News

Although baseball is relatively safe compared to other high school sports, injuries are common -- including serious injuries resulting from being hit with a batted ball -- and could be reduced by requiring players to use appropriate safety equipment, according to a report published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

In an effort to protect the world's youth from the addictive effects of smoking, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for a worldwide ban on the advertisement, promotion, and sponsorship of all tobacco products.

A new report -- Guiding Principles for Development of ACIP Recommendations for Vaccination During Pregnancy and Breast-Feeding -- approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in March, may help standardize procedures for policy formulation and presentation of the rationale and recommendations for the vaccination of pregnant and breast-feeding women, according to an article published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's May 30 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Rats prenatally exposed to cigarette smoke are more likely to have gasping breathing patterns after hypoxia and take longer to recover normal breathing after hypoxia at higher temperatures, investigators have found. The research suggests that prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke may affect the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to a report in the June 1 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Adverse events experienced by hospitalized children may increase length of stay and costs, and pediatric-specific quality indicators are useful in calculating these effects, according to research published in the journal Pediatrics in June.

Children continue to be the innocent victims of prescribing, dispensing, and medication administration errors, whether as inpatients, outpatients, or in their own homes.

Alignment. Accommodative esotropia is treated initially with glasses. The glasses may not improve visual acuity. They are used so the child does not have to make the accommodative effort; the eyes may not "turn in" and the child can use the eyes together, binocularly. If the eyes are aligned with spectacle correction, surgery may never be required. However, if the eyes are not aligned with glasses and/or bifocals, or if the child cannot be weaned from bifocals as he or she grows, then surgery may be indicated. We all lose our ability to accommodate for near tasks as time goes by-the loss of accommodative effort over time is of benefit to children with accommodative esotropia, because they may outgrow the need for glasses and avoid muscle surgery.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory alerting patients and health care providers to make the switch to hydrofluoroalkane (HFA)-propelled albuterol inhalers because chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-propelled inhalers will no longer be available in the United States after December 31, 2008.

Vitamin D supplementation to children and adolescents at the equivalent of 2,000 IU/day is safe for as long as a year and increases serum vitamin D to desirable levels, according to study results released online April 29 in advance of publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Medical students who understand the value of physical activity on a personal and professional level may be more likely to subsequently "prescribe" exercise to patients in their practices, according to a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis.

Childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, particularly during the first 6 months of life, increases the risk of being hospitalized for infectious illness, according to research published online May 27 in Tobacco Control.

In children with acute viral gastroenteritis, flat fizzy drinks such as cola contain too few electrolytes, too little water and possibly too much glucose to provide adequate rehydration, according to an article published online May 27 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Revised physician labeling for prescription drugs to enhance safety information for use during pregnancy and breast-feeding have been proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Although the changes are for information targeted at physicians, the same information is sometimes used in an adapted format for patients.