Primary vaccination with a hexavalent diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis-hepatitis B-inactivated poliovirus/Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months with a booster dose at 18 to 20 months elicits a satisfactory antipolyribosyl ribitol phosphate response in preterm infants compared with term controls. Immunologic response decreased with decreased gestational age and birth weight.

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Myositis ossificans is a benign soft tissue tumor of unknown etiology characterized by the rapid development of swelling and pain. The occurrence of this lesion in the hand is uncommon. Initially, the roentgenograms are normal, but progressively a bony mass can be visualized in the soft tissues. The lesion is often mistaken for infection or malignancy. The definitive diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy which shows a typical "zone phenomenon" with three well differentiated areas of pathologic findings. A case is presented to illustrate the classic clinical evolution, radiologic findings and treatment of myositis ossificans affecting the soft tissues of the hand. The surgical treatment obtained an almost complete remission of symptoms and pathologic signs.

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Although the attainment of Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4), reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015, depends on optimizing breast-feeding practices in resource-limited settings, there are some conditions in which breast-feeding is impossible, contraindicated, or not recommended. The overall impact of involuntary nonbreast-feeding on the attainment of MDG 4 has not been documented. In industrialized and many middle-income countries replacement feeding is affordable, feasible, acceptable, sustainable, and safe and complete avoidance of breast-feeding is the norm to prevent postnatal transmission of HIV. The situation is very different in many low-income countries affected by the HIV epidemic where infants are exposed to HIV and antiretroviral (ARV) mediation through breast milk for long periods with risk of acquiring HIV infection, development of multidrug resistant HIV and short and long term toxicity associated to ARV medications. Despite the obvious needs, there is no specific research on how to make replacement feeding safer for infants with no access to breast-feeding and for whom replacement feeding is justified. Orphans, abandoned and infants of severely ill mothers unable to breast-feed, won't benefit from the research done on making breast-feeding safer for HIV exposed infants. A child rights perspective illuminates societal obligations to provide replacement feeding with infant formula milk to such infants, and to support research to make it safer at the same time that breast-feeding is promoted and protected for the general population.