Epilepsy and adolescents

Anticonvulsant (AEDs) therapy in adolescence is very difficult because there is no-compliance in this special time of life. Many studies show that the factors that assured good compliance were good motivation, a good therapeutic result, the support of parents, medical and assistance personnel and the positive attitude to the disease and its treatment. Moreover, in recent years, many studies have shown the changes in endocrinology function and weight changes in adolescents after AEDs therapy and after long term therapy with valproate (VPA), carbamazepine (CBZ), gabapentin, felbamate and, topiramate. Abnormalities include weight increase, weight loss, polycystic ovaries and bone disease (osteopenia/osteoporosis, osteomalacia, etc). Thyroid hormone concentrations are involved too. Some study report that the children treated with CBZ may have subclinical signs of hypothyroidism, and these changes are more evident if CBZ is given in association with another drug for example with VPA.     

Marijuana and adolescents

Marijuana is the most frequently used illicit drug in the United States. The health risks associated with its use are underestimated by adolescents, their parents, and health care providers. This article identifies current trends regarding marijuana use among adolescents and provides a summary of current information about the risks of marijuana use for both users and society at large. It also urges physicians and other health care providers to be aware of the dangers of marijuana as well as the subtle and seemingly unexplained changes in adolescent behavior belying its use. In addition, it calls attention to the magnitude of the problem of marijuana use among teens; the importance of educating adolescents and parents-and the community at large-about the prevalence of its use, how to detect use, and its associated effects on health; and the need for professional counseling for youths who are using the drug.     

HIV and adolescents

Seroprevalence studies and documented sex and drug use risk behaviors indicate the importance of primary prevention programs for HIV among adolescents. Females and minority adolescents are at particular risk. Prevention workers must decide which strategies to advocate: abstinence, monogamy, HIV testing, screening partners, or explicit instruction of safer acts. Youths must be helped to personalize knowledge of HIV, acquire coping skills, and gain access to health care resources. Programs based on cognitive-behavioral models have been initially successfully in reducing risk behaviors, however, there is a need for more community-wide and media interventions. Adolescents' developmental features require that special attention be paid to implementation issues, including parent and peer involvement in the design of prevention programs.This work was supported by Grant 1P50 MH 43520 to the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Anke A. Ehrhardt, Director, as well as by a grant from the W. T. Grant Faculty Scholars Award Program. We also wish to acknowledge the contributions of Elizabeth Grace, Clara Haignere, Joyce Hunter, Damien Martin, Alphonso Silverls, and J. St Hill.Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus and Cheryl Kooperman are affiliated with the Division of Psychiatry, Columbia University, the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies, New York State Psychiatric Institute, and Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.     

Differences in health behaviors and parenting knowledge between pregnant adolescents and parenting adolescents

To better understand the differences between pregnant adolescents and parenting adolescents, we examined substance use, contraceptive behavior, and parenting knowledge among 91 first-time pregnant and parenting adolescents enrolled in an adolescent parenting case management program. After one year of program participation, pre- and post-test comparisons indicated improvements in contraception use and parenting knowledge, and increases in reported use of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs among both groups. Adolescents who entered the program while pregnant experienced greater benefit than adolescents who entered the program already parenting. We discuss several implications for practitioners at both the programmatic and direct practice level who work with young women during pregnancy and as they transition to early parenthood.     

Socio-economic status and psychosocial functioning of internally displaced adolescents and adolescents from Belgrade

Objectives  

This study aimed at investigating the differences between internally displaced adolescents and adolescents from Belgrade in relation to socio-economic status and psychosocial functioning.     

Parenting adolescents

The period of adolescence is often thought to be one of intense stress and turmoil. Yet many parents and teens negotiate this developmental stage without extreme family conflict and without sacrificing close relationships. This review summarizes a portion of the literature on parent-adolescent relationships, focusing on monitoring and control of adolescent behavior and parenting style. Basic principles to emphasize when working with adolescents and parents are also included.     

HIV and AIDS in adolescents

HIV infection in adolescents continues to challenge health providers, policymakers, and advocates for youth. There will be no relief from its complexities soon. Primary care providers are in a unique position to use effective HIV prevention and care interventions. Successful programs move beyond moralism to realism. They show a willingness to engage young people and their families in a sensitive dialogue about the needs of youthful sexual development. Youth at high risk for HIV should be identified and referred to comprehensive care and counseling as soon as possible. HIV-positive youth need intensive individual and group interventions to remain healthy and reduce transmission to others. To protect their patient population, health care providers will need to commit time and effort to making adolescents services visible, flexible, affordable, confidential, culturally appropriate, and universally available.     

Urethritis and cervicitis in adolescents

Sexually acquired lower-genitourinary tract infections are a significant source of morbidity for adolescents. Causative organisms include T. vaginalis, Mycoplasma organisms, Ureaplasma organisms, and, most commonly, N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis. With NAATs, noninvasive screening can be accomplished easily. The importance of screening in high-risk populations cannot be overemphasized, especially because these infections are often asymptomatic. The treatment of sexually transmitted bacterial infections includes appropriate antibiotic treatment for the presenting patient, partner identification and treatment, and counseling to prevent reinfection.     

Myocarditis and pericarditis in adolescents

Two of the most common inflammatory disorders affecting the heart, myocarditis and pericarditis, are significant causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescents. In this review, the clinical presentation, underlying etiologies, and treatment options for these disorders are discussed. As viral causes of both disorders are commonplace, issues regarding the identification of the causative virus and potential future approaches to the care of these individuals are also discussed.     

儿童少年的营养

儿童少年营养需要的一个显特点为：所获得的营养不仅仅维持生命活动和生活,还要满足生长发育的需要。在整个生长发育期间,由于机体的合成代谢大于分解代谢,因此,所需要的能量和各种营养素的量相对比成人高。     

Homelessness and health in adolescents

Despite an abundance of resources, many of the world's wealthiest nations have a large homeless population. People at all stages of development are affected by this problem, but adolescents who are homeless face a unique set of challenges. In this critical narrative study the authors examined the experiences of homeless adolescents with particular attention to the role of gender and public policy, health experiences and perceptions, and barriers to health care services. Six girls and 7 boys participated in semistructured dialogic interviews. Their stories revealed that living without a home had a substantial impact on their health and wellness. The findings from this study support the need for health care professionals to work in collaboration with homeless youth so that more effective care that is sensitive to their unique health needs can be provided.     

Tanning and risk perception in adolescents

Skin cancer is a rapidly increasing cancer form in many countries, and tanning is considered to be an etiologic factor of this type of cancer. Tanning is a type of risky behaviour, which has been found to be hard to change, particularly in the groups where it is most risky (children and adolescents). Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), protective behaviour and risk perception with regard to tanning were investigated with a postal questionnaire in a large representative sample of Swedish teenagers 13, 15 and 17 years old (n?=?2615). Risky behaviour was most prevalent among girls and older respondents, in spite of their greater awareness of the risks, and the general female tendency towards risk avoidance. Cosmetic and social motives seemed to drive this type of risk taking behaviour. Comparisons of perceived personal risks of tanning and risks to other people as well as perceived control over the risks, showed personal risks to be perceived as smaller than risks to others, and perceived control to be an important factor in this form of unrealistic optimism. Although people may have more or less valid perceptions of the risks to others, they tend to have overly optimistic views of their personal risks when it comes to tanning. Risk communication is particularly difficult in cases like this. The problem of stimulating more prudent behaviour in teenagers with regard to tanning is discussed.