Adolescent pelvic pared to 48.

pared to 48.4 percent of children living thrive may still restrict their childrens' children who did not have failure to
inflammatory disease in urban areas. Fifty-nine percent of the diets, according to a study in the March tihrve, the report stated.
rural population, younger than 6 years, Archives of Diseases in Childhood. Of the 26 children studied, five had
The risk of developing pelvic in- received care from general practitio-
flanmmatory disease (PID) is 10 times Despite their children's low weight, ".grossly inadequate,") energy intake, re-
ners. However, urban children were 50 percent of mothers restricted their searchers reported. In four of these
greater among sexually active adoles- three times more likely than rural chil- children's intake of "sweef" foods and cases, mothers reported relationship
cent girls between the ages of 15 years dren not to have usual health care 30 percent restricted food they consid-
and 19 years, than among slightly older problems between parents, maternal
providers, the study stated. ered "fattening"9or "unhealthy,"91 depression and anxiety.
women, according to a study in Ad- To receive a copy of the study, researchers reported.
vances in Pediatric Infectious AHCPR Pub. NO. 94-0031, contact: Researchers studied 26 mothers
Diseases, Vol. 9, 1994. U.S. Departmnent of Health and Human whose children had been referred to
The report showed that women ages Editor' s note: Healthi Briefs summa-
Services, Public Health Service, physicians for failure to thrive. Re- rizes journal and magazine articles,
25 to 29 had a greatly reduced PID risk AHCPR, Executive Office Center, searchers examined whether mothers
as compared to the teens studied. news reports, child health statistics,
Suite 501, 2101 East Jefferson St., might have eating disorders which con- and new resources of interest to pedia-
Researchers attributed the higher Rockville, MD 20852. tributed to their decision to restrict
risk to two factors. Adolescents who tricians and parents. To submit a
their nonthriving children'9s diet. Health Brief, contact: Laurie Larson,
recently have become sexually active Unhealthy infant feeding Although the mothers studied were news writer, AAP News, 141 North-
might tend to have multiple sexual not diagnosed with clinical eating dis- west Point Blvd., Elk Grove Village, IL
partners, thereby increasing their risk Mothers of children who have been
diagnosed with nonorganic failure to orders, they showed significantly 60007; (800) 433-9016, ext. 6791.
of acquiring a sexually transmitted dis- higher dietary restraint than mothers of
ease (STD).
Secondly, the type of epithelial cells
that nonmally line the endocervix ex-
tend into the exocervix during the
adolescent years, creating a more sus-
ceptible environment for STD
infection, which might lead to PID, re-
searchers reported.
The study recommended laparo-
scopy or ultrasonography for diagnosis
of PID, which is most often caused by
the advanced infection of gonorrhea or
chlamydia. In discussing prevention,
researchers advised clinicians to
strongly recommend protected sexual
intercourse (with barrier methods of
contraception) with spermicides such
as nonoxynol-9, which might decrease
thie incidence of STDs thiat lead to PID.

Risk factors for febrile

seizure recurrence
The risk of subsequent seizures after
an initial infant febrile seizure peaks
between the ages of I year and 2 years,
according to a study published in the
April Journal of Pediatrics.
Researchers found that risk recur-
rence declined with time and was
highest in the first six to 12 months
following the initial febrile seizure. In-
fants experiencing their first seizure
when they were younger than 18
months had a higher recurrence hazard
over a longer period of time, as did
infants with a relatively low tempera-
ture (less than 40 degrees Celsius or
104 degrees Fahrenheit) when they
suffered their first seizure.
After a first and second recurrence,
the risk of further seizures was 2.5
times greater, researchers reported. A
history of febrile or unprovoked sei-
zures in immediate family members
further increased recurrent seizure risk,
the report stated.
Comparing urban and
rural health status
Children living in rural areas are
half as likely as urban children to see
pediatricians as their usual source of
care, according to a February report
published by the U.S. Departrnent of
Health and Human Services Agency
for Healthi Care Policy and Research
(AHCPR).
Issuing results of a 1987 National
Medical Expenditure Survey compar-
ing urban and rural health status and
access to care, AHCPR found that 21.9
percent of children living in rural areas
were treated by pediatricians, com-

AAP News/June 1994 3