bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of the Thimerosal Controversy on Hepatitis B Vaccine Coverage of Infants Born to Women of Unknown Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Status in Michigan
Authors: Biroscak Brian J. , Fiore Anthony E. , Fasano Nancy , Fineis Patrick , Collins Michael P. , Stoltman Gillian 
Published: August 2004

Objective. Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all infants, and the series may be started during the delivery admission. For infants who are born either to women who are positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or to women whose HBsAg status is unknown, vaccination should be started within 12 hours of birth to prevent perinatal and early childhood hepatitis B virus infection. Because of concerns about mercury exposures from vaccines that contain thimerosal, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended in July 1999 that the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine be deferred until 2–6 months of age but only for infants who are born to HBsAg-negative women. To assess the impact on birth-dose vaccine coverage for infants who are born to women with unknown HBsAg status, we measured coverage before and after July 1999.
Methods. A sample of Michigan infants who were born to women whose HBsAg status was either unknown or missing were identified by reviewing newborn screening cards for infants who were born during 1) March–April 1999 (before recommendation changes [T1]); 2) July 15–September 15, 1999 (immediately after recommendation changes [T2]); and 3) March–April 2000 (6 months after resumption of pre-1999 practices were recommended [T3]). We verified maternal HBsAg screening and newborn hepatitis B vaccination by reviewing infant and maternal hospital records.
Results. Of 1201 infants who were born to women whose HBsAg status was indicated as unknown or missing on the newborn screening card during the 3 time periods, 216 (18%) were born to women whose status was truly unknown at the time of delivery, as determined by medical record review. During T1, 53% of these 216 infants received hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge, compared with 7% of infants who were born during T2 and 57% of infants who were born during T3. During T1, 19% of these infants received hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth compared with 1% of infants who were born during T2 and 14% of infants who were born during T3.
Conclusions. Hepatitis B vaccine birth-dose coverage for infants who were born to women whose HBsAg status was unknown at the time of delivery was already low in Michigan before the July 1999 USPHS/AAP Joint Statement but decreased significantly during the 2 months after the USPHS/AAP Joint Statement. Abrupt changes in established vaccination recommendations for lower risk children may lead to decreased coverage among higher risk children. Increases in hepatitis B vaccine coverage at birth are necessary to reduce the risk of perinatal infection for infants who are born to women with unknown HBsAg status.
Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Parents of Transplant Recipients: Incidence, Severity, and Related Factors
Authors: Young Gregory S. , Mintzer Lisa Libman , Seacord Debra , Castañeda Marleen , Mesrkhani Violet , Stuber Margaret L. 
Published: August 2004

Objective. To examine the incidence, severity, and factors related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in parents of pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.Method. A total of 170 caregivers of pediatric transplant recipients completed self-report measures of psychological functioning between 10 and 38 months after their child’s most recent transplant. Demographic data, child health variables, and ratings of medical attitudes and social functioning were also collected to help explain individual differences in psychological functioning.Results. Although caregivers of pediatric transplant recipients did not report elevated levels of depression or anxiety, they did report elevated levels of PTSD symptoms. Multiple regression analyses revealed that PTSD symptoms were most strongly associated with parent reports of child health, family impact of the transplant, and attitudes toward medical caregivers.Conclusions. PTSD seems to be relatively common in parents of pediatric transplant recipients and may be largely the result of how parents perceive and interpret the transplant experience.
Clinician Support and Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated With Breastfeeding Discontinuation
Authors: Taveras Elsie M. , Capra Angela M. , Braveman Paula A. , Jensvold Nancy G. , Escobar Gabriel J. , Lieu Tracy A. 
Published: August 2004

Objective. Breastfeeding rates fall short of goals set in Healthy People 2010 and other national recommendations. The current, national breastfeeding continuation rate of 29% at 6 months lags behind the Healthy People 2010 goal of 50%. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between breastfeeding discontinuation at 2 and 12 weeks postpartum and clinician support, maternal physical and mental health status, workplace issues, and other factors amenable to intervention.Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted of low-risk mothers and infants who were in a health maintenance organization and enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial of home visits. Mothers were interviewed in person at 1 to 2 days postpartum and by telephone at 2 and 12 weeks. Logistic regression modeling was performed to assess the independent effects of the predictors of interest, adjusting for sociodemographic and other confounding variables.Results. Of the 1163 mother-newborn pairs in the cohort, 1007 (87%) initiated breastfeeding, 872 (75%) were breastfeeding at the 2-week interview, and 646 (55%) were breastfeeding at the 12-week interview. In the final multivariate models, breastfeeding discontinuation at 2 weeks was associated with lack of confidence in ability to breastfeed at the 1- to 2-day interview (odds ratio [OR]: 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–7.6), early breastfeeding problems (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1–1.97), Asian race/ethnicity (OR: 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1–5.7), and lower maternal education (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2–1.9). Mothers were much less likely to discontinue breastfeeding at 12 weeks postpartum if they reported (during the 12-week interview) having received encouragement from their clinician to breastfeed (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.8). Breastfeeding discontinuation at 12 weeks was also associated with demographic factors and maternal depressive symptoms (OR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01–1.37) and returning to work or school by 12 weeks postpartum (OR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.8–3.3).Conclusions. Our results indicate that support from clinicians and maternal depressive symptoms are associated with breastfeeding duration. Attention to these issues may help to promote breastfeeding continuation among mothers who initiate. Policies to enhance scheduling flexibility and privacy for breastfeeding mothers at work or school may also be important, given the elevated risk of discontinuation associated with return to work or school.
Brief Psychosocial Screening at Health Supervision and Acute Care Visits
Authors: Borowsky Iris Wagman , Mozayeny Sara , Ireland Marjorie 
Published: August 2004

Objective. To identify factors associated with positive scores on a brief psychosocial screening tool with subscales for internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems.Methods. Parents of 2028 children between the ages of 7 and 15 years seen in a sample of 8 primary care practices in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area completed a brief questionnaire that included the 17-item Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC), demographic information, and the reason for the child’s visit to the clinic.Results. Overall, 22% of the youth had at least 1 positive PSC-17 subscale or a positive PSC-17 total score. Twelve percent scored positive on the internalizing subscale, 10% on the externalizing subscale, 7% on the attention subscale, and 11% had a positive PSC-17 total score. Although boys were more likely than girls to score positive on the attention and aggression subscales, boys and girls were equally likely to have a positive score on the depression subscale. Children not living with both biological parents and those with a household member receiving public assistance were significantly more likely to show psychosocial dysfunction. Controlling for demographic characteristics, patients presenting for an illness-related or injury visit were more likely to score positive on the screen than those presenting for a routine well-child visit (odds ratio: 1.46; 95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.98).Conclusions. Clinicians will miss opportunities to identify emotional and behavioral disorders among children and adolescents who may be at a higher risk if they limit psychosocial screening to health supervision visits. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for using primary care for recognizing, diagnosing, and treating mental health disorders in children and adolescents.
Immunization of Preterm and Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Saari Thomas N. ,   and Committee on Infectious Diseases
Published: August 2004

This Clinical Report was retired May 2009.
Preterm (PT) infants are at increased risk of experiencing complications of vaccine-preventable diseases but are less likely to receive immunizations on time. Medically stable PT and low birth weight (LBW) infants should receive full doses of diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, poliovirus, and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines at a chronologic age consistent with the schedule recommended for full-term infants. Infants with birth weight less than 2000 g may require modification of the timing of hepatitis B immunoprophylaxis depending on maternal hepatitis B surface antigen status. All PT and LBW infants benefit from receiving influenza vaccine beginning at 6 months of age before the beginning of and during the influenza season. All vaccines routinely recommended during infancy are safe for use in PT and LBW infants. The occurrence of mild vaccine-attributable adverse events are similar in both full-term and PT vaccine recipients. Although the immunogenicity of some childhood vaccines may be decreased in the smallest PT infants, antibody concentrations achieved usually are protective.
Morbidity Patterns Among Low-Income Wheezing Infants
Authors: Klinnert Mary D. , Price Marcella R. , Liu Andrew H. , Robinson JoAnn L. 
Published: August 2004

Objective. This study describes morbidity attributable to wheezing illness in a multi-ethnic sample of low-income infants younger than age 2, and examines biological, environmental, and psychosocial correlates of morbidity indexes.Method. Infants 9 to 24 months old, considered at risk for developing asthma on the basis of having had 3 or more health care contacts with documented wheezing, received comprehensive evaluations as part of an environmental intervention study. Baseline evaluations with the infants, their families, and their home environments focused on biological, environmental, and psychosocial factors that would potentially increase asthma risk for the children. At study entry, prior morbidity attributable to wheezing illness was assessed with caregiver reports of symptom frequency and severity and medication use, caregiver quality of life, and medical record documentation of hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits.Results. Forty-six percent of the infants had 1 or more hospitalizations and 59% had 2 or more ED visits since birth for wheezing illness. Foreign-born Hispanic families had significantly more ED visits for their children’s wheezing illness than US-born Hispanic families, whites, or blacks, although they used fewer controller medications and they reported less illness severity. Multivariate analyses showed 3 biological factors, respiratory syncytial virus, elevated child IgE, and cockroach allergen in the home, were independently associated with hospitalizations within this sample. Similar analyses showed that ED visits were not associated with biological variables, but rather with caregivers with single parent status and smokers. Caregiver reports of wheezing illness severity were correlated with ED visits, but not with hospitalizations. Severity ratings were higher for children of mothers with asthma and for those whose caregivers had higher anxiety and stress. The only correlate of caregiver ratings of poor quality of life was high caregiver anxiety.Conclusions. Ethnic and immigrant status was an important factor in morbidity attributable to infant wheezing illness. In addition to respiratory infection, both allergic processes and social variables were associated with morbidity as measured by health care utilization. Caregiver reports of illness severity were significantly correlated with psychosocial factors.
Prospective Diagnosis of 2-Methylbutyryl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency in the Hmong Population by Newborn Screening Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Matern Dietrich , He Miao , Berry Susan A. , Rinaldo Piero , Whitley Chester B. , Madsen Pia P. , van Calcar Sandra C. , Lussky Richard C. , Andresen Brage S. , Wolff Jon A. , Vockley Jerry 
Published: August 2004

Objective. 2-Methylbutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, also known as short/branched-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SBCAD) deficiency, is a recently described autosomal recessive disorder of l-isoleucine metabolism. Only 4 affected individuals in 2 families have been described. One patient developed athetoid cerebral palsy, and another had severe motor developmental delay with muscle atrophy. A sibling of the first patient is asymptomatic after prenatal diagnosis and early treatment. Family investigations in the second family revealed that the patient’s mother was also affected but asymptomatic.
Methods. We report 8 additional patients identified by prospective newborn screening using tandem mass spectrometry.
Results. Molecular genetic analysis performed for 3 of these patients revealed that all are homozygous for an 1165A&gt;G mutation that causes skipping of exon 10 of the SBCAD gene. Although there was no obvious consanguinity, all patients belong to the Hmong, an ancient ethnic group that originated in China and constitutes only 0.8% and 0.6% of the Minnesota and Wisconsin population, respectively. Dietary treatment was initiated in the neonatal period. Except for 1 patient who developed mild muscle hypotonia, all patients remain asymptomatic at ages ranging from 3 to 14 months of age.
Conclusions. These cases suggest that SBCAD deficiency is another inborn error of metabolism detectable by newborn screening using tandem mass spectrometry. The continued efficacy of long-term dietary therapy instituted presymptomatically remains to be established.
Serum Cardiac Troponin and Subclinical Cardiac Status in Pediatric Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Lipshultz Steven E. , Somers Michael J. G. , Lipsitz Stuart R. , Colan Steven D. , Jabs Kathy , Rifai Nader 
Published: August 2004

Background. Patients with uremia often have elevated serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) even without clinical heart damage. Pediatric patients are ideal for studies of the relationship between uremia and heart disease because they are unlikely to have cardiac risk factors other than uremia.
Objective. To determine the relationship between uremia and cTnT levels.
Design. Echocardiograms and blood chemistry results were obtained from 50 pediatric patients with chronic renal failure and without clinical heart disease. Levels of cTnT were tested for correlation with cardiac dysfunction. In multivariate analysis, biochemical aspects of renal disease and its treatment were tested for correlation with cardiac dysfunction.
Results. Forty-nine patients had cardiovascular abnormalities, including increased left ventricular function and mass, elevated heart rate and blood pressure, and reduced LV afterload. LV contractility was inversely correlated with cTnT level (r = −0.36). Higher cTnT also correlated with higher serum creatine kinase-MB mass, lower serum parathyroid hormone, higher blood urea nitrogen and bicarbonate levels, and the use of diuretics, but not with higher cardiac troponin I. Left ventricular contractility was inversely related to serum creatinine, phosphorus, and the use of β-blockers.
Conclusions. Elevated cTnT levels are not artifactual, but are genuine indicators of cardiomyocyte damage. Cardiac damage, indicated by either elevated cTnT or low LV contractility, is related to uremia, deranged calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and bicarbonate levels. Serum cTnT and LV contractility identify subclinical cardiac damage that could be treated to hopefully reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in this high-risk population.
Aminophylline for the Prevention of Apnea During Prostaglandin E1 Infusion
Authors: Lim D.S. , Kulik Thomas J. , Kim Dennis W. , Charpie John R. , Crowley Dennis C. , Maher Kevin O. 
Published: August 2004

Background. Apnea is associated with prostaglandin E1 infusion (PGE1) used in the palliation of ductal-dependent congenital heart lesions.
Hypothesis. Aminophylline is a central respiratory stimulant and will decrease the incidence of PGE1-associated apnea and the need for intubation for apnea in infants with ductal-dependent congenital heart disease.
Methods. Informed consent was obtained for all patients. In a prospective, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, newborn infants with ductal-dependent congenital heart disease were randomized to receive either aminophylline or placebo during initiation and maintenance of PGE1, which was started at 0.01 μg/kg/min and increased to 0.03 μg/kg/min. Aminophylline was given as a bolus dose of 6 mg/kg before or during initiation of PGE1, and continued at 2 mg/kg dose every 8 hours for 72 hours. Serum aminophylline levels were checked at 18 and 36 hours. The primary study endpoint was intubation for apnea, with a secondary endpoint of apnea, as defined as acute cessation of breathing with associated hypoxia and bradycardia.
Results. The study evaluated 42 infants. The 2 groups were similar for gestational age, weight, hematocrit, and use of sedation. In the aminophylline group, serum levels were 7.6 ± 1.2 μg/mL. No significant side effects of aminophylline were seen. Infants receiving aminophylline (n = 21) were less likely to have apnea (2 vs 11) or be intubated for apnea (0 vs 6). Length of postoperative stay and survival to discharge were similar between the 2 groups.
Conclusions. Aminophylline was effective for the prevention of apnea and intubation for apnea associated with PGE1 in infants with ductal-dependent congenital heart disease.
Anogenital Injuries in Child Pedestrians Run Over by Low-Speed Motor Vehicles: Four Cases With Findings That Mimic Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Boos Stephen C. , Rosas Angela J. , Boyle Cathy , McCann John 
Published: August 2004

Objective. Differentiating between child sexual abuse and nonintentional causes of anogenital injury can be challenging, and a misdiagnosis can have a profound impact on the child and family. This case series documents an important nonintentional mechanism of anogenital injury that mimics the physical findings of child sexual abuse.Methods. Four children were examined after being run over by a slow-moving motor vehicle. In each case, the wheel of the vehicle passed longitudinally over the child’s torso.Results. Two children had perianal lacerations, and 2 had hymenal lacerations. One child with hymen injuries was followed for 4 weeks and developed findings identical to those seen in healed sexual abuse.Conclusions. Children run over by motor vehicles should be evaluated for anogenital injury. If such injury is suspected, it should be fully delineated and documented with colposcopy and follow-up examination. Although the possibility of sexual abuse must be considered, awareness of the occurrence of anogenital injuries in children run over by motor vehicles may prevent the misdiagnosis of acute sexual abuse in children. Conversely, children presenting for evaluation of acute or past sexual abuse should be questioned as to whether they were ever run over by a motor vehicle.
Office Preparedness for Pediatric Emergencies: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Office-Based Training Program
Authors: Bordley W. Clayton , Travers Debbie , Scanlon Patricia , Frush Karen , Hohenhaus Sue 
Published: August 2004

Objective. Many children enter the emergency medical system through primary care offices, yet these offices may not be adequately prepared to stabilize severely ill children. We conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of an office-based educational program designed to improve the preparation of primary care practices for pediatric emergencies.Methods. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted of primary care practices (pediatric, family practice, and health departments) that were recruited from an existing database of North Carolina practices. Practices that agreed to participate were randomly assigned to either the intervention or the control group. Unannounced mock codes were conducted in the intervention practices by 2 emergency medicine clinicians (medical doctor and/or registered nurse). Practices were expected to respond to the mock code using their own staff, equipment, and local emergency medical system. After the exercise, the emergency medicine clinicians and the local emergency medical system team led a structured debriefing session providing constructive feedback to the staff on their performance, a review of the office’s equipment, and a resource manual designed for the project. The primary outcome measures were obtained by survey 3 to 6 months postintervention and included 1) purchase of new pediatric emergency equipment and medications, 2) receipt or updating of basic life support/pediatric advanced life support/advanced life support training by staff members, and 3) development of written emergency pediatric protocols. The control practices received no interventions during the trial and completed a similar outcome survey.Results. Thirty-nine practices (20 intervention, 19 control) completed the trial. There were no significant differences in practice characteristics between the 2 groups. Intervention practices were more likely to develop written office protocols (60% vs 21%); more staff in the intervention practices received additional basic life support/pediatric advanced life support/advanced life support training 3 to 6 months after the intervention (118 vs 54). There were no significant differences in the purchase of new equipment or medications. Ninety percent of the intervention practices rated the intervention as useful for their practice, and 95% believed that the program should be continued.Conclusions. The findings suggest that the intervention was well received and motivated practices to take concrete actions to prepare for pediatric emergencies.