Pediatric research
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Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most common sequel of bacterial meningitis (BM) and is observed in up to 30% of survivors when the disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. BM is the single most important origin of acquired SNHL in childhood. Anti-inflammatory dexamethasone holds promises as potential adjuvant therapy to prevent SNHL associated with BM. ⋯ Three weeks after the infection, the averaged number of type I neurons per square millimeter of the Rosenthal's canal dropped from 0.3019 +/- 0.0252 in controls to 0.2227 +/- 0.0635 in infected animals receiving saline (p < 0.0005). Dexamethasone was not more effective than saline in preventing neuron loss (0.2462 +/- 0.0399; p > 0.05). These results suggest that more efficient adjuvant therapies are needed to prevent SNHL associated with pediatric PM.
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Heterozygous SFTPC mutations have been associated with adult and pediatric interstitial lung disease (pILD). Inheritance is autosomal dominant, but de novo mutations may cause sporadic disease. SFTPC mutations have been associated with variable onset of symptoms, ranging from early infancy to late adulthood. ⋯ Each infant developed respiratory symptoms by 2 mo of age and inherited the mutation from an asymptomatic parent. Three of the four infants were also heterozygous for an ABCA3 mutation, which was inherited from the parent without SFTPC I73T. The finding of heterozygosity for ABCA3 mutations in severely affected infants with SFTPC I73T, and independent inheritance from disease-free parents supports that ABCA3 acts as a modifier gene for the phenotype associated with an SFTPC mutation.
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Historical Article
American Pediatric Society's 2007 John Howland Award acceptance lecture.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effect of topical emollient treatment of preterm neonates in Bangladesh on invasion of pathogens into the bloodstream.
Topical emollient therapy may reduce the incidence of serious infections and mortality of preterm infants in developing countries. We tested whether emollient therapy reduced the burden of pathogens on skin and/or prevented bacterial translocation. Neonates <33 wk gestational age were randomized to treatment with sunflower seed oil (SSO) or Aquaphor or the untreated control group. ⋯ Skin condition scores at 3 d were better in patients treated with either emollient compared with untreated controls; however, skin flora was similar across the groups. The SSO group showed a 72% elevated odds of having a false-positive (FP) skin culture associated with a negative blood culture (i.e. skin flora blocked from entry into blood) compared with the control group. Topical therapy with SSO reduced the passage of pathogens from the skin surface into the bloodstream of preterm infants.