Oral prednisolone bioavailability may be reduced in certain patients with juvenile dermatomyositis, which may make intravenous methylprednisolone a more effective treatment, according to US researchers. Reuters Health Information
Dexrazoxane, which is used to prevent anthracycline-induced myocardial toxicity, does not appear to increase the risk of secondary malignant neoplasms in children with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a paper in the March 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Reuters Health Information
Results of 2 double-blind, randomized trials suggest that tocilizumab could be effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Medscape Medical News
During the first 10 months of life, obtaining routine measurements of head circumference is helpful in the early detection of hydrocephalic conditions and, to a certain degree, intracranial cysts, but not intracranial tumors, two clinicians from Norway report in the March issue of Pediatrics. Reuters Health Information
Routine screening appears to reduce mortality from infantile neuroblastoma, according to findings of a historical, population-based cohort study in Japan involving more than 22 million infants. Reuters Health Information
Most adolescents with depression will achieve a sustained therapeutic response either during the acute phase of therapy or with continued treatment, according to a report in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. Reuters Health Information
Pediatric patients who require long-term use of warfarin for anticoagulant control need not have hospital-based monitoring, UK researchers report in the April issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Reuters Health Information
Most children who have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a variety of serious clinical manifestations, Canadian researchers report in the April issue of the Journal of Pediatrics. Reuters Health Information
The electromagnetic fields that are generated by incubators influence heart rate variability (HRV) in newborns, suggesting that such fields are capable of altering autonomic nervous system activity, new research indicates. Reuters Health Information
