An unusual cluster of babies with Down's syndrome born to former pupils of an Irish boarding school.

Abstract

mm line.The degree of pruritus was recorded by the patient on a visual analogue scale ranging from "no itching" to "intense itching" on a 100 mm line.Patients were included in the trial only if at least one wheal other than that induced by histamine was larger than 4 mm in diameter.Coded creams of identical appearance, one containing 2% mepyramine maleate and a control cream consisting of the same base without the active drug, were applied in a randomised double blind fashion, one to the right arm and the other to the left.Wheal size, erythema, and itching were reassessed 10 minutes after- wards.Analysis of covariance was performed on the difference between the initial values and those found on reassessment.The table shows that there was no significant difference between the initial values for erythema, wheal size, and pruritus on the two arms or between the effects of active and placebo creams in suppressing pruritus and reducing erythema and wheal size.Differences in reactions to skin prick tests before and after application of active and placebo creams Reaction Type of Before After Difference p cream cream cream Pruritus* (Active 45 30 -15 '0-92 Wheal size (mm) Active 8 9 + 0-20 Placebo 8 9 * Assessed on visual analogue scale of 0-100.their six babies.