News

Summary: Time-pressed pediatricians have a new resource for surveying patients on the devastating problem of underage drinking.

Insight into which interventions are the most effective in helping adolescent patients fight overweight.

Finding the cause of stomachache, malaise, and weight loss in the 3-year-old

Inhalant abuse* US flu immunization rates * Lead testing * FDA news * Probiotics for newborns * Mediterranean diet

Editorial about PROS survey and focus on the children in Africa who unfortunately cannot benefit from what pediatricians have to offer in US.

Scant clothing, intense solar radiation, high heat and humidity, and burgeoning bug populations put children at risk for summertime dermatoses. The pediatric clinician must be able to distinguish innocent skin eruptions from potentially life-threatening disorders, and to counsel children and parents about skin protection during the summer.

Atopic dermatitis is much more than just "dry skin." It's important for patients and their families to receive proper health education, know about the different types of management options, and prepare for quality of life changes.

ABSTRACT: Most cases of cerebral palsy (CP) are the result of congenital, genetic, inflammatory, anoxic, traumatic, toxic, and metabolic disorders. A minority of cases result from asphyxia at birth. Nearly three-quarters of children with CP aged 7 years had a normal neurological evaluation at birth. Abnormal motor development usually provides the first diagnostic clue. Neuroimaging is recommended if the cause of CP has not been established with perinatal imaging. MRI is preferred to CT. Management of the multisystemic manifestations begins with a comprehensive medical evaluation by a multidisciplinary team that includes family members. Therapy is aimed at maximizing the patient's level of function. Key areas include ambulation, cognitive skills, activities of daily living, hygiene, and rehabilitation into society.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the average child watches 4 hours of television per day.1 By the time a child finishes elementary school, he or she will have seen 8000 murders on TV.1 By high school graduation, that child will have spent more time in front of the TV than in school.2

A 4-year-old Hispanic girl presented with abdominal pain of 2 months' duration that had been increasing in intensity for the past 2 days. The pain was localized to the epigastric area and was associated with episodic nonbilious vomiting and a 4-lb weight loss within the past month. The child had normal bowel movements and no recent travel or change in diet.

Two days after "heading" a soccer ball, a 17-year-old boy presented to the emergency department with progressive pain and a foreign-body sensation in his left eye. Visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/25 in the left eye. The pupils were equally round and reactive; full extraocular movements of both eyes were noted. The left eye had conjunctival injection and a 1-mm foreign body on the medial cornea with a surrounding halo of discoloration--typical of a metallic corneal foreign body. A Seidel test (which demonstrates streaming of fluorescein dye from the aqueous humor when illuminated with UV light) revealed no evidence of corneal perforation; there were noareas of fluorescein dye uptake.

The FDA approved retapamulin ointment (Altabax) for the topical treatment of impetigo. Retapamulin is a new molecular entity, which is indicated for use in patients ages 9 months and older [more].

Merck received FDA approval for a new indication for montelukast 10 mg (Singulair). The medication can now be prescribed for exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in patients 15 years and older [more].

The FDA issued a formal written request to Shelhigh, Inc. to recall all of its medical devices still in the marketplace, including hospital inventories, due to questions about sterility [more].

The Food and Drug Administration proposed that all manufacturers of antidepressant meds update their existing black box warnings. The product labels should include warnings about increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior, in 18- to 24-year olds, usually in the first two months of treatment [more].

Manufacturing problems have cut production of a four-disease combination vaccine (Pro Quad) made by Merck (MMWR Wkly Rept:56(18);45), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccine protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. [more].

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have announced a recall of approximately 450,000 Evenflo Embrace Infant Car Seat/Carriers. [more]

A discussion with probiotic experts Dr. Allan Walker and Dr. Erika Isolauri

Intractable crying in infants and young children can be a language all of its own-capable of communicating underlying disease. Here's what pediatricians need to know to avoid getting lost in translation.

Intractable crying in infants and young children can be a language all of its own-capable of communicating underlying disease. Here's what pediatricians need to know to avoid getting lost in translation.

Intractable crying in infants and young children can be a language all of its own-capable of communicating underlying disease. Here's what pediatricians need to know to avoid getting lost in translation.

Intractable crying in infants and young children can be a language all of its own-capable of communicating underlying disease. Here's what pediatricians need to know to avoid getting lost in translation.

Intractable crying in infants and young children can be a language all of its own-capable of communicating underlying disease. Here's what pediatricians need to know to avoid getting lost in translation.

Uncovering the origin of chest pain among children requires heightened levels of awareness, and oftentimes, outside intervention.

The boy who never grew up and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital

Letters to the Editor