European Respiratory Society statement for defining respiratory exacerbations in children and adolescents with bronchiectasis for clinical trials.

Bronchiectasis is being diagnosed increasingly in children and adolescents. Recurrent respiratory exacerbations are common in children and adolescents with this chronic pulmonary disorder. Respiratory exacerbations are associated with an impaired quality of life, poorer long-term clinical outcomes, and substantial costs to the family and health systems.

Thoracic Kyphosis is Now Uncommon Amongst Children and Adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis.

Historically, thoracic kyphosis has been reported to be common amongst patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The mechanisms leading to the development of this abnormality of the chest wall are not fully understood. In order to explore the prevalence of the condition amongst children with CF in the early twenty-first century and to explore factors that might be contributing to its development, a retrospective cross sectional study was undertaken in a regional CF unit.

Cow's milk allergenicity.

In this review, clinical and epidemiological aspects of milk allergy along with current data on the structure and function of the main cow's milk allergens, are presented. Milk allergy is the most frequent food allergy in childhood. One of the reasons why allergy to cow's milk shows its highest prevalence in children is its early introduction into the diets of infants when breast feeding is not possible.

Assessment of bone mineral density and markers of bone turnover in children under long-term oral anticoagulant therapy.

Oral anticoagulants antagonize vitamin K action and potentially impair the carboxylation of osteocalcin, a protein essential for normal bone matrix formation. In the present study, bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers were evaluated in 23 children under long-term oral anticoagulant therapy. BMD of the lumbar spine was assessed (Dual Energy x-ray Absorptiometry) and reported as z score.