Developmental medicine and child neurology
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Sep 2010
Comparative StudyAnthropometric measures: poor predictors of body fat in children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy.
This purpose of our study was to assess and compare anthropometric measures of adiposity and direct measurement of percentage body fat by dual emission X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We also compared our results in children with CP with results from a national sample of typically developing children from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. ⋯ Single anthropometric measures do not perform well in predicting percentage body fat in children with or without CP. Further work is needed to develop clinically useful and simple assessments that will predict percentage body fat and to determine the relation between percentage body fat and health to guide clinical practice.
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Sep 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialThe relationship between unimanual capacity and bimanual performance in children with congenital hemiplegia.
This study explores the relationship between unimanual capacity and bimanual performance for children with congenital hemiplegia aged 5 to 16 years. It also examines the relationship between impairments and unimanual capacity and bimanual performance. ⋯ Findings of our study confirm a strong relationship between unimanual capacity and bimanual performance in a cohort of children with congenital hemiplegia. However, the directionality of the relationship is unknown and therapists cannot assume improvements in unimanual capacity will lead to gains in bimanual performance.
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Aug 2010
Case ReportsNeurological complications in two children with Lemierre syndrome.
Lemierre syndrome is a distinct clinical syndrome comprising oropharyngeal sepsis and fever, internal jugular vein thrombosis and remote septic metastases caused by Fusobacterium species. The mortality rate was historically high and although use of antibiotics led to a dramatic fall in incidence, a resurgence has been seen recently. A 14-year-old male developed Lemierre syndrome after tonsillitis. ⋯ She had palsy of the 12th cranial nerve from clival osteomyelitis. She was treated with a 6-week course of antibiotics and anticoagulants leading to almost full recovery at 3-month review. Awareness of the potential neurological complications of Lemierre syndrome and prompt management are crucial in reducing morbidity and mortality in this 'forgotten disease'.
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The purpose of this study was to report a prospective cohort of children with acute-onset movement disorders. ⋯ Acute-onset movement disorders in children are important and may be treatable. Management should focus upon identifying the cause and treating the underlying disease process, as symptomatic treatment of the abnormal movements is variably effective.
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Jul 2010
Survival of individuals with cerebral palsy receiving continuous intrathecal baclofen treatment: a matched-cohort study.
To determine whether intrathecal baclofen (ITB) changes mortality risk in persons with cerebral palsy (CP). ⋯ ITB therapy does not increase mortality in individuals with CP and may suggest an increase in life expectancy.