Yearly Archives: 2012

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Posted on 8 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

Alfred Nobel made his fortune, which he used to endow the Nobel prizes, from dynamite. He invented a way to stabilize nitroglycerine, which is very unstable and tends to explode unexpectedly. Towards the end of his life he was prescribed … Continue reading →

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Saving Babies’ Lives, for Pennies a day.

Posted on 8 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

I am talking about Canada, not the third world! Probiotics are cheap and reduce mortality. Florababy(TM) costs about $25 per 60 gram tub. One tub is enough for 120 days of prophylaxis, that is enough for the entire hospitalization of … Continue reading →

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Not neonatology: Brian Cox

Posted on 7 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

This week an American congressman, member of their science committee, stated that the earth was about 9000 years old, and that the big bang was a lie from the pits of hell. That might not touch me directly, but clearly he should … Continue reading →

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Who benefits from whole genome sequencing in the NICU? Who suffers?

Posted on 7 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

Annie and I recently published a letter to the editor of Pediatrics and Child Health about the ethical implications of using Complete Genome Hybridization (CGH) as the default test for possibly genetically determined disorders in pediatrics. CGH is a very … Continue reading →

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Not neonatology: the Ness of Brodgar

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

I just heard about this from an article in the Guardian. A huge neolithic temple complex on the isle of Orkney has been discovered. A site, entirely man-made, covering more than 6 acres, which predates Stonehenge and the Pyramids. The site is … Continue reading →

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Assessing perfusion in the sick preterm baby

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

I often give talks where I present my ‘data’, (notice the quotation marks, what I actually present are my prejudices, and uncontrolled observational information, along with systematic reviews of other people’s data) which suggest strongly that there is no need … Continue reading →

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Domperidone for GE reflux; toxic and worse than placebo!

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

As mentioned in a previous post, to get cisapride for a patient in Canada, you have to contact Health Canada for special permission through the Special Access Program. The last time that I am aware of someone asking Health Canada for special … Continue reading →

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Cisapride for GE reflux; more toxic placebos!

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

I am currently writing a chapter for a textbook, the chapter will deal with GE reflux. So I have been reviewing the data around various treatment options. I have already written on this blog about the lack of physiologic rationale … Continue reading →

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Weekly updates #9

Posted on 6 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

Avettand-Fenoel V, Marlin S, Vauloup-Fellous C, Loundon N, Francois M, Couloigner V, Rouillon I, Drouin-Garraud V, Laccourreye L, Denoyelle F et al: Congenital Cytomegalovirus Is the Second Most Frequent Cause of Bilateral Hearing Loss in Young French Children. J Pediatr … Continue reading →

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Do blood transfusions improve feeding in anemic preterm Infants?

Posted on 2 October 2012 by Keith Barrington

The possible benefits of blood transfusions in anemic preterm infants have never been well investigated. There is some reliable data about the outcomes of babies randomized to different goals of hemoglobin concentration (for example the PINT study Kirpalani H, Whyte RK, Andersen C, Asztalos EV, … Continue reading →

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