Highlights in this issue

Abstract

HPV is regarded as a sexually transmitted virus. It was found to cause cervix cancer by Harald zur Hausen, Nobel Laureate of this year. Ioannis Mammas et al. report highrisk HPV's in oral mucosa in children where there was no suspicion of sexual abuse. This implies that vertical transmission and auto-inoculation is possible in childhood. The study supports the idea that HPV-vaccination should be initiated in childhood in both boys and girls (pp 1600). Breastfeeding and HIV-transmission is a complex question. On the one hand mutation of breastfeeding can reduce HIV-transmission. On the other hand there is a risk of malnutrition and other infectious diseases without breastfeeding. An article on mother-tochild transmission by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, 2008 Nobel Prize laureate (together with Luc Montagnier), was published in the Acta Paediatrica in 2003. In the current article Marina de Paoli et al. suggest recommendations based on the cultural context (pp 1663–1668). Children often catch infections at day care centers and have to stay at home. To reduce infections Anne Lennell et al. introduced alcohol-based hand disinfection at 16 day care centers in Sweden. The rate of absence was reduced by 12% as compared with 13 control day care centers. Although the effect was small, it was statistically significant (pp 1672–1680). Transgenic mice are now often developed from bedside to laboratory. What about the other way around? Björn Vennström et al. have developed mice with mutations of the thyroid hormone receptors. These mice have symptoms like delayed postnatal development, delayed ossification and puberty. Some of them developed a unique obesity. The authors ask why clinicians have not yet identified patients with similar mutations (pp 1605–1610). The assessment of safety of medicines in children will always be challenging. It must be based, not only on randomized trials, but also on databases cohort studies etc. Deborah Ashby discusses the use of pancreatic enzymes to treat cystic fibrosis, selected serotonin receptor uptake inhibitors suicidal behaviour and folic acid tube defects (pp 1611–1616).