Infants with ankyloglossia experiencing persistent breastfeeding difficulties showed less compression of the nipple by the tongue postfrenulotomy, which was associated with improved breastfeeding defined as better attachment, increased milk transfer, and less maternal pain. In the assessment of breastfeeding difficulties, ankyloglossia should be considered as a potential cause.

Balanitis xerotica obliterans was studied in 48 fully developed and 6 early cases in children aged 2-15 years. It occurred in 9% of 100 consecutive circumcisions for all, including religious, reasons and in 19% of 232 other circumcisions for disease of the prepuce and penis. Seven cases developed after surgery for hypospadias. The boys nearly always presented with inability to retract the prepuce; half also had discomfort after micturition, and a quarter had obstructive signs, usually minor. At surgery, half had involvement of glans or meatus, previously considered rare in childhood, 3 requiring meatotomy. The condition, once seen, was easily recognized clinically as well as microscopically. The early cases, characterized by focal narrow hyaline edematous zones in severe diffuse chronic balanitis, suggest that the condition may be an inflammation in which the usual increased permeability of small vessels in inflammatory reaction is accentuated in a loose vascular region.

The use of CPAP in the immediate post-extubation period after corrective surgery for TEF/EA appears to be safe and may not be associated with increased risk of AL or recurrence of the fistula. Information from other centres, surveys and large databases is needed to define the benefits and risks of use of CPAP in these infants.

Gastroschisis has a favourable outlook, with 89.7% survival of live births. Over the 10 year period studied, there has been a reduction in length of hospital stay and duration of TPN. The age at which the infant is first fed enteral feeds appears to be important in affecting the length of hospital stay and the duration of TPN, with delays associated with a longer hospital stay and longer TPN duration.

The true incidence of the various causes of acute scrotum in children is unclear; epididymo-orchitis (EO) is thought to be uncommon. Investigation for underlying urological abnormality in children with EO is recommended. To determine the incidence of the various pathologies in boys presenting to the emergency department with an acute scrotal condition and assess the value of further investigation of the urinary tract in a subgroup of boys with EO, a retrospective review of 100 consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of testicular pain was performed. Seventy had torsion of an appendix testis (TAT) and 12 had torsion of the testicle (TT). Ten boys were admitted with 11 episodes of EO; 7 had other pathologies including incarcerated hernia, varicocoele, and idiopathic scrotal oedema. The diagnosis of EO was made at operation in all 11 episodes. Escherichia coli was cultured in 4 patients; none were found to have underlying urinary tract abnormality. TAT was thus commonest causes of the acute scrotum. EO is not rare in infants, the incidence in this study being equal to the of TT. Subsequent urological investigation did not disclose any underlying abnormality. However, based on the current published literature futher investigation is recommended in selected cases.