Antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal infections have become a major health problem. In February 2000 the FDA approved Prevnar, the exciting new vaccine that can prevent pneumococcal infections - the leading cause of serious meningitis and pneumonia....
Half the homes in the United States contain firearms. Even if children don't have them in their own homes, they are likely to encounter them in the homes of neighbors and relatives. Firearm safety education is not enough -- guns need to be kept away...
Tremendous strides have been made in treating children with cancer. I remember the time when most children with cancer died from their illness -- now most live. But we must not ignore those who are still dying. A poignant report in the February 3rd...
I spent a glorious weekend with a small group of Internet health pioneers. One of the questions raised was what do we call the people who are taking an active interest in their health? "Patients" isn't it. Nor is "consumers" or "users". "People" is...
None of us like it when our children experience pain. A study in the January 2000 journal Pediatrics documented a remarkably powerful pain reliever for children - hugs! In this randomized, controlled trial at Boston Medical Center, some infants...
The first trimester of pregnancy can be a vulnerable time. Some medicines taken during that period can have catastrophic effects on the baby. The third trimester is generally safer. Evidence published in the February 11, 2000 issue of Science...
The biggest safety concern in baseball is getting hit with the ball. Traditional hardballs have cork centers that are wrapped in layers of wool. Safety baseballs have a polyurethane core and are the same size and weight as regular hardballs. Tests...
"I'm sorry, but your child can't come back to daycare until she starts antibiotics." Statements like this led to a study that was published in the February 2000 issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The report concluded that...
Spitting up is common in babies, but a few infants can hardly keep anything down. When the valve at the bottom of the stomach gets too tight, we call it pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects about 0.3% of babies. The Centers for Disease Control...
Over 2/3 of children with GE reflux (the sloshing upwards of stomach acid) get no treatment at all - not even over-the-counter antacids. A study of more than 1,000 children published in the February 2000 issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent...
An interesting Duke University study of 1,422 children found that mental health services are quite effective at reducing psychiatric symptoms of children - if the children receive enough sessions. But that's a big 'if'’! Where I practice, insurance...
Infections can be avoided both by decreasing the exposure to germs and by boosting your child’s immunity. Click here for 6 powerful ways to decrease germ exposure.
