Suicides rise sharply among black children
May 27th 2015Suicides among black children aged 5 to 11 years have increased significantly over the past 2 decades while suicide rates among white children have decreased significantly, a new study shows. Both trends have been masked by an overall stable suicide rate among elementary school-aged children.
New guidelines for hospital discharge of newborns
May 21st 2015The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a policy statement updating guidelines for releasing healthy term newborns from the hospital. The new guidelines aim to ensure that both baby and mother are ready to go home based on their unique situation.
When rash and fever become an emergency
May 1st 2015Rashes and fevers are among the most common complaints seen in the pediatrician’s office. The differential diagnosis is often large and ranges from entities the pediatrician sees commonly such as erythema infectiosum to the less common diseases such as Kawasaki syndrome, to more potentially serious conditions such as vaccine preventable illnesses and everything in between.
Wilderness medicine: Your guide to treating illness or injury in the great outdoors
May 1st 2015As a pediatrician accompanying friends, family, or youth groups, or because of coincidental proximity to accidents, we may be looked on to provide initial medical care for injured or sick children (or adults) in a wilderness setting far from our usual practice, and far from our usual comfort zone.
LARC use by teen girls increasing but still low
April 16th 2015More adolescent girls are using long-acting reversible contraception-intrauterine devices and implants-although the rate of use remains low among girls aged 15 to 19 years, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
First national study of ADHD therapy in kids
April 14th 2015Fewer than half of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were receiving behavior therapy just before the American Academy of Pediatrics released clinical practice guidelines in 2011, according to the first national study of behavior therapy, medication, and dietary supplements to treat ADHD in children aged 4 to 17 years.
New vaccine effective for 9 HPV strains
April 7th 2015A new 9-valent vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) has shown nearly 100% efficacy against 5 additional strains of the virus when compared with quadrivalent HPV vaccine, and it is now recommended for routine vaccination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.