April 25th 2024
Research in AJOG: Maternal hyperoxygenation doesn't boost neonatal Apgar scores in pathologic fetal heart rate tracing, showing no FiO2 benefit.
Be firm about "firm": Parents don't always get message on infant bedding
September 1st 2011Parents don?t always understand what is meant by ?firm? when talking about bedding intended to reduce the risk of SIDS, and they worry that their infants may be uncomfortable, according to new research. Find out what misunderstandings are likely to occur and how you can counter them.
New guidelines: No routine VCUG in infants with UTIs
September 1st 2011Here?s welcome news for nervous parents and the pediatricians who have to deal with urinary tract infections (UTI) in infants: New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend routine use of voiding cystourethrography after the first UTI in febrile infants and children aged 2 to 24 months. Read more for information on when the test is indicated as well as other changes in UTI diagnosis and management.
Mold in infants' homes can lead to asthma development
August 18th 2011Two new asthma studies include some practical advice that pediatricians can share with parents. One concerns mold in the home, which can lead to asthma development. Another study offers advice on using air cleaners to control asthma symptoms.
Antiretroviral combination prevents HIV transmission but dangerous for some infants
July 21st 2011Although drug regimens such as the protease inhibitor lopinavir-ritonavir may have lowered the HIV transmission rates in newborns to less than 1%, a study finds that postnatal treatment with the combination was more likely to cause adrenal dysfunction in newborns when compared with a zidovudine-based treatment. Read about the nuances of the study and the researchers? recommendations.
ACIP recommends meningococcal vaccine for high-risk infants
July 8th 2011Children as young as 9 months who are at high risk for invasive meningococcal disease should receive quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, according to a new recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Hydroxycarbamide beneficial for infants with sickle-cell anemia
June 10th 2011Administering hydroxycarbamide to very young children with sickle-cell anemia reduces common but serious adverse effects, particularly pain and dactylitis, and results in lower rates of acute chest syndrome, hospital admissions, and transfusions. Hydroxycarbamide also improves laboratory parameters.
FDA cautions against using SimplyThick in premature infants
June 3rd 2011The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning parents and health care providers against feeding the thickening agent SimplyThick to premature babies. The agency has received 15 reports of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) involving infants born before 37 weeks who ingested the product in breast milk or formula.
Wider use of EMRs could reduce US infant deaths
May 27th 2011More widespread use of electronic medical records (EMRs) could lead to a substantial reduction in infant mortality rates in the United States, according to researchers from the University of Virginia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Study shows no effect of infant anesthesia on adolescents' academic performance
May 13th 2011A study of Danish children who underwent inguinal hernia repair with anesthesia as infants found no difference in their academic performance as adolescents compared with a general population sample of their peers.
Research needed on effects of anesthesia in infants and children
May 6th 2011In an ongoing effort to establish clinical evidence for the effects of anesthesia and sedative agents on infants and children undergoing surgical, medical, or diagnostic procedures, the FDA?s Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee recently convened a panel of experts to consider the available data, develop a research agenda, and discuss how to communicate risk/benefit information to clinicians and parents.
No evidence to support PPI efficacy in infants, children
April 15th 2011Evidence does not support the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to treat symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants, and placebo-controlled evidence is lacking in children and adolescents, according to researchers of a systematic review. Their findings appear online in Pediatrics.
Prone sleeping reduces cerebral oxygen in infants
March 11th 2011Putting infants to sleep in the prone position reduces cerebral oxygenation, which may help to explain why this sleeping position is associated with an increase in the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), say Australian researchers.
Nitric oxide does not benefit early preterm infants
January 21st 2011Although inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) has proved effective in improving oxygenation in late preterm infants, studies of its efficacy in infants born at or before 34 weeks have produced variable and contradictory findings. Now a systematic review of findings from 22 trials of iNO use in 3,461 early preterm infants concludes that the evidence does not support routine use of iNO to treat these infants. The review, which appears in Pediatrics, examined 14 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs), 7 follow-up studies, and 1 observation study.
Recommendation for 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding examined
January 21st 2011A controversial new analysis suggests that introduction of solid foods before 6 months of age may reduce the risk of allergies and iron deficiency anemia compared with exclusive breastfeeding. The researchers suggest that weaning should occur as early 4 months.
Febrile seizures in infants and toddlers linked to flu vaccine
January 21st 2011Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine may be associated with febrile seizures in infants and children aged 6 to 23 months who received the vaccine this current flu season, according to a vaccine safety update released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
2010 guidelines for pediatric neonatal resuscitation: What you need to know
November 1st 2010It's been 50 years since the publication of the first study demonstrating that chest compressions can be a life-saving measure for victims of cardiac arrest and 5 years since the American Heart Association published their 2005 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiac Care.
Contaminated powdered infant formulas recalled
October 1st 2010After a quality-assurance inspection of its manufacturing plant in Michigan revealed contamination by insect pieces and larvae, Abbott notified FDA that it was suspending production and issued a voluntary recall for about 5 million containers of certain Similac-brand powdered infant formulas.