Pediatric News articles from November 2007

Pediatric News archives from November 2007

MCV4 advocated for at-risk kids aged 2-10.(News)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ATLANTA -- The tetravalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine is now recommended for children aged 2-10 years with an increased risk of meningococcal disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory...

Preventive care guidelines gain useful how-tos: 'bright futures' replaces three older sets.(News)
November 1, 2007... Guidelines for well-child visits and anticipatory guidance just got simpler. For the first time, one set of guidelines will replace three separate documents from three different organizations, with the release of the third edition of...

Interim ban expected on OTC cold products for tots.(News)
November 1, 2007... SILVER SPRING, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue interim recommendations to the public about the use of over-the-counter cough and cold products in children, in response its advisory panel's recommendation that these...

Average workweeks in selected primary care specialties were similar in 2006.(VITAL SIGNS)
November 1, 2007... Average Workweeks in Selected Primary Care Specialties Were Similar in 2006 Internal medicine: pediatric (n = 76) 38.7 hours Internal medicine: general (n = 3,368) 37.0 hours Pediatric: hospitalist (n = 62) ...

Study: children tend to follow moms as overweight or obese.(News)(Clinical report)
November 1, 2007... Having an overweight or obese mother puts children at in-creased risk of becoming overweight or obese themselves by age 7 years, according to a longitudinal study published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Other risk factors...

Advise against sedating children with OTC antihistamines.(News)
November 1, 2007... In the setting of the cough and cold medication debate rests another: Whether parents should attempt to sedate their children with over-the-counter cough and cold medications before travel. Most experts contacted suggested countering the common...

Advice on fish in pregnancy sparks controversy.(News)
November 1, 2007... A Coalition that advocates for healthy pregnancies came under criticism after issuing an advisory urging pregnant women to eat more fish, based on an evidence review that received financial support from the fisheries industry. In a...

SCHIP's fate unclear as Congress, bush battle.(News)
November 1, 2007... With the end of the year drawing near--and Congress past due to adjourn the fate of the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan was unclear at press time. SCHIP received one reprieve last month when Congress approved a...

Levofloxacin safe, effective against pneumonia in children.(News)
November 1, 2007... Levofloxacin appears to be at least as safe and effective as standard-of-care drugs for children with community-acquired pneumonia, Dr. John S. Bradley and colleagues reported. Levofloxacin is not approved for pediatric use, largely because...

Pandemic flu plans said to underserve children.(News)
November 1, 2007... Current plans for pandemic influenza preparedness in the United States leave major gaps when it comes to protecting children, a new report charges. "Pandemic Influenza: Warning, Children At-Risk" was issued jointly by the American Academy...

ACIP clarifies PCV7 catch-up recommendations in young children.(News)
November 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- Healthy children between 2 and 5 years of age who have been incompletely vaccinated against pneumococcal disease should receive one dose of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's...

FluMist recommended in nonwheezing kids aged 2-5.(News)
November 1, 2007... ATLANTA -- The live, attenuated influenza virus vaccine can be used in children 2-5 years of age with no wheezing in the past 12 months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended...

Multiple tools to improve mental health services.(News)
November 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- There's no quick way around the barriers faced by children who need mental health care, so pediatricians are developing a string of strategies to improve delivery of mental health services, Dr. Jane M. Foy said at the annual...

AA offers guidelines, tool kit for universal autism screening.(News)
November 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- New clinical guidelines advocate surveillance for signs of autism at each well-child visit before 18 months of age and screening for autism at the 18- and 24-month checkups. "I know what you're thinking--Aah! Another thing...

Down syndrome may call for RSV prophylaxis.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2007... Down syndrome by itself is a risk factor for severe respiratory syncytial virus infections of the lower respiratory tract and may merit an indication for prophylaxis with palivizumab, according to investigators who followed 395 patients in the...

MRSA panic unwarranted.(ID Consult)
November 1, 2007... Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has become the new disease of the moment, with alarming headlines almost daily this autumn about the "killer" bacterium. While of course MRSA is a real concern, we physicians can help by reassuring...

Revised cervical Ca management guidelines issued.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2007... MINNEAPOLIS -- The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology has issued new consensus guidelines on the management of women with abnormal cervical screening tests and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, emphasizing changes for...

Multiple pathogens often found in bronchiolitis.(Infectious Disease)
November 1, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Respiratory syncytial virus was the most common virus detected in young children with bronchiolitis, but nearly 40% were infected with other viruses, results from a single-center study showed. "The results suggest that further...

Researchers raise alarm over resistant AOM bug.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2007... A strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae that is resistant to all antibiotics approved to treat acute otitis media in children has been identified as an otopathogen. The multidrug-resistant serotype 19A strain is not included in the...

As MDR S. pneumoniae 19A spreads, Penems show promise.(Infectious Diseases)(Conference news)
November 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- The multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 19A continues to spread across the United States, according to a study led by Dr. David J. Farrell. "And we believe that that the emergence of this 19A clone has been...

Neonatal CNS herpes is a diagnostic challenge.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2007... ASPEN, COLO. -- A negative cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction test for herpes simplex virus does not rule out neonatal herpes with CNS involvement, Dr. April Palmer said a conference on pediatric infectious diseases sponsored by...

Mumps outbreak shows vaccine highly effective.(Infectious Diseases)
November 1, 2007... Mumps outbreaks can occur even among highly vaccinated populations, according to a new report on an outbreak that took place at a summer camp in upstate New York in 2005. The outbreak had a total of 31 confirmed cases of mumps and 55% of...

The effects of addiction on the family.(Behavioral Consult)
November 1, 2007... Healthy family interactions depend to a large degree on parental attention that is empathetically focused on the developing child. In every family, there are expectable competing priorities for that attention, including work-related stress,...

Nicotine in breast milk disrupts infant's sleep.(Behavioral Pediatrics)
November 1, 2007... A mother who smokes and breastfeeds appears to be giving her infant a dose of nicotine that significantly interferes with the baby's sleep, according to the results of a study. Infants spent an average of about a third less time sleeping...

Kids with colds: what now?(Guest Editorial)
November 1, 2007... The use of over-the-counter cough and cold preparations in infants and young children has evolved into an extremely common practice and over the last decade there has been an increasing awareness of the potentially toxic--and unfortunately...

Tapping a resource for families.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... Dr. Michael S. Jellinek's recent column was given to me by a member of my congregation ("Running on Empty: The Busy Family," Behavioral Consult, September 2007, p. 19). I appreciated his simple, straightforward strategy to fighting...

How much cephalexin for strep throat?(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... In his article about amoxicillin failure in strep throat, Dr. Michael E. Pichichero mentions using Cephalexin b.i.d, for 10 days ("Amoxicillin Failure in Strep Throat," ID Consult, September 2007, p. 10). What dose does he use per kg/day,...

Amoxicillin dosing for strep throat.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... I found Dr. Michael E. Pichichero's recent articles quite informative and have used some of his recommendations in my own practice ("Amoxicillin Failure in Strep Throat," September 2007, p. 10). Has anyone looked into simply increasing the...

Accounts receivable in action.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... Nineteen months ago our 35-person group practice read with great interest Dr. Joseph S. Eastern's article ("How to Slash Accounts Receivable," Guest Editorial, March 2006, p. 23). He suggested obtaining a credit card "imprint" from all...

Corrections.(Opinion)(Correction notice)
November 1, 2007... The "Special Needs: Realizing Potential" column ("Taking the First Step With Down Syndrome," Sept. 1, 2007, p. 44) should have read: "Children with Down syndrome have three primary physical problems that affect their gross motor development:...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)(Cartoon)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Actually, they could put Humpty together again, but the procedure wasn't covered by his insurance."

Meet-and-greets.(Letters From Maine)
November 1, 2007... It would be an exaggeration to say that I have a love-hate relationship with meet-and-greet visits. Let's just say that I know that it can be very important to sit down with families who are shopping for a pediatrician. But, these investigatory...

Finnish study casts doubt on hygiene hypothesis.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... Preventing common respiratory and gastrointestinal tract illnesses in young children does not make them more prone to develop allergic disorders when they reach their teenage years, Danish researchers reported. The finding casts doubt on...

AAP steps up surveillance on infant hearing loss.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics call for prompt intervention when infants fail hearing tests and for ongoing surveillance of all infants--regardless of risk factors for hearing loss--during well baby exams and other...

'Active naturals' may help treat atopic dermatitis.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Ingredients in oatmeal and other natural products increasingly are being investigated as adjuncts to therapy and as alternatives to medications, Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield said at a meeting sponsored by Skin Disease Education...

Four P's help diagnose allergic contact dermatitis.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Allergic contact dermatitis looks like other forms of dermatitis, but the history and some visual clues can help make the diagnosis, Dr. Anna L. Bruckner said at a meeting sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. A...

Topical steroid prescribing low in atopic dermatitis patients.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... Topical corticosteroids, a first-line therapy for atopic dermatitis, appear to be poorly prescribed for pediatric patients, based on an analysis of data from two national databases of patient visits. Fewer than a third of the estimated 7.4...

You can manage Sturge-Weber syndrome.(Special Needs: Realizing Potential)
November 1, 2007... Consider the possibility of Sturge-Weber syndrome in neonates born with a facial port-wine birthmark. Sturge-Weber syndrome is a relatively rare congenital disorder that is indicated at birth by a pink to dark red port-wine birthmark, typically...

Topical anesthetic devices make starting pediatric IV easier.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Techniques to speed up topical anesthesia and to help find small veins can assist in getting an IV line going quickly in a sick child, Dr. Bernard W. Dannenberg said at an emergency medicine conference sponsored by Stanford...

Expert offers creative tips on giving neuro exam.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- Be creative and confident in performing pediatric neurologic examinations, urged Dr. Eileen Vining. She offered a variety of tips on how to test children, encouraging physicians not to be constrained or intimidated by the...

Long-term tacrolimus use prevents AD flares.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- Long-term use of tacrolimus ointment was effective in managing atopic dermatitis and preventing disease flares in a group of adults and children, Dr. Alan B. Fleischer said in a poster presented at the American Academy of...

Lamisil oral granules, Norditropin cartridges.(New & Approved)
November 1, 2007... Lamisil Oral Granules (terbinafine HCl, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Lamisil Oral Granules, a new pediatric formulation of terbinafine HCl, for the treatment of tinea capitis in children 4...

ECG may be best for screening young athletes.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... The use of resting 12-lead electrocardiography in sports preparticipation screening detects adolescent and young adult athletes who have diseases associated with sudden cardiac death with a lower false-positive rate than do personal symptoms...

Adolescent sleepwalkers are often agitated.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Sleepwalking peaks in adolescence, and it's no wonder, Dr. Rafael Pelayo said at a pediatric update sponsored by Stanford University. A disorder of arousal in delta (non-REM) sleep, sleepwalking coincides with growth...

Treat obesity before using anticholesterol drugs.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2007... STANFORD, CALIF. -- Picture a 15-year-old Hispanic girl who is 152.5 cm tall, weighs 88.7 kg, and has a body mass index of 38 kg/[m.sup.2]. Her father has hyperlipidemia, but she has no family history of a premature coronary artery event (such...

Developmental Milestones system.(Products)(Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A new measure called Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status: Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM) enables pediatricians and family practitioners to track children's developmental strengths and weaknesses from birth to age 8. The system...

Extended-release asthma tablets.(Products)
November 1, 2007... The extended-release version of Zyflo (zileuton) tablets, Zyflo CR, is now for sale in the United States as a twice-daily medication for the prevention and treatment of asthma in patients aged 12 years and older. It is not indicated to reverse...

Noise-canceling stethoscope.(Products)
November 1, 2007... The 3M Littmann Model 3000 stethoscope offers noise-reduction technology and amplification up to 18 times greater than nonelectronic stethoscopes. Much as with noise-canceling headphones, distracting noise (such as from human voices,...

Nonprescription iron supplement.(Products)
November 1, 2007... NextWave Pharmaceuticals has launched MyKidz Iron, a nonprescription liquid iron supplement that delivers 10 mg of elemental iron, the recommended daily dose for children under the age of 4 years, in every 2-mL dose. MyKidz Iron also includes...

Local anesthetic for venipuncture.(Products)(LidoSite topical system)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The LidoSite topical system (10% lidocaine HCl/0.1% epinephrine topical iontophoretic patch and LidoSite controller) provides analgesia for patients who experience a high level of discomfort during blood draws and intravenous cannulation....

Teen smoking, substance abuse linked.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... The nicotine in tobacco products poses a significant danger of structural and chemical changes in developing brains that can make teens more vulnerable to alcohol and other drug addiction, as well as to mental illness, according to a new white...

Combined vaccine sheet considered.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a new vaccine information statement that would combine information for six childhood vaccines, including DTaP, Haemophilus influenzae type b, inactivated polio vaccine, pneumococcal...

CDC: schools improving health, safety.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... U.S. schools have made considerable improvements in their policies and programs to promote the health and safety of students, particularly in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, and tobacco use, according to a CDC study. But more work is...

NIH adds 22 centers to study.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... The National Children's Study, the largest study ever on the effects of environmental and genetic factors on child and human health in the United States, has awarded contracts to 22 new study centers to manage recruitment and data collection in...

Disordered eating in overweight teens.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... Factors such as teasing by family, personal weight concerns, and dieting/unhealthy weight-control behaviors are strong and consistent predictors of overweight status, binge eating, and extreme weight-control behaviors later in adolescence, a...

Medicaid enrollment declines.(Policy & Practice)
November 1, 2007... Enrollment in Medicaid declined in 2007 for the first time in nearly a decade, primarily because new documentation requirements have caused significant delays in processing applications and because of the strong economy and lower unemployment,...

Exercise: easier vowed than done.(On the Learning Curve)
November 1, 2007... As we move into the winter months, many of us are likely to come home from a long day at work (in the dark), make dinner, and turn on the television. The sun sets too early to go for a walk after dinner with your family, and it is hard to get...

The dilemma of leaving Medicaid.(Health Policy: The Fine Line)
November 1, 2007... I recently had a discussion with the mother of a chronically ill child. She had just gotten a new job, and she was explaining to me her hesitation to switch her child off of Medicaid and onto the company-offered private health care plan. What...

Health IT adoption varies among specialties.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2007... Adoption of health information technology varies significantly among physicians in different specialties, according to a new study from the Center for Studying Health System Change. While only 12% of physicians overall have adopted...

Tricks of the trade.(Efficient Pediatrician Practices)
November 1, 2007... I am going to wind down my columns and take a hiatus from the messages I have been developing for my practicing pediatric colleagues. I have been writing monthly columns for the past several years, and have decided to take a break from all the...