Some one special in my life asked me to keep an eye out for important health news..... so here is the first of many updates:
Hazards: Steroids for Children Pose Danger of Chickenpox
Children taking medicines that contain steroids may be at risk for much more serious, even deadly, cases of chickenpox, a new study finds.
Writing in the November issue of Pediatrics, the researchers warn that the problem lies in the way steroids work, by suppressing the immune system.
http://tinyurl.com/b7omh
Panel Recommends Hepatitis A Vaccine for Children and Whooping Cough Shots for Adults
ATLANTA, Oct. 26 - Every toddler in the country should be immunized against hepatitis A, and every adult should receive booster doses of whooping cough vaccine, a panel advising the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unanimously recommended Wednesday.
Shots for hepatitis A, a liver disease that is rarely fatal but is easily spread, "should be integrated into the routine childhood vaccination schedule" and given between 1 and 2 years, the panel said.
http://tinyurl.com/cb79a
California Seeks to Stop the Use of Child Medical Interpreters
MERCED, Calif., Oct. 29 (AP) - Suffering from a variety of ailments but unable to communicate with her doctor, Ker Moua, a Laotian refugee, recently enlisted her 12-year-old son as her medical interpreter.
The boy, Jue, was the liaison between his mother, who speaks only Hmong, and the doctor who diagnosed a prolapsed uterus, a result of bearing 14 children. Ms. Moua began taking her medication in the doses her son described, but soon felt so dizzy she could not get out of bed for two days. Jue had mistranslated the doctor's orders, leading his mother to take the wrong dosage.
The error did not cause lasting harm, but it is the kind California medical officials want to prevent.
http://tinyurl.com/b367m
New study shows impact of birth order on maternal solicitousness towards children's GI symptoms
Research points to greater parental protectiveness for children of mothers with irritable bowel syndrome
HONOLULU, October 31, 2005 -- New research presented at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology suggests that birth order impacts child perceptions of maternal solicitousness toward GI symptoms, particularly in families where the mother has Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Researcher Rona L. Levy, Ph.D. and colleagues at the University of Washington and other institutions looked at whether parents respond differently to GI symptoms as a function of the child's birth order, and whether this relationship differs by maternal IBS status.
Researchers looked at survey data from 342 children of 228 mothers, 112 of whom had a diagnosis of IBS. The children completed the child-report version of the Adult Responses to Children's Symptoms Inventory (Van Slyke & Walker, 2004), which measures parental solicitousness. Items such as "When you have a stomach ache, how often do your parents let you stay home from school?" were designed to assess protectiveness.
Child perceptions of parental protectiveness differed as a function of birth order, with second and third born children perceiving greater parental protectiveness than did only children. This effect was apparent for children of mothers with IBS, but not for children of mothers who did not have IBS.
"I think parents do protect first-borns, but there is always the phenomenon of the family baby. In my personal experience, my youngest kid often calls out for more being taken care of, and I also think I always see her as younger - at every age - than her sisters were at the same age," commented Dr. Levy.
Earlier research by Dr. Levy published in 2004 in the American Journal of Gastroenterology found that children whose mothers made solicitous responses to illness complaints independently reported more severe stomach aches, and they had more school absences for stomach aches, but solicitous behavior did not significantly impact non-GI symptom reporting, clinic visits or school absences.
Given the established relationship between parental solicitousness and child disability, later born children may be at increased risk for such negative outcomes, particularly later born children of IBS mothers.
According to Shelby L. Langer, Ph.D., the lead author, "Future research is needed to examine how parents respond to children in a more 'protective' but potentially problematic way. Well-intended protectiveness may actually reinforce illness behavior rather than wellness behavior. As a result, children could miss more school or report more symptoms."
Pedialyte and Gatorade equally effective in alleviating effects of viral gastroenteritis in children
HONOLULU, October 31, 2005 -- A double-blind trial of oral rehydration solutions for children with diarrhea and vomiting related to acute viral gastroenteritis found that Gatorade is as effective as Pedialyte in correcting dehydration and improving bowel symptoms. Satish S.C. Rao, M.D, Ph.D., FACG of the University of Iowa and colleagues at the Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, India presented the study at the 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.
This study randomized 73 children in India with viral gastroenteritis to receive Gatorade, Pedialyte or a new oral rehydration solution with carbohydrates, sodium and potassium for 48 hours. The children also received a diet of yogurt and rice. Of the 61 children between ages 5 and 12 who completed the study, stool frequency, stool consistency and body weight improved in children taking all three of the solutions, and there was no difference among the solutions. The researchers found that all three solutions were safe. When asked to rate the taste, the patients rated Gatorade and the new solution higher than Pedialyte. The study was supported by a grant from The Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
A potassium deficiency, known as hypokalemia, persisted in a few patients receiving Gatorade after 48 hours. Patients who experienced hyponatremia, an electrolyte disturbance, experienced persisting symptoms for all three solutions. According to Dr. Rao, "A small number of patients with dehydration may have significant electrolyte disturbances. As they continue to rehydrate with oral rehydration solutions, a portion may continue to experience electrolyte imbalances, and additional treatment may be necessary."
About Actue Viral Gastroenteritis
Acute viral gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, is an illness of fever, diarrhea and/or vomiting caused by an infectious virus. It usually is of acute onset, normally lasting less than 10 days and self-limiting. It is often referred to as the "stomach flu" even though it is not related to influenza.
http://tinyurl.com/8pjm7
No comments:
Post a Comment