To download the Chinese version of the issue digest, please click here. You may find the links to download the full version of these articles on the issue table of content page.

Hong Kong Med J 2008;14:97-102

The Department of Health released a report concerning clinical profile of children with mental retardation and developmental delay, including source, reason, and age of referral, co-morbidities, and socio-economic background, which was published in the April 2008 issue of the Hong Kong Medical Journal.

According to the study conducted in 2004, it is found that among 1463 Child Assessment Service referrals diagnosed to have mental retardation or developmental delay, the Family Health Service was the major source of referral (64%). More than 90% of children were referred before the age of 6 years, and the most common reason for referral was language delay (39%). More boys were affected, and the two most common co-morbidities were autistic spectrum disorders and discrepant language delay.

The socio-economic status of these families was higher than those in the general population: about 70% parents attained a secondary school and or even a tertiary level of education, and around half were holding non-manual jobs. These may be explained by parents with high educational backgrounds and social status have more concern about the general health of their children and thus a higher demand for the Child Assessment Service. For this reason, promotion of awareness among parents with disadvantaged social background about childhood developmental problem would seem to be important.

Since mental retardation and developmental delay are common developmental disabilities in Hong Kong, public health education to promote and ensure early screening and identification of cases is an important prelude to early training and guidance for families with children having these conditions.

Hong Kong Med J 2008;14:110-5

In Hong Kong both complementary medicine and western medicine are widely practised concurrently in the community, however there remains a knowledge gap in respect of personal and professional use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by local registered nurses. A questionnaire study was conducted to provide an understanding of Hong Kong registered nurses' personal and professional use of CAM. Details are published in the April 2008 issue of the Hong Kong Medical Journal.

A total of 187 registered nurses who were members of the Hong Kong College of Nursing participated in this study conducted between March and June 2006. Respectively nearly 80% had used and over 40% had recommended at least one form of CAM to their patients. These included bone-setting (20%), Chinese remedial massage (tuina, 19%), and meditation (19%). Specifically, registered nurses recommended acupuncture or acupressure to patients with musculoskeletal disorders, chronic pain, or headaches/migraines.

The study concluded that registered nurses played an active role in advising such treatment for their patients based on their personal knowledge of perceived benefit in specific conditions. Yet further investigations with a larger sample size should focus on registered nurses’ educational needs in respect to CAM and the advice they recommended.