Pediatrics Category
Top NEWS Post 12-18-2008
Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:
- Preventing Food Allergies in Children – A Change of Strategy?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States in 2007 around 3 million children under 18 had food allergies - a rise of 18% since 1997. The CDC says in 2006 about 6.8 million children suffered from some sort of allergy and for some reason which remains unclear there are a growing number of children with allergies to foods such as peanuts, eggs and fish and these affected children are two to four times as likely to have related conditions such as asthma or other allergies.
Top NEWS Post 12-18-2008
Top NEWS Post 12-16-2008
Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:
- Adolescent Scoliosis: Early Detection Is Important And Treatment Options Exist By Cindy Marti, PT, Spinal Dynamics Of Wisconsin
Baby boomers may recall the days of being screened for scoliosis in elementary or middle school. While this practice was common in states across the US for a number of years, it has stopped in many communities. Some may also remember when kids diagnosed with scoliosis wore heavy-looking metal braces. This full-torso brace extended from the pelvis to the base of the skull.
Cindy Marti is a physical therapist and president of Spinal Dynamics of Wisconsin. She has traveled to Europe to study the Schroth method, a non-surgical approach to scoliosis treatment used widely across Europe for decades. She and two of her clinic’s colleagues are among fewer than 20 US-based physical therapists now certified in Schroth.
Top NEWS Post 11-21-2008
Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:
- Very Low Birth Weight a Risk Factor for One Cause of CKd
Individuals who were underweight at birth are at increased risk of developing a condition called secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, according to a study appearing in the January 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology
Top NEWS Post 10-30-2008
Here is our Top News Post for today, brought to you by MedReader:
- Aggressive Phototherapy No Bonus For The Tiniest Babies
According to a recent study, phototherapy did not decrease Neurodevelopmental impairments or deaths in infants weighing less than 1,000g. Although the aggressive treatment using phototherapy was effective in reducing Neurodevelopmental impairments in infants weighing only 501-751 g, death rates tended to be higher. Phototherapy is often used to decrease bilirubin levels. High levels of bilirubin can lead to hearing loss. Other treatment strategies, such as the use of tin mesoporphyrin, might be the safest and most effective strategy to address the postnatal rise in serum bilirubin levels in these tiny infants.
Are Hospitals Discouraging Breastfeeding?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released their 2008 breastfeeding report card recently and it was not impressive. The report suggested that standard procedures at many birthing facilities are not supporting a woman’s chances for a successful breastfeeding experience with their newborn infants.
The CDC survey, completed by over 2500 hospitals and birth centers in the U.S., examined such practices as labor and delivery, breastfeeding assistance, mother-newborn contact and breastfeeding support after discharge. The participating facilities were scored based on a 100 point score card system. The national average was 63, but there was a wide range of scores. For example Arkansas scored a mere 48 points.
More Birth Defects Found In Babies Born of Diabetic Women
A study that looked at birth records of 13,000 births from ten different states found that birth defects were three to four times more likely to develop in women who had a form of diabetes termed “gestational” diabetes. The study provides detailed information on the types of deformities diabetic mothers are likely to incur with their infants which includes heart defects, missing kidneys and spine deformities.
Pain Placebo Marketed to our Children
This time marketing a pill as a supplement has gone too far. A pill called Obecalp (placebo spelled backwards) was released in March of this year targeted at our smallest generation, our children. It is designed to “treat the pain children have when medicine is not really needed”, but the idea that children put in their heads is that mommy is giving them a “pill” to make them feel better. The pill is essentially a placebo and is not designed to do anything at all at $6.00 a bottle for 50 pills.
Does Exercise Help Obese Kids?
When children eat quality foods, i.e fruits, vegetables, whole grains, instead of fat laden foods and empty calorie foods, i.e. luncheon meats, cookies, fruit snacks, they are much less likely to have a weight problem regardless of the amount of exercise that they get.
The Rising Trend of Obesity in Our Youth
A story outlined in the Washington Post recently outlined the health travesty awaiting our country in just one generation. With one in three children now overweight or obese, the clock is ticking on irreversible health consequences. Doctors are seeing children in elementary schools with gallstones, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.
