More Than Just a Cold?
December 17, 2018
Recently, our office has seen quite a few young patients with bronchiolitis, which is a serious respiratory infection whose symptoms are very similar to the common cold. Both the common cold and bronchiolitis are caused by the same virus--respiratory syncytial virus (or RSV). So we are sharing this guide, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, with our parents and guardians. You'll find more information about RSV and how to tell the difference between a common cold and bronchiolitis.
Almost all children get RSV at least once before they are 2 years old. For most healthy children, RSV is like a cold. But, some children get very sick with RSV.
What is RSV?
RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus) is one of the many viruses that cause respiratory illness―illnesses of the nose, throat, and lungs. This virus occurs in the late fall through early spring months.
Typically, RSV causes a cold, which may be followed by bronchiolitis or pneumonia. Symptoms generally last an average of 5-7 days.
Read more at HealthyChildren.org.
Global-Health Officials Respond to Spike in Measles
December 13, 2018
From NPR News, published on November 30, 2018:
If you take the long view, international health organizations have much to be encouraged about when it comes to the global fight against measles. From 2000 to 2017, for instance, the annual number of measles-related deaths dropped 80 percent -- from a toll of over half a million to just under 110,000 last year.
But lurking inside those statistics, published Thursday by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are some far less rosy numbers. Specifically, what's been going on recently.
The report found that cases of the highly contagious disease spiked by more than 30 percent from 2016 to 2017. The WHO and CDC say there were 173,330 officially reported cases worldwide last year alone -- though they believe that those numbers represent just a fraction of the actual number.
"In general, the number of reported cases reflects a small proportion of the true number of cases occurring in the community," the WHO has previously explained, saying the organization uses a statistical model to estimate the actual number. "Many cases do not seek health care or, if diagnosed, are not reported. In addition, there is a one to two month lag time in reporting."
In this case, the model estimates the actual number of cases last year to be 6.7 million.
Health officials believe they know the roots of the growth.
New Study on Infant Sleep
December 10, 2018
From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
Along with other milestones like rolling over and sitting up, new parents often expect their infant will start sleeping through the night by around 6 months of age. But authors of a study in the December 2018 Pediatrics found that a large percentage of developmentally normal, healthy babies don't reach that milestone by 6 months of age, or even a year old.
For the study, "Uninterrupted Infant Sleep, Development, and Maternal Mood", Canadian researchers analyzed information from the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability, and Neurodevelopment longitudinal birth cohort study, which recruited participants from obstetric clinics in Montreal, Québec and Hamilton, Ontario. Sleeping through the night was defined as either 6 or 8 hours of sleep without waking up. Sleep measures were available for 388 infants at 6 months old, and 369 infants at a year old. At 6 months of age, according to mothers' reports, 38 percent of typically developing infants were not yet sleeping at least 6 consecutive hours at night; more than half (57 percent) weren't sleeping 8 hours. At 12 months old, 28 percent of infants weren't yet sleeping 6 hours straight at night, and 43 percent weren't staying asleep 8 hours.
Researchers also examined whether infants who woke up at night were more likely to have problems with cognitive, language or motor development; they found no association. They also found no correlation between infants waking up at night and their mothers' postnatal mood. But they did discover that babies who woke up during the night had a significantly higher rate of breastfeeding, which offers many benefits for babies and mothers.
Study authors said that sleeping through the night at ages 6 to 12 months is generally considered the "gold standard" in Western nations, where behavioral sleep training is popular among parents and professionals. They said their findings suggest parents might benefit from more education about the normal development of--and wide variability in--infants' sleep-wake cycles instead of only focusing on methods and interventions, especially for those who feel stressed about methods such as delayed response to crying.
Packages of Infant Ibuprofen Have Been Recalled
December 6, 2018
As reported on CNN.com:
A recall has been issued for infant ibuprofen sold by CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart, Tris Pharma said this week.
The three recalled lots of Concentrated Oral Suspension, USP (NSAID) 50 mg per 1.25 mL may have concentrations of ibuprofen that are too high and therefore could be dangerous, according to the recall announcement.
The over-the-counter liquid pain reliever and fever reducer is meant for infants who are between the ages of 6 months and 23 months old. Adverse events from the medication may include nausea, vomiting, upper abdominal pain, diarrhea, gastrointestinal pain, ringing in the ears and headache, although no adverse events related to the recalled ibuprofen have been reported, according to Tris Pharma.
"There is a remote possibility that infants, who may be more susceptible to a higher potency level of drug, and therefore may be more vulnerable to permanent NSAID-associated renal injury," the recall announcement said.
The recalled medications were 0.5 ounce bottles sold nationwide at CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart stores.
The Equate ibuprofen packages sold at Walmart have an national drug code of 49035-125-23 and include lot numbers 00717009A with an expiration date of February 2019, 00717015A with an expiration date of April 2019 and 00717024A with an expiration date of August 2019.
The CVS ibuprofen packages have a national drug code of 59779-925-23 and include lot number 00717024A with an expiration date of August 2019.
The ibuprofen sold at Family Dollar and branded as Family Wellness has a national drug code of 55319-250-23 and include lot number 00717024A with an expiration date of August 2019.
Consumers who have this medication should return it or throw it away. It should not be used. Retailers should discontinue selling it.
