News

The H1N1 virus is expected to again be a major risk this flu season.

Using data from the National Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted during 5 years between 1999 to 2007, investigators examined trends in perceived overweight or underweight among US adolescents in grades 9 through 12.

Otherwise healthy 9-year-old African American boy seen for first time for complaints of frequent exhaustion, particularly when climbing stairs or walking for long periods. He could no longer participate in sports because of inability to keep up with his peers. He had been toe walking and had become clumsier over the past year, tripping and falling more frequently. Besides a mild delay in walking (around 16 months), his mother had reported no outstanding gross motor delays in infancy. He was in a regular class in school, although he did receive extra help in math and reading.

A 6-year-old girl presented with tender mass on the left side of her neck that had enlarged over the past week. Her primary care doctor initially prescribed amoxicillin/clavulanate for suspected bacterial lymphadenitis. The swelling progressed, and a CT scan was ordered.

Dr Robson reports on his time in 2 Haitian cities severely damaged by the January earthquake. He describes the significant challenges he faced and stresses the need for ongoing volunteer efforts.

Kids with special healthcare needs Dermcase : Brown patch on anterior thigh Puzzler : Dilated, fixed pupil in young girl High-tech stehoscopes

Currently, technology for the artificial pancreas is a bit cumbersome and may not appeal to teens with diabetes, according to diabetes expert Robert Goldstein, MD, PhD.

Children preparing for cochlear implant surgery should receive all age-appropriate doses of pneumococcal conjugate and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines and appropriate annual immunization against influenza at least 2 weeks before surgery, according to a recent policy statement.

Traditionally school children suspected of having head lice have been sent to the school nurse, who would then comb through the child's hair to verify infestation.

After only 3.5 years of routine use of rotavirus vaccine, infection because of the virus has marched farther and farther down our list of possible diagnoses for an infant with vomiting followed by diarrhea.

People rarely are completely satisfied. It's human nature.

A 9-year-old girl is being admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit because of headache and a dilated, fixed left pupil. The girl has a history of pseudotumor cerebri and Chlarimalformation type I.

Investigators examined the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency among urban African-American youngsters with asthma compared with their African-American peers without asthma.

An 18-year-old girl complains of having a peculiar brown patch on her right anterior thigh for 3 weeks. She admits to having a laptop on ther right thigh for a few hours each day.

Growing concerns are mounting over the safety of the current Dtap vaccine, also known as the whooping cough vaccine.

An estimated 10.2 million children in the United States have special healthcare needs. The numbers of children with special healthcare needs are continuing to rise as medical advances foster survical of children with previously lethal congenital anomalies and conditions.

International tobacco use among young adolescents promotes early development of symptoms of dependence, according to an analysis of data.

Computer-assisted auscultation (CAA) devices use revolutionary technology developed to acquire, record, and analyze the acoustic signals of the heart. Pediatricians can use CAA software to identify specific heart sounds, including suspected murmurs.

Between 10% and 30% of children and youth are involved in bullying, according to research.

For the past several years, I’ve listed “difficult parents” on my department’s conference evaluation form as my answer to the question, “What do you consider to be the single biggest problem that you face in your practice?” At times, I have to admit that difficult parents have made me dread my decision to become a pediatrician.

A 10-month-old boy with an asymptomatic rash is brought to your office by his mother. The rash, which began on the legs and spread to the arms, face, and buttocks, has been present for 3 days. Other than rhinorrhea and nasal congestion for the past 3 to 5 days, the infant has been well, although fussier than usual, especially at night. His appetite is normal. The rash has persisted despite the application of bacitracin, petroleum jelly, and cortisone. He has had no sick contacts with a similar rash or illness. His immunizations are up-to-date.

During hospitalization of a 6-month-old boy for respiratory syncytial virus infection, spiking fevers led to a bacteremia workup.

A 16-year-old girl with internal jugular phlebectasia presented for followup ultrasound evaluation. At age 15 months, she was noted to have a right-sided neck mass that appeared when crying or straining. Her weight, height, and head circumference were normal. She had no cardiac anomalies and was otherwise healthy.

Hearing loss : Investigating membrane retraction pockets Puzzler : Flank pain and fever in a teen Dermcase : Brown bumps persist on neck and trunk Breast masses in adolescents

An investigation among nearly 2,000 ethnically diverse children in California schools found consistent positive associations between ærobic fitness and standardized test scores.

In the April 2010 issue, there is a very helpful article by Harper and Copans on "Engaging the help-rejecting depressed adolescent."

Investigators conducted a multicenter study of the effects of montelukast on eosinophil degranulation and recurrent wheezing episodes after respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis.

The nation knows little about why late pre-term births have increased and have driven up the overall preterm birth rate over the last several decades, an expert from CDC told Congress in a recent hearing.