July 15, 2009

Parents of young children often ask about childhood issues concerning sleeping through the night, thumb sucking, picky eating, and readiness to begin school. Evidence on these issues is often based on expert opinion, rather than randomized controlled trials, and recommendations…

The updated consensus guidelines from the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology focus on the management of abnormal cytologic and histologic findings and outline various screening methods and treatments based on the degree of dysplasia. Special populations (i.e…

Studies have shown the therapeutic effects of magnesium in eclampsia and preeclampsia, arrhythmia, asthma, and migraine. Magnesium is also accepted as standard care for constipation and dyspepsia, despite limited evidence.

Many patients with major unipolar depression will not respond to the first medication prescribed. Patients who require additional treatments generally have higher relapse rates. No treatment strategy appears to be superior.

Is honey an effective treatment for cough in children? Although this study failed to provide convincing evidence of effectiveness, honey may be a safe alternative to soothe cough in children older than one year.

Congress Begins Drafting Legislation for Comprehensive Health Care Reform | AAFP Lobbies for Health Care Reform, Payment Increase for Primary Care | Survey Reports Impact of Recession on Family Physicians and Patients | H1N1 Influenza Outbreak Reveals Flaws in Nation's Pandemic…

For decades after the 1941 publication of “The Diagnostic Value of Vaginal Smears in Carcinoma of the Uterus” by Papanicolaou and Traut,1 the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear was the test of choice for cervical cancer screening. Recently, there have been attempts to improve the…

Since 2000, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has partnered with American Family Physician to bring you case studies from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This issue features a summary of the USPSTF's recommendation statement on screening…

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for gestational diabetes mellitus, before or after 24 weeks' gestation.

Early intervention with lifestyle modifications or pharmacotherapy has been shown to effectively delay or prevent type 2 diabetes in adults.

Case study: A 29-year-old woman at 20 weeks' gestation visits your office for a routine prenatal examination. This is her second pregnancy, and she has gained 15 lb (6.8 kg). According to her medical record, the patient's prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) was 27 kg per m2. She…

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has doubled the recommended intake of vitamin D to 400 IU per day for infants, children, and adolescents.

Newborns usually wake up every two to three hours. Each baby will have different sleep habits. Babies will sleep longer as they get older. Most babies sleep through the night by one year of age, but some babies start sleeping through the night by four to six months of age.

The cervix (SIR-vicks) is the lower opening of the womb. A sexually transmitted infection called human papillomavirus (pap-il-LO-muh-VIE-russ), or HPV, can infect the cervix. HPV can cause changes in the cells of the cervix. These changes are called dysplasia (diss-PLAY-zhuh…