Joshua Fitch is the senior editor for Contemporary Pediatrics. He joined the brand in March of 2023 as an editor before being promoted to senior editor in January 2024. Fitch graduated from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio in 2020 with a degree in telecommunications and journalism. He started his career as a news and sports videographer before becoming an on-air sports anchor at the NBC-affiliated news station in Youngstown. Fitch briefly worked as a national content writer for a Chicago-based national television station before joining the Contemporary Pediatrics team. He can be reached at: jfitch@mjhlifesciences.com.
Recent reports of measles in multiple states
January 25th 2024Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS, tells Contemporary Pediatrics, “This is not new and demonstrates what is known, in that if vaccination rates do not stay at a level that is protective, outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases will occur.”
Decline in cannabis use observed for students in county of Washington state
January 24th 2024In 2021, current-use prevalence of cannabis was lower among male students compared to female students for the first time. This led investigators to conclude that developing interventions that consider protective factors by sex or gender could lead to equity in cannabis reduction strategies among youth.
How could NexoBrid change the pediatric thermal burn treatment landscape?
January 24th 2024“In pediatric patients, we know that there will be increased scar tissue formation, so it is even more necessary to prevent and reduce the residual burn scars,” Stan Monstrey, former secretary general, president, European Association of Plastic Surgeons, told Contemporary Pediatrics.
Increased servings of 100% fruit juice per day associated with BMI gain in children
January 19th 2024Though the association of BMI gain and 100% fruit juice in children was “small,” authors concluded their findings support public health guidance to limit consumption of the beverage to prevent overweight and obesity.
Goat milk-based infant formula: Benefits, data, and misconceptions
January 18th 2024In this Contemporary Pediatrics interview, Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, details the benefits of goat milk-based infant formula, discusses FDA authorized Kabrita goat milk-based infant formula, and highlights misconceptions associated with goat milk-based formula.
BNT162b2 COVID vaccine effective in children amid Delta, Omicron periods
January 17th 2024Investigators of a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine concluded that the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated efficacy against the Delta and Omicron variants of COVID-19 in children and adolescents, offering new, extended follow-up period data.
Discussing unintentional firearm injuries among children, and how preventable they can be
January 17th 2024In this Contemporary Pediatrics interview, Steven Selbst, MD, talks about how preventable unintentional firearm injuries in children can be, as he references an uptick in these cases in his emergency department.
Roflumilast cream 0.15% for atopic dermatitis demonstrates strong individual patient response data
January 16th 2024According to new pooled individual patient responses, roflumilast cream 0.15% treatment led nearly 92% of individuals to achieve a measurable improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index.
CDC: Unlocked, loaded firearms significantly contribute to accidental firearm deaths in children
January 15th 2024“I think these injuries in particular are tragic, these unintentional ones, because they are preventable,” said Steven Selbst, MD. “If parents would lock the gun or keep the gun stored without the ammunition, it would be preventable, but parents don't do that.”
Roflumilast foam, 0.3% effective in seb patients with intolerance to steroids
January 15th 2024Seborrheic dermatitis patients with an inadequate response or intolerance to steroids were 3.5 times more likely to achieve Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) success with roflumilast foam 0.3% compared to vehicle, new data from the 2024 Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference revealed.
New topline phase 3 data for tapinarof cream 1% to treat AD in children
January 11th 2024New interim data from the on-going, long-term extension ADORING 3 study and from an integrated analysis of the entire ADORING development program revealed efficacy and safety using tapinarof cream 1% continued beyond 8 weeks of treatment.
Safety and efficacy of FDA-approved linaclotide reinforced with new phase 3 data
January 10th 2024Compared to placebo, linaclotide demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in spontaneous bowel movement(s) (SBM) frequency rate, and was subsequently approved by the FDA in June 2023.
FDA accepts sBLA for NexoBrid to remove eschar in pediatric thermal burn patients
January 10th 2024MediWound Ltd is seeking to expand the label for NexoBrid, already approved for eschar removal in adult patients, to the pediatric indication after the FDA accepted a supplemental Biologics Application for this patient population.
Increased household transmission of influenza A observed in 2021-2022 vs prior seasons
January 9th 2024Though more research is needed to determine reasons for the association, a study published in JAMA Network revealed the 2021-2022 influenza season was associated with a significantly higher household transmission risk compared to pre-pandemic seasons.
Seizures could be the cause of many sudden unexplained deaths in toddlers
January 9th 2024The study authors noted that without video evidence, seizures would not have been implicated in death investigations and that seizure-related deaths are underrecognized in patients with epilepsy and in those without.
Marstacimab reduces annualized bleeding in hemophilia A and B patients
January 8th 2024Marstacimab reduced the annualized bleeding rate (ABR) by 35% and nearly 92%, respectively, compared to routine prophylaxis and on-demand treatment in hemophilia A and B patients without inhibitors, according to Pfizer.
FDA approves prescription berdazimer gel, 10.3% to treat molluscum contagiosum
January 5th 2024Berdazimer gel, 10.3% demonstrated positive, topline data in the phase 3 randomized clinical B-SIMPLE4 trial (NCT04535531) that featured a total of 891 patients aged 6 months or older who had 3 to 709 raised molluscum contagiosum lesions.
Higher burden of care associated with loneliness in caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes
January 4th 2024Results demonstrated that caregiver burden scored a 2.14 on the caregiver burden scale, which is within the average burden level, though a higher burden of care is associated with a higher sense of loneliness. These results can help health care professionals develop a family-centered treatment plan.
Specialty infant formula voluntarily recalled due to possible bacterial contamination
January 2nd 2024More than 675,000 cans of specialty infant formula for cow’s milk allergy have been voluntarily recalled by Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition because of a possible contamination with Cronobacter sakazakii.