Childhood vaccine coverage misses target
September 13th 2012The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that when it comes to measles, mumps, and rubella and varicella vaccination of children entering school, coverage is still not quite where it needs to be. Find out which states are the leaders and which states lag behind. More >>
Active teens have enhanced quality of life
September 1st 2012A survey of a large group of Australian schoolchildren when they were aged 12 years and again at 17 years found that levels of physical activity and of sedentary behaviors are associated with health-related quality of life (QOL), which includes physical, mental, and social well-being.
A baby's pseudo paralysis of the hip stumps her doctors
September 1st 2012You are doing a pediatric nephrology rotation. It is late in the evening, and you're just about to leave for home when your pager goes off. You answer the call and learn about a 5-week-old girl who was seen in the orthopedic clinic that afternoon for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).
Protein type linked to Kawasaki disease
September 1st 2012Investigators set out to determine whether plasma levels of follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL-1), which is produced by cardiac myocytes, correlate with Kawasaki disease (KD) and acquired coronary artery aneurysms (CAA), of which KD is a major cause.
AHRQ says obesity-related interventions understudied
September 1st 2012A number of studies show that some school-based interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity can be effective, says a draft review from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the key federal agency charged with improving quality and effectiveness in health care.
Children with type 1 diabetes may live longer
September 1st 2012Life expectancy has increased markedly for children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, to the point that estimated life expectancy of patients diagnosed between 1965 and 1980 is only about 4 years less than that of the general US population.
Meningococcal disease causes lasting deficits
August 30th 2012Most children survive serogroup B meningococcal disease without major sequelae. British researchers report, however, that about 10% of children who have had meningococcal infection experience major disabling deficits. What screening is needed for survivors of meningococcal disease? More >>
Falling circumcision rate raises medical costs
August 30th 2012The steadily declining rate of circumcision in US newborn boys could add more than $4.4 billion in avoidable health care costs for treating the increasing cases of sexually transmitted infections and related cancers among uncircumcised men and their women partners over the next decade. More >>
AAP endorses elective newborn circumcision of boys
August 30th 2012The health benefits of newborn circumcision of boys outweigh the risks and justify elective, although not routine, use of the procedure, according to the latest policy statement on circumcision from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). What are the benefits? More >>