News

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.

First of three parts: Who is eligible? What are the benefits?

Effective rehabilitation is the key to avoiding long-term problems and recurrent injury. Here's what needs to be done in the immediate aftermath of the injury and over the weeks and months that follow to promote full recovery.

The mother of a 3-year-old boy has brought him to the clinic for you to evaluate thinning of his scalp hair over the past month. She reports that the hair loss is occurring "all over" his scalp and that she has not noticed him scratching his scalp or pulling his hair. He was hospitalized four months ago for a rotavirus infection.

A 22-month-old girl with behavioral changes and hypertension, and a 16-year-old boy with generalized weakness, lower-extremity pain, and fasciculations.

Health spending for 2006 uncertain, cesarean rate is up nationally, Hepatitis A vaccination now for all children.

The importance of communication skills for physicians.

Dog bites are a major problem nationwide, and children are most often the victims. Your emphatic and specific counseling can reduce the risk of a patient being bitten.

The sports injury you're most likely to see is an ankle sprain. The first part of this article reviews how to assess the type and severity of the damage and when to order imaging studies.

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.

A 14-year-old boy was brought to theemergency department (ED) by paramedicsafter he complained of dizzinessand an episode of falling down earlythat morning when he awoke to go tothe bathroom.

Pediatrics Update: Amblyopia Therapy Is for Older Children Too

Photoclinic: Plexiform Neurofibroma

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a genetics-based test that detects how certain drugs are utilized in the body. The Invader UGT1A1 Molecular Assay detects variations in the gene UGT1A1, which produces an enzyme that is active in the metabolism of certain drugs, including irinotecan (Camptosar), used to treat colorectal cancer.

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health and Scholastic, the global children's publishing and media company, have joined forces to distribute information about the damaging health effects of methamphetamine to nearly 2 million middle- and high-school students and their teachers. The effects of the drug will be covered in an article in the fall issues of Scholastic Classroom Magazines' Junior Scholastic, Science World, CHOICES, SCOPE, ACTION, and UPFRONT during the 2005-2006 school year.

The FDA in September approved the supplemental new drug application of NovoLog, a rapid acting form of insulin for the control of hyperglycemia in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Manufactured by Novo Nordisk Inc., NovoLog can be administered immediately before a meal.

The rate of melanoma among children and young adults rose dramatically between 1973 and 2001, according to a study in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. "Between the years 1973 and 2001, the incidence of pediatric melanoma increased 2.9% per year and 46% per year of age," says John Strouse, MD, a pediatric oncologist and instructor in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University and author of the article.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a genetics-based test that detects how certain drugs are utilized in the body. The Invader UGT1A1 Molecular Assay detects variations in the gene UGT1A1, which produces an enzyme that is active in the metabolism of certain drugs, including irinotecan (Camptosar), used to treat colorectal cancer.