In this article we discuss the steps taken by the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) to meet the health care needs of children with rare diseases and suggest possible directions for future endeavors for further improvement. We reviewed 23 reports and nine legislative documents related to pediatric rare diseases and public policy. We assessed the outcome measures of access and satisf...

Background. Since 2000, studies, experiments, and clinical observations revealed high prevalence of periodontal diseases among children and adolescents. Therefore, this paper was designed to provide an update for dental practitioners on epidemiology, microbiology, pathology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal diseases in children and adolescents. Methods. This paper reviews the...

Background Although the left ventricle is the major site of BNP secretion in response to cardiac pressure or volume overload, the myocytes of both atria and ventricles secrete B- type natriuretic peptide (BNP). This study aimed to assess and compare the plasma levels of BNP in common pediatric cardiac diseases to clarify its pathophysiological role and evaluate its po...

BACKGROUND Pediatric nephrology is a growing subspecialty in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Pediatric nephrologists are challenged with a different spectrum of renal diseases. Moreover, there is a lack of epidemiological studies for most of these diseases. In this article, we discuss the spectrum of renal diseases in KSA and highlight the differences that exist between reports from KSA and ...

BACKGROUND Pneumonia, diarrhea and measles are the leading causes of death in children worldwide, but have a disproportionately low share of international funding and media attention. In comparison, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria--diseases that also significantly affect children--receive considerably more funding and have relatively high media coverage. This study investigates the potential rel...