What's the Opposite of Growing Pains?

If you've been a reader of Consultant For Pediatricians for more than a few months, you've probably noticed that the journal is growing. Over the past year, the number of editorial pages has increased considerably--thanks to your readership support. Readers tell us that they look to this journal for its quick-reading features that offer clinical tips that can be immediately applied in the office. They tell us they like the photographs and the quizzes.

As we grow, we are always looking for good teaching cases from readers. If you have a good teaching case that you'd like to share with 61,000 colleagues, I invite you to send it to me or to associate editor Linda Geisler. The quickest and easiest way is by e-mail: all you need to do is send either of us a Word document with the pertinent details of the case (history, diagnostic considerations, treatment options, and outcome). Please send any images as JPEGs or TIFFs. You needn't worry about formatting the text: once the case has passed muster with reviewers, our editors will style the content and send you a prepublication draft for your review and approval. We do offer an honorarium for accepted cases.

The e-mail addresses are SKweskin@cmp.com and LGeisler@cmp.com.

Let me also invite you to peruse 2 new editorial features that we've added to our lineup.

On page 690, Top Papers Of The Month makes its editorial debut. The authors, Larissa Hirsch, MD, and Charles A. Pohl, MD, of Jefferson Medical College, are on the lookout for articles published in various journals (ones you may not receive or don't have time to read) that have important implications for primary care pediatricians. This month, these authors focus on the question of what constitutes adequate screening of young athletes who want to play sports. They describe an Italian study that demonstrated the dramatic impact of a nationwide preparticipation athletic screening program that included a history, physical, and an ECG on the rate of sudden cardiac death. The results may affect your decision about whether to include ECGs in the screening evaluation.

On page 691, you'll find the new Diabetes Q&A. Stuart Weinzimer, MD, of Yale University School of Medicine, answers your questions about the diagnosis and management of diabetes. This month, Dr Weinzimer discusses the implications of using an insulin pump in infants and preschool children. You are invited to send your questions: there's a coupon on page 692 that you can use to fax your queries. If it's easier, you can also e-mail your queries.

We hope you like what you are seeing each month, and we invite your feedback and contributions.

----Susan Kweskin
Group Editorial Director