Adverse Effects of Spinal Manipulative Therapy in Children Younger Than 3 Years: A Retrospective Study in a Chiropractic Teaching Clinic
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2008 (Jul); 31 (6): 419–423
This study shows that for the population studied, chiropractic manipulation produced very few adverse effects and was a safe form of therapy in the treatment of patients in this age group.
Development, Testing, and Findings of a Pediatric-Focused Trigger Tool to Identify Medication-Related Harm in US Children's Hospitals
Pediatrics 2008 (Apr); 121 (4): e927–935 ~ FULL TEXT
Adverse drug event rates in hospitalized children are substantially higher than previously described. Most adverse drug events resulted in temporary harm, and 22% were classified as preventable. Only 3.7% were identified by using traditional voluntary reporting methods. Our pediatric-focused trigger tool is effective at identifying adverse drug events in inpatient pediatric populations. [Editorial Commentary: These findings (that only 3.7% of adverse events find their way into hospital error reports) is very alarming, and suggests that previous reports have only documented the tip of the iceberg.]
Adjusting the Pediatric Spine
Topics in Clinical Chiropractic 1997; 4 (4): 59–69 ~ FULL TEXT
The subject of chiropractic care of children must by necessity include a discussion of the various techniques chiropractors use to address a subluxation. [1–2] The act of introducing a force into a spinal joint in an effort to restore mobility or alignment is termed an adjustment. This article discusses the technical aspects of adjusting the pediatric spine (ie, occiput to pelvis).
Back Pain Risk Continues After Pregnancy
Obstetrics & Gynecology 1998 (Feb); 91 (2): 182–186
Women with severe low back pain during pregnancy are at high risk for back pain for more than 10 years after the pregnancy –– and the problem is likely to recur in a subsequent pregnancy, according to a new study in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. More seriously, (19%) of the women with previous low back pain stated they had refrained from another pregnancy because of their fear of the recurrence of their low back pain.
Endometriosis and the Anterior Coccyx: Observations on 5 Cases
Research Forum 1985 (Summer); 1 (4): 120–122 ~ FULL TEXT
This case review involves five women presenting with medically-diagnosed endometriosis. All five women had been advised that they were surgical candidates. Relief of symptoms is effected by adjusting the anteriorally displaced coccyx. The author suggests a relationship between the displaced coccyx and endometriosis and counsels upon the recognition of same.
Neck and Shoulder Pains in Relation to Physical Activity and Sedentary Activities in Adolescence
Spine 2007 (Apr 20); 32 (9): 1038–1044
Almost half of the girls and one third of the boys reported mild neck or occipital pain, or shoulder pain, and 3% of girls and 2% of boys reported severe neck or occipital pain, or shoulder pain during the past 6 months. High-level physical activity associated with an increased prevalence of both severe neck or occipital pain and severe shoulder pain in girls, but not in boys. Prolonged sitting was associated with a high prevalence of neck or occipital pain and shoulder pain in girls, and neck or occipital pain in boys. Of various sedentary activities, television watching and reading books associated with neck or occipital pain in girls, whereas playing or working with a computer associated with neck or occipital pain in boys. In girls, television watching also associated with mild shoulder pain.
Chronic Daily Headache in Adolescents:
Prevalence, Impact, and Medication Overuse
Neurology 2006 (Jan 24); 66 (2): 193–197
Chronic daily headache (CDH) was common in a large nonreferred adolescent sample. Based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition, criteria, chronic tension-type headache was the most common subtype;
Although this article does not discuss care options for chronic tension-type headache, conservative chiropractic care is the natural choice.
Pediatric Drug Prescriptions
Dynamic Chiropractic ~ March 11, 2008 ~ FULL TEXT
The majority of drugs given to children have never been tested specifically for them. Physicians are prescribing drugs based on a “best guess” as to the dosage, efficacy and even safety. The FDA understands that giving medications to children for which there is only adult data available could be harmful, considering that children have dosing concerns and side-effect risks that differ from adults. The latest legislation has made some headway in the battle against the lack of proper labeling; yet, it still fails to completely overcome the absence of research, particularly in the older medications.
Full Breast-feeding May Lower Hospitalizations for Infections During First Year of Life
Medscape Medical News ~ July 14, 2006
“On the basis of the present data, we conclude that full breastfeeding would lower the risk for hospital admission as a result of infections among infants who are younger than 1 year within an industrialized country,” the authors write.
“The results are consistent with early studies and add to the body of evidence confirming the hypothesis that full breastfeeding lowers the risk for hospitalization as a result of infectious diseases during the first year of life in a developed country.”
Is Comorbidity in Adolescence a Predictor for Adult Low Back Pain?
A Prospective Study of a Young Population
BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2006 (Mar 16); 7: 29 ~ FULL TEXT
Your chiropractic care may be working out “kinks” in your lower back that have been around a lot longer than you realize. This new study of 10,000 Danish residents shows a link between adolescent and adult low back pain (LBP). Researchers studied twins born between 1972 and 1982 by sending out questionnaires in 1994 and again in 2002. The outcomes showed that a high percentage of those who had LBP in 1994 still suffered from LBP in 2002. They also found that those with persistent LBP were 4.5 times more likely than the average person to have future LBP episodes!
The Course of Low Back Pain from Adolescence to Adulthood:
Eight-year Follow-up of 9600 Twins
Spine 2006 (Feb 15); 31 (4): 468–472
High prevalence rates of low back pain among children and adolescents have been demonstrated in several studies, and it has been theorized that low back pain in childhood may have important consequences for future low back pain. Almost 10,000 Danish twins born between 1972 and 1982 were surveyed by means of postal questionnaires in 1994 and again in 2002. The questionnaires dealt with various aspects of general health, including the prevalence of low back pain, classified according to number of days affected (0, 1-7, 8-30, >30). Low back pain in adolescence was found to be a significant risk factor for low back pain in adulthood with odds ratios as high as four. We also demonstrated a dose-response association: the more days with low back pain at baseline, the higher the risk of future low back pain.
Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Low Back Pain of Pregnancy:
A Retrospective Case Series
J Midwifery Womens Health 2006 (Jan); 51 (1): e7-10
Sixteen of 17 (94.1%) cases demonstrated clinically important improvement. The average time to initial clinically important pain relief was 4.5 (range 0-13) days after initial presentation, and the average number of visits undergone up to that point was 1.8 (range 1-5). No adverse effects were reported in any of the 17 cases. The results suggest that chiropractic treatment was safe in these cases and support the hypothesis that it may be effective for reducing pain intensity.
Self-reported Nonmusculoskeletal Responses to Chiropractic Intervention:
A Multination Survey
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005 (Jun); 28 (5): 294–302
Positive reactions were reported by 2% to 10% of all patients and by 3% to 27% of those who reported to have such problems. Most common were improved breathing (27%), digestion (26%), and circulation (21%).
Manual Therapy in Children: Proposals for an Etiologic Model
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2005 (Mar); 28 (3): e1–e15 ~ FULL TEXT
Manual therapy in children (MTC) is receiving greater attention. Several monographs and reviews deal with this subject (1-4). Although these publications cover the field from the viewpoint of a classic pediatric approach, discussing which diagnoses of pediatric medicine might be successfully treated by MTC, they do not furnish an independent concept for the functional disorders that we see in these children. This article proposes such a framework through a model: the kinematic imbalances due to suboccipital strain (KISS) concept. This concept groups the symptoms and signs associated with functional disorders of the cervical spine into an entity linked to easily recognizable clinical situations. By using this concept as a term in the communication with other caregivers of infants and children, we may be able to improve the contact between pediatricians and specialists of MTC, thus facilitating the identification of those cases where the use of MTC will be most useful.
ICPA and FCER Responds to Pediatrics Article
It’s a battle that the chiropractic profession is familiar with—a “scientific” article appears in a medical journal decrying the risks of chiropractic cervical manipulation, and newspapers and television news programs spread the conclusions without either comparison to risks associated with common medical treatments or rebuttal from within chiropractic. The latest front in this battle is over the chiropractic treatment of the pediatric population. Published in the January 1, 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the article
“Adverse Events Associated With Pediatric Spinal Manipulation: A Systematic Review,” has quickly reached the airwaves of the popular media.
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Dr. Diane Benizzi DiMarco
Due to the close association of spinal maturity with lateral spinal curve progression, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis represents a sensitive topic for those treating females who have entered menarche or will be soon. A lateral bending of the spine, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis can present with a lateral and rotary deformity. Spinal curvatures can be the result of varied factors including; muscle diseases or spasms, neurological disease, diseases of the CNS or PNS, congenital vertebral deformities, leg length inequalities, tumors, pain, injury and degenerative spinal arthrosis. The most common cause of scoliosis, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, accounts for approximately 80% of all diagnosed scoliosis cases. (1) Females are affected at a rate of 9:1. Idiopathic scoliosis, juvenile and adolescent affect females ages three to ten years of age and ten years to skeletal maturity, respectively. (2,3)
Drug Research and Children
FDA Consumer Magazine ~ January—February 2003
Most drugs prescribed for children have not been tested in children. Only 20 percent to 30 percent of drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration are labeled for pediatric use. So by necessity, doctors have routinely given drugs to children "off label," which means the drug hasn't been studied in children in adequate, well-controlled clinical trials approved by the agency.
Evaluation of Chiropractic Management of Pediatric Patients with Low Back Pain: A Prospective Cohort Study
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2003 (Jan); 26 (1): 1—8 ~ FULL TEXT
Fifteen chiropractors provided data on 54 consecutive pediatric patients with LBP. The average age of the patients was 13.1 years, 57% were male, 61% were acute, with 47% attributing onset to a traumatic event (most commonly sports-related); 24% reported an episode duration of greater than 3 months. Almost 90% of cases presented with uncomplicated mechanical LBP, most frequently diagnosed as lumbar facet dysfunction or subluxation.
Reported Adverse Drug Events in Infants and Children
Under 2 Years of Age
PEDIATRICS 2002 (Nov); 110 (5): E53—E53
Less than 1% of the nearly 2,000 drugs identified in the study were associated with over half of all serious or fatal side-effects. Deaths linked to side-effects were far more likely in the first few months after birth (41% in the first month). In a full quarter of cases, drugs were administered to the mother, not the infant, and then passed to the child through the womb or through breastfeeding. Included in the list of the drugs most likely to cause dangerous side-effects in children were ibuprofen and acetaminophen (drugs more commonly known by such brand names as Advil and Tylenol).
Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain in Finnish Adolescents:
National Cross Sectional Surveys
British Medical Journal 2002 (Oct 5); 325 (7367): 743–745 ~ FULL TEXT
To study changes in the prevalence of pain in the back or neck in adolescents between the years 1985 and 2001, the authors compared biennial nationwide postal surveys, between 1985-2001, and annual classroom surveys, from 1996-2001.
They found that pain in the neck, shoulder, and lower back is becoming more common in Finnish adolescents. This pain suggests a new disease burden of degenerative musculoskeletal disorders for future adults. Prevalence of pain in the back and neck was greater in the 1990s than in the 1980s and increased steadily from 1993 to 1997. Pain of the neck and shoulder and pain of the lower back was much more common in 1999 than in 1991 and in 2001 than in 1999. Pain was more common among girls and older groups: pain of the neck and shoulder affected 24% of girls and 12% of boys in 14 year olds, 38% of girls and 16% of boys in 16 year olds, and 43% of girls and 19% of boys in 18 year olds; pain in the lower back affected 8% of girls and 7% of boys in 14 year olds, 14% of girls and 11% of boys in 16 year olds, and 17% of boys and 13% of girls in 18 year olds.
The Importance of Prenatal Exposures on the Development of Allergic Disease
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 166 (6): 827—832 ~ FULL TEXT
This study of British children suggests that women who have an infection or take antibiotics during pregnancy are more likely to have a child with an allergy-related condition such as asthma, hay fever or eczema. Researchers at the University of Nottingham evaluated the medical records of nearly 25,000 British children and their mothers. The study found that
children exposed to antibiotics in the womb had a higher risk of developing asthma, hay fever and eczema than did children whose mothers did not take the medication during pregnancy.
Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation for Cervicogenic Headache
in an 8-Year-Old
J Neuromusculoskeletal System 2002 (Fall); 10 (3): 98—103
A case of cervicogenic headache (CEH) in an 8-year-old boy that improved after chiropractic spinal manipulation is reported. An 8-year-old boy presented with a complaint of daily headache. The duration of symptoms was over 3 years. The patient met the diagnostic criteria for CEH. Awkward head position reproduced head pain, as did palpation of the upper cervical region. Decreased range of motion of the neck was evident, as well as abnormal tenderness and primarily of the right upper cervical region, and ancillary myofascial release. A significant decrease in headache frequency as reported by the patient and parent was seen after the first treatment. After four treatments the headache frequency decreased to approximately one per month.
The Webster Technique:
A Chiropractic Technique with Obstetric Implications
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2002 (Jul); 26 (6): E1—9 ~ FULL TEXT
Intrauterine constraint is defined as any force external to the developing fetus that obstructs the normal movement of the fetus. Intrauterine constraint has been casually related to a number of structural defects of the peripheral and craniofacial skeleton of the fetus. 1-10
Taylor 11 and others 12,13 have described how the forces of intrauterine constraint adversely affect the spine during the prenatal and perinatal periods. Moreover, intrauterine constraint can prevent the developing fetus from attaining a head-down vertex position and achieving a vaginal birth, thereby necessitating a cesarean section delivery.
Chiropractic Advice for Moms-to-Be
American Chiropractic Association
During pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity almost immediately begins to shift forward to the front of her pelvis, according to Dr. Jerome McAndrews, spokesperson for the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Although a woman's sacrum - or posterior section of her pelvis - has more depth than a man's to enable her to carry a baby, the displaced weight still increases the stress on her joints. "As the baby grows in size," Dr. McAndrews explains, "the woman's weight is projected even farther forward, and the curvature of her lower back is increased, placing extra stress on her spinal disks in that area. As a result, the spine in the upper back area must compensate - and the normal curvature of her upper spine increases as well."
Pediatric Drug Studies: Protecting Pint-Sized Patients
FDA Consumer Magazine ~ May—June 1999
Of the nine-item laundry list of medicines Goldberg's 6-year-old daughter Abby was taking for her severe asthma, not a single one was tested or approved in the United States for children under 12. "I feel as though I am testing drugs on my own child, every day, and it isn't helping anyone," Goldberg said... Because of their immature organs and different metabolic and immune systems, children react unlike adults to many drugs. Treating children with adult drugs, then, can carry the risk of unforeseen adverse reactions.
Spinal Manipulation May Benefit Asthma Patients
Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER)
Patients afflicted with asthma may benefit from spinal manipulation in terms of symptoms, immunological capacity, and endocrine effects, an audience was told on October 5 at the 9th International Conference on Spinal Manipulation in Toronto. The investigative team, headed by Ray Hayek, Ph.D., has been conducting a trial at 16 treatment centers in Australia involving 420 patients with an average age of 46 in an effort to find out what effects spinal manipulation has on symptoms, depression and anxiety, general health status, and the levels of immunity as reflected by the concentrations of both an immunoglobulin (IgA) and an immunosuppressant (cortisol).
Acquired Verbal Aphasia in a 7-Year-Old Female: Case Report
Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1998 (Apr); 1 (2)
A case report is presented of a seven-year-old female patient with acquired verbal aphasia. Despite appropriate referral to specialists in pediatrics, audiology and speech and language pathology, the patients verbal difficulties failed to respond to conventional therapies. Chiropractic evaluation disclosed disclosed biomechanical abnormalities in the spinal and pelvic region and cranium, which had previously gone unrecognized. The patient's speech difficulties improved following the commencement of chiropractic care. Follow-up evaluations over a period of 18 months demonstrated that speech improvements had been maintained. It is impossible to generalize the results of a single case to the population of patients with aphasia. Hoewver, this case study raises important issues regarding the role of chiropractic care in the multidisciplinary management of patients with acquired aphasia.
The Safety of Chiropractic for Children: A Researcher’s Perspective
A survey study examining the practice characteristics and pediatric care of chiropractors 1 in the Boston area estimated that approximately 420,000 pediatric chiropractic visits were made in the Boston metropolitan area alone for 1998. If extrapolated for the rest of the United States and Canada, the number of chiropractic visits to children in one year would be enormous numbering in several million visits. Given this high utilization rate of pediatric chiropractic services in the United States and Canada, statistics should indicate a great number of morbidity and mortality. On the contrary, there exists little evidence of harm to children from chiropractic.
Dramatic Rise in Childhood Obesity
JAMA 2001 (Dec 12): 286 (22): 2845—2848
The authors of a recent study in the JAMA determined obesity trends in over 8,000 children, ages 4 to 12, between 1986 and 1998. The prevalence of overweight children increased over 120% among Hispanic and African-American children and over 50% among Caucasian children in the 12-year study. Nearly one-quarter of Hispanic/African-American children and roughly one-eighth of Caucasian children were considered overweight in 1998.
Prenatal Nutrition
Often when a woman becomes pregnant, or is trying to get pregnant, she develops a new perspective on her health. For most this means a new or renewed interest in nutrition and healthy food choices. Some women are afraid their diet is insufficient and worry it might affect their baby. Others simply want to do everything in their power to have an easy pregnancy and a normal infant. All are valid concerns. They are also opportunities for you to discuss the reasons to supplement, even for those already eating healthfully.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) Takes a Closer Look at Pollution and Children's Health
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) convened the three-day meeting, which will look at indoor and outdoor pollutants' role in asthma, brain and reproductive system disorders, behavioral problems like autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cancer. Children are especially vulnerable to pollutants because they breathe in more air and take in more food and liquid, proportional to their size, than adults, said Phil Lee, a senior scholar at the University of California, San Francisco, and former assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services. More information like this may be found in our Environmental Toxins Page
Why Should Children Have Chiropractic Care?
More and more parents are seeking chiropractic care for their children. Many spinal problems seen in adults began as early as birth. Even so called 'natural' birthing methods can stress an infant's spine and developing nerve system. The resulting irritation to the nerve system caused by spinal and cranial misalignment can be the cause of many newborn health complaints. Colic, breathing problems, nursing difficulties, sleep disturbances, allergic reactions and chronic infections can often be traced to nerve system stress.
To Treat or Not to Treat Otitis Media: That's Just One of the Questions
J Am Board Fam Pract 2001 (Nov); 14 (6): 474—476
Recent evidence has thrown into question the use of antibiotics and the length of treatment, if prescribed. The growing worldwide development of multidrug-resistant bacteria, the uncertainty of diagnosis, and that up to one third of cases of AOM are viral in origin 12 have made popular a wait-and-see approach to the initial prescription of antibiotics, especially in many European countries. In several randomized clinical trials, antibiotics provided only a small benefit. 13-15 In a meta-analysis of more than 2000 children with AOM, ear pain resolved spontaneously without antibiotics in two thirds by 24 hours and in 80% by day 7.
Chiropractic and Children: It's All About Function
What can chiropractic do for your child? Why do millions of parents bring their children to Doctors of Chiropractic every year? Is it only for highly dramatic health conditions? Is it only for when my child is hurting? Not at all!! Chiropractic's purpose is to remove interferences to the natural healing power running through the body.When that power is unleashed the healing that results may be profound.
Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders: A Review of Literature Relative to Chiropractic Care of Children
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001 (Mar-Apr); 24 (3): 199—205
Chiropractic care may represent a nonpharmaceutical health care approach for pediatric epileptic patients. Current anecdotal evidence suggests that correction of upper cervical vertebral subluxation complex might be most beneficial. It is suggested that chiropractic care be further investigated regarding its role in the overall health care management of pediatric epileptic patients.
The Role of the Chiropractic Adjustment in the Care and Treatment of 332 Children with Otitis Media
Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics 1997 (Oct); 2 (2)
To our knowledge this is the first time that tympanography has been used as an objectifying tool with respect to the efficacy of the chiropractic adjustment in the treatment of children with otitis media. In addition, the role of the occipital adjustment needs to be examined. This study begins the process of examining the role of the vertebral cranial subluxation complex in the pathogenesis of otitis media, and the efficacy of the chiropractic adjustment in its resolution.
You can review
many other articles on chiropractic and Otitis Media in the Research Section.
Cervicogenic Hearing Loss
HNO 1994 (Oct); 42 (10): 604—613
Findings in 62 patients suffering from vertebragenic hearing disorders are reported before and after chiropractic management. Results indicate that these hearing disorders are reversible, as demonstrated by audiometry and OAE. The therapy of choice is chiropractic manipulation of the upper cervical spine. The commoness of vertebragenic hearing disorders emphasizes their clinical and forensic importance.
You can review many other articles on chiropractic and Hearing Loss in the Research Section.
Chronic Pediatric Asthma and Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation: A Prospective Clinical Series and Randomized Clinical Pilot Study
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001 (July); 24 (6): 369—377
After 3 months of combining chiropractic SMT with optimal medical management for pediatric asthma, the children rated their quality of life substantially higher and their asthma severity substantially lower. These improvements were maintained at the 1-year follow-up assessment. You can review many other articles on chiropractic and Asthma in the Research Section.
Ritalin: This Children's Drug Is More Potent Than Cocaine
The London Observer September 9, 2001
Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill form, Ritalin - taken by thousands of British children and four million in the United States - occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the “high” experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine. The research may alarm parents whose children have been prescribed Ritalin as a solution to Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
Antibiotics/Antimicrobials Ineffective for Treatment of Children
With Acute Sinusitis
PEDIATRICS 2001; 107 (4) April: 619–625
This randomized trial found that neither amoxicillin nor amoxicillin-clavulanate offered any clinical benefit compared with placebo for children with clinically diagnosed acute sinusitis.
Treatment of Shoulder and Cervical Dysfunction in an Infant
Jan Carll Sharp, R.N., D.C., D.A.C.R.B.
Birth trauma is a term used to describe a variety of conditions resulting from the malpositioning of the fetus. The events leading to this trauma usually occur after the descent of the infant into the birth canal before delivery, regardless of whether that delivery is vaginal or by caesarean delivery. Malpositions can occur as a result of the infant being in an atypical position for a prolonged period of time. This can also happen with the presentation of multiple births causing fetal malpositioning. Some typical injuries may involve the acromio-calvicular joint, the scapula, the cervical spine, the ilio-femoral joint, and the upper and lower extremities. The acromio-clavicular-humeral joint and the cervical spine usually are the primary sites of these conditions.
Relation of Infant Diet to Childhood Health:
A Seven Year Follow Up.
British Medical Journal 1998 (Jan 3); 316 (7124): 21—25
The probability of respiratory illness occurring at any time during childhood is significantly reduced if the child is fed exclusively breast milk for 15 weeks and no solid foods are introduced during this time. Breast feeding and the late introduction of solids may have a beneficial effect on childhood health and subsequent adult disease.
“Joint Pain in Children”
A Seven Article Series By Deborah Pate, DC, DACBR
Joint pain is a common complaint in children but seldom a symptom of serious joint disease. How can you determine if a child with knee pain has just a strain/sprain or a more serious joint disease, such as Lyme disease, rheumatic fever, or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis? I'd like to review the more common joint disorders affecting children.
Children and Scoliosis
Scoliosis is defined as “any lateral deviation of the spine from the mid-sagittal plane.” While there are many causes for scoliosis, children and adolescents with scoliosis who present to chiropractors usually fall into three categories.
Otitis Media and the Sanctity of Medical Guidelines
Within recent times, however, we need only consider otitis media as an example of the extreme volatility of medical guidelines. A complete reversal appears to have taken place within just the past six years! Traditionally, the initial recommended intervention in the United States has been tympanostomy with the option to use antibiotics,4 despite that in the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands, physicians have embarked upon a policy of watchful waiting with no deleterious consequences from their reluctance to use antibiotics.5
Top Child Health Agencies Urge Testing to Protect Early Brain
Development From Toxins: One Out of Six Affected
One out of six children are suffering from behavioral disorder according to the Learning Disabilities Association and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS–NIU). Both are calling for research testing to recognize, reduce and eliminate the
environmental toxins scientifically linked to learning disabilities.
The Risk of Injury for Children Exposed to Whiplash Trauma
Arthur C. Croft, DC, MS, FACO
Less than two percent of the literature about whiplash is devoted to children. When I wrote the first edition of my textbook in 1988,1 I cited an older German study placing the risk for children at approximately one-sixth the risk of adults. By the time the second edition was published in 1995, a Swedish study had since been published putting the risk proportion in children closer to two-thirds that of adults.2
Musculoskeletal Injuries in Child Athletes
British Medical Journal 1994 ((11 June)); 308: 1556—1559
The growing skeletons of children may be injured more easily than the mature skeletons of adults because the bones are more porous and the long bones are further weakened by the epiphysical plates at their proximal and distal ends.
The Short–Term Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of
Infantile Colic: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial with a Blinded Observer
J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1999 (Jun 11); 308: 1556—1559
This research project found chiropractic adjusting superior to the medical use of dimethicone for the treatment of Infantile Colic.
The Risk of Carcinogenesis From Radiographs to
Pediatric Orthopaedic Patients
J Pediatr Orthop 2000 (Mar–Apr); 20 (2): 251—254
The use of serial radiographs during the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis, hip dysplasia, and leg-length discrepancy appears relatively safe. The increased risk of carcinogenesis or hereditary defects in these patients is minimal.
Therapeutic Misadventures With Acetaminophen:
Hepatoxicity After Multiple Doses in Children
J Pediatr 1998 (Jan); 132 (1): 22—27
Twenty-four of 43 patients (53%) died, with an additional three surviving after orthotopic liver transplantation. Parents should be advised about the potential hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen when given to ill children in doses exceeding weight-based recommendations.
Even Small Amounts of Tylenol May Be Dangerous for
Infants and Small Children
In a paper published in Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr. James E. Heubi states that in infants and small children, studies have indicated that the toxic dose is less than twice the recommended dose. Studies have also shown that it is very easy to mistakenly give children too much acetaminophen and, as a result, endanger their lives and health.
Child Acetaminophen Deaths Reported
At least 24 children in the United States have died and three have required liver transplants after receiving accidental overdoses of acetaminophen -- the most widely used medication for relief of pain and fever in children and infants, according to a report in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Back Pain in Children Who Present to the Emergency Department
Clin Pediatr 1999 (Jul); 38 (7): 401—406
When present, pediatric back pain is most often musculoskeletal, associated with an acute infectious illness or a traumatic event. Although the etiology is rarely serious, back pain often affects the daily activities of symptomatic children.
Prolonged Low-Back Pain in Young Athletes:
A Prospective Case Series Study of Findings and Prognosis
Eur Spine J 1999; 8 (6): 480—484
We investigated the prognosis of low-back pain and the association of clinical symptoms and anatomic findings among young athletes. Consecutive patients, aged between 12 and 18 years, who had low-back pain that had interfered with their training for at least 4 weeks were included in the case series.
Why the Back of the Child?
Eur Spine J 1999; 8 (6): 426—428
An international congress about "the back of children and teenagers and the prevention of backache" was held in March 1999 in Grenoble (France). Beside specific low back pain following progressive and growth diseases, special attention was paid to non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Nonspecific Back Pain in Children:
A Search for Associated Factors in 14-year-old Schoolchildren
Rev Rhum Engl Ed 1999 (Jul–Sep); 66 (7–9): 381—388
The findings from this cross-sectional study indicate a need for a longitudinal prospective study designed to identify etiologic and prognostic factors of back pain in adolescents, with the goal of devising preventive strategies likely to reduce the risk of low back pain in adulthood.
Protecting Your Child From Computer-related Repetitive Stress
Whether it's typing a school report or surfing the Internet, your child may be spending lots of hours at the computer. By learning about the causes and prevention of repetitive stress injuries now, you can protect your child from future injury.
Overuse Injuries in Children and Adolescents
Physician and Sportsmedicine 1999; 27 (1)
With the growth of youth sports programs, overuse injuries in young people have become common. Making the diagnosis can be challenging, but often the real hurdles are in identifying the causes of injury.
One-Third Of Children In Road Traffic Accidents Develop Stress Disorder
LONDON, ENGLAND –– Dec. 11, 1998 –– In a study of 119
children involved in road traffic accidents during 1997 Dr. Paul Stallard and colleagues from the Royal United Hospital in Bath reveal that one-third were found to be suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder. Published in this week's issue of the British Medical Journal,
the study found that young people displayed symptoms including sleep disturbance and nightmares, separation anxiety, difficulties in concentration, intrusive thoughts, difficulties in talking to parents and friends, mood disturbance, deterioration in academic performance, specific fears and
accident related play.
Children and the Caffeine Culture
Here is a two-part article on the increasing caffeine consumption by children and youths in the U.S. that appeared in the San Mateo County Times on October 26 and 28, 1998, and probably in other ANG Newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was written by Dr. Ron Eisenberg and Dr. Virgil Williams, staff physicians at Highland General Hospital in Oakland, California, who apparently write other medical related columns for the newspaper group.
Research Perspectives in Asthma: A Rationale for the Therapeutic Application of Magnesium, Pyridoxine, Coleus forskholii and Ginkgo biloba in the Treatment of Adult and
Pediatric Asthma
The Internist 1998; September; 5 (3): 14—16
Thanks to the American Chiropratic Association's Council On Family Practice for their permission to reprint this article exclusively at Chiro.Org! You can review many other articles on Chiropractic and Asthma in the Research Section.
Research: New Challenges for Chiropractic
Review the article and controversy associated with this New England Journal of Medicine article on chiropractic and asthma. We also have the press releases and responses from the Research and Academic Community.
Children Not Eating Enough Fruit and Vegetables
Of 168 US preschoolers who participated in a week-long nutrition study, none ate the five recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, report researchers in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Immunization-Related Problems
Janet Zand, L.Ac., OMD
Excerpted from Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Avery Publishing Group
Are Antibiotics Indicated as Initial Treatment for Children With Acute Otitis Media? A Meta-Analysis
British Medical Journal 1997 (May 24); 314 (7093): 1526–1529 ~ FULL TEXT
Early use of antibiotics provides only modest benefit for acute otitis media: to prevent one child from experiencing pain by 2-7 days after presentation, 17 children must be treated with antibiotics early.
The Post-Antibiotic Age
What exactly was this Germ Theory? Very simply, the Germ Theory stated that there were separate diseases and that each disease was caused by a particular microorganism. It was the job of science, then, to find the right drug or vaccine that would selectively kill off the offending bug without killing the patient. That would be great, but nature is rarely so black and white about things, ever notice that? For one thing, bacteria and viruses tend to be "environment-specific." That's why some people get colds and others don't. That's why some survived the Bubonic Plague.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Addresses Parents Religious Objections to Medical Care
This is a pretty scary statement. Who gets to decide about the health care choices for your child? Parents sometimes deny their children the benefits of medical care because of religious beliefs. In some jurisdictions, exemptions to child abuse and neglect laws restrict government action to protect children or seek legal redress when the alleged abuse or neglect has occurred in the name of religion. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believes that all children deserve effective medical treatment that is likely to prevent substantial harm or suffering or death. In addition, the AAP advocates that all legal interventions apply equally whenever children are endangered or harmed, without exemptions based on parental religious beliefs. To these ends, the AAP calls for the repeal of religious exemption laws and supports additional efforts to educate the public about the medical needs of children.
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