Vol 36 No 5

Research suggests a family history of mental and neurologic disorders may increase risk factors for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in a child.

A new study suggests that patients may develop a tolerance to cannabidiol (CBD) oil over time, resulting in a loss of efficacy for seizure control.

Pediatricians must be able to identify emergent neurologic problems when they present in the office or are suspected in children and proceed with appropriate workup and treatment.

Adolescents who initially screened as being at highest risk for alcohol problems on a 2-question screen were more likely than their peers to have more drinking days and be at higher risk for alcohol use disorders at 1, 2, and 3 years after the screen, a large study showed. Participants were 12- to 17-year-olds treated for a non–life-threatening injury, illness, or mental health condition in 1 of 16 pediatric emergency departments.

A 3-year old male presents with 3 days of fever (maximal temperature, 105°F), diffuse abdominal pain, and several episodes of nonbilious, nonbloody emesis and loose nonbilious, nonmucousy stools. On day 3 of illness, he was seen at an urgent care clinic where he was diagnosed with acute otitis media and prescribed amoxicillin and ondansetron. He could not tolerate any oral intake and developed red eyes, abdominal pain, and redness of his hands and feet. Later that same night, he presented to the pediatric emergency department and was admitted to the pediatric ward for management of his fever, abdominal pain, and dehydration.

A yearly research report highlights mortality risk data for cardiothoracic surgery centers across 5 categories of surgical outcomes for congenital heart defects (CHD) in children.

More providers have been recommending human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to their adolescent male patients in recent years, and the effort seems to be paying off: HPV vaccination coverage among boys aged 13 to 17 years increased from 8.3% in 2011 to 57.3% in 2016, while the proportion of providers who recommended the vaccination to this patient group increased from 14.2% to 65.5%.

Pediatric drug development has made exceptional strides in the last 10 years. The outlook going forward is remarkably positive, but new pressures to expedite the process are emerging.

A 3-month-old boy presents for evaluation of a diffuse asymptomatic rash that began on his scalp and skin creases 6 weeks ago and has spread over his trunk and extremities. This week he has begun to scratch at his neck and abdomen.

Children of women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than children of nonsmoking mothers, according to the first study to investigate the association between smoking and ADHD based on nicotine serum biomarker levels rather than self-reported smoking. Further, the investigation found that as the amount of smoking increases, so does the likelihood of ADHD.

Talk to patients and their families about the benefits and risks of stimulants before initiating treatment in children with ADHD.

Neural performance scanning (NPS) technology outperforms photoscreeners for analyzing binocularity in a child’s eyes in mere seconds, and with higher sensitivity and specificity.