The study observed a low urine excretion of a melatonin metabolite in cases with acute life threatening event. Early postnatal dexamethasone treatment for prevention of chronic lung disease has been associated with an increased incidence of cerebral palsy. Dexamethasone treated infants also had more periventricular leucomalacia and less of intraventricular hemorrhage in the neonatal period than those in the placebo group, although these differences were not statistically significant. Very low birth weight male neonates have a poor outcome as compared to their female counterparts. The males also had a higher risk of pulmonary morbidity, intraventricluar hemorr-hage and urinary tract infection.
Cerebral palsy is one of the newer beneficiaries.
According to a study on 30 children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, botox injections produced a significant improvement in muscle function in the children s arms within one month of use. The contributing factors could be lack of exercise and inadequate calcium intake, suggest the authors. Surprisingly, no association was found, between the use of inhaled steroids and osteoporosis. Bronchiolitis may take weeks to resolve, more so in ambulatory children. This study from South Africa assessed the duration of illness and its potential predictors in 181 children with bronchiolitis.