Anales de pediatría : publicación oficial de la Asociación Española de Pediatría (A.E.P.)
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Propionic acidemia is a disorder of branch-chain amino acids, the side chain of cholesterol and odd-chain fatty acid metabolism that leads to the accumulation of toxic acid metabolites. The clinical features typically begin shortly after birth, although they can also appear in young adulthood. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with atypical onset, who at 6 months presented bursts of infantile spasms and a hypsarrhythmic electroencephalogram. ⋯ Biochemical and genetic analysis confirmed propionic acidemia. Specific therapy was started and the patient is not currently under anti-epileptic treatment and his electroencephalogram is normal. This onset of propionic acidemia is unusual, and we believe that treatment with vigabatrin protected the basal ganglia from irreversible excitotoxic damage.
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The prevalence of anemia in children from Santander (Colombia), is nearly 28 %. Economic conditions make it difficult to perform the hemoglobin test in all children with suspected anemia. The palmar pallor sign has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organization for the diagnosis of anemia in children aged less than 5 years old; however, the yield of the test has not been established in Colombian communities. The aims of the present study were to establish the efficiency of the test and to determine its reproducibility. ⋯ Anemia is frequent in children aged less than 5 years old in Bucaramanga city. The Palmar pallor sign is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of severe anemia, but is much less useful in mild or moderate anemia. If the hemoglobin level proposed by the WHO were lower, the palmar pallor sign would be more useful.
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To describe mass media use in teenagers (television, mobile phones, computers, Internet and video games) and to analyze its influence on teenagers' health and development. ⋯ Society as a whole and especially health professionals should increase health education on mass media consumption, by stimulating reasonable use of mass media and teaching teenagers to be critical. Parents should set a limit of less than 2 hours/day to the use of mass media and should avoid their presence in teenagers' bedrooms. Prepay mobile phone should be used and switched off in inappropriate places. Parents should supervise and educate teenagers about video games, Internet access and e-mail usage in adolescence.