Harvey Kravitz

Psychogenic Cough Tic in Children and Adolescents Nine Case Histories Illustrate the Need for Re-evaluation of this Common but Frequently Unrecognized Problem

cents who missed weeks, even months, of school because of psychogenic cough tics.’ Tics are sudden, quick, involuntary and frequently repeated movements of circumscribed groups of In most of our cases,. diagnosis was delayed several weeks to several months, because the physicians did not know about this psychogenic entity. latrogenic trauma to each child was considerable, and the cost in terms of money, school time wasted and parental concern is ~n~~~i~~h~e. We briefly summarize, our. cases, review the sparse literature, and discuss the need for earlier c~~i~.~nt~~i~ c~~ th~~ ~~e~cc~i~~~~ie ~~~it~* ;

Tactual Exploration by Normal Infants.

The age of onset for tactual exploration of the fingers, body (torso), knee, foot and penis by the fingers was determined in 100 normal infants. Exploration of the mouth, face, head, ears, nose and eyes was also studied by daily observations in the first three days of life in a second sample of 12 normal newborns, and the age of onset was recorded. The data show that the ability of the normal infant to explore by touch the various parts of his body appears to have a definite age of onset and a definite sequence.

The cotton-tipped swab: a major cause of ear injury and hearing loss.

Alvin Korach, M.D.** * Children’s Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill. † University of Illinois, Circle Campus, Chicago, Ill. ** Department of Pediatrics and Otolaryngology, Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Ill. Correspondence to Harvey Kravitz, M.D. 9243 Avers, Evanston, Ill. 60203. ! NJURY TO THE EARS and impaction of cerumen in the external auditory canals, with hearing loss caused by cotton-tipped swabs, has not received the attention it deserves in the literature. This report describes studies carried out to determine the frequency of such problems in children and adults.

Sex Distribution of Hospitalized Children with Acute Respiratory Diseases, Gastroenteritis and Meningitis

The records of six general hospitals in Metropolitan Chicago with active pediatric departments were the sources for our study. These were Cook County Hospital, Chicago; St. Francis Hospital, Evanston; Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge; Resurrection Hospital, Chicago; Holy Family Hospital, Des Plaines; and Edgewater Hospital, Chicago. Lutheran General Hospital was surveyed for four calendar years; Holy Family Hospital for two calendar years; Edgewater Hospital for two; St. Francis Hospital and Resurrection Hospital five calendar years each. Also a one-year survey of the Negro children admitted to Cook County Hospital.