Children's Hospital Boston Research Appears in April Issue of the Journal Pediatrics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Monday, March 28, 2005

For Further Information:
Aaron Patnode
617-355-6420
aaron.patnode@childrens.harvard.edu

Research highlights diverse array of work being conducted at world's largest research enterprise

Children's Hospital Boston today announced that three studies conducted by research staff will be published in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics. To obtain more information on each study, please contact the associated Children's Hospital Boston Public Affairs representative listed at the end of each synopsis.

''Alcohol-based Hand Gels Reduce Secondary Illness Transmission in Homes with Children in Day Care''
New research shows that in homes with children enrolled in day care, alcohol-based hand gels reduced the risk of transmission of respiratory infections to other members of the household. The study measured respiratory and gastrointestinal illness transmission rates in 208 families from the metropolitan Boston area with at least one child in day care. The investigators focused on secondary transmission to family members since these infections are potentially preventable through household hygiene. The study findings bolster the results of recent studies that found use of alcohol gel hand sanitizers reduced absenteeism when used in the classroom and reduced respiratory tract infections in extended care facilities. The researchers believe that targeted educational interventions about the importance of hand hygiene and use of alcohol-based gels should be considered in the future to reduce the spread of illnesses in the home. This research was conducted at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention and Children's Hospital Boston.

[For an interview or more information on this study, please contact Bess Andrews, Children's Hospital Boston Public Affairs office at 617-355-6420 or elizabeth.andrews@childrens.harvard.edu]

''Correlates of Stress Fracture Among Preadolescent and Adolescent Girls''
Stress fractures are a source of significant morbidity in active populations, particularly among young women athletes. Despite this fact, however, the causes of these stress fractures have not be explored in women under the age of 17, or in the general population for that matter. According to this study, although activity can be beneficial for bone health, there is a threshold over which the risk of stress fracture increases significantly in adolescent girls. Researchers found that those women participating in elevated training levels for high impact activities such as running, cheerleading, and gymnastics, appear to be at a higher risk than those women participating in other activities. The study also examined the relationship between elevated training levels and the prevalence of eating disorders and menstrual irregularities in the research group, finding that those women who participated in 16 or more hours of training per week were more likely to have an eating disorder than their peers. The study urges clinicians to remain vigilant about identifying and treating disordered eating and menstrual irregularities in their highly active young female patients.

[For an interview or more information on this study, please contact Aaron Patnode, Children's Hospital Boston Public Affairs office at 617-355-6420 or aaron.patnode@childrens.harvard.edu]

''Effects of Race, Insurance Status and Hospital Volume on Perforated Appendicitis in Children''
Appendicitis will affect approximately 70,000 American children this year. One third of these children will experience perforation of the appendix, or a burst appendix. According to the study, children who are black, Hispanic or on Medicaid have a higher risk of a perforated appendix. The authors suggest that this increased risk could be due to delayed presentation to medical attention due to inadequate access to healthcare. It also may be related to differences in treatment once the child seeks medical care. These results echo literature that shows a difference among races in outcome and treatment. The study concludes that extra efforts should be made to reach at-risk populations, especially those of minority race and those on Medicaid, with broad-based education to reduce the likelihood of perforated appendicitis. Douglas Smink, MD, MPH, completed this study while he was a fellow in health services research at Children's Hospital Boston and the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical School in June 2002. He is currently a senior surgical resident in the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

[For an interview on this study, contact Susan Craig in the Children's Hospital Boston Public Affairs office at 617-355-8834 or via e-mail at susan.craig@childrens.harvard.edu]

Children's Hospital Boston is home to the world's largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries have benefited both children and adults for over 100 years. More than 500 scientists, including eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, nine members of the Institute of Medicine and 10 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children's research community. Founded in 1869 as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children's Hospital Boston today is a 325-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Children's also is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. For more information about the hospital visit: http://www.childrenshospital.org/research/.