News

A preoperative evaluation is requested for a 15-year-old boy who is a renal transplant patient maintained on oral mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus. His parents are worried that an itchy rash on his hands and feet, which has been progressing over the last 4 months, will result in postponement of his surgery.

Approximately 500,000 children spend time in foster care annually, and the majority of children in foster care have complicated and unmet healthcare needs.

The pediatrician may be one of the only sources of advocacy, support, stability, and advice for the child in foster care. In that role, he or she must understand the needs and experiences of a foster child compared with other patients in the practice so that the unmet needs of this vulnerable population can be addressed.

The first call center was introduced in 1988 as a uniquely pediatric innovation. This month’s article presents a brief history of call centers, discusses their advantages, and describes how they will improve patient care.

An integrated health home in North Texas aims to fill disparities in physical and mental health, educational attainment, and special healthcare needs for today’s children in foster care.

One physician says the time to protest MOC mandates is now.

A recent study found that the maternal use of antibiotics during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of otitis media and the placement of ventilation tubes in the offspring, particularly when administered later in the pregnancy.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics looked at the impact on health of being in the foster care system.

Burnout may seem like a problem seen only in physicians later in their careers, but a recent report shows that burnout can be just as likely in those just beginning their careers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have released updated pediatric immunization schedules for 2017.

More children are being brought to pediatricians for nonurgent care by adults who are not their legal guardians. What can a pediatrician do to reduce his or her risk of liability when treating children with "consent by proxy"?

Women in the third trimester of pregnancy who take supplements of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) reduce their children’s risk of persistent wheeze or asthma as well as of lower respiratory tract infections, a study in Denmark demonstrated.

In a study of almost 48,900 vaccinated individuals, investigators observed a temporal association between development of Bell’s palsy and administration of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) that protects against serogroups A,C, Y, and W (MenACWY) when the vaccine was given at the same time as other vaccines.

Stepwise introduction of egg (starting with a low dose, which is then increased), along with aggressive treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), is a safe and effective way to prevent hen’s egg allergy in high-risk infants, a study in Japan showed.

An interview-based study conducted in 372 parents visiting pediatric emergency departments with children aged younger than 4 years found that parents who used physical discipline were 2.8 times more likely than parents who did not use this form of discipline to report that their children engage in hitting, kicking, and throwing.

A healthy 12-year-old boy with eczema shows up at the office with an incredibly itchy rash on his legs that has exploded over the last 48 hours. He has a history of dry skin to which his mother regularly applies various moisturizers, including calendula oil.

A 4-month-old girl arrives at the clinic for a well-child visit. Her mother voices concerns about the infant’s poor weight gain, slow feeding habits, and physical delays such as head lag, poor grasp reflex, and rolling over.

Advances in care now make it possible for more premature infants to survive. Ironically, many of the very interventions employed to ensure their viability such as mechanical ventilation and long-term use of oxygen can put many of these infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

New guidelines have been published that address monitoring cystic fibrosis in children aged between 2 and 5 years and highlight the key issues for pediatricians in caring for young children during this critical stage of development.

Despite improvements in obstetric and neonatal care leading to increased survival of premature infants, little progress has been made in the prevention of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Pediatricians need to be aware of changing definitions, risk factors, prevention, and long-term health outcomes of this disease in their premature patients.

Integrating mental health services within the primary care setting would help to provide continuity of care and benefit a myriad of issues faced by children with mental illness and the pediatricians who care for them.

Children with asthma are 4 times more likely to have kidney stones than those without asthma, and vice versa, according to a study published online in the medical journal PLoS One.

It’s that time again! Here are Dr Michael Burke’s favorite 10 articles he reviewed in Journal Club for Contemporary Pediatrics during the past 12 months that are most likely to change your practice, improve patient care, or illuminate future trends in pediatrics.

Recently, the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) cited a critical lack of pediatric residency training for behavioral and mental health problems and proposed more education in preventing, recognizing, and managing these conditions. Here’s why any change needs to start with a hard look at what our priorities are.

In this month’s article, Dr. Andrew Schuman focuses on improving the office visit experience for your young patients. By following his advice, you will be rewarded with parental loyalty, a busy and prosperous practice, and patients who look forward to their office visits.

Dr Bass’s article on “Factoring the Metabolic X Syndrome” in the latest issue of Contemporary Pediatrics provides us with information on the emergence of Metabolic X syndrome in the pediatric/adolescent populations, previously a syndrome seen only in adults. How can we, as nurse practitioners (NPs) prevent children from developing the symptoms for a diagnosis of Metabolic X Syndrome?

Obesity is rising in children and teens, according to a new report, but other health problems tied to obesity are increasing, too.

Findings of a recently published observational retrospective cohort study point to a need for increased efforts to improve timely completion of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series among boys.

For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara discusses a recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that looked at whether asthma in childhood contributed to the development of childhood obesity.