Current Pediatric Reviews - Volume 2, Issue 4, 2006

The transition to extra-uterine life at birth represents a remarkable physiological challenge, particularly in pulmonary physiology as the lungs must immediately take over the role of gas exchange at birth. The extent of the change in pulmonary physiology that must occur at birth in order for the lungs to transform into an efficient gas exchange organ is exemplified by change in the pulmonary circulation. Throughout gestation, pul Read More

With the epidemiology now well described, stroke has been uncovered as a frequent cause of neurological disease in children. Arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) is the most common type, affecting both neonates and older children. The number of associated risk factors is large with current efforts directed toward understanding the mechanisms by which they translate into a stroke. Advanced neuroimaging modalities are im Read More

Neonatal seizures (NS) are generally an acute manifestation of disturbance of the developing brain and are very common in the first weeks of life. Many studies have been published concerning risk factors, etiology, identification, treatment and outcome of newborns with seizures, however, an important question as why the outcome is so diverse among neonates with seizures is still open to discussion. A literature review was pe Read More

Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) are a rapidly growing family of genetic and mostly multisystem diseases caused by defects in the biosynthesis of the glycan moiety of glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins. Since the description of the first patients by Jaeken et al. in 1980, 23 defects have been identified in N- and O-protein glycosylation: 18 defects in N- or N- and O-glycosylation (12 glycan assembly defects: C Read More

For many years the gold standard in diagnosing pneumonia has been the chest x-ray, both in clinical practice and for research purposes. The objective of this review was to examine the evidence to determine the role of chest x-ray in the diagnosis of pneumonia. A comprehensive literature search was conducted and abstracts were obtained from articles that, judged by their titles, bore relevance to the subject in q Read More

Deep inhalation (DI) induces changes in airway calibre that may last beyond the manoeuvre itself. The mechanisms involve mechanical interaction between conducting airways subjected to parenchymal tethering and lung parenchyma itself. Healthy children usually show small bronchodilation after DI. Increased airway calibre after DI has been documented in wheezy preschool children with mild airway obstruction and, after m Read More

The diagnosis of appendicitis in infancy is very difficult to make and is thus usually delayed. This delay is often associated with complications such as perforation and abscess formation as well as prolonged hospital stays and increased litigation. Despite the advent of newer diagnostic tools, such as ultrasonography and CT scan, as well as the volumes of knowledge that have surfaced regarding appendicitis in the younger age gro Read More

Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare congenital condition which results in significant morbidity and mortality. The Kasai hepatic portoenterostomy and liver transplantation have significantly improved survival in this disease; however, unraveling the etiology/etiologies will be required to improve transplantation free survival. At present, BA is still the single most common condition in children on pediatric liver transplant waiting lists Read More

For many families of pediatric cancer patients the use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) is an accepted adjunct to conventional therapy, even if data regarding effects and risks are scarce. This report provides information about the prevalence of CAM use and reasons for CAM use among pediatric cancer patients. We report the studies available in the literature concerning pediatric oncology and summaris Read More

Emerging empirical evidence indicates that parenting strategies can have a substantial impact on their adolescents' sexual health. Three critical parenting strategies: monitoring their adolescents, engaging them in frequent communication about sex, and, providing familial support may afford protection against their adolescents engaging in sexual risk behaviors, and consequently, reducing adolescents' risk of adverse sexual h Read More