With a combination vaccine that protects against five diseases now approved for use in the US--and other such vaccines on the horizon--pediatricians need answers to new questions: How should these vaccines be used for infants at various stages of immunization? Is it safe to give extra doses?
Finding an acceptable alternative to breast milk has proved to be a complicated quest that continues today.
A pediatrician argues that the prevalence and consequences of iron deficiency in the second year of life warrant a new practice: daily, prophylactic iron supplementation for 1- to 2-year-olds.
Letters from readers
Does supplementing infant formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have an effect on visual acuity, growth, and cognitive development?
Books for children who fear medical procedures
Adoptions of foreign-born children by families in the United States, which more than tripled over the past 25 years, may raise medical, developmental, psychosocial, and legal concerns. Pediatricians who understand those concerns can better serve international adoptees and their new-found families.
Resources
Q The divorced mother of a 5-year-old boy in my practice plans to marry her boyfriend.
Q The mother of a 9-month-old girl is worried that her daughter lacks an emotional attachment to her.
You are asked to evaluate an 8-year-old boy who recently developed white rings around moles on his neck and back. Although he complains of slight itching, you don't see signs of scratching.
All cutaneous and mucosal surfaces can fall prey to fungi such as dermatophytes and yeasts. Here's how to recognize superficial fungal infections and initiate treatment.
Who, exactly, is a carrier of group A streptococci? How high is the carriage rate? And once you've identified a carrier, is treatment warranted?
The preparticipation examination of these young athletes must address some important concerns beyond those of the usual PPE.
Resources
Unremitting fever
letters from readers
Religious faith doesn't come up regularly in examining room conversation. Yet patients--and parents--beliefs can sometimes affect medical care.
The link between infection with group A streptococci and rheumatic fever was made in the 1940s. In 1950, Denny and colleagues published the landmark study demonstrating that treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis with penicillin could prevent rheumatic fever.
Recurrent rhinorrhea can present a diagnostic challenge. The authors offer tips for sorting through the differential and recommend a minimalist, individualized approach to management.
Despite recent changes to residency training by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Educations, key ingredients of successful training will continue to include recruitment of talented and committed young physicians, exposure to numerous and diverse patients, and guidance by faculty who are knowledgeable and interested enough to interpret, teach, and inspire.
Autism on the rise, but MMR vaccine is not the cause. A boom in drugs prescribed for children (and other reasons for concern). Eye on Washington
Grunting, hot, and vomiting:What's the bother in Baby's belly?