Pediatric News articles from January 2009

Pediatric News archives from January 2009

Auditory delays found in autism.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHICAGO -- Researchers using specialized imaging have found delays in auditory processing in the brains of children with autism spectrum disorders. Although the response to various sounds is delayed by only a...

FDA panels weigh risks, benefits of anti-asthma drugs: products with ICSs are seen as preferable.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The benefits of the single-ingredient, long-acting [beta]-agonist products salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil) do not outweigh their risks when used for treating asthma in adults, adolescents, and children,...

U.S. teens smoking less, but other drug use steady.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Drug abuse among U.S. adolescents remained steady in 2008, compared with recent years, but cigarette smoking is at a historic low, according to the 2008 Monitoring the Future survey, released by the National Institute on Drug...

Panel supports besifloxacin for bacterial conjunctivitis.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel voted 9-0 last month that an ophthalmic formulation of besifloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic, should be approved for treating bacterial conjunctivitis in people aged 1...

Pediatric News welcomes two new editorial advisory board members.
January 1, 2009... Colleen Kraft, M.D., is in private practice with Pediatric and Adolescent Health Partners in Richmond, Va. She is also a clinical professor of community pediatrics at the Virginia Commonwealth University and medical director of Medical Home...

Number of people per active physician by specialty, 2007.(VITAL SIGNS)
January 1, 2009... Number of People Per Active Physician by Specialty, 2007 Child and Adolescent psychiatry 41 Emergency medicine 10 Pediatrics 6 Family medicine/ general practice 3 Internal medicine 3...

Marrow transplant aids more than sickle cell.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... MIAMI -- Bone marrow transplantation significantly improves quality of life for children while curing their sickle cell disease. However, physicians, parents, and patients must weigh these benefits against the serious risks--including acute...

Vitamin D deficiency likely in youths with type 1 diabetes.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... Youths with type 1 diabetes are at significant risk for vitamin D deficiency, based on results from a study of 128 children and adolescents. Chronic vitamin D deficiency in childhood contributes to bone deformity and reduced bone mass,...

Blood-lead threshold questioned as too high.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... PHILADELPHIA -- In children, lead may be unsafe at any level. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set a blood-lead level of 10 mcg/dL or higher as the threshold for concern in children in 1991 and reaffirmed it in 2005,...

Hypothyroxinemia of prematurity tied to cognitive deficits.(NEWS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Transient hypothyroxinemia of prematurity contributes significantly to the neurocognitive deficits seen in premature infants, a prospective study indicates. The study conducted in 64 infants born at 2335 weeks' gestation showed...

Predictions for '09: what's old is new again.(ID CONSULT)
January 1, 2009... Happy 2009! It's time for the annual look into the future of infectious diseases. Two common themes were evident last year: increasing antibiotic resistance, and changing epidemiology and vaccine-preventable infections. Last year's...

Varicella/speC gene may up risk of necrotizing fasciitis.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Recent varicella infection and the presence of a specific virulence factor gene were strongly associated with the development of necrotizing fasciitis among Quebecois children with invasive group A streptococcal infections,...

Office vs. ED outcomes in bronchiolitis studied.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... Febrile infants with bronchiolitis treated in primary care settings received a full sepsis evaluation one-half as often as other febrile infants and seemed to have even lower rates of serious bacterial illness, compared with infants treated in...

In-hospital C. difficile rises, but not mortality, colectomy rates.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... Cases of Clostridium difficile-associated disease at children's hospitals increased significantly between 2001 and 2006, but in-hospital mortality and colectomy rates did not increase during that time, in what the authors say is the first study...

Key risk factors identified for bronchiolitis relapse.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Age less than 2 months and male gender were significant independent predictors of relapse in children after ED treatment for bronchiolitis, according to a secondary analysis of a prospective, observational multicenter cohort of 1,459...

Expanding flu vaccine window by 6 months adds millions of provider visits, study says.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... WASHINGTON -- Expanding the traditional window for influenza immunization would add vaccination opportunities by increasing the number of pediatric office visits, based on data for 77.6 million children from a nationwide survey during the...

Flu vaccine is a hard sell to some parents of children with asthma.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... SEATTLE -- In one-third of children with asthma who are not vaccinated against influenza, the vaccine is withheld because parents believe it has no benefit, according to results of a study of 93 children and their parents. Influenza...

Steroid nasal spray fails to foil OME in young children.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
January 1, 2009... RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO -- Intranasal corticosteroids were no better than placebo for curing otitis media in children aged 4-11 years, based on data from a study of more than 200 children. Dr. Ian Williamson of the University of Southampton...

Early respiratory illnesses hike asthma risk.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)(Clinical report)
January 1, 2009... SEATTLE -- Children prone to atopy are more likely to develop asthma if they frequently have moderate to severe respiratory illnesses in the first years of life, according to results of a prospective cohort study. Moreover, these illnesses do...

Family values: beyond the buzzwords.(BEHAVIORAL CONSULT)
January 1, 2009... The term "family values" has become politically loaded, associated in recent years with conservative political groups' opposition to abortion, gay marriage, and feminism. But long before it became a code word of sorts, the phrase embodied one...

For depression risk, the eyes have it: pupil dilation is key.(BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS)
January 1, 2009... NEW YORK -- Changes in pupil size could serve as a biomarker for risk of depression in children and adolescents, according to preliminary research conducted at the University of Pittsburgh. Researchers there found that children with major...

Bullying: a 'no good' feeling on both sides.(BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS)
January 1, 2009... BOSTON -- Emerging studies point to strong connections between bullying and negative health outcomes--for both bullies and victims. "In fact, the association of violent behavior, higher rates of weapon-carrying, frequent fighting, and...

School-based intervention improves teens' anger control.(BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS)
January 1, 2009... NEW ORLEANS -- A school-based life skills training program proved feasible and was beneficial for improving anger control in African American adolescents who participated in a randomized, controlled study of the program. Spielberger...

Shouldn't we be caulking?(LETTERS FROM MAINE)
January 1, 2009... When crude oil was going for more than $100 a barrel not long ago, those of us in the Northeast who heat our homes with oil were nervously weighing our meager options. Wood, our old standby, had followed oil up its meteoric path. It was too...

Broaching topics with parents.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I agree with Dr. Barbara J. Howard's comments, but over the years I've learned never to ask two questions: 'Are you pregnant?" and "Are you the grandfather?" for obvious reasons ("Parental Illness Deserves Attention," Behavioral Consult,...

'Teething' debate grinds on.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I'm disappointed in Dr. William Wilkoff's denigrating the idea of teething ("A Diagnosis Without a Disease," Letters From Maine, September 2008, p. 28). I view it as a harmless entity and calling it that seems to give parents some sort of...

Asperger's parents, autistic kids?(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... As a community pediatrician in the Seattle area, I believe the incidence of autism spectrum disorders is indeed rising as Dr. Alan Holz suggests ("Yes, There Is an Autism Epidemic," Letters, July 2008, p. 20) in his response to Lawrence...

Liability may delay vaccine adoption.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... An article said physicians may choose to delay adoption of combination vaccines because doctors are reimbursed based on the number of vaccines they administer, and that reducing the number of shots will reduce profits ("Combo Vaccines Are Mixed...

Rare diseases: where to go for info.(GENOMIC MEDICINE)
January 1, 2009... One of your patients, a 6-month-old boy, begins to show signs of developmental delay, curvature of the spine, failure to thrive, and stool abnormalities. You make a referral to a genetics specialist, who diagnoses Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, a...

Respiratory irritants in the home are not just about pets.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 1, 2009... CHICAGO -- Household cleaning sprays are meant to improve indoor air, but new research suggests they may actually contribute to new-onset adult asthma. Aerosol cleaning sprays were associated with an increased risk for new asthma symptoms...

Delivering a diagnosis of down syndrome.(SPECIAL NEEDS: REALIZING POTENTIAL)
January 1, 2009... That a newborn child possibly has Down syndrome is an unexpected piece of news that represents a turning point for most couples, and delivering this news may challenge any physician. Some suggest that the manner in which the news is...

Don't fall for myths that discount language-delay signs.(CLINICAL ROUNDS)
January 1, 2009... BOSTON -- Early signs of language delay should be taken seriously in all children, even in those traditionally thought of as slow developers--boys, younger siblings, and children with persistent middle-ear infections. "We can't assume that...

Looking ahead to leadership.(ON THE LEARNING CURVE)
January 1, 2009... As I prepare to write a new year of columns, I have reflected on the topics I have covered so far and thought about what else may be valuable and interesting to young physicians. I have examined other resources for young physicians and talked...

AAP officials look to Obama, Daschle for health reform.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
January 1, 2009... Early signals from the Obama administration have many physicians feeling optimistic about the chances for comprehensive health reform. Officials at the American Academy of Pediatrics have been in contact with congressional staff members to...

Health insurers dangle coverage guarantee as mandate bait.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
January 1, 2009... As a new administration prepares to tackle health care reform, the health insurance industry is offering a few suggestions. America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), which represents about 1,300 companies covering more than 200 million...

Many primary care physicians disgruntled.(PRACTICE TRENDS)
January 1, 2009... Almost half of primary care physicians responding to a survey by The Physicians' Foundation said they plan to reduce the number of patients they see or stop practicing entirely over the next 3 years. In addition, 94% said the time they...

FTC alleges price gouging.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that a pharmaceutical company acted illegally in buying the only two medicines approved to treat a deadly congenital heart defect in premature babies and then raising the prices for the drugs by nearly...

CDC increasing Hib surveillance.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will solicit Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) serotype information and vaccination histories for children younger than 5 years old from state health departments that report Hib...

Reform urged in adolescent health.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Current health services for adolescents are fragmented and poorly designed to meet the needs of the nation's adolescents, according to a report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine. Although most U.S. adolescents are...

Secondhand smoke exposure high.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... Smoking may be declining (see story, p. 1), but 42% of all children in the United States still are exposed to secondhand smoke each week, according to a survey from the American Legacy Foundation, the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B....

Children use alternative medicine.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
January 1, 2009... Nearly 12% of children in the United States used some type of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) therapy in 2007, and the most common reason for that use was back or neck pain, according to survey data from the CDC and the National...