Pediatrics
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Bronchiolitis management preferences and the influence of pulse oximetry and respiratory rate on the decision to admit.
High incidence, rising admission rates, and relatively ineffective therapies make the management of bronchiolitis controversial. Since 1980, the rate of hospitalization for children with bronchiolitis has increased by nearly 250%, whereas mortality rates for the disease have remained constant. It has been speculated that the increasing use of pulse oximetry has lowered the threshold for admission and may have contributed to the rise in bronchiolitis-related admissions. The objective of this study was to describe pediatric emergency medicine physicians' management preferences regarding infants with moderately severe bronchiolitis and to assess the influence of specific differences in oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry (SpO2) and respiratory rate (RR) on the decision to admit. ⋯ When treating infants with moderately severe bronchiolitis, pediatricians who work in emergency departments frequently use bronchodilators and nasal suction, 2 practices for which supporting data are either conflicting (bronchodilators) or nonexistent (nasal suction). In addition, their decisions to admit differ markedly on the basis of only a 2% difference in SpO2. It is possible that increased reliance on pulse oximetry has contributed to the increase in bronchiolitis hospitalization rates seen during the past 2 decades.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children's IQ at 4 years of age.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4 n-6) are important for development of the central nervous system in mammals. There is a growth spurt in the human brain during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first postnatal months, with a large increase in the cerebral content of AA and DHA. The fetus and the newborn infant depend on maternal supply of DHA and AA. Our hypothesis was that maternal intake of DHA during pregnancy and lactation is marginal and that high intake of this fatty acid would benefit the child. We examined the effect of supplementing pregnant and lactating women with very-long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs; cod liver oil) on mental development of the children, compared with maternal supplementation with long-chain n-6 PUFAs (corn oil). ⋯ Maternal intake of very-long-chain n-3 PUFAs during pregnancy and lactation may be favorable for later mental development of children.