Pediatrie最新文献

The acronym CHARGE names a syndrome described by Pagon et Graham in 1981, which associates mainly ocular anomalies, i.e. coloboma, and uni or bilateral choanal atresia. We report three observations of children with choanal atresia confirmed by CT scan. One child exhibited all the signs of the CHARGE syndrome including cerebral involvement at autopsy.

Thanks to the technical progresses during the last decade and to the active participation of parents, parenteral nutrition may be undertaken at home in patients with chronic digestive or extra-digestive diseases with serious undernutrition. This technique being highly sophisticated and demanding, we have undertaken a study of the quality of life of 44 children submitted to home parenteral nutrition and followed by the four registered French centres of pediatric nutrition. This study shows that home parenteral nutrition improves the quality of life of both children and parents as compared with the preceding period in the hospital. However, because of its constraints, it requires a careful evaluation of the parents' capacity to cope with, before to be undertaken.

Eight young children with renal failure, undergoing continuous peritoneal dialysis (CDP) and presenting an anemia (hemoglobin level [Hb] 57 to 89 g/l) were treated by subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu EPO) twice weekly. The initial dose of 75 U/kg was adjusted to induce progressive increase of Hb with a target level of 100-120 g/l. Treatment duration was 24 weeks in five of these children and 10 to 13 weeks in the three others. In seven cases out of eight, anemia was corrected. The target Hb level was reached in 3 to 21 weeks with rHu EPO doses of 150 to 300 U/kg/w (mean: 200 U/kg/w) for four children without recent transfusion; then the median maintenance dose was 135 U/kg/w (range: 50-300 U/kg/w). In only one patient, Hb never reached a level higher than 77 g/l despite weekly dose of 350 U/kg, a reticulocytosis of 5.6%, rHu EPO treatment lasting up to 24 weeks and the absence of iron deficiency. In any case, no transfusion was necessary after the first day of rHu EPO treatment. In three patients, the increase of a preexisting hypertension required the adaptation of antihypertensive treatments. One patient presented a marked thrombocytosis. In conclusion, twice-a-week subcutaneous injections of 75 to 150 U/kg of rHu EPO appear to be well tolerated and effective in the treatment of anemia of CPD children.

The aim of the study was to determine in young pupil the physiological effect of a 1 hour earlier awakening (summer time) by measuring: the salivary cortisol level. Results showed that the cortisol circadian rhythm synchronized with summer clock time after remaining synchronized with winter time (previous rhythm) for 15 days at least.

The authors report on a case of a preterm infant who suffered from pneumonia due to genital mycoplasma infection. Hepatic dysfunction was associated. Tetracyclines were successful.

Despite the screening campaigns for early detection of congenital dislocation of the hip, some cases continue to be diagnosed late. The main reason for the failure to diagnose this disorder at an early stage is still unclear. A dislocated or a dislocatable hip is not always apparent during the initial newborn screening examination, and repeated clinical examinations throughout the first 12 months are necessary in order to establish the presence or absence of this disorder. At birth, radiographs are usually normal and a systematic pelvic radiograph of the neonate has no place in neonatal screening. Sonography helps to detect hip pathology early. However, owing to the dynamic nature of the disorder, a single early non-selective ultrasound has proved to be too sensitive and to lack specificity. In the United States, failure to diagnose the congenital dislocation of the hip is the most common musculoskeletal cause of litigation brought against pediatricians. In Europe, the system of fault liability implicates an obligation of ability and means. Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis is not a fault in itself as long as a complete history, careful physical examination and adequate and appropriate complementary examinations have been performed by an adequately trained physician. If congenital hip dislocation is recognized and treated early, most of the affected children will develop functionally and radiologically normal hips. The longer the dislocation remains untreated, the harder it is to relocate the hip and the higher the incidence of secondary acetabular dysplasia, necessitating surgical correction. However, early treatment is not always successful or without complication. Consequently, the damages due to late onset of the treatment are difficult to assess.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The case of a 13 month-old-boy with visceral leishmaniasis acquired in Brittany, a region of France where leishmaniasis is not endemic, is presented. The mode of contamination remains unclear, although a transfusional origin through blood transfusions during the neonatal period appears the most likely.

Optimal treatment of bacterial meningitis raises three questions: which antibiotic? which dosage? which duration? The overall duration of antibiotherapy has been shortened since the last decade. If a short-course treatment shows similar efficacy and rate of relapse, unnecessary prolonged course of treatment exposes to increased cost, duration of hospitalization and secondary effects. From 1979, Gold et al in Toronto treated all uncomplicated cases of meningitis for seven days and obtained satisfactory results. The first randomized trials evaluating optimal duration of treatment in meningitis were performed in 1985 by Lin et al: they showed no difference in terms of efficacy and complications between conventional and short-term treatment. Current rules in meningococcal meningitis consist of seven days or less on therapy, and 7-10 days for pneumococcal or Haemophilus meningitis. The sequential follow-up of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels seems a useful tool for the management of bacterial meningitis.