Pediatric News articles from June 2007

Pediatric News archives from June 2007

eNO analysis aids asthma diagnosis.(News)(exhaled nitric oxide)
June 1, 2007... LYNNWOOD, WASH. -- Use of exhaled nitric oxide as an adjunct for diagnosis and management of asthma is now available in some centers, but may be more widely available in the near future, Dr. Jason S. Debley said at a conference sponsored by the...

Mean health care charges over 12 months highest for children with diagnosed obesity.(VITAL SIGNS)(Table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Mean Health Care Charges Over 12 Months Highest For Children With Diagnosed Obesity Diagnosed obesity (n = 793) $617 Undiagnosed obesity (n = 1,055) $481 Overweight (n = 1,493) $473 Healthy weight (n = 5,063)...

FDA delays FluMist approval for 12- to 59-month-olds: a U.K. manufacturing glitch is cited.(News)
June 1, 2007... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- News on whether the Food and Drug Administration has decided to extend the approval of FluMist to children under age 5 was expected late last month but was delayed because of issues identified in a plant that manufactures...

Hib/Meningococcal combo vaccine effective in infants.(News)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- An investigational combined infant Haemophilus influenzae type b and meningococcal conjugate vaccine provided immunity without significant side effects in a phase II single-blind study of 606 infants. GlaxoSmithKline is...

A new online autism registry broadens research base considerably.(News)
June 1, 2007... The April launch of the nation's first online autism registry has garnered a diverse group of participants and a treasured commodity. Among the more than 14,000 registrants to the Interactive Autism Network (IAN), there are six sets of...

Child's routine visit is a time for family influenza shots.(News)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Offering free influenza vaccinations to the families of children attending a continuity clinic can significantly increase immunization rates among the children's household contacts, Dr. Nancy Kelly reported in a poster presentation...

High-risk children not routinely getting flu shots.(News)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- The majority of pediatricians queried in one survey aren't systematically identifying children at high risk for influenza-related complications to ensure they receive yearly flu shots, Maureen Kolasa, R.N., reported in a poster...

Girls with type 1 diabetes: poor insulin control.(News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... DENVER -- Adolescent girls with type 1 diabetes are more likely to report mismanaging their insulin doses and to worry more about their diabetes, compared with their male counterparts, Dr. Aneesh J. Tosh and colleagues at Indiana University,...

Age 1 to 3 years is a critical time for developing obesity, study shows.(News)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- A critical period for the development of obesity in early childhood appears to be between the ages of 1 and 3 years, according to a study of inner-city youth presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. ...

Chlamydia screening especially lacking for teens.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Roughly two-thirds of new chlamydia cases are being missed because of lax attention to screening guidelines by primary care physicians, obstetrician-gynecologists, and pediatricians, Dr. David E. Soper said at the annual meeting of...

The conundrum of cervical adenopathy.(ID CONSULT)
June 1, 2007... Two new studies may help identify the pathogen for cervical adenopathy in children, an often frustrating condition with numerous and divergent potential causes. Most of us are comfortable treating certain presentations, such as tender,...

Extended corticosteroids fail to aid bronchiolitic infants.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- In infant outpatients with bronchiolitis who received corticosteroids in the emergency department, continuation of therapy beyond the initial dose appeared to offer no additional benefit, according to Dr. Suzanne Schuh of The...

Routine penicillin no longer needed in sickle cell?(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... The incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease among children younger than 5 years with sickle cell disease plummeted during 2001-2004, according to a new study which suggests that credit belongs to the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine...

Rotavirus G2 serotypes are emerging in infants.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... KANSAS CITY, MO. -- Rotavirus G2 serotypes caused an unexpectedly high proportion of rotavirus dehydrating acute gastroenteritis in infants and children during the 2005-2006 epidemic season in Philadelphia, data from an industry-sponsored study...

Keys to pain reduction in immunization reviewed.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... Dr. Della Corcoran's pediatric practice sits over an ice cream shop and across the street from a toy store--a setting that's unfortunate, she said, when it comes to immunization. "Parents come in [for their children's immunizations] saying...

Nitrous oxide-EMLA combination best eases injection pain.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- In France, a 50/50 mixture of inhaled nitrous oxide and oxygen is widely used for painful procedures in emergency departments and pediatric wards, noted Dr. Ricardo Carbajal, of the Hopital d'enfants Armand-Trousseau in Paris. ...

In vaccine '1-2 punch,' the second hurts more.(Infectious Diseases)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- The order in which consecutive injections of pentavalent and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are given during the same office visit can significantly impact the amount of pain they cause, Dr. Moshe Ipp said at the annual meeting of...

CDC, Merck say ProQuad supply will run short.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... A projected shortage of the quadrivalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine means that children who require immunization for these diseases will need to get two shots instead of the single combination vaccine until supplies of the latter...

Earlier cervical Ca screening urged for some teens.(Infectious Diseases)
June 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Current cervical cancer screening guidelines may be insufficient for a subgroup of adolescent girls with high-grade dysplasia who are at risk for the development of invasive lesions, Dr. Michelle Vichnin reported at the annual...

PCR testing for pertussis may be too sensitive.(Infectious Diseases)(polymerase chain reaction)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Bordetella pertussis polymerase chain reaction tests can be positive months after clinical illness, Dr. Bryan Stone reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies. It took a full 7...

The 'ADHD adult' dilemma.(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
June 1, 2007... Back in the Dark Ages, before Al Gore invented the Internet, there were hyperactive children. The most troublesome were sedated with tranquilizers, but eventually a counterintuitive discovery resulted in a more humane and successful management...

Girls with ADHD also deserve attention.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... Too often, girls with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are overlooked. As clinicians, we must not allow this lack of attention to continue. Certainly, boys are diagnosed with ADHD far more often than are girls. Just 10 years ago,...

International health opportunities.(Adviser's Viewpoint)(Viewpoint essay)
June 1, 2007... In April this year, I returned from my third pediatric health mission trip to China. Opportunities for pediatricians to make international health missions are abundant. The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on International Child...

False demand for subspecialists?(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I believe there are too many subspecialists right now, not too few ("In Short Supply," Letters From Maine, April 2007, p. 29). The problem is that they are inundated with primary care patients. Because of a barrage of TV ads and billboards...

Cross protection may help in pandemic.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... The article about influenza vaccine coverage refers to a statement by Dr. Anthony Fauci that "one promising finding is that there appears to be "good degree of cross protection' from the vaccination of animals and/or humans, although clinical...

NPI Web site has problems.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Unfortunately, the article on the National Provider Identifier sounds more like a sales pitch for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services than a balanced report ("National Provider Identifier Deadline Is Nearing," March 2007, p. 67). ...

Another 'yellow tide' lament.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... I admit I'm a fan of Dr. William G. Wilkoff's column, and once again, I find myself cheering in the bleachers ("The Unjaundiced Eye," Letters From Maine, November 2006, p. 36). As for the "yellow tide" sweeping across the pediatric...

Pediatric skin diseases have high QOL impact.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(quality of life)
June 1, 2007... MAUII HAWAII -- The major chronic skin diseases of childhood impair quality of life to at least as great a degree as diabetes, renal disease, asthma, and other chronic nondermatologic diseases, Dr. Sarah L. Chamlin said at the annual Hawaii...

Many U.S. kids watch TV before they walk.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... About 40% of America's infants are watching television, DVDs, or videos by 3 months of age, according to Dr. Frederick J. Zimmerman and his associates at the University of Washington, Seattle. The median age for initiating TV viewing in...

Frequent TV linked to attention, learning problems in adolescents.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... Among adolescents, frequent television viewing appears to be associated with attention problems and academic failure, according to Dr. Jeffrey G. Johnson of Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, and his...

Media marketing for the very young flies in the face of AAP guidelines.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(American Academy of Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... LYNNWOOD, WASH. -- Despite a recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics that children under the age of 2 years watch no television, there has been a surge in media products directed at very young children, Dr. Tammy Wagner said at a...

How to spot and treat vulnerable child syndrome.(Behavioural Pediatrics)(Disease/Disorder overview)
June 1, 2007... LYNNWOOD, WASH. -- Vulnerable child syndrome is a recognizable clinical problem that the actions or inaction of pediatricians can help perpetuate, Dr. Ellen A. Lipstein said at a conference sponsored by the North Pacific Pediatric Society. ...

Some parents don't see obesity in their children.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Roughly one-quarter of overweight children were not identified as such by their parents in a survey of 308 child-parent pairs from an inner-city clinic. This finding was true independent of race or ethnicity and occurred...

Despite advice, parents often try to fatten their 'skinny' children.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Even after a brief intervention that was aimed at educating parents about healthy body weight, many parents were still unable to recognize their children as being at risk for overweight or obesity, said Dr. Eliana M. Perrin of the...

Many pediatricians not calculating BMI or counseling on overweight.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... TORONTO -- Only 52% of pediatricians said they calculate body mass index for children over 2 years of age, although 99% reported measuring height and weight at well-child visits, according to a survey of American Academy of Pediatrics members...

Prescribe psychotropics in autism with care.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
June 1, 2007... LYNWOOD, WASH. -- The decision to use medications in autistic children should be based on identifying target symptoms known to be amenable to medication and if symptoms are severe enough to interfere with functioning, Dr. Hower Kwon said at a...

Teen depression screening poor in primary care.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... DENVER -- Although few dispute the value of screening adolescents for depression in the primary care setting, there remains debate as to how often it happens. Not much, according to Elizabeth Ozer, Ph.D., of the University of California,...

Thimerosal in pregnancy not linked to autism.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Exposure to thimerosal-containing Rh immunoglobulin during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of having a child with an autism spectrum disorder, said Dr. Judith H. Miles and T. Nicole Takahashi. Overall, 214 mothers of 230...

Melatonin aids sleep in ADHD, but not behavior.(Behavioral Pediatrics)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
June 1, 2007... Melatonin may help children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder get more sleep, but behavior benefits are negligible, said Kristiaan B. Van der Heijden, Ph.D., of the Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands, and...

Dealing with teenage pregnancy.(BEHAVIORAL CONSULT)
June 1, 2007... Teenage pregnancy is on the decline in our country, but it's still remarkably common, with 750,000 adolescents aged 15-19 years becoming pregnant each year. Of course, we'd like to prevent those pregnancies that are unwanted, but the odds...

Childhood arthritis prevalence, prognosis eyed.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... DESTIN, FLA. -- Nearly 300,000 children in the United States have significant arthritis, accounting for more than 800,000 outpatient medical visits each year, according to unpublished data from a study conducted jointly by the American College...

Helping children cope with procedures.(SPECIAL NEEDS: REALIZING POTENTIAL)
June 1, 2007... Medical advances provide clinicians with powerful diagnostic and treatment tools, but a child must be able to cooperate to benefit from them. Learning how to cooperate and participate with medical care at a developmentally appropriate level is...

Great caution urged in lasering infantile hemangiomas.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- A conservative and highly selective approach to pulsed dye laser therapy is appropriate for treating infantile hemangiomas, Dr. Ilona J. Frieden said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education...

Tailor acne treatment to teen's needs, expert says.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... MIAMI BEACH -- Although most teenagers believe that acne can be cured, less than 10% of teens with acne see a dermatologist. That puts pediatricians and other primary care physicians on the front lines of acne treatment, Dr. Lawrence A....

Pediatric patients may breathe easier after Coblation[R] Turbinate reduction.
June 1, 2007... There Is an Option for Children With Chronic Nasal Obstruction Who Fail Medical Management Hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates in children is a common cause of chronic rhinitis that leads to nasal congestion and nasal obstruction. (1)...

Earlier is better when lasering port-wine stains.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... GRAPEVINE, TEX. -- Treatment with a pulsed dye laser is safe and effective for clearing port-wine stains in children aged younger than 2 years, according to two independent studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for...

First mechanical treatment for head lice is being tested in the United States.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... MONTREAL -- A product that dehydrates, rather than poisons, head lice should be available soon in the United States to fill a gap widened by parental concerns about the toxicity of existing treatments, Dr. Ian Landells, said at Dermatology...

Neonatal acne is now benign cephalic pustulosis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Recognize this common neonatal skin eruption? Neonatal acne, you say? Think again. The consensus among pediatric dermatologists is that what has traditionally been called neonatal acne is actually a yeast-based folliculitis that has been...

Singulair, veramyst nasal spray.(NEW & APPROVED)(Drug overview)
June 1, 2007... Singulair (montelukast sodium, Merck & Co.) The Food and Drug Administration approved a new indication for Singulair (montelukast sodium) to prevent exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, also known as exercise-induced asthma, in patients...

Dark skin, vitamin deficit may raise rickets risk.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Nutritional rickets caused by vitamin D deficiency persists, in part because the risk factors may not be fully appreciated, Dr. Arlette Soros and colleagues reported in a poster at the Southern regional meeting of the American...

Shoe allergy: think plantar dermatosis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Juvenile plantar dermatosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of shoe allergy in children, Dr. James S. Taylor said at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. Also known as "wet-dry foot...

FDA panel reviews adverse events for octreotide.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- Serious adverse events--including some fatalities--in pediatric patients treated off label with octreotide have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration; some of these events are considered possibly related to the...

A pediatric first: metronidazole-induced encephalopathy is reported in a teen boy.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- A teenage boy who received metronidazole after laparoscopic appendectomy developed encephalopathy, Dr. Amy Sanghavi said during a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. ...

Infantile perineal protrusion is often misdiagnosed.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- Infantile perineal protrusion is a common condition that's frequently mistaken for genital warts and evidence of sexual abuse, Dr. Erika Klemperer said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education...

Tips to diagnose spinal cutaneous abnormalities.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2007... MIAMI -- Evaluate any suspicious cutaneous anomaly of the midline from the tip of the nose back to the tip of the coccyx in newborns, Dr. John Ragheb said during a pediatric update sponsored by Miami Children's Hospital. Preservation of...

Rural children really need SCHIP, study says.(Practice Trends)(State Children's Health Insurance Program)
June 1, 2007... Rural children are much more dependent on the State Children's Health Insurance Program than are urban children and also have less of a safety net to fall back on if the popular public insurance program is cut, a new study found. The...

Verbatim.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... 'Medicolegally, we are only trained to go so far into the young adult's life. Should any issues arise, a pediatrician would have a hard time answering the question: "Tell me doctor, how many 23-year-old patients do you treat?" Being a nice...

Medicaid-only clinics fill teeth in economic gaps.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... Tooth decay is a disease. That is what Dr. David Krol, chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Toledo, tries to impress upon his patients. "It is an infection in the mouth that can be passed from caregiver to child--most...

Mouth 'is part of our responsibility' in well-child visits.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... So how can pediatricians and family physicians ensure that their patients' mouths stay healthy? "At every well-child visit [a physician] should be asking about how patients take care of their teeth, if they have a dentist, and looking at...

Pediatricians have fewer industry relationships.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... Nearly all physicians have ties to the pharmaceutical or device industries ranging from accepting drug samples to serving on a speakers' bureau, according to a survey of physicians across six specialties. The study found that 94% of...

Groups seek tobacco tax to fund SCHIP.(Practice Trends)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Federal lawmakers were called upon to approve a tobacco tax increase of 61 cents to fund an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program last month by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, along...

IOM: better school snacks needed.(Policy & Practice)(Institute of Medicine)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The federal government should mandate healthier snack and beverage options for schools, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended in a report requested by Congress. The report is expected to fuel federal efforts to restrict the sale of snack...

Depression, drugs, alcohol linked.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Recent depression doubled the likelihood that a youth aged 12-17 years dabbled in alcohol or drugs, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report showed that 29% of those who faced...

NIH launches anti-obesity program.(Policy & Practice)(National Institutes of Health)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The National Institutes of Health is seeking to help communities prevent childhood overweight through a program called We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition). Launched in South Bend and Gary, Ind., and Roswell, Ga., the...

THC levels highest ever.(Policy & Practice)(tetrahydrocannabinol )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... With a warning that "this isn't your father's marijuana," John Wakers, the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, issued a report this spring showing that the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana...

Teen smoking linked to ads.(Policy & Practice)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The more cigarette marketing that teens are exposed to in retail stores, the more likely they are to smoke, according to a study published in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Researchers from Bridging the Gap, a...

Dental benefits under Medicaid.(Health Policy: The Fine Line)
June 1, 2007... Earlier this year, a 12-year-old boy from Prince George's County, Md., died because of an untreated dental infection--a lack of care attributed in part to socioeconomic standing and insurance status. This child had been on and off Medicaid. Can...

Primary care role urged as caries rise in 2- to 5-year-olds.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... A significant increase in the prevalence rates of dental caries in the primary teeth of children aged 2-5 years has experts urging primary care providers to reevaluate their role in preventing such outcomes. In 1988-1994, 24% of children...

Lawmaker's bill would 'Wyden' health coverage.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- With the introduction of the Healthy Americans Act last January, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D) became the first major political player to launch a proposal for significant health care reform since the early days of the Clinton...

The physician as teacher.(On the Learning Curve)
June 1, 2007... I just returned from the Pediatric Academic Societies' annual meeting, where there is much time devoted to resident and student education. There are many innovative and exciting initiatives going on in this area, but the reality is that many...

Lack of screeners may thwart revised guidelines for ROP.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2007... MIAMI -- A shortage of ophthalmologists willing or able to screen for retinopathy of prematurity is hampering implementation of updated guidelines released last year, Dr. Roberto Warman said at a pediatric update sponsored by Miami Children's...

Transitioning your patients.(Efficient Pediatrician Practices)(Column)
June 1, 2007... In the world of pediatric practice, patient relationships end sooner or later. Occasionally, this happens because of problems in the professional relationship--never a fun experience for patient, parent, or physician and staff. But usually, the...

Cyberbullying prevention tips.(FYI)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The National Crime Prevention Council has developed a brochure for families titled, "Stop Cyberbullying Before it Starts," with tips on how to handle the problem. Cyberbullying involves use of the Internet, cell phones, or other technology to...

NIH newborn genetics program.(FYI)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The National Institutes of Health has launched "Health Information Rx Program" to encourage physicians to refer parents of newborns diagnosed with genetic conditions to Genetics Home Reference, a free, patient-friendly Web site with information...