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This Month in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001;155:987.
Effectiveness of a Home Intervention for Perceived Child Behavioral
Problems and Parenting Stress in Children With In Utero Drug Exposure
Nurse home visits have been shown to be an effective intervention for
improving outcomes in high-risk families. In this randomized controlled trial,
Butz et al examined the effect of home visiting in the first 18 months of
life for infants exposed to drugs in utero. Home-visited infants had fewer
behavioral problems, and their caregivers reported less parenting stress than
families who received more traditional care without nurse home visits.
(SEE ARTICLE)
Cost-effectiveness of a School-Based Tobacco-Use Prevention Program
In the past decade, numerous school-based primary prevention programs
to reduce tobacco use among youth have been developed and implemented across
the United States. Wang et al show that a 10-lesson school-based curriculum
would result in $13 316 per life-year saved, and $8482 per quality-adjusted
life-year saved. This is highly effective compared with other widely accepted
prevention programs.
(SEE ARTICLE)
Computer Simulation of Stair Falls to Investigate Scenarios in Child
Abuse
Injuries from stair falls are a common problem faced by the pediatrician.
The vast majority of these are unintentional; however, some abusive injuries
are reported to have occurred as a result of falling down stairs. Bertocci
et al use computer simulation technology to model stair falls and investigate
the factors and forces associated with injury. Readers can link to the ARCHIVES
Web site to see the actual simulations and better understand how injuries
occur in these falls.
(SEE ARTICLE)
Threats of School Violence in Pennsylvania After Media Coverage of
the Columbine High School Massacre: Examining the Role of Imitation
Prior research has shown that the number of suicides increase following
suicides that receive a great deal of media attention. The attack by 2 teenagers
on Columbine High School was widely covered by the media, raising the possibility
of "copycat" crimes. Kostinsky et al documented that reports of school violence
in Pennsylvania increased from a usual 1 to 2 threats per year to 354 threats
in the 50 days following the Columbine murders, with more than half occurring
in the first 10 days. This study has important implications for the response
of the media to terrorist attacks and school violence.
(SEE ARTICLE)
The Rotavirus Vaccine's Withdrawal and Physicians' Trust in Vaccine
Safety Mechanisms
The much anticipated rotavirus vaccine was withdrawn after only 11 months
because of the risk of intussusception in vaccine recipients. This national
study indicated a large disparity in physician trust between prelicensure
studies to determine vaccine safety and the postlicensure surveillance system.
These prelicensure safety evaluations may be an important determinant of early
adherence to new vaccine recommendations.
(SEE ARTICLE)
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