Jon Matthew Farber, MD

Although the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends routine screening renal bladder ultrasound (RBUS) after a first febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), a comparison of this strategy with routine RBUS after a second UTI found that the AAP approach does not meet cost-effectiveness guidelines.

A study of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels that compared levels in normal-weight and obese middle schoolers found that overall distribution of HbA1c was similar in the 2 groups and that the adult-defined cutoff was seen in 2% of normal-weight youth.

Newborn infants with tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) are more likely to have severe breastfeeding problems than infants without the condition, according to an observational study carried out in Germany in newborn mother-infant pairs.

Children who received virtual reality (VR) education before undergoing chest radiography showed lower levels of stress during the procedure than their peers who did not receive the VR exposure, a randomized trial in 99 children found.

A study in 512 mother-child pairs from 6 major cities in Canada found that exposure to higher levels of fluoride during pregnancy was associated with lowered intelligent quotient (IQ) scores in their children at the age of 3 to 4 years.

Palivizumab appears to be effective for reducing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk infants, according to results of a study in Australia.

Dr Farber presents some parting, philosophically oriented views on making sure we stay on the true path to best serve our patients and families.

Often we treat a child without considering the parental role, as when we prescribe an antibiotic to be multiple times a day. Other times we do need to consider the parents. Here are the thoughts from Jon Matthew Farber, MD, on how parents view, interact with, and advocate for their children in these situations.

Jon Matthew Farber, MD, practices in Northern Virginia where he can refer patients to a large variety of pediatric specialists, but he often chooses not to do so. Here are some common conditions/findings that are often referred out that he believes are often unnecessary.

Here are some various observations that have guided my own pediatric practice over the years. Perhaps they will help you with yours.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to me implies mostly unproven therapies with at least some partial evidence in support. By contrast, “fringe therapies” are more bizarre, with only anecdotal evidence.

Many times, testing seems to be the easiest way to answer a clinical question, but judicious use of tests is the best approach. Here are some guidelines I have followed over the years.

By the time most of us become parents, we have been pediatricians for a while and do not find parenting all that scary. To get the right dose of empathy, think back to when we first started handling babies-in medical school. Here are some things I tell new parents.

In my 40-plus years of pediatrics, I have sometimes treated patients based on the best of intentions, but with perhaps the worst of evidence. Here are some “best practices” I have used, and discarded, over time.

This month marks the return to school for your patients. Here are some tips to help both students and their parents get a good start.

Remember these simple pearls of wisdom. They will help you through each day with a smile and a happy heart.

Many parents and professionals have these misconceptions about allergies and other unusual findings.

For clearer communication, clinicians should say what they mean.

Here is helpful advice gleaned from my experiences with C diff, diarrhea, colic, reflux, and other things gastroenterological.

From ear infections to croup to strep, I have found that the simplest diagnosis is often the best diagnosis.

Children are not little adults, and it’s only common sense to be aware of a child’s age and weight when dosing pharmaceuticals. Here are some other helpful gems I’ve uncovered about medications.

Dr Farber shares 8 common sense tips for handling dermatologic concerns.

There is a trend in internal medicine to get away from doing complete physical examinations on each visit, with a minimalistic approach to a healthy patient. I am not prepared to go that far just yet, but I have modified my examination in many ways over the years. Here are some gems I have unearthed.

In this third of 4 articles, Dr Farber shares more wisdom gleaned from years of practice.

In my many years as a pediatrician, I have identified a number of “pearls,” or words of wisdom, that can help in the clinical setting.

Is it fact or fiction? In this first article of a new series, a pediatrician with years of practice experience offers his pediatric words of wisdom, or "mythbusters" as the case might be, about common childhood maladies.