Purpose:Being small for gestational age (SGA) is a risk factor of short stature in children. Genetic background such as mid-parental height (MPH) is known to influence growth of children born SGA. We studied the relationship between growth of children born SGA and MPH and studied the effects of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3)... |
Urinary tract infection (UTI), the most common bacterial disease in childhood, is frequently associated with urinary tract anomalies (15-50%) and can induce renal scarring, which is a cause of hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Despite the high risk of renal scarring in infancy, the diagnosis may be delayed due to its nonspecific presenting symptoms; moreover, over-diagnosis is frequent due to... |
Neonatal seizures are generally not only brief and subtle but also not easily recognized and are usually untreated. In sick neonates, seizures are frequently not manifested clinically but are detected only by electroencephalography (subclinical EEG seizures). This phenomenon of electroclinical dissociation is fairly common in neonates. On the other hand, neonates frequently show clinical behaviors such as stiffening, apnea, or... |
Purpose:Although renal ultrasonography (USG) has improved the detection rate of hydronephrosis (HN), its clinical courses and postnatal management remains controversial. Here, we reviewed the clinical features of patients with HN according to the grades. Methods:We retrospectively studied 207 patients who were regularly followed-up among 367 patients with HN detected by renal USG postnatally between April 1998 and December 2007. These patients were grouped... |
Purpose:This study investigated the predictive factors for identifying infection-prone febrile infants younger than three months. Methods:We conducted a retrospective study of 167 infants younger than three months with an axillary temperature >38℃ who were hospitalized between 2006 and 2008. If they met any of the following criteria, positive blood culture, CSF WBC ≥ 11/mm3 or positive CSF culture, urinalysis WBC ≥6/HPF and positive... |
Purpose : We aimed to investigate the clinical manifestations of and antibiotic resistance in culture-proven childhood salmonellosis. Methods : Clinical manifestations and laboratory data of and antibiotic use in subjects with culture-proven childhood salmonellosis, who were treated at the Chonbuk National University Hospital between September 1998 and August 2008, were analyzed retrospectively. Patients with underlying diseases or concomitant illnesses were excluded. Results... |
Purpose : We aimed to determine the ideal age for initiating toilet training and investigate the factors influencing the training. Methods : The study population comprised 1,370 children aged 2-6 years, who visited the pediatric clinics in Jeonju, Iksan, and Gunsan. Their parents were given questionnaires in order to gather data about the types of diapers used, ages when toilet training... |
Purpose : The objective of this study was to compare the levels of adipocytokines in obesity group with those in control group and examine their correlation with insulin resistance. Methods : We enrolled 36 obese children (male:female [M:F]=17:19; age, 9.3±1.9 yrs) with ≥95th percentile body mass indexes (BMIs) (obesity group) and 35 healthy children (M:F=16:19; age, 9.1±2.1 yrs) with 25th-75th percentile... |
Meningococcal infections can be associated with abnormalities of the complement system, which contains 5 terminal complement proteins. Furthermore, deficiencies in 1 of these 5, complement component 7 (C7), leads to the loss of complement lytic function, and affected patients show increased susceptibility to recurrent meningococcal meningitis and systemic Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. In September 2003, an 11-year-old female patient presented at... |
Purpose : The authors aimed to analyze the long-term effects of treatments, especially external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), in bilateral retinoblastoma patients. Methods : This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 22 bilateral retinoblastoma patients who were registered between October, 1987 and October, 1998 and followed-up for more than 10 years. They were treated by enucleation, EBRT, and systemic chemotherapy.... |
Purpose : Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is critical in the immune response to mycobacterial infections. The purpose of this study was to analyze TLR2 surface expressions and TLR2-mediated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis. Methods : Peripheral monocytes were separated from 16 patients with BCG vaccine-associated suppurative lymphadenitis and 10 healthy... |
Purpose : To determine the prevalence and clinical features of codetected respiratory etiological agents for acute respiratory infection in hospitalized children. Methods : Nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infection at Dankook University Hospital from September 2003 through June 2005. Immunofluorescent staining and culture were used for the detection of respiratory viruses (influenza virus [IFV] types... |
Purpose : Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 reportedly increases neuronal survival by inhibiting the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in astrocytes and protecting neurons after excitotoxic injury. However, the neuroprotective mechanism of TGF-β1 on hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury in neonatal rats is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine whether TGF-β1 has neuroprotective effects via a... |
Purpose : To elucidate a potential association between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) in infants and children in terms of the other factors related to iron utilization and storage although the association of ferritin was previously studied. Methods : We evaluated 135 infants (aged 6-24 months) admitted at Gyeongsang National University Hospital from 2000 to 2006. Western blot... |
Tuberculosis continues to cause an unacceptably high toll of disease and death among children worldwide. Whereas intense scientific and clinical research efforts into novel diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive interventions have focused on tuberculosis in adults, childhood tuberculosis has been relatively neglected. However, children are particularly vulnerable to severe disease and death following infection, and those with latent infection become the... |
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of serious invasive diseases in children, especially in young infants, but seven- valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) is believed to prevent invasive pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis in young children. However, recently, the incidence of non-PCV7 serotype has increased after PCV7 vaccination. A 14-month- old female patient presented at our emergency room with mental change... |
Iodinated contrast media (CM) can cause immediate and late reactions. We treated a patient with a recurrent generalized maculopapular rash and a fever that occurred within two days of exposure to iodinated CM, iopromide (UltravistⓇ), for chest computed tomography. We performed skin testing including prick tests, intradermal tests, and patch tests. Our findings indicated a late skin reaction to Ultravist¢cin... |
Purpose : Applicability of transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) has been expanded by accumulation of clinical experiences and evolutions of the device. This study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of ASD with Amplatzer septal occluder (ASO) in young children less than 3 years of age. Methods : From May 2003 to December... |
Purpose : This study investigated the clinical course and prognostic factor of very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) with hemodynamically significant congenital heart defects (CHDs). Methods : Medical records of 1,098 VLBWI with birth weight <1,500 g who had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Samsung Medical Center from October 1994 to December 2007 were reviewed retrospectively. The... |
Purpose : This study assessed the incidence and outcome of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) detected by prenatal ultrasonography Methods : There were 906 cases of CAKUT detected by prenatal ultrasonography and postnatally confirmed at the Asan Medical Center from October 1989 to October 2007. We investigated the incidence and outcome of these cases by reviewing medical... |
Purpose : Severe aspiration of the amniotic fluid is known to cause fatal respiratory distress in neonates. We conducted this study to investigate the clinical findings of severe amniotic fluid aspiration pneumonia (AFAP) in neonates and the effect of pulmonary surfactant replacement therapy (SRT). Methods : Retrospective analysis of medical records was conducted on 28 patients who received ventilator care... |
Purpose : The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of recent-generation patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure devices applied by a new selection strategy according to the characteristics of each PDA. Methods : From February 2003 to January 2006, 138 patients underwent transcatheter closure of PDA (study group). According to the size and morphology of each... |
Purpose : This study compared bone ages measured by the Greulich-Pyle (GP) and Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3) methods and investigated the differences in predicted adult heights measured by Bayley-Pinneau (BP) and TW3 methods. Methods : Bone ages were assessed from left-wrist radiographs by two investigators, one for each GP and TW3 methods in 85 normal children, 30 precocious puberty girls, and... |
Purpose : Since children under two years with suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs) cannot control urination, urine cultures in such children are usually performed via urine bags. This method is noninvasive but has a high contamination rate. We studied the contamination rate of bag urine culture in diagnosing UTI in infants under two years and the factors responsible for contamination. Methods... |
Purpose : This study aimed to determine the variation in parameters according to cardiac cycle length (CL; time interval between the QRS peaks on ECG) in children by using the conventional pulsed Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging echocardiography. Methods : Eighteen children with an anatomically normal heart were enrolled for the study. All children were examined by conventional and pulsed... |
Purpose : The causes of acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRTI) are mostly attributable to viral infection, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), influenza virus A/B (IFV A/B), or adenovirus (ADV). Several Korean studies reported human metapneumovirus (hMPV) as a common pathogen of ALRTI. However, studies on seasonal distribution and clinical differences relative to other viruses are insufficient,... |
Purpose : This study aimed to perform a systematic review of the reports on Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in the last 30 years (1980-2006) to investigate the intervals between outbreaks, change in the peak incidence age, and diagnostic methods. We also aimed to validate the proper diagnostic criteria for M. pneumoniae pneumonia. Methods : We reviewed 62 original articles on M. pneumoniae... |
Pneumonia remains the leading cause of mortality in children. Diagnosis depends on a combination of factors, including clinical assessment, radiological and laboratory findings. Although Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most important cause of childhood bacterial pneumonia, the great majority of cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are of viral etiology. A new, rapid, and inexpensive test that differentiates viral from bacterial pneumonia... |
Viruses are the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and young children and are a major public health problem in this age group. Viruses were identified in 54.9-70.4% of hospitalized infants and children with LRTIs in Korea. The viral pathogens identified included respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and RSV B, influenza (Inf) A, Inf B,... |
Duplication cysts are rare congenital malformations, that may be detected anywhere along the alimentary tract, and they may communicate with the intestinal tract. Cystic duplication of the cecum is especially rare. About 80% of these cases are detected in the first 2 years of life as a result of an acute intestinal obstruction, which manifests as vomiting, recurrent abdominal pain,... |