News

Medicaid cuts are OK'd, agencies tussle over how to sell cold remedies, and a smallpox vaccination program ends

It's that time of year ... time to interview med students for positions in a pediatric residency program.

he parents of a 16-year-old girl report that during the past several months, she has exhibited behavioral changes, irritability, increased anger, depression, and anxiety. The girl had previously been healthy, and there has been no recent illness or trauma.

ASSESSMENT

I've learned (the hard way) that many parents of chronically ill children are sensitive and reliable observers of their children. What prevents physicians (at all levels of training) from failing to appreciate this fact?

Contemporary Pediatrics 2006 Rate Card

Contemporary Pediatrics 2006 Media Kit

Owning a dog when you have children

Rules to teach your children that can prevent dog bites

Adolescents under-use primary care and, when they do seek care, rarely receive preventive counseling about healthy behaviors and risky behaviors. Those are two findings from the recently released National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.The two surveys examined US adolescents' use of outpatient care and their likelihood of receiving preventive counseling from their providers. Survey data were collected from 1993 through 2000.

We all need to stay warm at this time of year-and that includes automobiles. The cardinal rule when handling antifreeze (and windshield wiper fluid) is, of course, not to swallow it. Always remember, therefore, to tell parents to keep these two poisons out of reach of children and pets. Other cautions also apply.

It's time to learn your airborne allergens! Home-based environmental interventions can improve the health of inner-city children who suffer moderate or severe asthma, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health. Findings of research on a study group of children 5 to 11 years old-sponsored by NIAID and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and published in the November issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology-show that home-based environmental intervention decreases allergen levels in the home and reduce the severity of asthma symptoms. As for the cost of such a program, the data show that, first, the price tag would be substantially lower if these interventions were implemented in a community setting and, second, they are as cost-effective as many drug interventions.

This year's roundup looks at innovations in wound care, hand sanitizers, otoscopy, and vision screening. It also considers helpful online resources?and takes a peek into a virtual time capsule of technology.

Among children, rotavirus remains a leading cause of gastroenteritis and, globally, of death. Here's the latest on treatment and prevention, including vaccines in the offing.