News

A pediatrician reflects on how the art of medical practice has been lost over the years and how teaching it to new pediatricians can lead to better care.

The UN reports that the US mortality rate for US children under 5 is lower than most countries, but our adolescent birth rate is higher than many.

To answer this question, researchers used detailed administrative and billing data from 38 of the largest freestanding US children's hospitals to identify conditions that met any of these 3 criteria: high cost, high prevalence, or demonstrated high variation of resource use (costs).

Investigators determined that the fecal calprotectin level of a child with suspected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) could serve as a screening test to identify those with a high likelihood for IBD, reducing the number of children and teenagers who undergo endoscopy.

Investigators evaluated the effectiveness of booster seat laws in reducing motor vehicle fatalities in children aged from 4 to 7 years.

Increased pain while driving over speed bumps makes acute appendicitis diagnosis more likely.

Mouth injuries are common in children, but pediatricians may not feel confident in handling them. These guidelines can help you identify the problems, make timely referrals, and educate patients and their families in prevention.

You are working in your outpatient pediatric clinic, when an apparently healthy 6-year-old girl is brought in with a chief complaint of a unilateral "white pupil" noted on photographs taken at her kindergarten graduation. Prior photographs of the patient had never before revealed this.

Many pediatricians are downright timid when coding our acute care notes for established patients. To upgrade your practice to v2.0, you need to maximize practice revenue by optimizing coding of visits so you can derive all appropriate charges per visit.

Childhood hunger brings to mind swollen bellies and wide eyes from other parts of the world. These images are why food insecurity in the US can go unnoticed.

Children who experience in-hospital cardiac arrest may survive to discharge with fewer neurologic problems if they receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a longer time, says new research.

Children and adolescents newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) should be given metformin therapy and dietary and activity guidance as first-line treatments for the disease, says AAP.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen given for pain or fever may cause acute kidney injury in children, even when taken in the correct dose, according to new research.

Bathing children who are hospitalized in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) with chlorhexidine solution once daily can reduce their risk of bloodstream infections, according to a study from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

A retrospective study of infants hospitalized with pertussis showed that the babies who had more severe disease had much higher white blood cell (WBC) counts and experienced rapid jumps in WBCs after onset of the illness compared with babies who had less severe infections.

Twenty-nine children have died in the influenza outbreak that now is widespread in 48 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The pediatric deaths so far compare with 122 that occurred during last year’s flu season.

New evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that prevalence of obesity has leveled and even declined among low-income, preschool-aged children in New York City (NYC) and Los Angeles (LA) County, California, although other US regions are still experiencing increases.

A multicenter clinical trial of a new sublingual immunotherapy has shown promise in desensitizing severe allergic reaction to peanut powder.

Children and adolescents who eat 3 or more meals from fast food restaurants each week are at increased risk for asthma and severe eczema, according to latest findings from an ongoing international study.

Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine given in the thigh to children aged 3 years and younger presents a significantly lower risk of a local reaction needing medical attention than does intramuscular (IM) injection in the arm, a new study shows.

Salmeterol, an inhaled, long-acting beta-2 agonist commonly prescribed to treat asthma in children, can actually worsen symptoms for those with the arginine-16 beta-2 receptor genotype, says new research from the United Kingdom.

Sobering statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that in 2011, 54.6% of high-school girls who consumed alcohol reported binge drinking. The prevalence was highest for high-school seniors: 61.7% of 12th-grade girls who used alcohol reported binging.

Most US elementary school-aged children are not meeting recommended daily goals for physical activity nor are they within daily limits for screen time, says new research.

The 2012-2013 influenza season has not yet reached its halfway point, but already 18 pediatric deaths have been reported nationwide. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that despite expanded vaccine recommendations, many young children are not sufficiently protected against seasonal influenza.

Pediatric residents who have high educational debt may opt for primary care or hospitalist practice instead of a subspecialist career. A new study looked at the relationship between medical school debt and clinical practice goals.

It’s with a heavy heart that we bear witness to the tragic loss of life in Newtown, Connecticut. The randomness of this event allows us all to relate to the details of horror and loss with uncomfortable familiarity.

Beginning January 1, Medicaid payment rates for pediatricians and physicians who care for children increased to at least those of Medicare for immunizations and primary care.

In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is calling for federal action on stricter gun control and pledging its support for changes that will ensure the safety of children in their schools and communities.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that all school districts should have a school physician to oversee student health services and policies. The recommendation appears in a new policy statement that addresses the overall well-being of children within the context of the school setting.

Cutting recess to increase time for academics makes children less productive in the classroom and diminishes their social and emotional development. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises in a new policy statement that school recess is a vital complement to academics for developing the whole child.