Pediatric Education and Research

This short communication paper was intended to provide an insight towards application of Physics into the field of Clinical Pediatrics and Neonatology through studies on evaluation of Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs) in preterm infants. BAEP testing had high sensitivity and specificity in detecting sensorineural hearing loss; high risk infants demonstrated prolonged wave I latency; the peak V latency and I to V interval latency decreased with increasing conceptional age; shortening of the I-V interval and increase in wave I latency, wave I latency was inversely related to infant’s weight; BAEP findings were correlated with diffusion tensor imaging, and BAEPs did not provide much diagnostic values in infants without hearing impairments when correlated with MRI findings. The existing evidence supported the use of BAEPs in pediatric/ neonatologic examination of preterm infants.

Keywords: Braisntem auditory evoked potentials; Applied physics; Neonatologic examination; Pediatric examination. 

The objective of this review paper was to summarize the existing evidence for juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) from an overview-based search of PubMed.Evidence from existing studies provides information on differential diagnosis of JCA based upon immunogenetic, etiopathogenetic, antibody-based and autoimmune mechanisms for JCA. Management studies were on medical, surgical, orthopedic and rehabilitation of JCA. Studies also suggested a multidimensional biopsychosocial model suitable for evaluating medical and psychosocial empirical findingswhich acts as a frame of reference for a multi-professional team approach in the care of rheumatic children and their families.

Keywords: Juvenile chronic arthritis; Juvenile arthritis; Pediatric rheumatology.

Before the middle of the19th century, only the scientists who worked in laboratories used to wear LAB COATS which were beige (a pale-pinkish-yellow color). In the middle of the 19th century, science (Laboratory scientists) had damaged the prestige of medicine (physicians) by demonstrating that the so called CURES by medicine were worthless, thus convicting the then physicians as QUACKS. While scientists were admired by public and rulers, physicians were distrusted at that time. So the medical  profession turned to science. Thus physicians decided to become scientists. After all, it was thought, the laboratories inventions could certainly provide breakthrough advances in curing disease. Physicians, seeking to represent themselves as scientists, thus adopted the scientific lab coat as their standard of dress. And the physicians began to wear the most recognizable symbol of the scientist, the  laboratory coat in the year 1889AD. When lab coats ( originally beige colored) were adopted by the medical profession, they preferred the color of their coat to be white. The modern white coat was introduced to medicine in Canada by Dr. George Armstrong (1855–1933) who was a surgeon at the Montreal General Hospital and President of the Canadian Medical Association.

Keywords: Apron; White coat; Physician; White coat hypertension; White coat ceremony.

Background: Menarche is viewed as an excellent physiological marker of adolescent maturation.[1] It is apparent that the age at menarche is a developmental milestone, which is highly variable and highly sensitive to a variety of internal and external forces. Knowledge of the age at menarche will help the government to design and implement programmes about reproductive health of women, to set laws about age at marriage, family planning, abortion etc and to decide the appropriate age at which the topics like the sex education, contraception and sanitary practices can be incorporated in schools. The present study attempts to find the age at menarche in girls from Gulbarga city of Karnataka. We also investigated whether the age at menarche is associated with mother’s menarcheal age, socioeconomic status,BMI. The findings are reported here. Design: Observational cross sectional study. Methods: the study was conducted among school going girls aged between 10 and 16 years.246 girls participated in the study on voluntary basis.A predesigned questionnaire was administered and girls were briefly examined.Data collected was analysed using MS excel and EPI info version 4. Results: Out of 246 cases studied 152 cases were having menstruation, most frequent age of menarche being 12 years when 46 cases (18.7%)had its onset and 13years when 46 cases (18.7%) had its onset. The lowest age was 10 years and highest was 14 year. Mean age at menarche was found to be12.14 (± 1.086). There seems to be definite association of various factors which modify the age at menarche like mother’s menarcheal age,socio-economic status. Conclusion: There was a positive correlation between menarche and maternal age at menarche and socioeconomic status.

Key Words: Mean age at menarche; Body mass index; Menarche; Socio-economic status.

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