(1974). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 49, 927. Congenital hypoplasia of depressor anguli oris muscle: a genetically determined condition? The frequency of hypoplasia of the depressor anguli oris muscle was 37 cases among 4 530 consecutive births (8 -2 %). Diagnosis was based on clinical and electromyographic studies. Severe congenital anomalies were detected in 3 of the 37 cases, while another 3 newborns had minor congenital defects. In 17 of the 37 cases there were first-or second-degree relatives with lower lip asymmetry. A minimum of 13 out of the 74 parents of the probands were affected. The high incidence of affection among first-degree relatives of the probands is strong evidence of hereditary factors playing a role in the aetiology of this anomaly.

The concentrations of five cephalosporins and amoxicillin in breast milk were studied in 42 voluntarily participating lactating mothers using standard assay methods. Each mother received one single dose of 1 g of either an orally or intravenously administered antibiotic. Amoxicillin, cephalexin, and cefadroxil were given orally, and peak milk concentrations averaged 0.81 +/- 0.33 microgram/ml at 5 hours, 0.50 +/- 0.23 microgram/ml at 4 hours, and 1.64 +/- 0.73 microgram/ml at 6 hours, respectively. Cephalothin, cephapirin and cefotaxime were given as an i.v. bolus injection, and peak milk concentrations at 2 hours averaged 0.47 +/- 0.14 microgram/ml, 0.43 +/- 0.16 microgram/ml and 0.32 +/- 0.09 microgram/ml, respectively. The high concentrations of cefadroxil can be explained by its low rate of elimination and higher fat solubility. Milk/serum ratios for all antibiotics were increasing as serum concentrations were diminishing, especially with cephalothin and cephapirin whose serum concentrations are rapidly declining. The significance of bactericidal concentrations in breast milk remains to be evaluated.

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The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mg in fingernails of 212 normal children, 109 males and 103 females, 6–11 years old, were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. A wide scatter of results in all trace element determinations in fingernails was found. Nevertheless, it was noted that the petrographical composition of the region influences the trace element concentration in fingernails. An age variation was observed for Cu and Fe. Nail concentrations of the same trace elements were significantly higher in male than in female children.

The pharmacokinetic properties of amikacin sulfate in infants and children aged from three weeks to 6 years were studied during treatment with doses of 7.5 mg/kg every 12 hours using standard assay methods and technique of two compartment open model kinetic analysis. Peak serum concentrations of amikacin were measured 30 or 60 min after the first intramuscular injection. These ranged from 11.8 microgram/ml to 23 microgram/ml in infants and from 9.0 microgram/ml to 29 microgram/ml in children. Five minutes after the first intravenous bolous injection they varied from 16 microgram/ml to 29.8 microgram/ml in infants and from 34 microgram/ml to 42 microgram/ml in children. Twelve hours after injection serum concentrations were less than 0.8 microgram/ml in all patients. Mean serum half-lives of amikacin in infants and children were 2.1 hours and 2.0 hours after intramuscular, and 2.2 and 2.0 hours after intravenous administration respectively. No evidence of accumulation was observed after four days treatment. The amount of antibiotic recovered within 12 hours from the urine in all patients ranged from 34.5 to 65% of an intramuscular dose, and from 45.8 to 63.3% of an intravenous dose. The dosage regime of 7.5 mg/kg body weight given every 12 hours should be safe and effective for the treatment of infections in the age groups studied.

SUMMARY The incidence of INH-associated liver injury was evaluated in 239 children aged between 9 and 14 years, who were receiving 300 mg INH/day for tuberculosis prophylaxis. Serum SGOT and SGPT levels were determined before INH administration and at 4-weekly intervals thereafter.Levels of both enzymes were raised during the first 3 months of treatment in 18 (7 5 %) children, while in 23 (9.6%) children either SGOT or SGPT exceeded normal levels (SGOT >40 units, SGPT >30 units). Only 2 (0 8 %) children showed SGOT and SGPT values above 100 units and in them treatment with INH had to be discontinued. In all other children transaminases returned to normal during uninterrupted INH administration. It was noted also that transaminase values in children who did not exhibit a rise above normal, still had significantly higher levels during treatment compared with before. The findings of this study suggest that liver injury in children receiving INH for prophylaxis occurs more often than it had hitherto been believed but that it is usually mild and transient.

Concentrations of zinc, cobalt, selenium, rubidium, bromium, and gold have been determined by neutron activation analysis in 18 placental and 6 liver tissue samples at birth. Their respective mean concentrations +/- standard deviations (parts per million) were 58 +/- 10, 0.060 +/- 0.036, 1.90 +/- 0.41, 14.0 +/- 3.5, 26.9 +/- 14.3, and 0.31 +/- 0.14 in placenta, and 651 +/- 257, 0.156 +/- 0.077, 4.52 +/- 1.96, 9.2 +/- 3.7,11.2 +/- 4.1, and 0.12 +/- 0.06 in liver tissue. Thus, we observed that the mean concentrations of essential trace elements (zinc, cobalt, and selenium) were significantly higher in liver than in placenta, whereas the nonessential trace elements (rubidium, bromium, and gold) were found in significantly higher concentrations in placenta than in liver tissue.