Expanded Newborn Screening for Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Hong Kong: Results and Outcome of a 7 Year Journey.

Newborn screening (NBS) is an important public health program that aims to identify pre-symptomatic healthy babies that will develop significant disease if left undiagnosed and untreated. The number of conditions being screened globally is expanding rapidly in parallel with advances in technology, diagnosis, and treatment availability for these conditions. In Hong Kong, NBS for inborn errors of metabolism (NBSIEM) began as a pilot program in October 2015 and was implemented to all birthing hospitals within the public healthcare system in phases, with completion in October 2020.

Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) baths to reduce Staphylococcus aureus colonization in childhood onset moderate-to-severe eczema: A randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over trial.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonization/infection is an important factor in the pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis (AD). Clinical trials have demonstrated conflicting efficacy of diluted bleach baths in treating moderate-to-severe AD.

Efficacy and problems associated with using a wet-wrap garment for children with severe atopic dermatitis.

Use of a wet wrap for short-term relief of itch in children with severe atopic dermatitis has been advocated but objective determination of its efficacy has been difficult and many issues associated with its use are yet to be defined. We tested a new garment for the wet-wrap procedure in six patients with atopic dermatitis and objectively determined whether a 3-day usage could indeed relieve the distressing symptom of itch using a wrist motion monitor. The garments were effective in the short-term improvement of itching, severity of atopic dermatitis and quality of life in these children.

Inhalant allergens as risk factors for the development and severity of mild-to-moderate asthma in Hong Kong Chinese children.

Sensitization to aeroallergens has been found to be a dominant risk factor for asthma in population-based studies. Similar results in asthmatic children being managed in hospital-affiliated outpatient clinic have not been established. We therefore conducted a case-control study on asthmatic children attending a university hospital-based outpatient clinic to investigate the pattern of aeroallergen sensitization and to assess the correlation between asthma control and the presence of allergen-specific IgE-s.

Evaluation of an asthma management program for Chinese children with mild-to-moderate asthma in Hong Kong.

There is inconclusive evidence on the efficacy of outpatient clinic-based asthma management programs (AMP) in children. We hypothesized that an AMP based on key symptoms could improve outcome measures of asthma in Chinese children in Hong Kong. This study involved an outpatient clinic-based prospective cohort of Chinese children with asthma.