News

Investigators surveyed 2,429 children with a diagnosis of asthma at 29 pediatric caresites across the United States to estimate the prevalence of uncontrolled asthma in patients who visited their primary care provider for any medical reason.

The modern miracle

Here's the story of one full-time pediatrician with 20 years' experience. Over the years, she's witnessed many changes in the practice of medicine, including the virtual elimination of some diseases.

After 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.

There was a time, not so very long ago, when a child who needed to receive nourishment or medications through a vein had to be in the hospital.

School has been back in session for less than a month, and our office has already had parents come in or call for the “golden ticket” that allows a child to return to school after an illness-the doctor’s note. Often parents want us to write something to the effect that “Johnny is no longer contagious….” Can we ever truly say that about anyone?!

Back to school : Vaccine compliance, School-aged screening, Nutrition news, Sports injuries Puzzler : Refusal to walk and stiff neck in toddler boy Dermcase : "Chicken skin" in newborn The utopian medical home

The Health and Human Services Department Health IT Policy Committee approved recommendations on when healthcare providers must obtain consent before exchanging patient health records electronically with other providers or health information exchange networks.

More than 12.5 million children and adolescents in the United States are overweight, placing them at greater risk for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes mellitus as they grow older, according to the Office of the Surgeon General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Book reviews

Books address autism, ADHD and pain.

The utopian medical home

Utopian medical practice would run seamlessly even if you were out of the office, wouldn't it?

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the human growth hormone Omnitrope (somatropin - rDNA origin) for the treatment of idiopathic short stature.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FDA have noted an increase in reports of bloodborne infection transmission, primarily hepatitis B virus, resulting from shared use of fingerstick and point-of-care blood testing devices.

If the overall goal for pediatricians is to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, children grow to adulthood healthy in mind and body and prepared to become productive members of society, then we need a great deal of help to achieve that goal.