Pediatric News articles from April 2003

Pediatric News archives from April 2003

ACIP says 'no' on flu vaccine now. (Expected Next Year for 6- to 23-Month-Olds).(Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices)
April 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- The possibility of offering a full recommendation for influenza vaccination for healthy children aged 6-23 months was revisited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, but it...

Cardiovascular disease: start prevention early: guidelines emphasize importance of identifying and treating at-risk children. (New American Heart Association Guidelines).
April 1, 2003... MIAMI -- Spurred by substantial scientific evidence that atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease begins in childhood and prevention efforts effectively reduce risk, the American Heart Association released the first comprehensive guidelines for...

Pediarix simplifies vaccine schedule--or does it? Impact on hepatitis B birth dose unclear. (Nine Vaccines in Three Doses).
April 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- The pentavalent vaccine Pediarix is beneficial for children and physicians, but concerns remain about the impact of its use on the hepatitis B birth dose, cost, and adverse events, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's...

Aggression common in early ADHD. (Study of 300 Children).(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Parents report more symptoms of aggression in children with an earlier estimated age of onset for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), said Dr. Daniel F. Connor of the University of Massachusetts, Worcester, and associates. In...

Diagnostic Dilemma.
April 1, 2003... A 15-year-old girl comes in com-planing of headaches and "feeling weird and lightheaded and losing track of time." These symptoms have occurred several times during the past few weeks, always lasting a couple of hours. She also tells you...

Pediatric dental caries linked to secondhand smoke exposure. (Yet Another Reason to Quit).
April 1, 2003... Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke may increase the risk of dental caries in young children, reported Dr. C. Andrew Aligne and his associates at the University of Rochester (N.Y). The dramatic decline in pediatric dental caries in the...

Vaccines and SIDS. (Pediatric Briefs).(sudden infant death syndrome)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Available data do not support a causal link between exposure to childhood vaccines and SIDS, the Institute of Medicine said in its latest report on vaccine safety issues. The IOM's Immunization Safety Review Committee found inadequate evidence...

Smallpox compensation. (Pediatric Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing a compensation program for public health and medical response team members who are injured by the smallpox vaccine. Benefits--which would be retroactive for those already...

Safer TV sex. (Pediatric Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... There's still a lot of sex on television these days, but at least it's more likely to include references to "safer sex," according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's biennial study of sexual messages on TV Of 1,123 shows that aired during...

AAP opposes Medicaid reforms. (Pediatric Briefs).(American Academy of Pediatrics)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Millions of children would lose their eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under the Bush administration's reform proposals, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in testimony to the House Energy...

Fix coding gap. (Pediatric Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Two congressmen are urging the HHS to fix a coding gap that may contribute to late diagnosis of developmental disabilities in children. The billing code 96110 is used by clinicians who administer standardized tests to screen for speech delay,...

Armed adolescents. (Pediatric Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Most firearms used by teens in school-associated killings come from their homes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said (MMWR 52[9]:169-72, 2003). Of 128 firearms used by 123 students in school-associated suicides and/or homicides...

Sibs don't help. (Pediatric Briefs).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Having a sibling doesn't appear to impact behavior or social skills among children with disabilities, Dr. Jill Fussell reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. There were no significant...

General pediatrics residencies enjoy modest gain. (Match Day 2003).
April 1, 2003... General pediatrics fared slightly better than other pediatric categories in attracting graduating seniors to residency programs in 2003. Continuing on a 5-year trend of offering more positions in the match, general pediatrics residency...

Late-onset scoliosis prognosis looking better. (Screening Still Needed).
April 1, 2003... Patients with untreated late-onset idiopathic scoliosis are unlikely to have physical impairment beyond back pain and cosmetic concerns, said Dr. Stuart A. Weinstein of the University of Iowa in Iowa City and his colleagues. "By closely...

Insulin resistance syndrome may run in families. (Watch for Subtle Signs).
April 1, 2003... MIAMI BEACH -- Children with one or more parents with a history of insulin resistance syndrome have greater adiposity and are at increased risk of developing the syndrome themselves, James S. Pankow, Ph.D., said at a conference on...

FDA panel votes yes for drug studies in HIV-infected infants. (Several Cautions Voiced).
April 1, 2003... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- Pharmacokinetics and safety studies of antiretroviral drugs under development for infants infected with HIV should continue, according to a Food and Drug Administration pediatric subcommittee of the Anti-Infective Drugs...

Watch out for hematogenous osteomyelitis. (Painful Bone Infection).
April 1, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - Staphylococcus bacteremia in children may develop into hematogenous osteomyelitis, a painful bone infection that can cause rupture of the periosteum, cortical thinning, and bone erosion. The disease is twice as common in...

Cytokines predict sepsis in febrile, neutropenic children. (Procalcitonin and IL-8).
April 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO -- Elevations of certain inflammatory mediators early in the course of fever in neutropenic children may quickly predict whether they are likely to become septic, Dr. Glenn Stryjewski said at a meeting sponsored by the Society of...

Start simple in rare immune deficiency work-up. (Most Recurrent Infections Normal).
April 1, 2003... HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Most recurrent infections in children are normal and need no further investigation for an immunodeficiency disorder, Dr. Gail Rodgers said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Children,...

Seek clues to differentiate types of pneumonia. (Bacterial, Viral, and Atypical Etiologies).
April 1, 2003... BAL HARBOUR, FLA. -- It often is possible to tell the difference between bacterial, viral, and atypical pneumonia, Dr. Robert Welliver said at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Attempting to...

Common bronchiolitis meds may be ineffective. (AHRQ Report).(medicines, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
April 1, 2003... Several medications that pediatricians commonly prescribe for bronchiolitis in infants and children may be ineffective, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The report is based on analysis of 83...

Steroids for bronchiolitis: inpatient vs. outpatient. (ID Consult).
April 1, 2003... The devil is in the details regarding steroids and bronchiolitis: The difference lies in treating the inpatient vs. the outpatient. Increasing evidence suggests that adequately dosed oral steroids (plus inhaled. [beta]-agonists) could play...

Get travel history before suspecting SARS. (Infection Control for Health Workers).(severe acute respiratory syndrome)
April 1, 2003... Recent travel history is a key element in identifying suspected cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization officials. In late February 2003, the WHO...

Breaking the pneumococcal transmission cycle. (Adults and Children).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... ATLANTA -- In the 3 years since licensure of the conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, a "very dramatic" 70% reduction in invasive disease has been seen among children under 5 years of age, Dr. Cynthia C. Whitney said at a meeting of the Centers for...

Cognitive risk with congenital toxoplasmosis. (Visual-Motor Deficits Too).
April 1, 2003... SEATTLE -- Even when treated at birth, asymptomatic children with congenital toxoplasma infection can be at risk for an increased incidence of cognitive and visual-motor deficits later in life, Dr. Kathleen Braden reported at the annual meeting...

FDA panel votes for no changes to flu vaccine. (Manufacturing Issues Played a Role).
April 1, 2003... The three components of the current influenza vaccine should be retained in next flu season's vaccine, according to an expert panel advising the Food and Drug Administration. At a meeting of the FDAs Vaccines and Related Biological Products...

Thrombocytopenia & vaccines. (Clinical Capsules).
April 1, 2003... Routine immunization rarely results in thrombocytopenia, said Dr. Taj Jadavji and associates of the Canadian Paediatric Society / Health Canada Immunization Monitoring Program. In a 9-year prospective multicenter study, there were 61 cases of...

Antibiotic resistance in UTIs. (Clinical Capsules).
April 1, 2003... Bacteria causing community-acquired urinary tract infections have grown only slightly more resistant to antibiotics in the last decade, said Dr. D. Prais of Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqva, and colleagues. In a study of 142...

Drugs don't cause hearing loss. (Clinical Capsules).
April 1, 2003... Exposure to tobramycin or vancomycin is not a risk factor for hearing loss in newborns, said Matthijs de Hoog, Ph.D., of Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and associates. Of 625 newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive...

Pediatric patterns of hepatitis C. (Clinical Capsules).
April 1, 2003... Although few children with chronic hepatitis C develop severe liver problems, a higher rate of fibrosis in adolescents suggests that these children must be monitored, said Dr. Palomajara of Hospital Infantil La Paz, Madrid, and associates. In a...

RSV bronchiolitis recovery. (Clinical Capsules).
April 1, 2003... Montelukast is effective against reactive airway disease after respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis, said Dr. Hans Bisgaard of Copenhagen University Hospital (Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 167[3]:379-83, 2003). In a randomized,...

Minorities may skirt ADHD care due to stigma. (More Education about ADHD Needed).
April 1, 2003... Lack of information about attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and concern that their child will be stigmatized may prevent minority parents or caregivers from seeking proper evaluation and treatment for school-aged children with the...

Girls are more prone to drug addiction, study finds. ('Gender Matters').
April 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Girls and young women get addicted to drugs more easily than males and suffer more devastating consequences, and the nation's public health infrastructure needs to be overhauled to reflect that fact, former Health and Human...

Nonmedical abuse of prescriptions rising among youths. (Learn to Recognize Abuse).
April 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The nonmedical use of prescriptions continued to rise among adolescents and young adults in 2001, Dr. H. Westley Clark said at a press conference sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental...

Universal toddler autism screening urged by expert. (Incorporate into 18-Month Exam).
April 1, 2003... KOHALA, HAWAII -- Every toddler should be screened for autism, because early behavioral therapy can make a difference, Dr. Martin Stein said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatricians and family physicians...

Conduct problems linked to sleep disorders. (Restless Legs Syndrome).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Conduct problems in children may be associated with symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, or periodic leg movements during sleep, said Dr. Ronald D. Chervin of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his associates....

The varying faces of grief. (Behavioral Consult).
April 1, 2003... Just as death is a part of life, death is often a part of childhood. Children may experience the loss of a pet, the passing of a grandparent, or the traumatic loss of a parent or sibling. Issues surrounding the loss may arise in the...

Expert picks best behavorial articles of past year. (Tips for Physicians).
April 1, 2003... KOHALA, HAWAII -- The behavioral pediatrics article of last year that is likely to have the biggest impact is the one that established a connection between obstructive sleep apnea and attention problems, Dr. Martin Stein said at a meeting...

Low academic achievement in diabetic children linked to several variables. (Large Study of Iowa Children).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Poorer academic performance in children with type 1 diabetes may have more to do with socioeconomic status and behavioral problems than with medical variables, said Ann Marie McCarthy, Ph.D., and her associates at the University of Iowa College...

Overlapping symptoms fuel the bipolar/ADHD controversy. (How to Discriminate Between the Two).(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with bipolar disorder)
April 1, 2003... COLORADO SPRINGS -- The true rate of comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with bipolarity may not be nearly as high as is often claimed, Dr. Willis Holloway said at a symposium on addictive disorders sponsored by...

Sleep restriction leads to symptoms of ADHD. (Small Study).(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... SEATTLE -- A 2- to 3-day period of restricted sleep time in normal children led to development of symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, Gahan P. Fallone, Ph.D. reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2003... Regarding the article "Four New Rapid In-Office Tests Diagnose Influenza" (January 2003, p. 16), the manufacturer of Directigen Flu A + B is Becton, Dickinson & Co., which also makes the Directigen Flu A rapid test. The manufacturer of Flu OIA...

Letters.(Flying Vaccinations?)(First Pap Smears)('The Toughest Patients')(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Flying Vaccinations? In a recent article, Dr. Karl Neumann discussed infants traveling by air but didn't address my most serious concern: prolonged exposure to 300 international strangers before the infant is vaccinated ('Air Travel Is Not...

Exploring the nether regions. (Letters from Maine).
April 1, 2003... Relatively speaking, examining the genitalia of a male infant is a piece of cake. Of course, it is not an exercise to be undertaken by someone with slow reflexes. But as long as one stays alert and the nurse has remembered to tell his parents...

Fewer shunts after fetal spina bifida surgery. (Saving Neurologic Function).(myelomeningocele repair)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... BALTIMORE -- In utero repair of myelomeningocele has now been done on more than 50 fetuses by surgeons at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Among the first 50 cases, 40% required treatment with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt after they...

Alinia. (New & Approved).
April 1, 2003... (nitazoxanide, Romark Laboratories) The Food and Drug Administration approved Alinia (nitazoxanide) for oral suspension to treat the parasitic infections cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in patients aged 1-11 years. Cryptosporidium parvum...

Zovirax cream. (New & Approved).
April 1, 2003... (acyclovir sodium, GlaxoSmithKline) The FDA approved Zovirax (acyclovir) cream for the treatment of recurrent herpes labialis (cold sores) in adolescents aged 12 years and older. * Recommended Dosage: Zovirax cream 5% should be applied...

Most newborn brain injuries not tied to asphyxia. (ACOG-AAP Task Force Set Criteria).
April 1, 2003... The majority of newborn brain injuries are not the result of birth asphyxia but occur before the onset of labor, according to a comprehensive report released earlier this year by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the...

Intrapartum meconium suctioning not helpful at term. (Preventing Meconium Aspiration Syndrome).
April 1, 2003... SAN FRANSCISCO -- Intrapartum aspiration of term infants with meconium-stained amniotic fluid before delivery of the shoulders did not alter the risk for developing meconium aspiration syndrome in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in...

Calm colicky infants using 5 simple techniques. (Simulate Intrauterine Environment).
April 1, 2003... Can a simple multistep baby-calming technique meant to mimic the intrauterine environment really be the quickest way to calm a colicky baby? Dr. Harvey Karp, who developed the technique after 2 decades of research on baby-calming...

Family needs to join in diabetes management. (Family Conflict, Poor Glycemic Control).
April 1, 2003... KEYSTONE, COLO.--It's crucial for diabetic children and their parents to realize how badly they need each other to achieve success in managing the disease, Barbara J. Anderson, Ph.D., said at a juvenile diabetes meeting sponsored by the...

Metformin helps in certain type 1 diabetes cases. (Adjunct Therapy).
April 1, 2003... Metformin as adjunctive therapy for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance lowered hemoglobin [A.sub.1c] levels and decreased insulin dosage with no weight gain, reported Dr. Jill Hamilton of the Hospital for Sick Children,...

Common concerns about involvement in sports. (Hydration, Burnout, Pain Medication).
April 1, 2003... KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. -- Game day hydration. Pointe work in ballet. Wearing a cup. These are just a few sports-related issues that parents raise on visits to the pediatrician. Several sports medicine pediatricians addressed the following...

Subtle juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be more common than thought. (Firm Data on Prevalence Lacking).
April 1, 2003... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- The true prevalence of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis may be closer to 400 per 100,000 children than the more commonly accepted estimate of 94 per 100,000, Dr. James T. Cassidy said at a symposium sponsored by the American...

Get an early start on fighting JRA osteopenia. (Prevent Later Fractures, Osteoporosis).
April 1, 2003... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Treat bone loss that accompanies juvenile rheumatoid arthritis early during the prime bone-building years of youth, to prevent later fractures and osteoporosis, Dr. James T. Cassidy said at a symposium sponsored by the...

Handling a nuclear incident: potassium iodide. (Some Regional Distribution Plans in Place).
April 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Community outreach has helped some public health departments distribute potassium iodide to protect local residents against exposure to radioactive iodine, experts said at a symposium sponsored by the American Thyroid Association....

Left ventricular enlargement in obese children. (Ominous Indicator of Future).
April 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Marked left ventricular enlargement is already present in obese children as young as age 13, Dr. Peter Friberg said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. This observation bodes poorly in terms of...

Statins correct endothelial dysfunction. (Hypercholesterolemia).
April 1, 2003... Statin therapy corrects endothelial dysfunction in children as young as 9 years of age with familial hypercholesterolemia, reported Dr. Saskia de Jongh of Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam, and associates. They assessed endothelial...

Childhood weight may predict teen obesity. (At Ages 5 and 10).
April 1, 2003... NEW ORLEANS -- Weight percentile at ages 5 and 10 years was significantly correlated with obesity and overweight status in adolescence, Dr. Jennifer Singh reported at the southern regional meeting of the American Federation for Medical...

Melatonin appears to be effective for pediatric insomnia. (Small Study).
April 1, 2003... SEATTLE -- Melatonin appears to be a safe and effective treatment for children with insomnia, Dr. Anna Ivanenko reported at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. In a retrospective study of 32 children with...

Some big kids are big framed--not obese. (Weight Loss not Always Needed).
April 1, 2003... Childhood obesity is now pandemic in the United States, but it is important to differentiate between children who are big framed and those who are obese, Dr. Ileana Vargas said at a seminar sponsored by the Children's Hospital of New York. ...

Data Watch.(Illustration)
April 1, 2003... DATA WATCH Mean Body Mass Index Increases Over 3 Decades Age NHES II or III * NHANES III ** (in years) (1963-1970) (1988-1994) Increase Boys 7 15.9 16.5 ...

Redi-reference clinical guidelines. (Digital Assistance).
April 1, 2003... Overview: Redi-Reference Clinical Guidelines is a broad sampling of well-supported national clinical guidelines written for Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld platforms. Hyperlink navigation, bookmarking capabilities, and regular program updates...

X-ray both elbows to assess a child's injury. (Neurovascular Exam is Key).
April 1, 2003... KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. -- Get x-rays of both elbows to diagnose the one a child has injured, Dr. Jorge E. Gomez said at a meeting on pediatric and adolescent sports medicine sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics. A systematic review...

Washington's malpractice moves please the AMA. (AMA Annual Legislative Meeting).
April 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The undercurrent in the hotel ballroom ranged from "Right on!" and "You said it!" to a standing ovation and a loud roar of approval. It seemed that no matter what politicians from the White House and Capitol Hill said, the members...

Health services research provides key map to policy makers. (Using Data Rather than Rhetoric Alone).
April 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Health services research is the missing link between biomedical research and nonmedical policy makers, and it's crucial that the medical community understand its importance. That was the message Dr. Gary L. Freed gave to...

HHS commits big money to disease prevention. (Obesity and Diabetes Top the List).
April 1, 2003... ST. Louis -- Obesity, diabetes, and tobacco-related illnesses are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars every year, and it's time to focus on prevention rather than treatment, Secretary of...

HIPAA compliance: security provisions looming. (Deadline is 2 Years Away).
April 1, 2003... Even though the deadline for complying with new federal health security regulations is 2 years away, physicians need to start planning for it now, according to experts familiar with the regulations. "Doctors shouldn't think that the...

HIPAA requirements will drive a switch to encrypted E-Mail systems. (Privacy Requirements).
April 1, 2003... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Physicians using regular e-mail to communicate with patients are strongly advised to switch to a secure messaging service that will meet new HIPAA requirements, said Dr. C.T. Lin, senior medical director of informatics at...

Wart removal product. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Wartner, a wart removal product, is available over the counter. It is a nonaerosol mixture of dimethlyether and propane that freezes the wart. A blister forms that falls off in about 10 days, exposing new skin. The product may be used on...

Ceftriaxone for gonorrhea. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Cefixime is no longer available in the United States, making ceftriaxone (Rocephin) the only Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended treatment for gonorrhea in young children and pregnant women in the United States; ceftriaxone...