Can heroin use start with nonmedical opioid use? (VIDEO)
August 24th 2016For Contemporary Pediatrics, Dr Bobby Lazzara explains key findings from a study published in Pediatrics. The study looked at whether children and adolescents who engage in nonmedical use of opioid medications are increasing their future risk of heroin use.
Teens open Pandora’s Box with sexting behaviors
August 23rd 2016Many of today’s practicing PNPs grew up during the “difficult and rebellious” adolescent years when teenagers were trying alcohol, marijuana, drag racing, and attempting to access birth control. In retrospect, that adolescent lifestyle was simplistic in comparison to the complex, tumultuous adolescent life of today.
When do developmental delays present in preterm babies?
August 18th 2016While late preterm infants may seem as though they’ve escaped the obstacles earlier preemies face, a new study reveals that later preterm infants who seem on part with their peers even at age 2 may have problems with reading and math by preschool.
What ADHD therapies increase drug abuse risk?
August 9th 2016Despite concerns about ADHD stimulant therapy as a gateway for future drug abuse, a new study shows that teens treated with stimulants later and for shorter durations, and those treated with non-stimulant medications, have higher rates of later drug abuse than their peers who have used stimulant therapy longer.
Help for kids with complex conditions
August 1st 2016Key members of a House of Representatives health subcommittee say they are determined to push out legislation intended to pay for better care coordination under Medicaid for children with complex medical conditions. However, key questions are who will do that coordination and how the money will flow.
Boy’s fever and rash after insect bite
August 1st 2016The parents of a 4-year-old boy who lives in eastern Maryland near the Pennsylvania line are worried about an expanding rash on his back, which started as a small red bump a week ago following a summer picnic. The boy has had a low-grade fever and has not been acting like himself for a few days.
Pediatrician’s primer on sexting
August 1st 2016Sexting is the act of sending or receiving sexually explicit or sexually suggestive photos, messages, or videos digitally by text, e-mail, or instant messaging from a smartphone or computer device. It is more common among teenagers than one might think.
Down syndrome: Primary physicians and parents partner in care
August 1st 2016Historically, the care of children with Down syndrome was often managed through specialty services, with the pediatrician/family physician serving a secondary role. Shifts in the healthcare environment have altered this model, with today’s primary care physicians taking on a greater role in care coordination.
Treating obesity at ground zero
August 1st 2016I found myself in the trenches of the war on obesity in 2000 when I began working as a general pediatrician at a local community clinic in Southern California. I immediately became aware of the day-to-day barriers that my patients were facing and I began to take on the responsibility of making sure that the children I was seeing would not only survive, but also thrive.
Nonsuicidal self-injury: NPs must make patient safety the priority
July 26th 2016Significant gaps in the knowledge of EBP are evident as new diagnostic criteria are recognized and evolve in clinical practice. An example of this EBP knowledge gap is the diagnosis of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) that was identified in 2013 as a separate diagnosis in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5).
Febrile seizure risk and vaccines
July 26th 2016Maintaining the currently recommended vaccination schedule of influenza, pneumococcal conjugate, and diphtheria/tetanus/acellular pertussis vaccines in young children as put forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is likely the best way to manage immunization in this patient population despite the slightly increased risk for febrile seizure.
Why parents spank their children
July 21st 2016A new poll found that about a quarter of parents spank, but most believe it’s not a very effective punishment. Instead, parents would like experts, like pediatricians, to give them clear guidance, individualized for their child, on discipline methods that work.