Archives of Disease in Childhood articles from December 2001

Archives of Disease in Childhood archives from December 2001

Community acquired pneumonia. (Leading articles).
December 1, 2001... We live in an era when medical practice is increasingly regulated by guidelines and protocols. Ideally, such guidance should be evidence based, and in particular it is generally recommended that advice on medical treatment should be based on...

Dr Henryk Goldszmit (Janusz Korczak) 1878-1942. (Stamps in Paediatrics).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The stamp, issued in Poland in 1992, depicts a statue marking the 50th anniversary of the murder of Dr Henryk Goldszmit in the Treblinka camp, (1) along with the children from his orphanage and many thousands of other victims. Henryk (known...

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome--outcome and management. (Leading articles).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In this issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood, the Guy's group present their experience with staged reconstructive surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS).(1) This leading article reviews the management and outcome of this...

The many challenges of childhood blindness. (Editorial).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... There are an estimated 45 million blind people in the world of whom only 3% are children. (1) This dramatic difference in numbers of blind adults compared with children accounts in part for the relatively minor importance that has been...

Murder misdiagnosed as SIDS: a perpetrator's perspective.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Aims--Child murder misdiagnosed as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a difficult area to study. We present a perpetrator's descriptions to enrich clinicians' knowledge of possible presenting features of this phenomenon. ...

Pain in cognitively impaired, non-communicating children. (Short Report).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Aim--To detail the everyday occurrence of pain in non-communicating children with cognitive impairment. Methods--Thirty four parents of cognitively impaired verbally non-communicating children completed pain diaries over a two...

Health care utilisation of infants with chronic lung disease, related to hospitalisation for RSV infection.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Aims--To compare the use of health care resources and associated costs between infants with chronic lung disease (CLD) who had or had not an admission with a proven respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. Methods--Review...

Vigabatrin associated retinal dysfunction in children with epilepsy.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Recent reports have established that eye changes occur in patients treated with vigabatrin. Aim--To identify the eye changes associated with vigabatrin, based on a prospective study of children treated for...

Outcome of staged reconstructive surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome following antenatal diagnosis.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background and Aims--Staged reconstructive surgery has radically altered the prognosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Antenatal diagnosis allows for appropriate counselling, and time to consider treatment options. We...

De novo malignancy after paediatric renal replacement therapy.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Aims--To determine frequency, type, determinants, and outcome of malignancies in children with end stage renal failure. Methods--All Dutch patients, aged less than 15 years, who started chronic renal replacement therapy...

An intradermal skin test for determination of immunity to varicella.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Aims--To evaluate the usefulness of a diluted, inactivated solution of attenuated varicella vaccine in predicting susceptibility to varicella and its correlation with specific antibody titre to varicella. Methods--In a...

Feeding difficulties in long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. (Short Report).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Feeding difficulties are common in long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency in early childhood and are not associated with developmental disability, metabolic abnormalities, or the overnight feeding regimen. They are...

Sex hormone binding globulin concentration as a prepubertal marker for hyperinsulinaemia in obesity.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Background--Overweight children become obese adults who are prone to develop the "metabolic syndrome" and premature coronary arterial disease (CAD). Aims--To assess whether sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a potential...

Vertebral compression fractures in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and remodelling after treatment.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract Three children, aged 7-10 years, with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia presented with back pain, along with a mild kyphosis. Collapse of the vertebral bodies at multiple levels was shown on imaging. Chemotherapy resulted in pain...

Accessing common sense for clinical decisions.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In November 2000, we published an article "Accessing electronic information for clinical decisions" (Arch Dis Child 2000;83:373-4) which began: The setting: It's early on a Friday evening, and you're working as registrar in A&E. A 6 year...

Fearful children. (Postcard from Down Under).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... I smile a lot at children, a professional habit carried over into a character trait. The smile goes something like this: first catching the eye of the child, who is usually watchful and cautious, then a broad smile with lips closed, followed...

Hospital acquired computervirus infections.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Definition The hospital acquired computerviruses or HACs have been defined as computerviruses acquired in hospitals (see fig 1). Aetiology The origin of computerviruses is unknown, although they are thought to have evolved from...

The accuracy of references in paediatric journals.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract We analysed the reference error rate of four paediatric journals. The overall rate was 29.7%. Individual rates were as follows: Acta Paediatr 36%, Arch Dis Child 22%, J Pediatr 29%, Pediatrics 32%; the rate of major errors was 1%,...

An unusual cause of injury to an infant. (Images Paediatric Medicine).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Rat bite incidents involving humans in the UK are reportedly very rare. There is only one report in the medical literature of severe eyelid injuries to an infant, caused by a rat. (1) Elsewhere in the world they are more widely recognised. A...

Double click for health: the role of multimedia in asthma education. (Leading articles).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Asthma is now the most common chronic childhood illness in Britain and the prevalence is increasing. (1) Currently 1.5 million children (aged 2-15 years) in the UK are estimated to have asthma, giving the country one of the highest prevalences...

Acute nicotine poisoning associated with a traditional remedy for eczema. (Case Report).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Abstract We present a case of severe acute nicotine poisoning in an 8 year old boy with moderate eczema after topical application of a traditional remedy from a book published in Bangladesh. Symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning...

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In June 2001, our cover contained an image of an artwork now hanging in the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health's council chamber, showing children rollerskating (fig 1). Dr Anthony Cohn, a Watford (UK) paediatrician, told us that his...

A message for the future in a plea from the past. (Images in Paediatric Medicine).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Ribera's (1591-1652) "The Clubfooted Boy", has long been recognised as showing hemiplegia. (1) The note's message (translated) "Give alms for the love of God." may have lost its force in our secular age, but it does not weaken the central point...

Oliver Twist, textbook of child abuse. (Current Topic).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Oliver Twist, as everybody knows, is Dickens' novel about an orphaned boy who starts life in a workhouse and after trials on the streets of London in Fagin's "gang", is eventually adopted by a middle class gentleman who has liberal and gentle...

Thomas Willis: the first paediatric neurologist? (Paediatric Lessons from the Past).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Thomas Willis--the man and doctor Thomas Willis (1621-75) the man (fig 1) is often overshadowed by his medical discoveries. He was born on a Wiltshire farm and took his MA from Christchurch College, Oxford in 1642. He was an ardent Royalist...

Hypoglycaemia and hypothermia due to nimesulide overdose. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... Editor--Although toxicity due to chronic administration of nimesulide has been reported, (1 2) to the best of our knowledge there is no report about poisoning due to a single ingestion. We report a 20 month old boy who accidentally took a high...

Port-A-Cath use in refractory seizure disorders. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--The use of a totally implantable venous access system (Port-A-Cath) in children has become widespread in the last 15 years. We report a series of three children for whom the Port-A-Cath improved management of their refractory seizures....

Pica in sickle cell disease: "She ate the headboard". (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--Within our sickle cell population, there are a small number of school aged children who ear sponge. Knowing that pica--the compulsive ingestion of non-nutritive substances--is more common in tropical countries where cultural and...

Maternal nutrition and pregnancy Outcome. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--Symonds et al raise interesting issues about the potential use of animal models in examining the impact of nutrition during pregnancy on future risk of adult disease. (1) However, their discussion of recent epidemiological research in...

Nitrous oxide and vitamin [B.sub.12]. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--The paper by Kanagasundaram et al on the use of nitrous oxide to alleviate pain and anxiety during painful procedures fails to mention the effect of this gas on cobalamin metabolism. Nitrous oxide inactivates cob(I)alamin, the active...

The outcome of specialist registrars in the southwest region. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--The UK national directive is to increase consultant paediatric numbers substantially over the next 5--10 years which requires the delivery of suitably trained doctors. Higher specialist training in paediatrics is five years and there...

Adrenaline syringes: community perspective. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--We read with interest the paper by Unsworth (1) regarding the over prescribing of adrenaline syringes. We are sure we are not the only community paediatric team who have similar concerns, although perhaps from a different perspective....

Controversies in paediatrics? (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--I was very disappointed to see that the first contribution to the Controversy series was not written by a paediatrician. There are plenty of controversial topics in paediatrics, including the one cited. There are also plenty of...

Appropriate prescription of epinephrine remains the best available treatment. (Letters to the Editor).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2001... EDITOR,--Epinephrine kits enable a food allergic child at risk of anaphylaxis to lead a normal life and participate in childhood activities that could easily be denied by a parent terrified of another allergen exposure. Avoidance of...

In Leicestershire. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In Leicestershire (Lancet 2001;357:1821-5) two postal questionnaire surveys, in 1990 and 1998, showed that the prevalence of wheezing in preschool children almost doubled between the two dates. The increase included both atopic (asthma) and...

The urea cycle supplies. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The urea cycle supplies arginine which is necessary for the synthesis of nitric oxide and nitric oxide is essential for the normal fall in pulmonary artery pressure to occur after birth. Researchers in Nashville, Tennessee (New England Journal...

A large randomised trial in North America and Australia. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A large randomised trial in North America and Australia (New England Journal of Medicine 2001;344;1966-72) involving 1200 extremely low birthweight infants has confirmed that intravenous indomethacin reduces the incidence of patent ductus...

The prevalence of myopia. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The prevalence of myopia appears to be increasing in some countries, especially in east Asia. In military conscripts in Singapore it rose from 26% in the 1970s to 79% in the 1990s. Now a study of 429 such military conscripts (British Journal of...

Typhoid fever mainly affects. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... It has often been taught that typhoid fever mainly affects 5-12 year old children and is uncommon in younger children. Recent evidence, however, has contradicted this teaching and now a laboratory-based study in Dhaka, Bangladesh (The Pediatric...

The prevalence of pervasive developmental. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... It is uncertain whether reported increases in the prevalence of pervasive developmental disorders (autistic spectrum disorders) represent an increase in incidence of these conditions or are result of diagnostic changes. A recent survey of...

Iron deficiency. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Iron deficiency is associated with developmental problems in infants and young children but its effects in later childhood are debated. Data from the third US National Health and Nutrition Examination of 1988-94 (Pediatrics 2001;107:1381-6) add...

Diabetic Medicine. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The mother is clearly an important determinant of the quality of diabetic control in a child. An Edinburgh study of 78 children aged 5-17 years with type I diabetes (Diabetic Medicine 2001;18:364-9) has shown that diabetic control correlated...

The treatment of threshold retinopathy of prematurity. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A small study in Baltimore (American Journal of Ophthalmology 2001;132:76-80) has suggested that in the treatment of threshold retinopathy of prematurity the 7 year results may be better after diode laser photocoagulation than after...

A study of nine dyslexic adults. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A study of nine dyslexic adults (Brain 2001;124: 1373-80) showed that they were slower than controls in processing visual stimuli in the left visual hemifield. It is suggested that this left sided "mini neglect" could indicate impaired function...

Frequent and loud snoring. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Snoring in young children could have serious consequences. In Kentucky (Pediatrics 2001;107: 1394-9) a questionnaire survey suggested that frequent and loud snoring between the ages of 2 and 6 years is associated with poor school performance at...

Pregnancy and infancy. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In a study in Manchester (Lancet 2001;358:188-93) strict environmental allergen avoidance during pregnancy and infancy significantly reduced the risk of wheezing in the first year of life for infants whose parents were both atopic.

Extremely tender and painful. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... In Alberta, Canada 40 children developed extremely tender and painful soles to their feet after using a public paddling pool (New England Journal of Medicine 2001;345:335-8). Their soles were diffusely erythematous and there were painful...

A registry in Canada. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A registry in Canada (New England Journal of Medicine 2001;345:417-23) has included 160 children with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in its first 6 years, an incidence of 0.67 per 100 000 children per year. Sixty-nine of the 160 were neonates...