Tag

Pediatrics

All articles tagged with #pediatrics

health13 hours ago•17 min saved

Teen’s Cannabis Scromiting Linked to Acute Thiamine-Deficiency Brain Disorder

A 15-year-old with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) suffered from severe vomiting that led to dangerous vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency and signs of Wernicke encephalopathy, a brain disorder usually associated with alcohol misuse. After rapid thiamine treatment, his neurological symptoms improved and he recovered enough to be discharged; he later stopped using cannabis. The case, one of the earliest pediatric CHS-linked instances of this brain condition, underscores the risk of nutritional deficits in CHS and suggests clinicians consider empiric thiamine supplementation in teens with prolonged CHS and new neurologic findings, even if MRI is inconclusive.

via Gizmodo|

#cannabis #chs #health

health-and-wellness19 hours ago•4 min saved

Back-to-School Germs: Four Illnesses Surge as Kids Return to Class

Back-to-school season is bringing a surge in four illnesses—gastrointestinal bugs, hand-foot-mouth disease, strep throat, and mono—according to a Northwestern Medicine pediatrician, with spread driven by close contact in classrooms; she emphasizes strict hygiene, changing older kids’ clothes after school, and keeping feverish children home, plus guidance on when it’s okay to return. The doctor also urges flu vaccination by Halloween, noting last season’s severe pediatric flu toll and that vaccines help reduce severity and illness even when not a perfect match.

via NBC 5 Chicago|

#back-to-school #gastrointestinal-bugs #hand-foot-mouth-disease

health2 days ago•6 min saved

Louisiana Girl Dies From Rare Brain-Eating Amoeba After Lake Swim

An 8-year-old girl in Ruston, Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a Lake Claiborne swim; the infection affects the nose and can cause fatal brain inflammation, with about 97% mortality; Louisiana has had three prior Naegleria fowleri deaths since 2011.

via Fox News|

#brain-eating-amoeba #health #lake-claiborne

health7 days ago•9 min saved

GLP-1 Drugs for Kids Divide Parents and Doctors

A growing number of families are turning to pediatric GLP-1 therapies such as Wegovy and Zepbound to treat obesity and related health problems in children, hoping to jump‑start healthier habits and prevent long‑term disease. While clinicians say there can be real medical benefits beyond weight loss, experts caution about unknown long‑term effects on development, potential puberty impacts, access barriers, and social stigma; use remains relatively rare but is expanding in pediatric care.

via New York Post|

#glp-1 #health #obesity

health8 days ago•11 min saved

Laine’s comeback: prayers, therapy, and a South Tampa community

A five-year-old in South Tampa, Laine Nipper, suffers severe brain inflammation from an autoimmune encephalitis caused by MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). After emergency surgery and a prolonged hospital stay, she enters months of intensive rehabilitation across locations, backed by a community that launched and sustained a “Pray for Laine” campaign with signs, fundraisers, and billboard support. Through music, speech, and other therapies—and with an eye-tracking device to aid communication—Laine shows progress while doctors manage ongoing IVIG treatments and the unpredictable trajectory of her recovery. The family remains hopeful, cherishing small milestones as they navigate an uncertain but determined road ahead.

via Tampa Bay Times|

#autoimmune-encephalitis #community-support #health

science8 days ago•3 min saved

Finnish study links childhood screen time to better adolescent cognition, with sex-specific patterns

A Finnish eight-year PANIC study followed about 260 children and found that more childhood screen time was associated with better cognitive processing in adolescence, especially when screen use involved learning or problem-solving. Gender differences emerged: girls benefited from light activity, boys from guided activity, while unsupervised activity showed an unexpected pattern and device-based activity measurements sometimes diverged from self-reports. The study shows associations, not causation, and more research is needed to determine cause and effect and sex-specific effects.

via ScienceDaily|

#cognitiveprocessing #pediatrics #physicalactivity

health23 days ago•50 min saved

Stomachache hinted at a rare pediatric killer: a 5-year-old’s battle with Clarkson’s disease

A 5-year-old on a family vacation in Oregon developed a stomachache and vomiting that rapidly escalated to a life-threatening case of Clarkson’s disease (systemic capillary leak syndrome). The rare diagnosis, typically seen in adults and with few pediatric cases, caused plasma leakage, edema, and distributive shock, leading to the child’s death after extensive life-support efforts. The case underscores how difficult it is to diagnose this condition in children and that there is no established cure, with fundraising supporting the family.

via Yahoo|

#clarksons-disease #emergency-medicine #health

health24 days ago•66 min saved

Cheap Liquid Halts Kids’ Cavities Without Drilling, US Trial Finds

A large U.S. trial shows that a low-cost liquid treatment can arrest dental decay in children without drilling, offering a noninvasive alternative to fillings and anesthesia and potentially expanding access to caries care.

via AOL.com|

#dentistry #health #noninvasive

health25 days ago•3 min saved

Oregon vacation ends in tragedy as 5-year-old dies from rare Clarkson's disease

A family trip to Oregon ended with the death of 5-year-old Justin Vu from Clarkson's disease (systemic capillary leak syndrome), a very rare condition that causes sudden blood pressure collapse. Diagnosed after initial concerns for appendicitis or infection, the illness worsened to require life support; Justin died on July 8 despite treatment. The disease is extremely rare in children, with limited documented cases and no known cure, though some therapies can help manage episodes. A fundraiser has raised about $45,000 for the family.

via USA Today|

#clarksons-disease #family-tragedy #health

health27 days ago•6 min saved

Family's $860K experimental gene therapy ends in tragedy, raising safety and ethics concerns

A Chinese family paid about $860,000 for an experimental brain-targeted base-editing therapy for their 6-year-old daughter with a developmental disorder. The treatment, never used in humans, preceded fatal complications—thrombotic microangiopathy—days after administration, prompting scrutiny of safety signals from animal studies, questions about research oversight, and ethics concerns after a Nature paper published without acknowledging the child's case.

via New York Post|

#biotech #ethics #gene-editing

health27 days ago•7 min saved

Brush-on liquid stops cavities in kids without drilling, study finds

A Phase III trial with 830 children found that applying silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to decayed baby teeth every six months can halt decay in about 38% of treated teeth without drilling, injections, or sedation, though it permanently darkens the treated area; the method could expand access to care and support FDA approval for a cavity-related drug.

via ScienceDaily|

#dentistry #fda-approval #health

health1 month ago•3 min saved

Early PFAS Exposure May Trigger Gut Inflammation in Children

A Mt Sinai study followed 107 mother–child pairs from pregnancy to age 11 and found that prenatal and early-life exposure to PFAS mixtures is linked to higher fecal calprotectin, a biomarker of intestinal inflammation, in children. This suggests an early-life exposure pathway to inflammatory bowel diseases later in life; the study emphasizes real-world chemical mixtures but acknowledges a small sample size and calls for policy action and practical steps for mothers, such as PFAS-removing water filters, buying organic, and avoiding waterproof or stain-resistant products.

via The Guardian|

#environment #health #pediatrics

health1 month ago•7 min saved

The lifelong pain gap: minority patients face persistent undertreatment

Global research shows minority ethnic patients are routinely undervalued and undertreated for pain from birth to end of life, across emergency care, maternity, chronic pain, cancer, and palliative settings. Studies consistently find minority children receive less recognition of pain and fewer opioids, Black women face bias in childbirth, and minority cancer patients receive lower opioid prescriptions and doses, contributing to worse pain control and outcomes.

via The Guardian|

#ethnicity #health #healthcare-disparities

health1 month ago•3 min saved

Ontario boy dies of rabies after bat encounter at cottage

An 11-year-old Ontario boy died from rabies after a bat landed on his face at a cottage. He and his family initially delayed medical care while doctors considered other diagnoses; rabies was confirmed after progressive symptoms and he died 17 days later. The case underscores the importance of postexposure prophylaxis after direct bat contact and reflects Canada’s historically low rabies rate due to vaccination programs.

via BBC|

#bat #canada #health

world1 month ago•24 min saved

Bat lands on sleeping boy’s face; 11-year-old dies of rabies in Canada

An 11-year-old boy in Northern Ontario woke to find a bat on his face, with no visible wounds. About 19 days later he developed rabies symptoms and died after rapid neurological decline; the case, the first locally acquired rabies in the area since 1967, underscores how bat exposures can be missed and the importance of prompt rabies prevention after potential contact.

via New York Post|

#bats #canada #pediatrics