News

You are asked to evalute a fussy 6-week-old infant with a rash that started on her left axilla 3 weeks ago and spread to the left arm, chest, and abdomen.

Catalyst for change

Pediatric healthcare practitioners are often faced with patients and their parents who have difficulty accepting or following through with medical advice on issues such as diet and exercise or vaccine administration.

Congratulations, Dr Kamat!

We congratulate Consultant For Pediatricians Editorial Board member Deepak M. Kamat, MD, PhD, who was presented with the 2010 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Education Award at the National Conference & Exhibition in San Francisco last month.

Talipes calcaneovalgus

A newborn girl was noted to have talipes calcaneovalgus, excessive dorsiflexion of the foot that allows its dorsum to come into contact with the anterior aspect of the lower leg- the toes point upward, the arch is flat. The right foot was normal. The infant had no other abnormalities.

Parents can express their doubts about vaccination in various ways: they can have their child vaccinated, although they are not sure it is the best thing to do; they can delay immunization; or they can simply refuse to have their child vaccinated. The most frequent reason for nonvaccination is concern that the vaccine might be harmful.

Vaccines: Past and Present

The incredible success of vaccination worldwide has not been without its share of setbacks, challenges, and controversies. While the fear of vaccine-preventable diseases has greatly diminished, new concerns about vaccine safety and the increasing number of required immunizations has led to public skepticism and parental refusal of vaccines.

A year has passed since publication of the Pyrmula et al study, which concluded that prophylactic antipyretics before vaccination should not be routine. The researchers came to this conclusion because they found reduced antibody responses to several vaccine antigens in children who received antipyretics, even though the vast majority of children studied (those given antipyretics and those not given antipyretics) had antibody titers well within the protective ranges.

The frequent visits that pediatricians have with infants are bittersweet. While they are wonderful opportunities to form lasting relationships with families, they are also times when babies suffer through the necessary pain of multiple immunizations.

Autism spectrum disorder consists of qualitative impairments in social interactions and communication and the presence of restrictive or repetitive behaviors, interests or activities as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition.

Investigators in Scotland set out to determine whether that country's ban on smoking in public places, initiated in March 2006, influenced the rate of hospital admissions for childhood asthma.

It'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.

Girls and athletics

The Title IX provision of the Education Amendments passed in 1972 prohibits discrimination regarding access to educational programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

Athletes, especially the more than 1 million young males who play high school football each year, may develop long-term, serious neurologic problems if they suffer undetected head trauma and continue to play the sport.