Articles filed under 'CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE'
Families in which hamsters, mice or rats are kept as pets should be especially carefully in handling them to prevent diarrhea-causing salmonella. Although the rates of transmission are low, precautions should still be taken.
A study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a direct link to pet rodents in persons sickened by the salmonella bacteria. The study spanned 10 states and involved a drug-resistant type of salmonella. Of the 15 persons made ill, 13 contracted salmonella directly from the pets. The other two got the infection from people with direct contact with pet rodents. Of the six patients hospitalized, four were less than 8 years old.
Consumers are warned that handling of pet rodents is a potential health risk, especially for children. To reduce chances of transmission, it is important to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after touching rodents, their cages, or their bedding.
Salmonella can be especially serious in young children. Young persons should be carefully supervised in their handling of pet rodents or in cleaning their cages. Instruct them not eat to while holding the rodent, handle it in food preparation areas or place it close to their mouth.
Similar transmissions of salmonella once occurred involving small, pet turtles, before the disease link was discovered and stores discontinued offering them as pets.
Source:Â Web MDÂ Â
January 4th, 2007
A study of 80 children ages 6 months to 12 years with ear tubes, middle ear infections, and visible drainage in the ear has shown that antibiotic ear drops are more effective than medication taken in oral doses (pill or liquid form). The study, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, involved researchers and children in five states – Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Florida.
Drops placed inside the ear deliver more concentrated doses of antibiotic to the precise spot where needed rather than dispersing it throughout the body. The drops resolved ear drainage three to five days faster, with 85% of children having overall clinical cures. In children taking oral medications, 59% had a similar response to treatment.
Ear tubes provide improved access to the middle ear, located behind the ear drum. The medication is able to reach the infection while avoiding intestinal and blood absorption through oral administration.
Infections of the middle ear are the most common diagnosis for which children are given antibiotics such as amoxicillin. Insertion of ear tubes is the most common surgery performed on children.
Statistics show that 1 in 6 children suffers an acute form of ear infection in the first year of life. In the next 6 years, 1 in 10 develops this medical condition. As a rule, ear tubes are not surgically implanted unless the problem is chronic and carries the potential for some degree of hearing loss. As a child grows, the eustachian tube lengthens and there is less likelihood of developing ear infections.
Antibiotic drops appear to be more tolerable for children, causing fewer gastrointestinal problems, skin reactions or yeast infections than oral antibiotics. For this reason, parental compliance with the prescribed treatment is also better. These pediatric patients are also less likely to develop antibiotic resistance, a concern with overuse of oral antibiotics.
As the lead study researcher points out, middle ear infections are often caused by micro-organisms not responsive to antibiotics approved for pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with ear drainage tubes also may have different micro-organisms than those without tubes and can require a different treatment. These children have been shown to respond well to a broader spectrum of topical antibiotic ear drops.
Source:Â Medical News TODAYÂ
December 27th, 2006
When used even the first time in small amount, the drug called “ecstasy†or MDMA can harm the brain through its neurotoxic effects, according to a recent study. Ecstasy has long been used as a recreational drug, but users may not realize the negative effects it can have on them.
Researchers have discovered through neuroimaging studies that blood circulation can become impaired or decreased in some areas of the brain of first-time users of this psychedelic or stimulant drug, illegal in the U.S. Ecstasy targets brain neurons that use serotonin to regulate a number of mental processes, including mood and memory.
Several earlier studies have shown that heavy use of Ecstasy can damage neurons, resulting in depression, anxiety, confusion, difficulty in sleeping and memory loss. However, recent findings presented in November 2006 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America confirm for the first time that small, initial doses can be damaging to the brain.
Medical investigators initially looked at 188 volunteers with no history of ecstasy use. Eighteen months later, they compared 59 of the first-time ecstasy users (who took an average of six tablets initially) with 56 non-users. All were retested with the same psychological tests as administered before the study began. In addition, cellular structure and blood flow measurements in the brain were re-examined.
Researchers found subtle changes in cell architecture and decreased blood flow in some brain regions, although no severe damage to the serotonergic neurons that affect mood. First-time, low-dose users demonstrated a decrease in verbal memory when compared with nonusers. It is not yet known whether these effects are temporary or permanent changes.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) survey in 2004 found that 450,000 people in the U.S. who are age 12 and over had tried ecstasy in the past 30 days. NIDA estimated in 2005 that 5.4% of American 12th graders had taken Ecstasy at least once.
This research project is part of the Netherlands XTC Toxicity study which also examines high-dose ecstasy users and is attempting to provide information on long-term effects of ecstasy use in the general population.
Source:Â Science Daily
December 12th, 2006
An international trial of a vaccine designed to prevent asthma from developing in young children is being tested in 200 babies and toddlers from the U.S. and Australia. The clinical trial could expand to Germany and Sweden, as well. All are receiving daily oral drops of common allergens over a one-year period.
All children receiving the oral vaccine are from families with a strong history of asthma or other allergies. They will be followed for three years to determine whether their immune system can be educated to prevent allergies that trigger asthma. The drops are similar to those used to treat patients with established allergies and are considered to be safe.
This first attempt to prevent young children from getting allergies is considered promising. If successful, children all over the world could benefit. Asthma can be a debilitating and life-threatening condition, and preventing it from developing early on would be a major breakthrough.
Source: ABC Online
April 24th, 2006
Manufacturers are filling orders for larger car seats due to the increasing obesity epidemic involving young children. A study published in Pediatrics journal reveals that some 280,000 U.S. children between the ages of 1 and 6 are too heavy for weight limits of standard car seats. The most affected category is 3-year-olds who weigh more than 40 pounds.
Using car seats that don’t accommodate the increasing weight and girth of young children can put them at greater risk of injury in car accidents. In addition, older obese children may not fit into booster seats or have attained the height (57 inches) to use an adult seat belt.
Properly restraining toddlers in car seats or older children in booster seats has been shown to reduce risk of fatal injury by more than half. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Each year about 1.5 million youngsters are involved in crashes.
Sturdier car seats can help cut fatalities and serious injuries of heavier young children, but a price tag of $240 and higher may be more than many families can afford.
National growth charts and the 2000 census indicate that at least 283,305 children ages 1 to 6 are too heavy for standard safety seats. More than 23 percent of U.S. children ages 2 to 5 were overweight and more than 10 percent obese in 2001-2002, according to government data. Statistics are expected to show a continuing upward trend.
Sources: Oakland Tribune; 4/3/06 AP article by reporter Lindsay Tanner, CNN Money.com
April 7th, 2006
Type 2 diabetes is rising so rapidly in young children that many will die younger than their parents. This alarming trend is directly related to the epidemic of overweight or obese children we are seeing in many schoolyards today. Inactivity, overeating, and indulging in foods high in fat and sugar content are major factors in this looming health crisis.
Alice Waters, owner of renowned Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café in Berkeley, California, is working with groups of schoolchildren in a concerted effort to reverse this trend.
“Universal physical education is a start, and it’s a shame that schools have been cutting back on recess and gym,†Waters says. “But in a country where 9 million children over age 6 are obese, we need the diet part of the equation.â€
Waters knows from experience that teaching children about food changes their lives. She helped to initiate the gardening and cooking program, the “Edible Schoolyard,†in Berkeley’s Public Schools. “Children’s eating habits stay with them for the rest of their lives,†Waters explains.
 “The best way to defeat the obesity epidemic is to teach children about food — and thereby prevent them from ever becoming obese.â€
Critical of the hamburgers, chicken nuggets and French fries that dominate school lunch programs, Waters also bemoans the fast disappearing shared family meal. Only a third of married couples with children report having dinner regularly together.
In schools without programs such as hers, it’s all too often that fresh fruit and salad get thrown out from cafeteria meals. Students frequently bring packaged junk food in their lunches or buy fast food after school.
Waters’ program began at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School 10 years ago, with a kitchen classroom and a garden full of fruits, vegetables and herbs. The Edible Schoolyard has become a model for a district-wide school lunch program.
At King School today, 1,000 children now grow, prepare and share fresh food. In addition, teachers incorporate food-related activities into the math, science and history curriculum.
 “When a healthy lunch is part of a class that all children have to take, for credit – and when they can follow food from the garden to the kitchen to the table, doing much of the work themselves – something amazing happens.
Students want to taste everything. They get lured in by foods that are beautiful, that taste and smell good… When children grow and prepare good, healthy food themselves, they want to eat it, and what’s more, they like this way of learning.â€
Waters calls for a “delicious revolution†that will induce children in a pleasurable way to think critically about what they eat. She advocates food studies as part of a core curriculum for all students from kindergarten through high school.
“It will be costly,†she admits, “but if we don’t pay now, the health care bill later will be astronomical.â€
San Francisco Chronicle, 2/24/06; The New York Times; from an op-ed article by Alice Waters
March 26th, 2006
An Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously approved a recommendation that children ages 2 to 5 get flu shots. In the past, flu shots have been advised for children ages 6 months to 23 months, pregnant women, people 65 and older, and anyone with chronic health conditions. This recent decision seeks to give wider protection from a virus that kills thousands in the U.S. each year.
Protecting kids in this age group will help to prevent the spread of flu to their parents and other relatives. Children often bring home contagious diseases from daycare or pre-school settings, exposing other family members.
Vaccines for Children, a government program, will pay for flu shots for children ages 2 to 5. About 180 million Americans are in groups currently recommended to get flu vaccines. Even so, manufacturers expect to throw away about 100 million doses produced for this current flu season.
A few minutes of time getting a flu shot before flu season begins can help protect loved ones from needless illness and perhaps save their lives. Flu shots produce little or no discomfort or side effects. They are effective in preventing influenza or lessening the degree of illness if you do get the flu.
Sources:Â San Francisco Chronicle, AP story, 2/23/06; Dr. Dean Edell, KGO- San Francisco weekly broadcasts
March 21st, 2006
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of childhood illness. Often referred to as “stomach flu,†rotavirus causes at least 55,000 U.S. children to be hospitalized annually for dehydration resulting from uncontrollable vomiting and diarrhea.
Fifty to 60 of these children will die. Most American children come down with the ailment repeatedly by age 5 and recover at home. They gradually gain immunity, usually by the time they enter first grade. In developing countries with poor access to health care, however, hundreds of thousands of babies die from rotavirus every year.
To combat this intestinal germ, a federal advisory panel recommended to the FDA that every healthy newborn in the U.S. be vaccinated for rotavirus in the first months of life. Babies should be given vaccine at age 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months, the panel recommends. The oral vaccine won approval from the FDA on February 3. Some doctors already have supplies on hand. The panel’s recommendation becomes policy when adopted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is expected to happen.
Seven years earlier, a rotavirus vaccine with withdrawn from the market after causing potentially life-threatening intestinal blockages in some babies. The new vaccine produced by Merck Pharmaceuticals has been rigorously tested for safety. RotaTeq, the improved vaccine, was tested in about 70,000 babies in 11 countries in one of the largest vaccine trials ever.
RotaTeq “generally appears to have a better safety profile than the earlier vaccine,†said Umesh Parashar, a medical epidemiologist at the CDC. He adds that it will continue to be scrutinized and hopefully confirm the absence of risk. The new vaccine will be one of the most expensive vaccines ever marketed. Doctors are expected to charge $300 for the series of three oral vaccines.
RotaTeq contains live, but weakened strains of the virus. The vaccine is designed to build immunity without causing a baby to become ill.
San Francisco Chronicle, 2/22/06; Associated Press contributed to the article which appeared in the Washington Post recently; reported by Justin Gillis.
March 21st, 2006
If your child has been labeled “hyperactive†by a teacher, you might think twice before resorting to a drug such as Ritalin to improve performance in class. Stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall are the most widely prescribed medications for childhood behavioral problems. Some 2.5 million children and 1.5 million adults are taking them for hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD).
An FDA panel recently voted 8-7 to recommend written guides to patients and to require that prominent, “black box†warnings be placed on drug labels. Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic and member of the panel voiced “grave concerns†about the harm these drugs may cause. The vote took place after FDA medical officers described reports of 25 sudden deaths, mostly children, among those taking these stimulants.
A biostatistician on the panel went so far as to say that stimulants might be more dangerous to the heart than the painkiller Vioxx, withdrawn from the market in recent years. Some physicians believe the drugs may increase risks of strokes and serious arrhythmias in children and adults, although the risk of heart disease is small in childhood. All panel members agreed that parents of children with known heart conditions should consult their physicians about the use of such drugs.
Ritalin has been marketed since 1955. Dozens of studies have shown it to be safe and effective, although these studies may not have continued long enough to determine risks of long-term use. The soaring popularity of these medications warrants close study as to their potential risks to the heart. Preliminary analysis suggests that heart risks may increase two-fold. With the increasing use of these medications in adults, this data may be more significant for them.
Panel members were deeply divided as to relative risks and benefits of stimulants. Psychiatrists and psychologists who treat patients with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disagreed on whether a strongly worded warning was warranted. The director of the Center for Children and Families at the State University of New York voiced the idea that a black-box warning might prompt families to explore behavioral treatments as alternatives to drugs – “a very good outcome for kids with ADHD and their families.†Other FDA officials expressed concern about scaring away many from needed treatment and minimizing the benefits of these drugs. They were unwilling to “sensationalize what is a very low-probability event.â€
In March, the FDA will convene a committee made up primarily of pediatricians and psychiatrists on these issues. These clinicians are expected to voice support for continued use of stimulants and be reluctant to frighten patients with black box warnings. Pharmaceutical company representatives agreed to cooperate with the FDA on any label changes.
Sources:Â San Francisco Chronicle, 2/10/06, Gardiner Harris, New York Times reporter; New York Times editorial (2/12/06)
March 19th, 2006
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