Pediatrics Blog

Many vaccines aren't made in the United States anymore. And with all of the recalled products that have been made in China recently, including pet food, toys, heparin, and toothpaste, it is easy to see why some parents might be concerned about their children's vaccines.

You can be reassured that the vaccines in the yearly United States Childhood Immunization Schedule are made in countries where the FDA can closely monitor the manufacturing process of the vaccines for safety though. For example, Rotarix, the rotavirus vaccine that was approved in April 2008 by the FDA, is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals in Rixensart, Belgium. Most others are made in Germany, France, Canada, and in the United States.

Related:
Vaccine Preventable Illnesses
Vaccine Safety
Immunization Quiz
Vaccine Information Statements

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month and is a great time to learn more about asthma and allergies, including what happens during an asthma attack.

Does your child have hard-to-control asthma or hard-to-control allergies?

We are finally learning more about all of the recent measles cases that have been occurring around the United States. Although there have only been 64 cases, that is the highest number of cases that we have seen in the US in seven years, which is especially troubling for a disease that was supposedly eliminated here in 2000.

According to the CDC, as of April 25, 2008, there have been cases of measles in New York City (22 cases), Arizona (15), California (12), Michigan and Wisconsin (four each), Hawaii (three), and Illinois, New York state, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (one each).

April 27 to May 3 is Cover the Uninsured Week, a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Although being able to visit to their pediatrician when their child has a fever, earache, cough, or cold, etc., is something many parents expect, for the millions of children without health insurance, seeing a doctor when they are sick is a luxury they sometimes can't afford. Or they have to go to the emergency room to get care.

Health awareness months are a great way to learn more about specific conditions, safety hazards, and symptoms that are highlighted each month.

For example, April is National Facial Protection Month, and while fortunately that doesn't mean that our kids have to wear gas masks to school, it is a good time to remember to make sure that they wear mouth guards, helmets, and protective eyewear when playing sports.

The American Heart Association (AHA) published a new scientific statement about how best to identify and monitor children with ADHD who may have heart disease and could be at risk for sudden death if they were started on a stimulant medication, such as Adderall or Ritalin.

This follows the FDA adding a warning to stimulants in 2007, which states that there have been reports of "sudden death in patients who have heart problems or heart defects" and "increased blood pressure and heart rate." This warning had hopefully already led pediatricians to try and identify kids who are at an increased risk from being on a stimulant, so they could try alternative treatments, such as behavior therapy.

The guidelines are not without controversy though, as they were published without consulting the American Academy of Pediatrics, whose members would be responsible for following the guidelines. The AAP describes the AHA guidelines as "cautious" and "may not be feasible."

The news and other media are often quick to over-hype any problems with vaccines, whether they have been proven or not. They will even parade celebrity 'experts' on their shows, who may influence a parent's decision on whether or not to influence their own kids, even though the experts have no expertise in pediatric infectious disease. They also have no research to predict what the consequences will be if more parents follow their recommendations to stop or delay vaccinating their children.

If the media were as quick to publicize some of these possible consequences, we may already know what is happening. But few parents are aware of the many current measles outbreaks we are facing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were four large outbreaks of Salmonella infections in the United States during 2007. And unfortunately, there is another one right now that may be linked to cereal from Malt-O-Meal unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereals and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals.

Twenty-one people have gotten sick with Salmonella symptoms in eleven states in this current outbreak, following a recall of the Malt-O-Meal products.

Cerebral palsy is common, but unfortunately, many parents know little about it.

Children with cerebral palsy have problems with muscle tone, affecting their ability to keep their balance, posture, and to walk and move. They may need a wheelchair or may use a walking cane or orthotics to help them walk, like the boy in this photo.

Learn about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments of children with cerebral palsy.

Related:
Developmental Milestones
Premature Babies

Vaccines have done such a good job of controlling diseases in developed countries, such as the United States, that parents sometimes forget just how important they are and what life would be like without them.

You don't need a time machine to see kids dying of measles, pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b disease, rotavirus, or Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis though, just a few of the vaccine preventable illnesses that kids in the United States are routinely immunized against. Unfortunately, these infections are still killing millions of children around the world.

The fact that these infections haven't been eradicated yet also means that they are just a plane ride away, which was clearly seen in the recent California measles outbreak, and could begin to increase if childhood immunizations are delayed or stopped by too many people.