Kid safety on the slippery slopes
January 24th 2017In their article, “Kid care on the slopes,” in the latest Contemporary Pediatrics, Drs. Brown and Fishman draw on their many years of caring for kids in Colorado ski country to provide this special primer on managing pediatric injuries sustained while skiing and snowboarding.
Medication or placebo to prevent migraine?
January 1st 2017A trial comparing amitriptyline, topiramate, and placebo for prevention of migraine in children and adolescents with a history of migraine found that all 3 had about the same effect on reducing headache frequency or headache-related disability.
Effective early autism intervention has long-term impact
January 1st 2017A follow-up trial conducted 6 years after the conclusion of a randomized controlled trial of early intervention in autism spectrum disorder demonstrated that the intervention had a long-term effect on autism symptoms and continued effects on parent and child social interaction.
Concentration matters in newer urinalysis techniques
January 1st 2017In a retrospective study of 27,000 infants aged younger than 3 months evaluated for urinary tract infection (UTI) with paired urinalysis and urine culture, investigators set out to determine the optimal urine white blood cell (WBC) threshold for UTI when using an automated urinalysis system stratified by urine concentration.
Cures Act covers vaccines, ACIP, and more
January 1st 2017A congressional fact of life is the dangerous “Christmas tree” bill, which passes with so much on it that many things don’t get the scrutiny they deserve. The 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law by President Obama on December 13, 2016, is such a bill.
Possible link between unhealthy prenatal diet and ADHD
January 1st 2017A longitudinal study examined the relationship between prenatal or postnatal high-fat, high-sugar diet and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children who demonstrated either early-onset persistent conduct disorder or minimal conduct problems.
Improve your practice: Facilitate patient access
January 1st 2017A major dilemma for patients is simply how to access good care that is both convenient and affordable. To thrive in these challenging times, practices should consider all options to facilitate patient access. If you have an open mind, you may even consider changing your “traditional” practice to one that provides “direct primary care.”
Small-for-age toddler is unable to walk
January 1st 2017A 22-month-old African American boy born at 38 weeks by normal vaginal delivery presents to a local hospital from a private pediatric office for failure to thrive. He was seen by his pediatrician until aged 1 month but was lost to follow-up. His delay in walking prompted his mother to reestablish care at age 22 months.
Injury prevention starts with you
December 11th 2016The article “National hospital initiative targets preventable injuries,” in the most recent issue of Contemporary Pediatrics, describes 35 years of impressive work by a nationwide coalition of concerned pediatricians and pediatric trauma surgeons who have championed hospital, school-based, and community-wide initiatives to reduce the prevalence and incidence of unintentional injuries in children.
Why aren’t pediatricians recommending HPV vaccination more strongly?
December 1st 2016In a recently published essay to address this question, the authors suggest that pediatricians may present human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as optional or less urgent than other adolescent vaccines because they do not often read or hear about their patients’ being affected by HPV-associated cancers, which generally strike older populations.
National hospital initiative targets preventable injuries
December 1st 2016Unintentional injury is ranked number one among the 10 leading causes of death in children. In fact, injuries, ranging from car and bike crashes to poisonings and gunshot wounds, kill more children than anything else, starting at age 1 year to age 44 years.
More time spent standing in school reduces BMI
December 1st 2016Children who spent 2 consecutive years in classrooms outfitted with desks at which they worked standing (or while sitting on a stool) had a significantly lower body mass index (BMI) than their peers in classrooms with traditional standard desks, a recent study reported.
Newborn with persistent hypoglycemia
December 1st 2016A full-term male infant was born to a 33-year-old gravida 3, para 3 mother. The prenatal course was uncomplicated, without gestational diabetes; the mother received prenatal care at an out-of-state institution. At the delivery, however, the baby was notably macrosomic, with shoulder dystocia and perinatal distress requiring positive pressure ventilation.
Best tech for pediatrics: 2016
December 1st 2016At the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exibition (NCE) in October, I again presented 2 workshops on office technologies, sponsored by the AAP’s Section on Advances in Technology and Therapeutics. I made every effort to make this year’s workshop a unique experience, showcasing some new technology while including some of my old favorites.