Transepidermal water loss during halogen spotlight phototherapy in preterm infants.

Among preterm infants there is a relationship between skin blood flow and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The aim of this study was to assess whether halogen spotlight phototherapy without significant heat stress increases TEWL and affects maintenance fluid requirements in preterm infants. TEWL was measured noninvasively before the start and after 1 h of halogen spotlight phototherapy in a group of preterm infants, nursed in double-walled incubators with moderately high relative humidity.

Efficacy of desmopressin combined with alarm therapy for monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

Purpose: We evaluated the combination of alarm and desmopressin versus alarm monotherapy for the treatment of nocturnal enuresis.

Materials And Methods: A double-blind, placebo controlled study of alarm therapy combined with desmopressin for children with nocturnal enuresis is described. Of 93 patients 47 were randomized to receive alarm therapy and 40 microg.

Hospital admissions and readmissions for asthma in the age group 0-4 years.

SUMMARY. Childhood rates for admission and readmission for asthma are highest under the age of 5 years. From a registration study in 0-4-year-olds, 100 patients (68 male) were admitted to hospital for asthma and followed for 1 year, yielding a total of 136 admissions.

Nasal peak inspiratory flow through Turbuhaler in children with symptomatic rhinitis and in healthy children.

Topical treatment of allergic or vasomotor rhinitis is possible by means of pressurized metered dose inhalers, aqueous spray, or dry powder inhalers. In children, little is known about nasal drug delivery by dry powder inhalation. The airflow through the device is critical for the drug release and a sufficient nasal inspiratory flow is needed for intranasal drug delivery from a dry powder inhaler.

Dose-responses over time to inhaled fluticasone propionate treatment of exercise- and methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction in children with asthma.

When treating bronchial hyperresponsiveness to so-called direct and indirect stimuli, distinct pathophysiological mechanisms might require differences in dose and duration of inhaled corticosteroid therapy. To test this hypothesis in children with asthma, we investigated the time- and dose-dependent effects of 2 doses of fluticasone propionate (FP, 100 or 250 microg bid.) in improving exercise- (EIB) and methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction during 6 months of treatment, using a placebo-controlled parallel group study design.

Risk factors for exacerbations and hospital admissions in asthma of early childhood.

Hospital admissions and readmissions for asthma in early childhood remain causes for concern. The purpose of this study was to identify predisposing risk factors related to asthma exacerbations and precursors of hospital admissions in young children. Subjects were patients with doctor-diagnosed asthma from a clinical registration study, aged 0-4 years, and followed up for 2 years.

Prognostic characteristics of asthma diagnosis in early childhood in clinical practice.

A registration study from clinical practice was set up to assess the prognostic value of symptoms and laboratory data at first visit for doctor-diagnosed 'asthma' in early childhood. A total of 419 children aged 0-4 y, who were newly referred to the outpatient department of the Juliana Children's Hospital with possible asthma were enrolled over a 2-y period. Data from history taking, physical examination, laboratory tests for atopic status at first visit and data from follow-up visits were recorded.

Sample size estimation in studies monitoring exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatic children.

Background: The repeatability of the response to standardised treadmill exercise testing using dry air and monitoring of heart rate in asthmatic children suffering from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) has not been well established.

Methods: Twenty seven asthmatic children with known EIB performed standardised exercise testing twice within a period of three weeks. The tests were performed on a treadmill while breathing dry air.

Confirmation of high incidence of type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in Moroccan children in The Netherlands.

The incidence of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus among Moroccan children aged (0-19 years) in The Netherlands was determined. Point of reference was the data derived from the second nationwide incidence study on Type 1 diabetes among children under 20 years of age. In that study the incidence among Dutch children was 13.

Occurrence of a late response to exercise in asthmatic children: multiple regression approach using time-matched baseline and histamine control days.

At the present time, there is still controversy concerning the presence of a late asthmatic response (LAR) to exercise challenge in asthma. We have, therefore, investigated the occurrence of a LAR after exercise in asthmatic children visiting an out-patient clinic, using time-matched baseline and histamine control days, and a statistical analysis according to recently published recommendations. After a screening exercise day, 17 children (aged 7-14 yrs) randomly performed, on three subsequent study days, either: a second standardized exercise challenge; or a histamine challenge whilst matching the bronchoconstriction after exercise; or measurement of baseline lung function without any challenge.

Neuropsychologic development in early treated congenital hypothyroidism: analysis of literature data.

The aim of this study was to determine the neuropsychologic development in patients with congenital (primary) hypothyroidism (CH) detected by screening and treated from early age. Seven studies were evaluated, including 675 CH patients and 570 controls. Criteria for inclusion of the studies were: 1) age of patients and controls > or = 5 y; 2) control group well defined in the original article.

Prolonged recovery from exercise-induced asthma with increasing age in childhood.

It has been suggested that children with asthma recover more quickly from exercise-induced bronchoconstriction than adults. On the basis of clinical observation we hypothesized that recovery rate from exercise-induced asthma (EIA) in childhood also decreases with age. In 14 children (aged 7-12 years) with a history of EIA, we measured spontaneous recovery from bronchoconstriction induced by two different stimuli: exercise and histamine.

Cerebellar and brainstem hypoplasia in a child with a partial monosomy for the short arm of chromosome 5 and partial trisomy for the short arm of chromosome 10.

A child with hypoplasia of the cerebellum and brainstem in association with an unbalanced translocation, resulting in a partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5 and a partial trisomy of the short arm of chromosome 10, is described. A balanced translocation was present in his mother and maternal grandmother. A maternal uncle had died at the age of 4 years with the same clinical picture.

Persistent anuria, neonatal death, and renal microcystic lesions after prenatal exposure to indomethacin.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to emphasize the high risk of renal failure and severe morphologic changes related to prolonged prenatal exposure to indomethacin.

Study Design: Referred renal specimens from six anuric neonates exposed in utero to indomethacin were studied. Clinical charts were retrospectively reviewed.

Minimal requirements for the diagnosis, classification, and evaluation of the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the "BFM Family" Cooperative Group.

Minimal requirements and their rationale for the diagnosis and the response to treatment in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were defined in the recently instituted "BFM-Family"-Group, in which the German, Austrian, Dutch, Italian, Belgian, French and Hungarian childhood leukemia study groups cooperate. ALL is defined as > or = 25% lymphoblasts in the bone marrow; for confirmation of the diagnosis and classification the criteria of the French-American-British (FAB) criteria are retained. For determination of the extent of the disease at diagnosis or relapse the criteria by the Rome Workshop [1986] are recommended: An obligatory panel of monoclonal antibodies for immunophenotyping was defined, as well as criteria for precursor B-ALL and T-ALL.

Toxicity of sulfasalazine in systemic juvenile chronic arthritis.

The use of sulfasalazine as a long acting anti-rheumatic drug in patients with systemic JCA was studied in an open trial. Severe toxic side-effects in three of the four patients entered required discontinuation of the trial. These adverse effects included high fevers and a generalised exanthem.

Lung function and bronchial responsiveness measured by forced oscillometry after bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Forced oscillometry was used to investigate whether lung injury due to bronchopulmonary dysplasia in early life caused abnormalities in bronchial calibre or an increase in bronchial responsiveness to histamine at school age. Results were compared with data obtained from healthy children born prematurely and from healthy children born at term. There was a mild increase in frequency dependence of total respiratory resistance in children who suffered from lung injury in early life, which indicates uneven ventilation in peripheral airways.

A patient with an interstitial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 6.

The clinical history and subsequent progress of a child with an interstitial deletion in the short arm of chromosome 6 is described. This abnormality coupled with a reduced Hageman factor (Factor XII) led to an earlier publication which suggested that this gene was localized to the breakpoint region involved. A review of similar phenotypes from the literature is presented.