News

Boys exposed to lead experience more negative effects on cognition than girls, a new study indicates. The study also may be the first to show that lead exposure has a detrimental cognitive impact on very young children.

Andrew J Schuman, MD, FAAP, responds to letters from readers about meaningful use requirements for MOC.

Federal rules put forth under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have meant that some services covered for children vary from state to state, a recent study in Health Affairs points out.

A comparison of the benefits of a 3-hour and a 7-hour daily preschool program found that compared with a shorter day, full-day preschool was associated with increased school readiness skills in 4 areas.

Cytisine is superior to nicotine replacement therapy in helping smokers quit, a trial in 1310 smokers showed.

Think twice before using a Web-based translation tool.

A comparison of how well agave nectar, placebo, and no treatment relieve nocturnal cough found that both agave and placebo significantly improved symptoms and that agave offered no additional benefit over placebo.

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.

Pediatric stroke has far-reaching effects that go beyond the physical. For infants and children who survive stroke, an estimated 50% to 80% face serious, long-term challenges.

Recent data indicate that the incidence of stroke in the pediatric population is much higher than previously estimated, and the explanation may be multifactorial, including more accurate methods of ascertainment as well as increased recognition because of greater awareness and advances in imaging.

This article provides guidance on improving rapid recognition and diagnosis of pediatric AIS to facilitate better acute management necessary to limit or reduce the effects of stroke on children.

A healthy 2-month-old girl presents for evaluation with a large pigmented plaque on her left cheek and scalp that her mother says she has had since birth.

The stethoscope is perhaps the most iconic device associated with medical practice, and the most important part of the stethoscope will always be the part “between the ear tips.”

Doctors should not use bone graft substitutes containing recombinant proteins or synthetic peptides routinely in children aged younger than 18 years because such off-label use can result in serious injury, a safety communication from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns.

Persistent fever despite prednisone treatment accompanied by anemia and other characteristics may signal cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in children who have been diagnosed with pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE), a Canadian study suggests.

Lipid profiles of children have improved modestly since 1999, but high or borderline high blood pressure (BP) has hardly budged, a new study reports.

Low vitamin D levels can play a role in sudden, unexplained deaths.

Two measles-containing vaccines are unlikely to result in adverse effects, a 12-year study has found.

Pediatric trauma nurses are well-versed in practicing trauma-informed care to reduce post-traumatic stress in sick and injured children, but they could use more training in helping families cope, a new study reports.

The usual 10 to 20 minutes allotted to a well-child visit may not allow enough time to pick up atypical behaviors that point to autism risk.

Children and adolescents are getting too many calories and not enough nutrients from pizza, according to a new study of the impact of children’s pizza consumption on excess energy intake and dietary quality.

Marvin L Wang, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Director of Newborn Nurseries at Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the CDC’s draft recommendation on the health benefits and risks of circumcision in children and adolescents.

Children with chronically high blood glucose levels are more likely to show slower brain growth than children with normal glucose levels, a new study has found.

The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared for marketing the first screening test for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns.

A new study reports that the percentage of pediatricians using electronic health records (EHRs) has increased from 58% to 79% since 2009, when passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act implemented incentives for adopting EHRs.

The US Food and Drug Administration has awarded a research grant to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to study the safety of an adult laxative commonly used in children.

Young children are more likely to get a second dose of influenza vaccine when their parents receive reminders by text message, a new study reports.

Although some phthalates have been banned from children’s toys, infants can be exposed to the plastic softening chemicals when vinyl crib mattress covers emit them into the air in response to heat, new research reveals.

High intravenous doses of vancomycin given to hospitalized children to treat antibiotic-resistant infections can increase the risk of acute kidney damage, a small study shows.

Even though most parents believe teenagers should transfer from a pediatrician to adult healthcare by 18 years of age, fewer than half think their adolescent can manage his or her own care. Only 30% of 18-year-olds make the transition, according to a recent national poll.