Identifying preventable risk factors for hospitalised asthma in young Aboriginal children: a whole-population cohort study.

Background: Australia has one of the highest rates of asthma worldwide. Indigenous children have a particularly high burden of risk determinants for asthma, yet little is known about the asthma risk profile in this population.

Aim: To identify and quantify potentially preventable risk factors for hospitalised asthma in Australian Aboriginal children (1-4 years of age).

Dietary advice, dietary adherence and the acquisition of tolerance in egg-allergic children: a 5-yr follow-up.

IgE-mediated egg allergy is a common childhood food allergy affecting about 1-2% of 2-yr-old children. Egg avoidance is the mainstay of treatment for egg allergy; however, it is unclear what type of dietary advice parents of children with egg allergy receive and to what extent this dietary advice is adhered to. This study aimed to assess: (i) the type and source of dietary advice parents receive in a tertiary hospital setting, (ii) how closely parents adhere to advice given, (iii) what patient characteristics influenced adherence to diet and (iv) whether strict adherence to dietary advice was an identifiable factor in whether children outgrew their egg allergy.

Parental perceptions in egg allergy: does egg challenge make a difference?

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of an oral egg challenge in egg sensitized children on parental perceptions relating to their child's allergy. A questionnaire was completed by parents for 167 children attending a tertiary paediatric clinic with egg sensitization. The questionnaires included 10 questions concerning parental perceptions of their child's egg allergy.

Egg allergy: are all childhood food allergies the same?

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies in childhood affecting about 1-2% of preschool children and differs in a number of ways from other common childhood food allergies such as cows milk and peanut. Common egg allergens are altered both by heat and gastric enzymes. Compared with peanuts/tree nuts and milk, egg allergy appears less likely to cause severe life-threatening reactions or fatal anaphylaxis.

Implementation and evaluation of a neonatal educational program in rural Nepal.

A needs assessment at Tansen Mission Hospital established gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes of health professionals, contributing to the high neonatal mortality in Nepal. This study was designed to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program in Newborn Care, using best evidence teaching methods and content. Pre intervention, an audit of newborn care practices and documentation was performed using a structured checklist.