News

By the time you read this, the war in Iraq will be largely over, and members of Congress returning from their Spring break may be able to turn their attention to the general welfare.

Q The mother of an 8-year-old girl in my practice, who describes herself as having been "very sensitive" ever since she was a child, mentioned to me that her daughter has recently adopted what she calls an "uncaring attitude" about the health and well-being of her family.

In early March 2003, in reports buried under headlines that described preparations for war, Americans began to learn about an apparently new respiratory infection spreading from the Far East. As news of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, moved to the front pages, we learned about the immense effort of scientists around the world to track the disease, establish diagnostic criteria and a mechanism of contagion, determine a cause, develop diagnostic tests, and investigate possible treatments.

A physician who practiced amid an outbreak of smallpox reviews the immunization procedure and complications.

Smallpox has re-emerged--not yet as a disease but as a subject of apprehension, debate, and misunderstanding. Here, an expert reviews the disease, vaccine, and proposed immunization strategies.

Does the latest study of a therapy warrant changing the care you give to children in your practice? You can be the judge--if you know what questions to ask about the research and how to find the answers.

Puzzler of the month

This controversial and little-understood treatment method is one of the most commonly used therapies around the world. Its safety has long been known, and recent research is beginning to shed light on efficacy.

Letters and responses from readers

After years of neglect, this method of managing hard-to-control seizures is being used more often by pediatric neurologists.

April in the nation's capital city is a time of flowering: public spaces filled with daffodils and tulips, trees bursting into blossom. Most years, optimism flowers along with the trees.

In all campaigns to combat substance abuse by adolescents, the spotlight is usually on illicit substances—marijuana, heroin, crack, Ecstasy, or whatever else is the teenage drug-du-jour.