OBJECTIVE: To describe a clinical approach to the differential diagnosis of oral lesions in neonates. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Academic ambulatory care center. PARTICIPANTS: Male infant. RESULTS: A gingival mass in a male infant appeared clinically consistent with a congenital epulis. Following excision and histologic examination, the diagnosis was determined to be a pyogenic granuloma. Careful attention to alternative diagnoses led to the correct etiology. CONCLUSIONS: Primary care pediatricians encounter neonatal oral lesions infrequently. The most common oral lesions in the newborn period are Epstein pearls and Bohn nodules. This case illustrates the importance of formulating a more extensive differential diagnosis on discovery of a neonatal oral mass.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed2000

"What can I do to enhance the development of a premature infant with chronic lung disease?".

CASE. Timmy was born at 32 weeks of gestation after an uncomplicated pregnancy until there was a spontaneous rupture of the membranes and preterm labor associated with chorioamnionitis. A 2-month hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was associated with pneumonia, a Grade II intraventricular hemorrhage, chronic lung disease, and a slow weight gain in the nursery. He was discharged to home with plans for ongoing care by his pediatrician. The primary care pediatrician attended a multidisciplinary conference with the NICU staff and Timmy's parents. At the time of discharge from the nursery, at 38 weeks postconceptual age, Timmy still required oral diuretics and supplemental oxygen, as well as other medications such as iron. Timmy's respiratory rates were between 40 and 60 breaths per minute at rest, with mild intercostal retractions. He was discharged with a cardiorespiratory monitor. The discharge examination revealed mild to moderate symmetrical hypotonia with intact deep tendon reflexes, shoulder girdle weakness, and a mild head lag. Timmy would regard a human face and a bright object and would follow them briefly. He became active and would thrash his extremities with minimal tactile, bright light, or auditory stimulation. Typically, he settled slowly with swaddling and a pacifier. Nursing was slow to develop; he was currently receiving one half of his calories at the breast and the remainder of his calories from bottle-feeding of fortified expressed breast milk. As she prepared for the first office visit with Timmy and his parents, the pediatrician asked herself, "What can I do to enhance the developmental outcome for this child?"

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia↗

PubMed2000

A two-year-old boy with language regression and unusual social interactions.

CASE: Jimmy, a 2 1/2-year-old boy, was seen for the first time by a new pediatrician after a recent family move. His mother made the appointment for a health supervision visit although she had concerns about his language and social skills. She stated that he spoke primarily with unintelligible sounds and often communicated by pointing with his finger. He spoke only 10 words that were clear enough to be understood. Jimmy's mother said that he could hear, but she was not sure whether he understood everything she said. Although he played at home with his 4-year-old brother, he typically played by himself when he was in the presence of other children. Jimmy's mother was asked if he had had a 2-year-old visit to a pediatrician and what the assessment was at that time. She said that his delayed development was discussed with the pediatrician, but she was reassured that he would progress during the following year. An uncomplicated full-term gestation was followed by a vaginal delivery without perinatal problems. Jimmy was a "calm" baby who was breastfed for the first 6 months of life. He sat at 7 months, pulled himself up to stand with support at approximately 9 months, and walked at 13 months. Transitions were always difficult for Jimmy; he screamed and was difficult to settle whenever cared for by someone other than his parents. He typically resists physical contact when children or adults approach him. His mother recalled that language emerged early. He acquired a significant number of words between 12 and 15 months of age. Jimmy apparently recognized letters when his parents were teaching the older sibling. At 15 months, Jimmy's language output regressed dramatically, and by 18 months, he no longer used words to communicate. Since then, he has spoken fewer than 10 single words. He mostly babbles and uses repetitions of the same sounds. The pediatrician inquired into family structure and life events at the time Jimmy lost language milestones. He was told that, at this time, the father, an engineer, changed his position in the company and began to travel extensively. Jimmy's mother thought that the absence of his father might be related to the language regression. She also noted that Jimmy seemed to have a stronger attachment for his father: "Jimmy has always been attracted to his father, and his brother seems to prefer me." The parents' marriage was strong and free of any major disharmony. During the interview, the pediatrician noted that Jimmy played persistently with his set of small trains, repetitiously lining them up in order. He was not interested in other toys that were on the floor next to him. He ran around the trains, mostly on his toes, while making unintelligible sounds. He looked away when the pediatrician called his name and became agitated when his mother attempted to redirect his attention to the examination. The pediatrician, 4 years in practice after his residency, had never seen a child with Jimmy's pattern of development. That Jimmy's development was unusual in two domains was apparent to his pediatrician from the preceding information and brief observations. He asked himself what the next steps should be.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Feeding problems, sleep disturbances, and negative behaviors in a toddler.

Tiffany, a 3-year-old girl, was referred to the developmental and behavioral pediatrics service for evaluation of significant and persistent negative behaviors associated with refusal to eat at meal time and constant snacking during the past 3 months. She lost 2 pounds, but her weight for her height was at the 50th percentile. Her mother indicated that Tiffany had frequent night awakenings (>10) and late sleep onset (between 12:00 and 1:00 a.m.). Her mother described her as being "easily frustrated," getting upset and angry very quickly. Tiffany was identified at an early intervention program as having mild to moderate developmental delays in pragmatic speech, gross and fine motor skills, and social interaction skills. Tiffany was born at 33 weeks gestation and was hospitalized for 10 days without significant perinatal problems. She was readmitted at 2 months of age when she was diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux, lactose intolerance, sleep apnea, and bradycardia. She was discharged with an apnea monitor. A seizure disorder was diagnosed at 1 year of age and reactive airway disease at 2 years of age. At the time of the referral to the developmental and behavioral pediatrics service, Tiffany was followed by multiple services, including cardiology, neurology, gastroenterology, psychology, and pulmonary. Pharmacologic therapies included albuterol and cromalyn inhalers, phenobarbital, valproic acid, levocarnitine, ranitidine, and an inhaled steroid. She continued to use the apnea monitor each night, although three sleep studies demonstrated a normal sleep pattern with no evidence of apnea or bradycardia. A recent electroencephalogram was normal. Tiffany lives with her mother and maternal grandparents. Her mother is morbidly obese with a history of asthma and depression. She was infertile for a 10-year period, which she attributed to the stress associated with living with an abusive man. Tiffany was the result of a subsequent, brief relationship with another man; she has not had contact with her father. Her mother is a licensed practical nurse who has not worked as a nurse since Tiffany's birth. An interdisciplinary treatment approach to Tiffany's multiple biological and behavioral problems was implemented by admitting her to a collaborative care unit at a children's hospital.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2000

Parental refusal to immunize a 2-month-old infant.

At a 2-month health supervision visit, Monica's pediatrician was surprised by her mother's wish to withhold immunizations. At prior encounters with her parents, including a prenatal visit, the meeting after Monica's birth, and the 2-week health supervision visit, there was no indication that standard immunizations would be refused. Monica's parents informed her pediatrician that the potential side effects from the immunization led them to think that their healthy child should not be immunized. After talking with other parents in the neighborhood, watching a television program on "children who were brain damaged after getting their shots," and looking at several web sites for parents on the Internet, they concluded that it was safer to withhold the immunizations. "Monica is so healthy.....why give her shots that may make her very sick?" Monica was the first child born to these college-educated parents who had been married for 5 years. The pregnancy was full term and notable for two transient episodes of spotting in the first trimester. Both parents looked forward to Monica's birth. There were no perinatal problems, breast feeding was successful with an appropriate weight gain, and the physical examination was normal. The pediatrician explained to the parents that she understood their concerns. "Most of the things we give children for prevention or treatment of disease may be associated with possible side effects. In the case of immunizations, the chance of a serious side effect is much less than the risk that Monica might acquire one of the diseases we can prevent with an immunization. I have seen a few unimmunized infants who were hospitalized with a very serious case of whooping cough, one of the diseases we can prevent by immunizing Monica." The parents thanked the pediatrician for the information and agreed to read several pamphlets about immunizations. The pediatrician observed that her interchange with the parents was cordial but stressful, for both herself and Monica's parents. As the parents left the office, she wondered if there was a more effective way to talk about immunizations with parents who refuse to immunize their children.

Communicable Disease Control↗

PubMed2000