Brain News
The FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission have issued a warning that infant sleep positioners should not be used. They cite 12 known cases of suffocation over the past 13 years. B... Read more
In case you missed it in the news yesterday, Similac has recalled some lots of its powdered formulas, including Similac products as well as Isomil, Go and Grow, and others. The company has... Read more
According to a new CDC report, in 2007 75% of babies were breastfed to some degree in the first few weeks of life. However, this number drops to 43% by 6 months of age. That is 43% of babi... Read more
The FDA has approved a new pneumococcal vaccine that protects against 13 strains of the bacterium. The current vaccine, Prevnar, in use since 2000, protects against what were once the 7 most... Read more
Now that the first doses of the H1N1 (“swine”) flu vaccine are available, many patients are asking us if we recommend the vaccine. It is a confusing issue, particularly given all the media... Read more
Merck announced at a meeting last week that it will no longer manufacture separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines. These vaccines became unavailable over the past few years, but it wa... Read more
The American Academy of Pediatrics has just issued new guidelines for vitamin D supplements in children. It is now recommended that all infants, children and adolescents receive 400 IU of vi... Read more
Fall is here, which means that cold and flu season is right around the corner. While there are some things people can do to prevent these viral infections, like hand washing, almost everyone... Read more
The debate continues about cough and cold medicines in young children. Last year, a group of pediatricians petitioned the FDA to remove approval for children less than 6 years old. The indus... Read more
In response to the recent controversial statement (and correction) from the American Heart Association, which recommended all patients receive a screening ECG prior to starting stimulant med... Read more
In April, the American Heart Association (AHA) released a controversial report recommending that all children with ADD/ADHD have a screening ECG (“EKG”) prior to starting stimula... Read more
On April 21, the American Heart Association issued a statement on cardiovascular care of children on stimulant medications for ADD/ADHD. Included in this statement is the recommendation tha... Read more
In a case being reported by the Associated Press, a child has been awarded compensation from the federal vaccine injury fund because the vaccines she received may have worsened the symptoms... Read more
In addition to the recent guidelines on infant feeding from the American Academy of Pediatrics, a group of European experts has also issued updated guidelines on starting solid food in infan... Read more
The FDA has issued a public health advisory for parents and caregivers recommending that cough and cold medicines should not be used in children under 2 years of age. (The advisory applies o... Read more
Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is a devastating and often fatal infection that can strike quickly and without warning. The highest rates of disease ar... Read more
Acute sinusitis is a bacterial infection of the sinus cavities; it is usually a complication of a cold in which the fluid present due to the cold becomes infected with bacteria. Antibiotics... Read more
Pneumococcus is one of the most common causes of serious, invasive disease including pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis in children. It is also the most common bacterial cause of middle ear i... Read more
Methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) infections have been a common cause of infections in the hospital setting for years, starting in the 1960's. Over the past few decades, there h... Read more
In a large study, researchers looked at recommended guidelines for care of a variety of common conditions in children, including preventive care. They examined 175 measures of quality in ove... Read more
The FDA has approved the meningococcal conjugate vaccine MCV4 (Menactra) for use in children as young as 2 years of age. It was previously approved for ages 11-55 years old. An effective vac... Read more
In addition to the Tylenol and PediaCare products, the other brands are also withdrawing infant cough and cold medicines. These include the Triaminic, Robitussin, Dimetapp and Little Colds... Read more
The maker of Tylenol and PediaCare brands has voluntarily withdrawn all its infant cough and cold medicines from the market. This is in advance of an FDA meeting evaluating the safety of th... Read more
In a new study published last week, researchers performed neuropsychological tests on 1,047 children between the ages of 7 and 10 years old and examined their exposure to thimerosal, a prese... Read more
The FDA has approved Lamisil Oral Granules to treat ringworm of the scalp in children ages 4 and up. Scalp ringworm (tinea capitis) is a common but often difficult to treat infection in chi... Read more
This is not really a new story, but it is being widely reported in the press right now. The FDA has posted on its website (though it is very hard to find) the analysis and research in advan... Read more
The narcotic hydrocodone is widely used as a cough suppressant and is common in adult and pediatric prescription cough syrups. However, only seven out of several hundred products are actual... Read more
Studies have suggested in the past that cod liver oil supplements in infancy are associated with a reduced risk of type I diabetes. In this study, omega-3 fatty acid intake starting at 1 ye... Read more
The FDA has issued a warning about codeine use when breastfeeding. A rare but serious side effect is possible in which the baby experiences a morphine overdose. Some women have a genetic tra... Read more
The FDA has issued an advisory about the use of cold and cough medicines in children, particularly those less than 2 years old. They also announced that the they will scientifically review t... Read more