Top Stories

Cholesterol levels among U.S. youths drop slightly, CDC says
CDC researchers assessed data on more than 16,000 youths aged 6 to 19 and found that the rate of high total cholesterol declined from 11% to 8% between 1988 and 2010. The findings appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One expert who wrote an editorial on the findings said that although the improvements are important, they may be outpaced by the impact of excess weight and pediatric obesity. Yahoo!/Reuters (8/7) U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (8/7)

Montelukast may relieve sleep apnea symptoms in children
Children with nonsevere obstructive sleep apnea who were treated with a common asthma drug known as montelukast experienced improvements in their symptoms compared with the placebo group, a small, preliminary study in the journal Pediatrics found. No adverse reactions to the drug were reported. WebMD (8/7)

Pediatric Health Care

More antipsychotic prescriptions are given to children, teens
Data from nearly half a million doctors' visits across the U.S. between 1993 to 2009 revealed an increase in the number of children and teens taking antipsychotic prescriptions. Researchers wrote in the Archives of General Psychiatry that about 90% of antipsychotic prescriptions for youths from 2005 and 2009 were "off label." Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model)/Reuters (8/7)

Even girls who never had sex can get HPV, study shows
Eight of 69 girls and young women ages 13 to 21 who had not had sexual intercourse tested positive for at least one strain of human papillomavirus, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Researchers said that it is possible for HPV to be transmitted through hand-to-genital contact. MyHealthNewsDaily.com (8/6)

Topical cream can lessen severity of infantile eczema
Babies treated with a topical cream containing 15(R/S)-methyl-lipoxin A4 for infantile eczema experienced a significant reduction of severity and affected areas, a Chinese study showed. Researchers also reported in the British Journal of Dermatology that the treatment was tied to improved quality of life scores. PhysiciansBriefing.com/HealthDay News (8/7)

Trends & Technology

Few Americans follow recommended use of child passenger restraints
Researchers analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from 2007 to 2009 and found that the number of Americans using appropriate automobile child restraints was low. The AAP recommends that children use rear-facing car seats until age 2, but the study found that few of them remain in those seats after age 1. The findings appear in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Family Practice News (8/6)

Health Policy & Regulations

Feds ready HIE for states that don't create their own
The Obama administration is working to create a federal health insurance exchange, with an estimated cost of at least $860 million, that will operate in states that have chosen not to create their own exchanges as part of the health reform law. Officials said that the federal exchange will be ready for a fall 2013 launch and that consumers should not see any difference between it and those set up by states. The Kansas City Star (Mo.)/The Associated Press (8/6)

FDA OKs industrial manufacturing of ViroPharma's HAE drug Cinryze
The FDA authorized ViroPharma's application for industrial-scale production of Cinryze, a preventive treatment for adults and adolescents with hereditary angioedema. "With the addition of the industrial-scale process to our current production, we believe we now have the means to ensure the market is fully served and build adequate safety stock levels," chief operating officer Dan Soland said. American City Business Journals/Philadelphia (8/7)

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The Last Word - News from the AAP

Experts provide insight into the medical home
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation conducted interviews with advocates of the medical home and how to implement it in practice. The interviews examine the essential components that make up the medical home. The first set of videos in a series of three releases is now available on the NCMHI YouTube channel. Future releases will build upon these concepts to enhance understanding of the medical home.

Medical home for children exposed to violence webinar series
Research shows that more than 60% of children are exposed to violence, and the impact on health can last long into adulthood. The AAP will host a webinar on Aug. 23, at 11 a.m. CT, titled, The Right Intervention: What Works for Children Exposed to Violence. The webinar will provide an overview of the latest evidence-based treatment options available to help children who have been exposed to violence find healing and hope. Register here.

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