Clinical Pediatric| Clinical Pediatric

Clinical Manifestations of Appendicitis in Children

admin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 11:54:15 +0000

brought to you by John McClintock, M.D.

Appendicitis is known to be a surgical disease, as it commonly requires removal of the inflamed vermiform appendix, a tubular prominence of the cecum. Appendicitis occurs due to infection of the vermiform appendix, which becomes enlarged and irritated. Doctors consider appendicitis to be a medical emergency and they usually recommend surgery regardless of the actual stage of the disease. Although the surgical treatment for appendicitis is known to be safe and reliable, many patients develop post-operative complications as a consequence of malpractice. There are also various reported cases of unnecessary appendectomy, performed on patients who eventually turn out to have a healthy appendix.

While the surgical intervention for appendicitis involves few risks in the early stages of the disease, advanced infection of the vermiform appendix greatly increases the risks of post-operative complications. The removal of a seriously diseased appendix is difficult and risky, as the operated patients can develop sepsis or abcess soon after the surgical intervention. Well aware of this fact, most physicians focus on timely revealing possible symptoms of appendicitis in patients. Guided by the impulse of intervening promptly, some doctors often mistakenly perform surgery on healthy patients. There were various cases of unnecessary appendicitis surgery reported in the last decades and the phenomenon can also be seen in present.

The cases of unnecessary appendicitis surgery can be easily explained by the deceiving nature of this very common disease. Appendicitis often generates unspecific symptoms which can be misleading in the process of deciding upon the correct diagnosis. Appendicitis is commonly mistaken for various other internal disorders that generate resembling symptoms. To further complicate the matter, sometimes patients with appendicitis may actually be asymptomatic. In such cases, the specific manifestations of appendicitis emerge late after the disease becomes serious.

Although doctors can choose among various medical techniques in order to confirm their presumptive diagnosis, none of the tests available nowadays is 100 percent reliable in revealing clear physiological signs of appendicitis. Considering this fact, surgeons incline towards assuming the risk of removing a healthy appendix rather than allowing the disease to progress further. Delayed medical intervention can be fatal for appendicitis sufferers and this is the main reason why surgeons often choose to timely perform appendectomy on patients who present possible clinical symptoms of the disease.

The overall number of cases of unnecessary appendectomy has known a slight decline in recent years. However, statistics indicate that in present more than 9 percent of pediatric appendectomies are performed on patients who actually have a healthy appendix. This is due to the fact that very young children and infants are more difficult to correctly diagnose with appendicitis. By contrast, the cases of unnecessary appendectomy among adult patients are nowadays more rare.

In present, malpractice and misdiagnosis of appendicitis can be considered to be indicators for the lack of precision of the existent medical techniques. Therefore, modern medicine needs new, more reliable means of diagnosing internal disorders such as appendicitis.

Help, my child has autism

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:04:47 +0000

By
Phil Wiley

Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects an individual’s ability to communicate and relate to others. It is a type of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) that is lifelong and can result in some social isolation.

The cause of Autism is not known, although research has shown differences in brain structure between children with autism and non-autistic children. Some early research has also indicated that Autism could be genetic, with parents who have an autistic child more likely to have another child with autism.

It has also being shown that autism is more prevalent in those who have certain conditions including untreated Phenylketonuria (PKU), Fragile X Syndrome, Tuberous Sclerosis and Congenital Rubella Syndrome.

The symptoms of autism typically develop within the first three years of life. All people with Autism experience difficulty with social interaction, and children might prefer to play alone and make little eye contact with other people. Babies with autism may not babble talk and may also seem to have hearing difficulties. Language development is almost always delayed in children with autism.

Sufferers may have difficulties in both verbal and non-verbal communication, have limited, patterned or over-used behaviour patterns, play and interests. These include repetitive body rocking, forming unusual attachments to objects and resisting change (holding to routines and rituals, for example).

The world-wide incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, but it has been shown that it is four times more prevalent in boys than girls. The development of autism is not affected in any way by race, ethnicity, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle or educational levels.

About the author:

Kate and Phil Wiley run the popular health sites http://www.healthy-shopper.com Health in 1 http://www.health-in-1.comand Advice on Health

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brought to you by John McClintock, M.D.

How Children Respond to Parents’ Anger: Understanding the Brain and Behavior

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:10:59 +0000

By MaryLynne White

Brain research has given us a new understanding of why children behave the way they do. This article looks at how the brain affects children’s behaviors when they think their parents are angry and upset with them. It then offers suggestions to parents on how to strengthen parenting skills so you can get your kids to listen to you.

In a nutshell, the brain has three main parts:

1. The brain stem, which is connected to the spinal column, deals with survival. It’s responsible for our heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, etc.

2. You find the midbrain in the central part of your brain. It governs our emotions; how we feel. Although people call it the limbic system, I call this the lizard part of the brain for reasons I will explain later.

3. The third part of the brain is located behind the forehead. I refer to this as the thinking part of the brain. This is where you think rationally, solve problems, find solutions, etc.

Under normal circumstances, when a person sees something that doesn’t look threatening, the image bypasses both the brainstem and the limbic system, moving quickly to the front of the brain. Here, it has the ability to make decisions about what to do next.

When people find themselves feeling afraid for their safety or their life, the message goes directly to the lizard part of the brain. There is no time to have a discussion about what’s going on. No, the brain says, “danger,” and they need to react immediately! There is no thinking taking place. People, like you and me, react one of three ways:

* Fight; we attack what ever it is that’s scaring us

* Flight, we try to avoid the situation by walking away, looking away, or changing the subject

* Freeze, we are immobilized by fear and can’t move; like a deer on the road watching the headlights of a car coming closer and closer.

Children respond the same way when they become frightened by a parent’s angry voice or response to their behavior. Because they are in the emotional part of their brain, children are unable to think-they’re in pure reaction mode. That’s why I call this part, the “lizard” part of the brain.

When a child hears or sees an angry parent or adult looking at him and/or talking to him, an immediate, unconscious thought occurs in the brain. The child feels a sense of shame, “I’ve done something bad”, or “I’m bad”. The lizard part of the brain becomes engaged and the unconscious thought of losing the parents’ love (and fears of abandonment), make the child feel unsafe. When a child doesn’t feel safe, you will see the same three behavior patterns.

* Fight: The child becomes angry and oppositional, arguing with you. He or she may show aggressiveness and defensiveness, not listening to you. The more a parent scolds and raises his or her voice, the angrier and more oppositional the child becomes. Does this sound familiar? This is not a winning situation for either parent or child.

* Flight: Because of the feeling of shame, the child becomes uncomfortable and doesn’t know how to react to the parent. You might see behaviors such as, not looking at you, walking away, and ignoring you while doing something else. Sometimes, the child breaks down and cries or whimpers, as a means of escape from what he or she perceives are a very uncomfortable situation. The child does not feel safe. This is important for parents to understand. If your child’s reaction to your tone of voice or response is flight, the child not only does not feel safe and will probably not tell you the truth, the child is NOT in the thinking part of the brain; talking about whatever happened will go no where.

* Freeze: The child looks at you with blank eyes. The body is there, and no one is home. It’s like looking at a dear in your headlights while driving. The deer sees you coming and yet is paralyzed by fear to move. The same is true when a child shuts down emotionally because he or she does not feel safe and doesn’t know what else to do. The child cannot discuss what happened or process it with you because he or she is not using the thinking part of the brain.

REMEMBER:

When you become angry and/or upset at your child:

- The child feels a sense of shame

- Shame brings on fear

- Fear makes the child feel unsafe

- Fear shuts down the thinking part of the brain

- Nothing can be solved

- No one wins!

The next time you find yourself angry at your child; watch his or her reaction and you’ll know immediately which part of the brain is being used. If your child is in the lizard part of the brain, you will need to help him or her shift into the thinking part before you can have a meaningful conversation. Some suggestions to help you do this are:

* Ask your child, “What part of your brain are you in right now?” If the child responds by telling you the lizard part, then ask, “What do you need to do to get to the thinking part?” If the response is, “I don’t know,” Your child has already shifted and is thinking about what you’re saying. “Would you like some suggestions?” usually helps. If the answer is “yes”, give a couple of ideas such as sitting down and thinking about how he created this situation or what he could have done differently so you wouldn’t get angry.

* Remember your child is experiencing fear, even though you don’t think there is a reason for it. Consequently, your child will calm down faster if your tone of voice is soft and gentle. Look at your child directly in the eyes and say something like, “I can see you’re upset right now and so am I. Let’s take a time-out from each other and talk about this later when we’re feeling better.”

Respectful, responsible and fun to be around children hang out in the thinking part of their brains. When your child doesn’t act this way, remember the lizard part of the brain. Then, you can help shift your child to the thinking part where you can both talk and work out problems together. It’s a win-win for both of you.

About the author:

MaryLynne White
Can a Game Really Compel Any Child to Behave?
“How to Become a Super Nanny in Your Own Home!
Free Consumer Awareness Guide Shows You How…”
http://www.ParentSurvival911.com
949.939.3176

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brought to you by John McClintock, M.D.

Children with Reading Disorders

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:00:59 +0000

By
David Fitzgerald

This learning disability is quite widespread. This disorder is known as dyslexia, and it is believe to affect as many as 8 percent the elementary school children. Reading is one of the Big R’s, an ability that is important for success in our daily lives.

As an adult you pick-up a newspaper, magazine, or any print matter and learn through reading the material something new or maybe a deeper understanding of the topic. This process of reading has become second nature to you, but as a child you had to develop certain tasks.

In your early years of life you learned to focus your attention on the printed material and in most cases taught to read it from left to right.

As you advance you learned the alphabet, and the sound of the letters. From there you jumped to the sound of words. Of course there was “Miss English” you know the type. Marking up your (what you thought) great English paper with red pencil, and always correcting your English.

But this is a process of learning to read and understand sentences. From this to reading books some good, some not so good. Your mind began building ideas and images. New ideas are compared with old and the way you look at new experiences change your way one thinks. The concepts can be deep thoughts or everyday experiences are stored in your memory.

But children with dyslexia can have problems with any of these tasks. They can have a problem separating the sounds in spoken words. Or they might be unable to simple sound out words, or maybe have trouble rhyming words.

Another problem area the children (or any person with dyslexia) have is to form images. They sometimes are unable to compare what they know with new ideas or concepts. This can become a major problem as a student moves from simple word definition to learn whole idea comprehension. Although this learning disability seems to be overwhelming, scientists have made great strides. It is important not to think your child has a learning disability, but he or she must learn their skills in a different way.

There are many Federal, National, and State organizations and associations that are able to help children with learning disabilities. I suggest contacting these services to develop the best program for your child. You will find a list of this organizations on our website. Go to our web page: www.delvebookstore.com/learning_disabilies.htm for more information.

The author does not endorse any particular education plan or course of treatment for any child. He encourage parents to consult with educators and other professionals who know the child before determining whether the child has a learning disability and if so how it should be addressed.

About the author:

David Fitzgerald is the owner of www.delvebookstore.comand develops sources on topics his customers have noted concerns.

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brought to you by John McClintock, M.D.

Innovative Therapies for ADD, ADHD, LD:

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 06:23:39 +0000

By
Bob Gottfried Ph.D.

New Computer-Based Technology to Treat Attention Deficit Disorders

It is estimated that over 5% of all children in North America are experiencing at least one form of attention deficit disorder. Both ADD and ADHD are characterized by one or more of the following: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Learning disabilities are characterized by one or more difficulties associated with attention, reading, writing, oral language, reasoning, memorizing, and problem solving. Further difficulties may include compromised organizational skills and social interaction.

The question of whether or not attention deficit disorders can be remedied has received significant attention from many researchers. Treating children and adolescents with stimulants (for instance Ritalin), has proven to be helpful but is limited by side effects and tolerance. The introduction of Neurofeedback (also known as EEG Biofeedback), has offered new hope for parents wanting to help resolve the attention related problems of their children without the use of medication. Neurofeedback research has shown that training brain wave patterns can remedy cognitive impairment associated with attention deficit related to ADD, ADHD, LD.

Brain wave activity and Attentional Shifting

The brain produces different frequencies for different levels of attention. They include the following:
Delta – sleep state
Theta – between sleep and awake, also a meditative state
Alpha – relaxed state
Beta1 – focused concentration
Beta2 – alert state
Beta3 – very alert, vigilant
Beta4 – Hyper vigilant

The ability to produce the right states, especially those associated with focus and attention is paramount to be able to perform a variety of cognitive tasks such as listening, learning and processing information, in general. In addition, the ability to shift from one state to another when required, offers tremendous mental flexibility, which results in enhanced mental performance in every area of life.

The Use of Neurofeedback in Treating Attentional Difficulties

Neurofeedback, which is a form of biofeedback, has been used for over 20 years to treat concentration related difficulties associated with ADD/ADHD and LD. In general, Neurofeedback is a modality which uses an EEG recording system along with training software to enhance brain wave activity that is instrumental for improving concentration.

The premise behind Neurofeedback is related to earlier findings which established that individuals with poor concentration lack sufficient levels of Beta1 (This band is also called SMR – short for sensory motor rhythms) brain waves to sustain attention. The findings also showed that individuals with attention deficits exhibit excessive amounts of slow brain wave activity, especially Theta waves. Joel Lubar, a pioneer in this field, demonstrated that treatment modalities focusing on enhancing the Beta1/Theta ratio have been very effective in treating children with attention deficits and learning disabilities, which usually resulted in improved school performance and better behavior control. During Neurofeedback sessions, the person wishing to enhance concentration and improve attention and focus, uses feedback coming through an EEG machine to enhance Beta1 and decrease Theta. After a certain amount of training, typically between 40 and 60 sessions, the individual is able to produce more Beta1 at will. Lubar also proved that all children experiencing any form of learning disabilities demonstrated low amounts of Beta1 waves and that many of the symptoms diminished after a process of brain wave training.

Neurofeedback treatment can also result in significant improvement of intellectual functioning, as measured by increases in IQ scores (Linden, Habib & Radojevic, 1996). Such improvement is most likely the result of the treatment’s positive impact on the person’s ability to concentrate. More recently, Monastra (2002) found that Neurofeedback has proven to be successful in long term improvement of ADD/ADHD symptoms. In this study, 100 children, aged six to nineteen years, diagnosed with ADD/ADHD were monitored for one year. All children received parental counseling, academic support, and Ritalin. Half of the children also received Neurofeedback training. After 12 months, all children showed improvement in their attention. However, children who stopped taking Ritalin and did not train with Neurofeedback, lost the gains they had achieved, whereas those who also received brain wave training kept their gains even after they stopped using Ritalin.

Computer Assisted Programs

The use of computer-assisted programs in the treatment of cognitive deficits is not new.

Previous studies have shown the benefits of such cognitive training for treating attention deficits and learning disabilities. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Conference Statement confirmed that “Computer-assisted strategies have been used to improve specific neuro-psychological processes, predominantly attention, memory, and executive skills. Both randomized controlled studies and case reports have documented the success of these interventions using intermediate outcome measures.”

New Generation Software

Lately, a new generation of programs makes it much easier and faster to treat attention deficits. The most notable innovation related to these programs is that they can provide effective training without clinical supervision. One such program: SharperBrain has gain substantial recognition in the area of improving cognitive performance for individuals with cognitive deficits. This is a language independent program, which makes it easier for the brain to generalize the results. SharperBrain directly trains the brain to enhance all levels of attention in addition to a long list of cognitive skills. SharperBrain was developed based on research done with EEG based technology. The goal was to develop a program that can avoid the costly aspect of EEG instrumentation and to make it easy to use and more economical.

The program works in two ways. First, improve brain wave activity by enhancing the following three attentional levels:

1. Calm: Allows the mind to relax and get ready for different mental tasks. It is also a state important for contemplation and planning. In terms of brain activity, this is equivalent to Alpha state.

2. Focused: Allows paying attention to a specific task, while offsetting distractions. This is equivalent to Beta1 state.

3. Alert: Allows fast response when the need to react quickly is required. This is equivalent to Beta2 state.

In addition, SharperBrain trains the brain to develop a variety of cognitive abilities such as divided attention, multitasking, speed of processing, working memory, visual/auditory processing and coordination as well as higher executive skills such as decision making, organizing and prioritizing. It also trains the brain to offset distractions. Such skills are not part of the traditional Neurofeedback protocols. Another advantage of such program is that unlike Neurofeedback, which can be only administered by a clinician, it can be practiced at home after a very brief training. In addition, it does not require specialized equipment such as EEG, making it a very cost effective alternative.

With the latest research and news about side effects of attention deficit-related medication, the interest in this innovative technology has significantly risen in the past year and is expected to continue to draw individuals interested in utilizing a drug free approach to attention deficit disorders. Dr. Frank H. Duffy a Professor and Pediatric Neurologist at Harvard Medical School and an Associate Editor for Neurology, Clinical EEG Journal noted recently the following:

“In my opinion, if any medication had demonstrated such a wide spectrum of efficacy it would be universally accepted and widely used. It is a field to be taken seriously by all.”

A lot has been written on the connection between nutrition and ADHD. The fact remains that ADHD is a neurological deficiency. Proper nutrition and supplementation may be helpful in better controlling this and many other health related problems, but it cannot fix the neurological aspect of the problem. Supplements and herbal remedies can have some calming effect on hyperactive kids, but they cannot teach a child with attention deficit disorder how to neutralized distractions around them and how to consistently pay full attention to the teacher while learning material that is not so exciting for the student.

With the new technology, Sharper Brain is offering children and adults an effective option to be able to make the necessary neurological changes so that they can, perhaps for the first time in their lives, focus and concentrate when they need it and for as long as it’s needed.

About the author:

Bob Gottfried PhD specializes in is a Neuro-cognitive therapy. He is the clinical director of Advanced Cognitive Enhancement clinics in Toronto, Canada. More information about SharperBrain can be found on the official website: http://www.SharperPrograms.com

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How Can My Baby Have Baby Acne, He’s Not That Old?

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 11:00:48 +0000

By
Peter Crump

Acne is a condition only affecting teenagers, true? False. Acne is a condition which can affect people of any age, hence baby acne and adult acne are common. However acne is more common in teens. Acne is the number one skin problem in the world and affects huge numbers of people worldwide. And baby acne, although not common, can be a cause of some angst amongst parents.

What is baby acne? Acne is not totally understood, including baby acne. The cause of acne is not agreed on amongst the scientists. However the general consensus is that acne, including baby acne, is a condition caused by changes in the body’s hormones.

And when are the body’s hormones changing? Well certainly in the teenage years. But also at some other times in life. Like birth. When a baby has been separated from it’s mothers body by birth and it is living on it’s own for the very first time. And when it is also getting some supplies of hormones from it’s mothers milk at the same time.

Baby acne can occur in very young babies of 2 or 3 weeks, more commonly boys, up until around 6 months or so. It appears on various parts of the baby’s body such as the forehead, cheeks and chin, or more rarely the bottom or back, and appears as small white spots on the skin. Or it could look like a red rash with raised bumps.

The good news is that baby acne is not serious and very rarely requires any treatment, so refrain from rushing out looking to buy baby acne remedies. In fact you should refrain from any baby acne remedies until you have seen your doctor and usually your doctor will not prescribe any medication at all.

Baby acne usually goes away by itself. It is sufficient in most cases to do some gentle facial cleansing once or at most twice a day using a mild baby cleanser and clean water. Do not scrub baby’s face, this will not help and may be counterproductive. Don’t apply lotions or potions or oils. Don’t look for fancy baby acne remedies, don’t try applying vinegar solution for baby acne as some do.

It will all go away in time. When attending one of your regular baby check ups ask them about it. Chances they will tell you it’s just baby acne, don’t worry about it.

About the author:

Find out more about Acne at Peter’s website http://www.acne-all-gone.com/as well as Acne cures and adult acne, acne skin care products, the best acne treatments and more.

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