Look through the lens of trauma
April 24th 2017Children in the foster care system are exposed early in life to adverse experiences by living within dysfunctional families and specific facts have not changed. What has changed is the recognition of the need for the healthcare system to change its care for these vulnerable children to prevent the adverse effects that traumatic stress imposes on their physical and emotional development and well-being.
Choice of needle size when vaccinating children
April 17th 2017Among concerns with administering these multiple and frequent immunizations in young children are the potential pain and adverse effects associated with injections. Along with inducing pain in some children, the early negative experience of needle-related procedures can interfere with adherence to immunization schedules and create long-lasting effects of anxiety and stress around needle-related procedures that remain into adulthood.
COME in preschool-aged children
April 10th 2017A recent study found that pathogen exposure, upper respiratory tract infection (URI), and nasal obstruction all were associated with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) in preschool-aged children, underscoring the need for improved methods in pathogen transmission prevention in this patient population.
Allergy questionnaire helps determine true penicillin allergy in children
April 4th 2017Although penicillin allergy is the most commonly reported medication allergy in children, the true incidence of this allergy in children is low with data suggesting that the large numbers of adverse drug reactions reported by parents as signs of an allergic reaction, such as rash or diarrhea associated with antibiotics, may not be consistent with a true allergic reaction.
Crizanlizumab helps prevent pain crises in sickle cell disease
April 1st 2017In patients with sickle cell disease, therapy with crizanlizumab, an antibody against the adhesion molecule P-selectin, resulted in a significantly lower rate of sickle cell-related pain crises than placebo, a trial in 198 patients aged from 16 to 65 years showed.
Right question resolves teen’s pain dilemma
April 1st 2017A 16-year-old girl presents to an emergency department (ED) accompanied by her boyfriend to report a 24-hour history of right lower quadrant pain. The pain is associated with midline lower back pain and light vaginal bleeding (1 to 2 tampons per day). She has experienced some nausea but no vomiting.
Boy’s progressing rash could delay surgery
April 1st 2017A preoperative evaluation is requested for a 15-year-old boy who is a renal transplant patient maintained on oral mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus. His parents are worried that an itchy rash on his hands and feet, which has been progressing over the last 4 months, will result in postponement of his surgery.
Filling medical gaps in foster care
April 1st 2017The pediatrician may be one of the only sources of advocacy, support, stability, and advice for the child in foster care. In that role, he or she must understand the needs and experiences of a foster child compared with other patients in the practice so that the unmet needs of this vulnerable population can be addressed.
Prenatal antibiotics increase risk of OM and ventilation tubes in children
March 13th 2017A recent study found that the maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of otitis media and the placement of ventilation tubes in the offspring, particularly when administered later in the pregnancy.
LCPUFAs in pregnancy lower child’s asthma risk
March 1st 2017Women in the third trimester of pregnancy who take supplements of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) reduce their children’s risk of persistent wheeze or asthma as well as of lower respiratory tract infections, a study in Denmark demonstrated.
Meningococcal vaccine might raise risk of Bell’s palsy
March 1st 2017In a study of almost 48,900 vaccinated individuals, investigators observed a temporal association between development of Bell’s palsy and administration of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) that protects against serogroups A,C, Y, and W (MenACWY) when the vaccine was given at the same time as other vaccines.
Two-step egg introduction helps prevent egg allergy
March 1st 2017Stepwise introduction of egg (starting with a low dose, which is then increased), along with aggressive treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), is a safe and effective way to prevent hen’s egg allergy in high-risk infants, a study in Japan showed.