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This article reviews the clinical guideline on the management of atopic eczema in children up to the age of 12 years published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in Great Britain. Patients are advised to identify potential trigger factors for eczema which include irritants, skin infections and contact allergens. A categorization of eczema based on severity and its impact on quality of life and psychosocial well-being is presented. Medications for the condition include corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors.

The article reviews the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) guideline on the recognition and management of urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. The guideline covers urine collection, antibiotic prophylaxis, and imaging tests. It recommends the use of Dipstick testing in children aged 3 years old and above. The author holds the opinion that this guideline will be of great assistance to pediatricians in the management of UTI.

The article discusses the evidence-based guideline for the management of decreased level of consciousness without a history of trauma among children in Great Britain. It is stated that 40% of mortality are associated with non-traumatic coma in the country. This guideline focuses on possible treatable causes of reduced consciousness. It also includes parent information about the problem, including postmortem investigations.

Objective: To investigate to what extent prenatal, early postnatal, and late postnatal growth predicts risk of childhood obesity. Methods: This was a historical cohort study of 1335 full term singletons born in southwest England in 1989. The main outcome measure was body mass index (BMI) at age 7. Absolute weights at birth, 6 weeks, and 18 months, and change in weights during the intervening periods were measured. Measures were examined as z scores standardised to the 1990 UK reference population. Results: BMI at age 7 was positively associated with z scores for weight at all ages. Regression coefficients (95% confidence intervals) were: 0.16 (0.11 to 0.22), 0.19 (0.15 to 0.24), and 0.29 (0.26 to 0.33) for weights at birth, 6 weeks, and 18 months, respectively. Regression coefficients for birth weight, early weight gain (change in weight z score between birth and 6 weeks), and late weight gain (change in weight z score between 6 weeks and 18 months), adjusted for each other were: 0.32 (0.27 to 0.38), 0.31 (0.26 to 0.37), and 0.28 (0.23 to 0.32), respectively. There was no statistical evidence for interaction among weights, weight gains, or social deprivation. Social deprivation independently predicted BMI at age 7, the major influence being weight gain after 6 weeks of life. Conclusions: These data suggest that obesity risk is acquired gradually over the perinatal and postnatal periods, instead of during a prenatal or early postnatal critical window. The association of obesity risk with social circumstances and the timing of its origin offer pointers to some underlying determinants of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares two-well produced evidence-based guidelines covering the diagnosis and management of children with asthma in the U.S. and Great Britain. In the U.S., the National Institute for Health (NIH) published a major update to their 2002 guideline. In Great Britain, the guideline produced by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN), is a so-called "living guideline." It is concluded that the two guidelines have identified a number of developments in children's asthma care.

The article focuses on guidelines for the diagnosis, management and prevention of tuberculosis released by the British National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The traditional way of determining tuberculosis infection is the tuberculin skin test. A six-month, four-drug initial regimen was recommended for the treatment of active respiratory tuberculosis in children. Screening should be offered to the household contacts of any person with active tuberculosis.

Assesses the risk of transferring residence on childhood asthma in Great Britain. Study protocol and sample population; Medline search; Correlation between move to previously inhabited, centrally heated dwellings and onset of childhood asthma; Nee d for further studies.

The article deals with the clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolaemia in children published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) of Great Britain in August 2008. A brief background on familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is offered. Identified risk factors are obesity and raised cholesterol levels. Also mentioned is the updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.