Archives of Disease in Childhood articles from June 2003

Archives of Disease in Childhood archives from June 2003

The one child family policy: the government hopes that there will be a shift towards the "small family culture". (China).
June 1, 2003... What is known as the One Child Policy was introduced in 1979 as a set of rules and regulations governing the approved size of Chinese families. This was not the first attempt by China to curb the growth of its population. The so called "late,...

Cycle helmets: time for legislation. (Legislation).
June 1, 2003... Few people are in any doubt that cycling has enormous health benefit to children, especially when there are increasing concerns among health professionals about the sedentary lifestyle of children and the impact such inactivity has on the...

Health effects of family size: cross sectional survey in Chinese adolescents. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aims: To determine whether only children differ in terms of morbidity, nutritional status, risk behaviours, and utilisation of health services from children with siblings, in China. Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out using...

Neurocysticercosis in West London. (Images in Paediatrics).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Neurocysticercosis is a major cause of epilepsy and neurological morbidity in endemic areas of the world. It is rare in non-endemic areas, so a high degree of awareness is necessary for diagnosis. It is often benign and lesions can resolve...

Apnoea and brain swelling in non-accidental head injury. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aims: (1) To identify whether infants and young children admitted to hospital with subdural haematomas (SDH) secondary to non-accidental head injury (NAHI), suffer from apnoea leading to radiological evidence of hypoxic ischaemic brain damage,...

Height screening at school: ineffective without high standards and adequate resources. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background: The Coventry Consensus in 1998 recommended a single height measurement of all children at school entry or around the age of 5 years and prompt referral of children with height Aim: To determine adherence and practicalities of...

Growth impairment in the very preterm and cognitive and motor performance at 7 years. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background: Infants born of low birth weight often have poor subsequent growth (especially if they were born very preterm), which has been shown to relate to later motor and cognitive development. Aims: To assess a cohort of preterm infants...

Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome *, PANK2, and the tiger's eyes. (Archivist).
June 1, 2003... Hallervorden and Spatz reported a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease of early onset in a German journal of neurology and psychiatry in 1922. The main clinical features are dystonia, dysarthria and rigidity, rapid progression, and...

Weaning of infants. (Review).
June 1, 2003... The WHO 2001 global recommendation is a one size fits all approach to weaning, an approach which may not take sufficient account of the special needs of some infants and fails to allow for the different problems encountered in the...

Preservation of fertility in children treated for cancer. (Review).
June 1, 2003... As treatment for childhood cancer has become increasingly successful, adverse effects on reproductive function are assuming greater importance. Preservation of fertility before treatment must be considered in all young patients at high risk of...

Same patient, different advice: a study into why doctors vary. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aim: To understand why doctors differ in their recommendations in situations where there is little certainty about the Long term outcomes of the possible treatment options. Methods: A correlational design was used to examine the relation...

Fluticasone propionate in asthma: a long term dose comparison study. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background: Few dose ranging studies have investigated optimal dosing with inhaled corticosteroids in children with asthma. Aims: To compare the efficacy and tolerability of fluticasone propionate 100 or 200 [micro]g twice daily in children...

Evaluation of vestibular functions in children with vertigo attacks. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aim: To examine vestibular system functions in children with episodic vertigo attacks. Methods: Thirty four children (20 males) aged 4-18 years with paroxysmal dizziness and/or vertigo attacks were evaluated. A medical history for...

Fosfomycin for the initial treatment of acute haematoqenous osteomyelitis. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background and Aims: At our institution there has been a dichotomous antimicrobial treatment behaviour for acute haematogenous osteomyelitis (AHOM) since 1984. The surgical department favoured fosfomycin as initial choice and the medical...

Chronic urticaria: association with thyroid autoimmunity. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background: Though autoimmune phenomena have been regularly associated with chronic urticaria in adults, data in children are sparse. Aim: To describe our experience with children and adolescents with chronic urticaria and autoimmunity....

Hypoparathyroidism and 22q11 deletion syndrome. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aims: To investigate a population of individuals with 22q11 deletion syndrome for hypocalcaemia. Methods: A detailed clinical history enquiring into symptoms of hypocalcaemia and blood sampling to assess for hypocalcaemia and...

Imaging after urinary tract infection reconsidered. (Archivist).
June 1, 2003... Researchers in three US centres (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; and Boston, Massachusetts) have offered a minimalist view of the necessity for imaging studies after urinary infection in young children (Aijandro Hoberman and...

22q11 deletion: a multisystem disorder requiring multidisciplinary input. (Short Report).
June 1, 2003... Aim: To draw up recommendations for the investigation and management of children with a microdeletion of chromosome 22q11. Methods: A retrospective review of case notes from patients with a chromosome 22q ll microdeletion identified by...

Effect of a rapid influenza diagnosis. (Short Report).
June 1, 2003... Managing children with influenza-like illness is associated with costly and painful interventions because, in order to distinguish viral from bacterial infections, diagnostic tests (including routine blood examinations and chest radiographs)...

Safety of inhaled corticosteroids delivered by plastic and metal spacers. (Short Report).
June 1, 2003... for the IPROS network Background: Because of its non-electrostatic properties the metal Nebuchamber (NC) valved holding chamber (VHC) delivers a greater mass of aerosol to the mouth than the polypropylene Aerochamber (AC) VHC. Delivery of...

Systemic neutrophil activation in acute preschool viral wheeze. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Background: In preschool children, attacks of wheeze are usually triggered by viral colds, The inflammatory substrate in preschool viral wheeze (PVW) is unclear, but epidemiological data suggest that most PVW is not caused by allergic...

Bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia: not only a neonatal disease. (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aims: To characterise the clinical manifestations of late presenting Bochdalek diaphragmatic hernia (DH), the incidence of misdiagnosis, and prognosis; and to explore the sequence of events that leads to this clinical picture. Methods:...

Chloramphenicol or ceftriaxone, or both, as treatment for meningitis in developing countries? (Original Article).
June 1, 2003... Aims: To determine in children with meningitis whether there is any difference in mortality and neurological sequelae using chloramphenicol as first line treatment, with a change to ceftriaxone if chloramphenicol resistance is shown in vitro,...

Thrombocytopenia and Plasmodium falciparum malaria in children with different exposures. (Short Report).
June 1, 2003... We studied thrombocytopenia during acute Plasmodium Falciparum malaria in 64 traveller children from Paris (France), 85 children from Dakar (Senegal) with an intermittent exposure (69 with severe attack or cerebral malaria), and 81 children...

Pantoea agglomerans as a cause of septic arthritis after palm tree thorn injury; case report and literature review. (Case Report).
June 1, 2003... We report the case of a 14 year old healthy boy, who was admitted six weeks after being injured by a palm tree thorn, with limping caused by pain and swelling in his right knee. An ultrasound examination revealed a foreign body in the posterior...

The black hole in my CV. (Postcard from the Road).(career management)(Column)
June 1, 2003... When I was in my late twenties I heard myself saying something along the lines of "We can travel around the world when we retire". Fortunately, as a consequence of the number of daft things I say, I do make an effort to listen to quite a lot of...

Once upon a time. (Review).(children's literature and how it reveals changing attitudes to childhood)(Critical Essay)
June 1, 2003... In this, the first of two articles discussing literature for and about children, we will be considering how writing for the young has changed, reflecting different and evolving perspectives on childhood. In the second article we will be asking...

Not just an appendix: Sir Frederick Treves. (Paediatric Lessons from the Past).(history of appendicitis)
June 1, 2003... The history of the anatomy and surgery of the appendix is a beautiful chapter in medical education, and we appreciate the role of Sir Frederick Treves in its development. ********** In my library of classic medical literature, I (JES)...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2003... If you have a burning desire to respond to a paper published in ADC or F&N, why not make use of our "rapid response" option? Log on to our website (www.archdischild.com), find the paper that interests you, click on "full text" and send your...

Journal of Medical Genetics. (Lucina).(human chromosome abnormalities impair intellect and impulse control)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... In Australia (Journal of Medical Genetics 2003;40:e15) a 10 year old boy with moderate intellectual impairment and severe problems with impulse control was found to have a pericentric inversion of chromosome 3 (46N inv (3) (p14q21). The same...

Journal of Pediatrics. (Lucina).(gestational diabetes increases risk of oculo-auriculo-vertebral sequence of anomalies )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Infants of mothers with gestational diabetes may be at increased risk of the oculo-auriculo-vertebral sequence of anomalies (OAVS). Data from a Spanish birth defects registry showed a 2.3-fold increase in risk in infants of mothers with...

Clinical Infectious Diseases. (Lucina).(parvovirus infections cause myocarditis )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Lymphocytic myocarditis occurs more often in children than in adults. Viruses known to cause it include enterovirus, adenovirus, mumps virus, influenza virus, and human immunodeficiency virus. Parvovirus myocarditis has been described in only a...

British Journal of Psychiatry. (Lucina).(appendicectomy )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... In Leeds (British Journal of Psychiatry 2002;181:526-30) 99 of 201 children and 130 of 255 adults who underwent appendicectomy had a normal appendix. Over at least 15 years of follow up those who had a normal appendix removed were significantly...

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. (Lucina).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A 9-year-old girl in New York (Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2002;156:1091-3) was thought to be a victim of child abuse but turned out to have berloque dermatitis. This condition is produced in susceptible people when perfumes...

Lancet. (Lucina).(malnutrition)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Emergency treatment for severe malnutrition during famine is usually given in inpatient therapeutic feeding centres but the establishment of these centres may he delayed and difficult and many severely malnourished people may miss out. In...

New England Journal of Medicine. (Lucina).(antifungal agents)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Echinocandins such as caspofungin, micafungin, and anidulafungin are antifungal agents that act by inhibiting 1, 3-beta-glucan synthesis in the fungal cell wall. The fact that mammals do not synthesise 1, 3-beta-glucans may explain the relative...

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. (Lucina).(juvenile idiopathic arthritis)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Involvement of the temporomandibular joints is common in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) but symptoms may be minimal or absent. Diagnosis is often delayed and mandibular growth may be impaired. In Rotterdam (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases...

British Journal of Ophthalmology. (Lucina).(retinopathy of prematurity)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... There seems to be something different about the vascular proliferation in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Researchers in America (British Journal of Ophthalmology 2003;87:275-8) examined the intraretinal and preretinal neovasculature of the...

Thorax. (Lucina).(passive smoking)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Parental smoking is harmful to children and the risk is greater for children who are [[alpha].sub.1] antitrypsin heterozygotes. In Italy (Thorax 2003;58:237-41) 61 of 997 schoolchildren aged 11-13 years were found to be Pi heterozygotes (mostly...

Lancet. (Lucina).(Ewing's sarcoma)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... A 4-year old girl in Italy (Lancet 2003;361:140-2) had Ewing's sarcoma involving the left femur down to its midshaft. Surgeons avoided amputation by removing the proximal part of her left fibula complete with its vasculature, inserting it into...