Paediatrics

Omega-3s are Important for Kids’ Brain Development

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential dietary fatty acids, playing important roles in neural, visual, immune, cardiovascular, integumentary system, and connective tissue functions. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are especially critical in the developing brain and retina, with DHA playing a role in brain and eye function, while EPA has been linked to cardiovascular function, inflammation and immunity.

Modern Medicine – Issue 6 2024.

Fever in the Returned Child Traveller: Assessing for Imported Causes

Determining the cause of fever in a child returning from international travel can be challenging. The clinical features of many imported infections are nonspecific, making them hard to distinguish from common childhood febrile illnesses coincidentally acquired during or soon after travel. Malaria, dengue and enteric fever are the most common imported infections in child travellers and can be life-threatening if the diagnosis is delayed or missed. Judicious assessment, starting with a detailed travel history, is key to guiding appropriate investigations. Imported disease may require a notification to a public health unit and should be managed in consultation with an infectious diseases specialist.

Modern Medicine – Issue 1 2024

Strategies to Tackle Bedwetting in Children

Time and patience are generally the child’s greatest allies. Solutions for treating bedwetting range from simple tips to try at home, to prescription medical treatment.

Modern Medicine – Issue 6 2020

When Kids Wet the Bed, Parental Understanding is Key

Nocturnal enuresis can be a devastating experience for children and young people as it may lead to feelings of guilt, embarrassment and shame, determined avoidance of social activities, a sense of difference from others, victimisation and a loss of self-esteem, although there is little evidence to suggest psychological disturbance where the child has monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.

Modern Medicine – Issue 6 2019

An Understanding Attitude Helps Kids Who Wet the Bed

Bedwetting (enuresis) and daytime wetting are common paediatric problems. Most children attain daytime bladder control at around 3 years and night-time bladder control between the ages of 4 and 6 years, but it is not uncommon for school-age children to experience urinary incontinence (UI). An understanding attitude on the part of parents and doctors can help reduce unwanted long-term psychological effects.

Modern Medicine – Issue 4 2019

How Safe is Gadolinium in Paediatric MRIs?

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) are an indispensable part of clinical diagnostic and therapeutic decision making for millions of patients worldwide. Notwithstanding the excellent safety profile of GBCAs, the finding by Kanda et al of signal intensity increase in brain structures after the administration of GBCAs started a new safety debate on the potential risks of gadolinium deposition in the brain.

Modern Medicine – April/May 2019

Nocturnal Enuresis Often Resolves in Time

Children are generally expected to be dry by a developmental age of 5 years, and historically it has been common practice not to offer advice to families of children who are younger than 5 years and are bedwetting.

Modern Medicine – April/May 2019

Echinacea’s Potent Antiviral Activities

Various studies have revealed that certain standardised preparations of Echinacea purpurea (EP) contain potent and selective antiviral and antimicrobial activities. In addition, they display multiple immunemodulatory activities, comprising stimulation of certain immune functions such as phagocytic activity of macrophages and suppression of the proinflammatory responses of epithelial cells to viruses and bacteria, which are manifested as alterations in secretion of various cytokines and chemokines.

Modern Medicine – Feb/March 2019