Child health Flashcards
Presentation and conditions
Achondroplasia
autosomal dominant disorder associated with short stature. It is caused by a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR-3) gene
Signs and symptoms of achondroplasia
short limbs (rhizomelia) with shortened fingers (brachydactyly)
large head with frontal bossing and narrow foramen magnum
midface hypoplasia with a flattened nasal bridge
‘trident’ hands
lumbar lordosis
What type of mutation causes achondroplasia
- sporadic mutation
- autosomal dominant inherited
Treatment of achondroplasia
There is no specific treatment
Some patients may benefit from lengthening procedure (e.g lizards frames)
Features of epiglottis
rapid onset
high temperature, generally unwell
stridor
drooling of saliva
‘tripod’ position: the patient finds it easier to breathe if they are leaning forward and extending their neck in a seated position
Epiglottis
Acute epiglottitis is rare but serious infection caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B.
What are the imagining findings of epiglottis
a lateral view in acute epiglottis will show swelling of the epiglottis - the ‘thumb sign’
in contrast, a posterior-anterior view in croup will show subglottic narrowing, commonly called the ‘steeple sign’
Management of epiglottis
immediate senior involvement, including those able to provide emergency airway support (e.g. anaesthetics, ENT)
* endotracheal intubation may be necessary to protect the airway
DO NOT examine the throat due to the risk of acute airway obstruction
- oxygen
- intravenous antibiotics
Acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia
most common malignancy affecting children and accounts for 80% of childhood leukaemias
Peak incidence is around 2-5 years
- boys are affected more than girls
Features of ALL
anaemia: lethargy and pallor
neutropaenia: frequent or severe infections
thrombocytopenia: easy bruising, petechiae
bone pain (secondary to bone marrow infiltration)
splenomegaly
hepatomegaly
fever is present in up to 50% of new cases (representing infection or constitutional symptom)
testicular swelling
Types of ALL common ALL
common ALL (75%), CD10 present, pre-B phenotype
T-cell ALL (20%)
B-cell ALL (5%)
Poor prognostic factors of ALL
age < 2 years or > 10 years
WBC > 20 * 109/l at diagnosis
T or B cell surface markers
non-Caucasian
male sex
Alpha- thalassaemia
Alpha-thalassaemia is due to a deficiency of alpha chains in haemoglobin
2 separate alpha-globulin genes are located on each chromosome 16
When are Apgar scores taken?
1, and 5 minutes of age. If the score is low then it is again repeated at 10 minutes.
Score of 2 (Apgar)
Pulse > 100
Resp effort Strong, crying
Colour. Pink
Muscle tone Active movement
Reflex irritability Cries on stimulation/sneezes, coughs
Score of 1 (Apgar)
Pulse <100
Resp effort- weak, irregular
Colour- body pink and blue extremities
Muscle tone limb flexi on
Reflex irritability grimace
Score of 1 (apgar)
Pulse absent
Resp effort Nil
Colour blue all over
Muscle tone Flaccid
Reflex irritability nil
What is the interpretation of Apgar score
A score of 0-3 is very low score, between 4-6 is moderate low and between 7 - 10 means the baby is in a good state
Fluid maintenance in children
100ml/kg for the first 10kg, 50ml/kg for the next 10kg and 20ml/kg for every subsequent kg.
Components of the APGAR score
- appearance
- pulse
- grimance
- activity
- respiration
APGAR
Appearance relates to the colour of the child.
- 2 is for a pink baby
- 1 if the baby is blue peripherally but pink centrally
- 0 if the baby is blue all over
APGAR pulse
2 for >100 beats per minute
1 for <100 beats per minute
0 for a non-detectable heart rate
APFAR grimace
relates to the response to stimulation
2 for crying on stimulation scores
1 for a grimace
0 for no response
Apgar activty
2 for flexed limbs that resists extension
1 for some flexion
0 for a floppy baby
preseptal cellulitis
causes of cellulitis
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus species
- Haemophilus influenzae type B (more common in children, especially those who are not vaccinated)
clinical characteristic of Noonan syndrome (5j
cardiac: pulmonary valve stenosis
ptosis
triangular-shaped face
low-set ears
coagulation problems: factor XI deficiency
clinical characteristic of Noonan syndrome (5j
cardiac: pulmonary valve stenosis
ptosis
triangular-shaped face
low-set ears
coagulation problems: factor XI deficiency
What is Noonan syndrome
Autosomal dominant normal karyotype
Affects chromosomes 12
Presentation of Noonan syndrome
webbed neck, widely-spaced nipples, short stature, pectus carinatum and excavatum
Marfan’s syndrome - genetics
- autosomal dominant
- defect in the FBN1 gene on chromosome 15
Features of Marfan’s syndrome
- tall stature with arm span to height ratio > 1.05
- high-arched palate
- arachnodactyly
- pectus excavatum
*pes planus - scoliosis of > 20 degrees
Marfan’s heart presentation
- dilatation of the aortic sinuses, can lead to
- aortic aneurysm
- aortic dissection
- aortic regurgitation
- mitral valve prolapse
Marfan’s syndrome eyes
upwards lens dislocation (superotemporal ectopia lentis)
blue sclera
myopia
Flexural
creases at the elbows, knees, wrists and neck
Flexural
creases at the elbows, knees, wrists and neck
Discoid
coin-sized areas of inflammation on the limbs
Follicular
small circular bumps around hair follicles
discoid and follicular distributions are more common in which ethnicities
Asian, Black Caribbean and Black African children.
Less itchy
Well-circumscribed, reddish, flat-topped plaques with silvery scales
Symmetrical
Psoriasis
Related to a topical allergen
Note: can be a trigger factor of atopic eczema
Allergic contact dermatitis
Related to a topical allergen
Note: can be a trigger factor of atopic eczema
Allergic contact dermatitis
What are the two most common forms of deliberate self-harm (DSH) in children and adolescents?
Overdoses and self-mutilation
Examples include paracetamol overdoses and cutting or burning.
How much more common is DSH in girls compared to boys up to the age of 16?
4 times more common
At ages 18 and 19, it is around twice as common in girls.
What are some risk factors for deliberate self-harm in children and adolescents?
- Mental health or behavioural problems
- History of self-harm
- Living in care or secure institutions
- Abusive home life
- Poor communication with parents
What positive purposes do some children attribute to self-harm?
- Relief from unbearable pressure or pain
- Suicide prevention strategy
- Coping strategy
- Means of communicating pain and distress
At what age does head banging become a concern as a sign of autism?
If it persists beyond 3 years
What are the four types of child abuse?
- Neglect
- Emotional abuse
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
What legal framework governs child protection in the UK?
Children’s Act of 1989 and 2004
What are some features that should raise suspicion of neglect in a child?
- Severe and persistent infestations
- Failure to administer essential prescribed treatment
- Child who is persistently smelly and dirty
- Inadequate provision of food
What are some features that should raise suspicion of sexual abuse in a child?
- Persistent dysuria without medical explanation
- Pregnancy in young women aged 13-15 years
- STI in a child younger than 12 years
What are some features that should raise suspicion of physical abuse in a child?
- Any serious injury with absent explanation
- Bruising in a child not independently mobile
- Human bite mark not by a young child
What are common physical presentations of child abuse?
- Bruising
- Fractures
- Torn frenulum
- Burns or scalds
What are risk factors for child abuse related to the child?
- Prematurity
- Low birth weight
- Disability
- Chronic illness
What are parental risk factors for child abuse?
- Personal history of child abuse
- Teenage parents
- Substance abuse
- Psychiatric disorder
What characterizes infantile colic?
- Excessive crying and pulling-up of legs
- Occurs in infants less than 3 months old
What is the typical prevalence of infantile colic?
Up to 20% of infants
What are key features of Patau syndrome (trisomy 13)?
- Microcephalic
- Small eyes
- Cleft lip/palate
- Polydactyly
What are key features of Edward’s syndrome (trisomy 18)?
- Micrognathia
- Low-set ears
- Rocker bottom feet
- Overlapping fingers
What are key features of Fragile X syndrome?
- Learning difficulties
- Macrocephaly
- Long face
- Macro-orchidism
What are common features of Noonan syndrome?
- Webbed neck
- Pectus excavatum
- Short stature
- Pulmonary stenosis
What are key features of Turner’s syndrome?
- Short stature
- Shield chest
- Webbed neck
- Primary amenorrhoea
What is Cow’s milk protein intolerance (CMPI) and its prevalence in children?
Occurs in around 3-6% of all children
What are some immediate features of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA)?
- Regurgitation and vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Urticaria
- Wheeze
What is the management for formula-fed infants with severe CMPA?
Amino acid-based formula (AAF)
What is faltering growth and its common presentation?
Commonly seen as weight loss in childhood
What are some factors contributing to faltering growth?
- Inadequate nutrient intake
- Feeding issues
- Child maltreatment
- Developmental delay
What should be done if an infant loses more than 10% of their birth weight in the early days?
Consider referral to paediatrics
What is the NICE guideline threshold for concern about growth in infants?
- Fall across 1 weight centile if birthweight <9th centile
- Fall across 2 weight centiles if birthweight 9th-91st centile
- Fall across 3 weight centiles if birthweight >91st centile
What is the definition of body mass index (BMI) in assessing growth?
Used to assess growth in children over 2 years
What are signs of concern for faltering growth in children older than 2 years?
- BMI below 2nd centile
- BMI below 0.4th centile
What should be measured for children under 2 years old to assess growth?
Length
What should be measured for children over 2 years old to assess growth?
Height
What is faltering growth often attributed to?
A combination of psychosocial, environmental, and biological factors
Name a factor that may contribute to inadequate intake of nutrients.
- Decreased availability of nutritious food
- Lack of knowledge of appropriate healthy food
- Feeding issues
- Child maltreatment
- Developmental delay
- Eating disorders
What can cause inadequate absorption of nutrients?
- Vomiting due to reflux or obstruction
- Malabsorption due to bowel disease
- Food allergy/sensitivity
- Coeliac disease
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Protein-losing enteropathy
List some conditions that can lead to excessive energy output in children. (8)
- Immunodeficiency (e.g., SCID)
- Genetic conditions (e.g., Down’s syndrome)
- Malignancies
- Cardiac disease (e.g., congenital heart disease)
- Respiratory disease (e.g., cystic fibrosis)
- Endocrine disease (e.g., diabetes)
- Metabolic disease
- Renal disease
What is associated with improved prognosis in faltering growth?
Prompt recognition, establishing the underlying cause, and initiating the correct treatment
When should a baby be assessed for underlying disease related to weight loss?
If weight loss is more than 10% of birth weight or has not returned to birth weight by 3 weeks
What should be ensured for parents/carers if there is no need to refer to paediatrics?
Adequate feeding support from a trained healthcare professional
What is the recommended frequency for weighing infants less than 1 month old?
No more than once daily
What is the most common cause of vomiting in infancy?
Gastro-oesophageal reflux
What position should infants be advised to be in during feeds to manage gastro-oesophageal reflux?
30 degree head-up position
List some major risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
- Prone sleeping
- Parental smoking
- Prematurity
- Bed sharing
- Hyperthermia
What are protective factors against SIDS?
- Breastfeeding
- Room sharing
- Use of dummies (pacifiers)
What is the first sign of puberty in males?
Testicular growth
What is the first sign of puberty in females?
Breast development
Which psychiatric patient factors are associated with increased suicide risk?
- Male sex
- History of deliberate self-harm
- Alcohol or drug misuse
- History of mental illness
- Depression
- Schizophrenia
- Chronic disease
- Advancing age
- Unemployment
- Social isolation
What should be recorded in all febrile children? (4)
- Temperature
- Heart rate
- Respiratory rate
- Capillary refill time
What is the management recommendation for children classified as green in the traffic light system?
Can be managed at home with appropriate care advice
What is the management recommendation for children classified as red in the traffic light system?
Refer child urgently to a paediatric specialist
What is biliary atresia?
A paediatric condition involving either obliteration or discontinuity within the extrahepatic biliary system, resulting in bile flow obstruction
It presents with cholestasis in the first few weeks of life.
What are the common presentations of biliary atresia?
Jaundice extending beyond two weeks, dark urine, pale stools, appetite and growth disturbance
These symptoms typically occur in the first few weeks of life.
What is the epidemiology of biliary atresia?
More common in females than males, occurs in 1 in every 10,000-15,000 live births
Biliary atresia is unique to neonatal children.
What are the types of biliary atresia?
Type 1: Common duct obliterated, proximal ducts patent
Type 2: Atresia of cystic duct with cystic structures in porta hepatis
Type 3: Atresia of left and right ducts to porta hepatis (>90% of cases)
These classifications help in understanding the severity and management of the condition.
What investigations are used for biliary atresia?
Serum bilirubin, liver function tests (LFTs), serum alpha 1-antitrypsin, sweat chloride test, ultrasound, percutaneous liver biopsy
These tests help differentiate biliary atresia from other causes of neonatal cholestasis.
What is the definitive treatment for biliary atresia?
Surgical intervention, including dissection of abnormalities and anastomosis creation
Medical intervention may include antibiotics and bile acid enhancers post-surgery.
What are the complications of biliary atresia?
Unsuccessful anastomosis formation, progressive liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma
These complications can significantly affect the patient’s prognosis.
What defines constipation in children?
Defecation that is unsatisfactory due to infrequent stools (< 3 times weekly), difficult stool passage, or incomplete defecation
It may develop as a primary functional disorder or secondary to another condition.