bifocals, or if the child cannot be weaned from bifocals as he or she grows, then surgery may be indicated. We all lose our ability to accommodate for near tasks as time goes by-the loss of accommodative effort over time is of benefit to children with accommodative esotropia, because they may outgrow the need for glasses and avoid muscle surgery.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory alerting patients and health care providers to make the switch to hydrofluoroalkane (HFA)-propelled albuterol inhalers because chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-propelled inhalers will no longer be available in the United States after December 31, 2008.

Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli may play a role in some cases of sudden unexpected death in infancy, according to research published in the May 31 issue of The Lancet.

Vitamin D supplementation to children and adolescents at the equivalent of 2,000 IU/day is safe for as long as a year and increases serum vitamin D to desirable levels, according to study results released online April 29 in advance of publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Medical students who understand the value of physical activity on a personal and professional level may be more likely to subsequently "prescribe" exercise to patients in their practices, according to a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis.

Household secondhand smoke exposure during infancy increases the risk of severe infection during childhood, according to the May 27 online Tobacco Control.

Childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, particularly during the first 6 months of life, increases the risk of being hospitalized for infectious illness, according to research published online May 27 in Tobacco Control.

In children with acute viral gastroenteritis, flat fizzy drinks such as cola contain too few electrolytes, too little water and possibly too much glucose to provide adequate rehydration, according to an article published online May 27 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Revised physician labeling for prescription drugs to enhance safety information for use during pregnancy and breast-feeding have been proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although the changes are for information targeted at physicians, the same information is sometimes used in an adapted format for patients.

The percentage of preterm singleton births in the United States has risen to nearly 11 percent, with most of the increase due to higher rates of Caesarean section deliveries, according to a report in the June issue of Clinics in Perinatology.

Cancer patients receiving radiation therapy or chemotherapy should not take supplemental antioxidants due to a lack of clear data on their effects on cancer treatment, according to a review published online May 27 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.