• Obesity and Kids:  2005 could be called the Year of the Obese Child, as study after study voiced growing concern over the expanding girth of our nation’s children, which could wipe out the strides made by decreasing rates of smoking, drinking, and substance abuse.  In response, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute released its We Can! initiative, designed to say “whoa,” “go,” and “slow” to junk foods, nutritious foods, and packaged foods, also pushing for less time in front of the TV and more time playing outside.  Also, the Department of Agriculture developed a kid-friendly online food pyramid, designed to teach kids the importance of healthy foods and more exercise.  Other important research issues in 2005 included immunization, SIDS, breastfeeding, and heavy backpacks.  For the full story, see   http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/tb2/2410.
• Orphan drug effective for infant botulism:  An orphan drug known as BabyBIG, approved to treat infant botulism, has been shown in a five-year randomized trial to shorten hospital stays, reduce time spent in intensive care, and decrease need for mechanical ventilation and intravenous feeding.  The drug is another success story for the 1982 Orphan Drug Act, which eases the financial burden of developing orphan drugs.  Arnon SS et al. Human Botulism Immune Globulin for the Treatment of Infant Botulism.  N Engl J Med 2006;354:462-71; Marlene E. Haffner. Adopting Orphan Drugs – Two Dozen Years of Treating Rare Diseases.  N Engl J Med 2006;354:445-47.
• Genetic, environmental factors in SIDS:  African Americans carrying a common genetic predisposition to cardiac arrhythmia are at increased risk of bearing children who are susceptible to sudden infant death syndrome.  SIDS is likely caused by a complicated combination of genetic and environmental factors; this genetic variation puts children at increased risk of respiratory acidosis, which can be exacerbated by sleep apnea caused by sleeping on the stomach.  Respiratory acidosis is a known risk factor for SIDS.  Other environmental and genetic factors probably contribute to SIDS, but the results of this study suggest that genetic screening is warranted in specific situations where other risk factors are present.  Plant LD et al. A Common Cardiac Sodium Channel Variant Associated with Sudden Infant Death in African Americans SCN5A S1103Y. J. Clin. Invest. 2006;116:430-435. Jonathan C. Makielski. SIDS:  genetic and environmental influences may cause arrhythmia in this silent killer.  J. Clin. Invest. 2006;116:297-299.
• Changing epidemiology of SIDS:  In other news about SIDS, although mortality has declined dramatically in England in the last 20 years, the number of deaths involving a parent and an infant sleeping together on a sofa are on the rise. Although the Back to Sleep campaign has been very effective in reducing deaths from SIDS, researchers feel that the risk of infants sleeping with a parent on a couch have not been sufficiently publicized.  Also, the Back to Sleep Campaign significantly changed the epidemiology of this syndrome, as the decrease in one risk factor caused others, such as low income, smoking, and preterm birth, to become more important.  Blair PS et al. Major epidemiological changes in sudden infant death syndrome: a 20-year population-based study in the UK. The Lancet. Advanced online publication January 18, 2006.

Selected from MedPage Today Daily Headlines.  To subscribe, register at http://www.medpagetoday.com/register.cfm.