News

An overview of the epidemiology, etiology, symptoms, common diagnostic tests, and various treatments of exercise-induced bronchospasm in the pediatric population.

Both autosomal dominant and recessive patterns of inheritance have been proposed.2 Bilateral tibial hemimelia has also been associated with CHARGE syndrome and Langer-Giedion syndrome and may be linked to several loci on chromosome 8.4,5

A 4-year-old boy was brought to the hospital because of fever (temperature of 39.4°C [103°F]) and a bright, salmon-pink rash on the palms and soles that was associated with peeling (A and B). His symptoms had been present for 2 days. During that time, he also had redness of the eyes, fatigue, and anorexia.

In July 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their recommendations on lipid screening and cardiovascular health in childhood.1 The new recommendations created a media stir because of the endorsement of the use of statins in certain at-risk children as young as 8 years.

In developing countries, vaccines against the human papillomavirus and new screening strategies offer an unprecedented opportunity to combat cervical cancer since standard Pap smear screening has proven too expensive and complicated to implement, according to research presented at the World Cancer Congress of the International Union Against Cancer held Aug. 27 to 31 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The final report by the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health contains a strong mandate for reducing global inequalities in health care, according to an editorial published in the Aug. 30 issue of The Lancet.

With the start of the school year comes a host of unique health and safety concerns for students to keep in mind. Everything from backpack use to appropriate sleep time are topics relevant to child health, and studies have helped guide the way toward avoiding the dangers and practicing preventive methods.

Babies delivered by Caesarean section may have a 20% increased risk of developing diabetes, according to a study led by researchers at Queen's University Belfast.

A mother's intention to vaccinate her daughter against the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) may have to do with parenting factors not related to feelings toward sexuality, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Use of magnesium sulfate in mothers at high risk of early preterm delivery was associated with less occurrence of moderate or severe cerebral palsy in surviving offspring, according to study findings published in the Aug. 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Heritable mutations of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene appear to be the main cause of familial neuroblastoma, a finding that may offer a therapeutic target for the disease, according to research published online Aug. 24 in Nature.

Bacteria or fungi in a mother's amniotic fluid may play a larger role in premature birth than previously believed, according to the August 26 PLoS One.

The blood pressure of teens newly diagnosed with hypertension can be reduced with allopurinol, but the potential for the drug to become a new treatment depends on the outcome of larger clinical trials to better understand the potential side effects of the drug, according to a report published in the Aug. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published a handbook for educators and caregivers on how to tackle electronic aggression, including cyber-bullying and harassment, toward young people in their care.

Perioperative care for preschoolers must take into account their stage of emotional and psychological development as well as their unique physical and medical needs, according to an article published in the August issue of AORN Journal.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would revise criteria for over-the-counter cough and cold medications for children, according to The Washington Post.

Recent measles outbreaks in the United States have primarily occurred among unvaccinated school-aged children, often after exposure to people from other countries with ongoing outbreaks, according to a report published in the Aug. 22 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Codeine can present a threat to breast-fed infants, according to research published online Aug. 20 in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

Parents who self-report frequently spanking children and spanking children with an object also report other punishments that are consistent with physical abuse, according to an article released online Aug. 20 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Programs that reduce risk-taking, improve social capital, and improve levels of affluence would work best to improve adolescent health, researchers reported in the September Journal of Adolescent Health.

Radiation damage can spread to unirradiated parts of the body and cause cancer in mice via a bystander effect that induces cellular damage and death, according to a report published online Aug. 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

Measles cases occurring in 2008 through July 31 were the highest reported year-to-date since 1996, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s August 22 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Pain treatments that contain codeine may not be safe for all mothers who breastfeed their infants, according to a report in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.

The media play a crucial role in either encouraging or discouraging young people to start smoking, according to a monograph presented by the National Cancer Institute.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis seems to be multifactorial and the role of physical activity remains controversial, according to an article published in the August issue of Spine.

Moderate-to-severe ear infections in children may damage a taste-sensing serve that could pave the way for overeating and adult obesity, reported researchers at the American Chemical Society Fall 2008 meeting.

Adalimumab was associated with improved symptoms in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, according to the results of a study published in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Optimizing the cost effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination depends on several factors: the duration of vaccine immunity, achieving universal coverage in pre-adolescent girls, targeting catch-up vaccinations among young women and revising screening guidelines, according to a report published in the Aug. 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.