We follow six cohorts of childhood Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability awardees for a time horizon up to 30 years, using program records on demographics, type of impairment, SSI and Disability Insurance (DI) recipiency, and mortality. We use descriptive analysis and multinomial logit...

We revisit the cyclical nature of birth rates and infant health and investigate to what extent the relationship between aggregate labor market conditions and birth outcomes is mitigated by the consumption smoothing income assistance delivered through unemployment insurance (UI). We introduce a...

Growing concern about the rapid emergence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, as well as beta-lactamase-mediated resistance among Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis, has lead to reconsideration of the management of acute otitis media in children. Acute otitis media is...

Parent training can be an effective strategy for assisting children and their families to cope with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly when it is used as part of a multimodal approach in combination with stimulant medication. The benefits of parent training include:...

Until recently, control of influenza has focused on increasing the use of the inactivated influenza vaccine and, in some countries, encouraging the appropriate use of the antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine. Now that a new class of antiviral drugs, the neuraminidase inhibitors, has been...

Sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited group of blood disorders, is a major public health problem worldwide. Patients experience severe anemia, increased risk of life-threatening infections, painful crisis, and chronic organ damage. Access to comprehensive care for SCD is known to improve...

Contemporary asthma management guidelines list inhaled corticosteroids as the preferred controller medication for patients with persistent asthma. Despite the availability of explicit guidelines, there is evidence that these agents are underused and that guidelines are not always adhered to....

Background: Health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) is an important outcome in the treatment of chronic childhood diseases such as asthma. However, this measure is rarely used in young children in Asia because of the difficulty of obtaining valid, reliable instruments that are developmentally...

Childhood atopic dermatitis is a disorder with considerable social and financial costs. Consideration of these costs is increasingly important in view of the growing prevalence of atopic dermatitis, particularly in developed countries over recent decades. The family stress related to the care of...

Background: Vaccinating children against influenza virus may reduce infections in immunised children and household contacts, thereby reducing the household-based cost associated with respiratory illnesses. Objective: To evaluate the impact of influenza virus vaccination of daycare children on...