the Paediatrics community of South Africa

Egg sensitivity and flu shot: doctors' dilemma

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:23:00 +0200

"My three-year-old had a skin breakout we think was due to eggs - is it safe to do a flu shot?" It's a question being asked to every doctor who takes care of kids during flu season.
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Commonly used pain reliever may be associated with asthma in children and adults

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:01:00 +0200

New research shows that the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug.
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Food advertising aimed at children contributes to obesity

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0200

Children's networks exposed young viewers to 76% more food commercials per hour than other networks.
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Children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI: Study

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:18:00 +0200

Eight-year-old children who drink full-fat milk every day have a lower BMI than those who seldom drink milk. This is not the case for children who often drink medium-fat or low-fat milk. This is one conclusion of a thesis presented at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
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First child with a surgically implanted artificial humerus doing well after a year

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:12:00 +0200

When little Mark Blinder was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, doctors at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital gave his parents three agonizing options: amputate the affected arm at the shoulder, irradiate the tumour and risk a second malignancy, or try a limb-preserving surgery that had never been attempted in a toddler.
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Campaign to end paediatric HIV/AIDS launched in Africa

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:07:00 +0200

At the launch of the Campaign to End Paediatric HIV/AIDS (CEPA) on Thursday, advocate Graca Machel urged African leaders to redirect state spending to prevent and treat HIV infections among women and children, Agence France-Presse reports.
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Tips to protect children from lead poisoning

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:40:00 +0200

Recent toy recalls have brought attention to the issue of lead in toys. Unfortunately, significant quantities of lead can still be found in many ordinary products that parents buy for their children. Lead is very harmful to children. October 18-24, 2009 is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and a great time to remind parents and caregivers to make sure that any products children use or play with including toys, children's jewellery, cribs, lunch boxes, crayons, chalk, and backpacks, are free of lead.
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Persistence of sucking habits increases risk of speech disorders in preschool children

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:44:00 +0200

Persistent pacifier, bottle and finger sucking may hamper a child's speech development.
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Make sure your children belt up!

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0200

Children restrained in belt-positioning booster seats less likely to get injured as study finds boosters especially effective in side impact crashes.
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Robotically assisted minimally invasive bladder reconstructive surgery on children performed

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:53:00 +0200

For the first time, a surgical robot has been used to perform minimally invasive reconstructive surgery on five children whose bladder was dysfunctional because they were born with spina bifida [incomplete formation of the spine or spinal cord].
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