During that period, the number of dextromethorphan abuse cases reported to California Poison Control System, as well as the percentage of all drug abuse cases they represented, rose sharply. In 1999, just 48 cases of dextromethorphan abuse were reported to the state system; in 2004, there were 478. Out of every 1,000 cases reported in 1999, dextromethorphan was involved in 0.23, which rose to 2.15 in 2004.

Nearly three quarters of all dextromethorphan abuse cases reported to California poison control involved individuals aged 9 to 17, and the average age was 16 years old.

Data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers and Drug Abuse Warning Network mirrored those from the California Poison Control System, with most cases involving 15- and 16-year-olds.

Coricidin HBP Cough & Cold Tablets was the product most commonly reported to California Poison Control System, followed by Robitussin.

Explanations for the popularity of the tablet form of the drug, which rose during the course of the study period -- could include "widespread over-the-counter availability, high dextromethorphan content, palatability of the tablet formulation, and, most important, its frequent promotion as a product of abuse on many Internet Web sites," the researchers write.

"Preventive measures, such as placing dextromethorphan-containing products behind pharmacy counters, may be an effective action to limit this increasing trend of abuse in adolescents," they conclude.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, December 2006.

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Obesity surgery in mothers can benefit children

Last Updated: 2006-12-04 15:38:53 -0400 (Reuters Health)

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Morbidly obese women who lose a large amount of weight after gastric bypass surgery before they become pregnant may help prevent their children from becoming obese, a new study shows. This is the first time this has been shown, investigators note in a report in the journal Pediatrics this month.

They compared the prevalence of obesity in 172 children, between 2 and 18 years of age, born to 113 mothers who were severely obese but lost weight after surgery with that of 45 siblings who were born before their mother's gastric bypass.

Following mom's surgery, the prevalence of obesity in the offspring fell by 52 percent and severe obesity by 45 percent. Among both boys and girls ages 6 to 18 years, the prevalence of overweight was reduced to levels seen in the general population.

Importantly, there was no increase in underweight children of mothers who had gastric bypass before becoming pregnant. "Operations such as these have the potential for causing harmful undernutrition, although women are cautioned to avoid pregnancy for at least 18 months after surgery," lead author Dr. John G. Kral from State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn noted in comments to Reuters Health.

The prevalence of obesity in the offspring of mothers who underwent obesity surgery prior to pregnancy is similar to population standards, suggesting the "abrogation of expression of obesity genes" in the offspring, the authors point out.

The researchers add that the beneficial effects of gastric bypass may be mediated by prevention of the harmful effects that excess pregnancy weight gain causes through "overnutrition" of the fetus.

"It is nothing short of remarkable that both genes and family environment are nullified by preventing overnutrition in the womb," Kral told Reuters Health.

Improved insulin sensitivity in the weight-reduced mother, fetus and placenta may also prevent "sugar-toxicity" in the fetus and infant. It may be that, after the surgery, the available calorie in the womb approximates normal rather than obese levels.

SOURCE: Pediatrics, December 2006.

Copyright © 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.