Australian Family Physician September 2005 - Growth
Vol 34, (9): 705 - 800
The theme for the September issue of AFP is Growth.
Articles include intrauterine growth restriction, failure to thrive,
child and adolescent growth disorders, development delay and emotional
growth.
With growing concern
Steve Trumble
My youngest child's birthday is next week and we have been heavily engaged in the negotiation process that surrounds such rites.
Management of growth delay in patients aged less than 6 years
Janice Charles, Helena Britt, Anthea Ng
The BEACH program, a continuous national study of general practice activity in Australia, gives us an overview of consultations in general practice involving the management of growth delay.
Intrauterine growth restriction- diagnosis and management
Collette Sheridan
Fetal growth disorders are an important cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality with long term health implications for the survivors of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
An approach to 'failure to thrive'
Philip Bergman and Justin Graham
Infants commonly present with failure to thrive. Psychosocial and nutritional causes are commonly responsible, but significant organic pathology requires exclusion in all children with failure to thrive.
Child and adolescent growth disorders - an overview
Peter J Simm and George A Werther
While many children presenting with apparent disorders of growth will be short or tall children growing normally, it is important to identify those children who have an underlying pathological cause.
Developmental delay identification and management
Frank Oberklaid and Daryl Efron
Identification and management
Developmental delay occurs in up to 5% of children under 5 years of age. This includes delays in speech and language development, motor development, social-emotional development, and cognitive development.
Weighty matters an approach to childhood overweight in general practice
Zoë McCallum and Bibi Gerner
An approach to childhood overweight in general practice
In Australia, childhood obesity now rivals asthma as the most prevalent chronic child health condition. The past 2 decades have shown a rapidly rising prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity with no sign that this trajectory will plateau.
Emotional growth - helping children and families 'bounce back'
Toni Noble and Helen McGrath
Helping children and families 'bounce back'
Depression is becoming increasingly prevalent in young people and is occurring earlier. General practitioners are prescribing antidepressants more frequently for this group, yet they are usually not the answer to the problem.
Management of early breast cancer - The current approach
Meagan Brennan, Nicholas Wilcken, James French, Owen Ung, John Boyages
This seventh article in our series on breast disease will focus on what is new in the management of invasive primary breast cancer.
Monitoring after childhood cancer - An update for GPs
John A Heath
The majority of children treated for a cancer will be long term survivors, with the potential to develop specific treatment related adverse health outcomes.
Fever in children
Christopher Pearce and Nigel Curtis
Fever in children is a common presenting problem in general practice, and its assessment and management are steeped in habits and teaching from the past.
Clinical guidance on the use of antidepressant medications in children and adolescents
Joint position statement
This statement is addressed to prescribers, especially general practitioners, and is intended to provide clinical guidance on the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) when treating children and adolescents.
Mandatory notification of child abuse: when to report?
Sara Bird
Case histories are based on actual medical negligence claims, however certain facts have been omitted or changed by the author to ensure the anonymity of the parties involved.
Reflection in professional practice and education
Kathryn Robertson
Reflection is a crucial process in the transforming of experience into knowledge, skills and attitudes. As such it is at the core of both learning and continually evolving professional practice.
Ecology, environment and the elements
Craig Hassed
The letter attributed to 1850s Suquamish leader Chief Seattle to the US government, is as profound a statement about philosophy as it is about ecology.
Anterior neck swelling
Jerzy K Pawlak
A man, 39 years of age, noted a right anterior neck swelling for approximately 8 months with no symptoms. The mass on the right side of his neck is fairly high and fixed, and moves up and down when he swallows. There is no discolouration.
Clinical challenge
Jenny Parsons
Questions for this month's clinical challenge are based on articles in this issue. The style and scope of questions is in keeping with the MCQ of the College Fellowship exam.
Recognition and management of perinatal depression in general practice - A survey of general practitioners and postnatal women across Australia
Anne Buist, Bryanne Barnett, Justin Bilszta, Jeannette Milgrom, Jennifer Ericksen, John Condon, Barbara Hayes, Janette Brooks
addressing knowledge of, and attitudes to, postnatal depression using case vignettes.
Small groups for supporting GPs' professional development in mental health disease - An evaluation
Kay Wilhelm, Glenda Peel, Victoria Sutton, Adam Finch, Anne Sved-Williams
Small groups provide opportunities for education, information sharing, development of clinical skills and peer support. They have been promoted in general practice in Australia, especially for mental health disease, and often by divisions of general practice.
Patients' perceptions of isotretinoin, depression and suicide - A qualitative study
Parker Magin, Jon Adams, Gaynor Heading, Dimity Pond, Wayne Smith
Isotretinoin is an effective acne medication. The evidence for it causing depression and suicide, although widely publicised, remains uncertain.
Automatic drug use audit in primary care -A pilot evaluation of warfarin use for patients with atrial fibrillation
Cindy L Mortimer, W Neil Cottrell, Nicholas J Comino
A retrospective observational drug use evaluation of warfarin prescribing in patients with atrial fibrillation using automated searches of electronic medical records.