An American trial of a non-Fc-receptor-binding antiCD3 monoclonal antibody given within 6 weeks of the onset of type 1 diabetes ( New England Journal of Medicine2002;346:1692–8OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science ; see also commentary, ibid: 1740–2) included children as young as 7 years and the median age was 13 in the treated group and 16 in the control group. The antibody treatment reduced or reversed the fall in insulin production in the first year in nine of 12 patients and treated patients had lower glycosylated haemoglobin concentrations and needed less insulin.

The nucleoside analogue lamivudine may provide some benefit for children with chronic hepatitis B. In a multinational trial ( New England Journal of Medicine2002;346:1706–13OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science ) virological response at 52 weeks was achieved in 44 (23%) of 191 children treated with oral lamivudine and 12 (13%) of 95 given placebo. This response rate is similar to that reported in a previous trial of interferon in children.

Death is rare in children and young people with epilepsy but no other neurological abnormality. In Nova Scotia ( Lancet2002;359:1891–5OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science) 26 of 692 children who developed epilepsy between 1977 and 1985 died up to 1999. Twenty-two of these deaths occurred in the 101 …