Pediatrics in the News

Baby Names

Blog Author — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:16:55 GMT

The national list of most popular baby names has been released. In addition, Dallas News lists the most common names in Texas. Check and see where your child's name ranks -- my informal poll of the patients in our practice confirms the accuracy of these lists!

Success of the Rotavirus Vaccine

Blog Author — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:45:33 GMT

In the 2007-2008 winter season, Medical City Dallas Hospital saw a reduction in hospitalization due to Rotavirus by approximately 85% compared to the prior season. There has always been some variability from year to year in the rates of many infectious illnesses, but this is most likely due to the widespread use of the Rotavirus Vaccine over the past 2 years. I expect that the rate of illness and hospitalization from Rotavirus will continue to decline over the next few years as we achieve better "herd immunity" in the community. The rate of RSV infection was almost double that of last year, however, so this was still a bad RSV season.

Flu Season

Blog Author — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:49:54 GMT

The Dallas Morning News is reporting what we have been suspecting for weeks -- this year's flu vaccine has not been great protection against the flu. In any given year, vaccine manufacturers try to predict what the most prevalent strains of influenza virus will be. This year, the vaccine is covering only 27% of the viruses going around Texas. We have certainly observed that kids who got the vaccine but still get sick are having milder cases, so there does appear to be some degree of cross-protection. In most years, the level of coverage falls around 70-90% protection, so this is a very unusual year. There is also some evidence to suggest that the nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, gives better cross-protection in a mismatched year.

Tummy Time

Blog Author — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:12:36 GMT

The "Back to Sleep" campaign has been extremely successful in reducing SIDS risk (a nearly 50% reduction in SIDS death). But it has had unintended consequences, principally a rise in positional plagiocephaly, a flattening of the back of the head. An article in the Dallas Morning News this week discusses how many of our babies' daytime activities can also contribute to these head-shape issues, and may limit their gross motor development. Bouncy seats, car seats, and exersaucers may also limit a baby's freedom of movement. Believe me, I know how easy it is to plop them into the bouncy seat so you can get a few things done. One surprising quote from the article: "If you haven't put a baby on her stomach by the time she's 5 days old, she decides she shouldn't be on her stomach," said Mary Weck, a clinical specialist and physical therapist at Children's Memorial. "They really get in the mind-set that they shouldn't have to work physically." Until now, we have not typically emphasized tummy time at such an early age. This does, of course, need to be supervised, awake tummy time. Bottom line: as much as you can, give your child freedom to move.

Cord Blood Transplant at Medical City

Blog Author — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 18:17:29 GMT

A Dallas News article reports that a child here at Medical City received his own banked cord blood as treatment for cancer.

The Language of Babies

Blog Author — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:34:24 GMT

My dear wife saw a segment on Oprah last week describing the different sounds babies make when they cry. According to Oprah's guest, Priscilla Dunstan, there are 5 distinct sounds that babies make when they cry, and this corresponds to what is bothering them. I have to admit, as I listen to my babies at home, as well as patients here in the office, I am learning to distinguish amongst hungry, tired, burp, gas, and discomfort.
Dunstan Baby Language DVD

Baby Bottle Reviews

Blog Author — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:45:31 GMT

Consumer Search is a very useful website that compiles reviews for a variety of different consumer goods -- everything from car tires and HDTV's to diapers and car seats. They compile results from a variety of different review sources to give you a "consensus opinion" about the best products. They have just come out with reviews of the best baby bottles - I can't vouch for any of these personally, but I have found their reviews to be very reliable. They also point out several options that are BPA-free.

Our Vaccines Not Affected by Recall

Blog Author — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:33:26 GMT

Merck has recalled 1.2 million doses of Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) vaccine due to concerns about sterility in the manufacturing process. Forest Lane Pediatrics uses a different manufacturer for our Hib vaccine, so the patients in our practice are not affected by this recall.

Reuters article

Honey for Cough?

Blog Author — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:50:04 GMT

Many recent news reports and studies have brought to light the fact that OTC cough and cold medicines don't work very well, and can also cause serious side effects. An article in the Dallas Morning News today reports on a study showing that a teaspoonful of honey at bedtime was better for cough relief and sleep compared to regular cough medicines or no treatment at all. So perhaps grandmother is right! It is extremely important to mention that honey should never be given to infants less than 1 year of age due to the risk for infantile botulism. I would consider honey as a home remedy in the "Can't Hurt, Might Help" category for older kids with cough.

Childhood Obesity Predicts Long-Term Heart Disease Risk

Blog Author — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:29:32 GMT

An extraordinary new study from Denmark demonstrates that obese kids face a higher risk of heart disease as adults, researchers reported today in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study is so interesting because of its large size and extremely long study period – 270,000 schoolchildren followed since 1930. Children who were obese at age 13 had a one-third higher rate of heart disease as adults. The risk was also evident at age 7 to a more moderate degree. This indicates that health interventions in the pre-teen years could modify adult risks. As a whole, this study should be quite shocking for the United States, where one-third of all children and adolescents are now considered overweight or obese, a rate far higher compared to the Danish study group. A separate study in the journal used computer models to predict the impact of this for the U.S., estimating that by the year 2035 heart disease will increase by 16% in 35-50 year-old adults.

For parents in our practice, I first want to say that we love you all dearly and do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings. When we look at your child’s growth curves with you, however, and notice that things are starting to creep (or skyrocket) upwards, this is an extremely serious situation. This is not a cosmetic issue for us – this has serious, long-term health ramifications for your child. We would be thrilled to discuss strategies to improve nutrition and increase exercise, but the biggest hurdle to overcome is your willingness to change. I find that the parental attitude and willingness to make lifestyle changes is the most important factor to improve your entire family’s health.

AP Article

New England Journal of Medicine