Healthy newborns’ parents are more likely than NICU parents to quit smoking
February 1st 2016Surveys of 226 parents/caregivers of infants in the newborn nursery (NBN) and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a New York hospital who were smokers and whom practitioners referred to a smoking quitline made the surprising finding that parents of healthy newborns are more receptive to these referrals than parents of infants admitted to the NICU.
Is it okay to return to school the day after 1 strep throat treatment?
February 1st 2016An investigation in children treated for sore throat plus a positive streptococcal rapid antigen detection test (RADT) as a well as a positive culture result for group A Streptococcus (GAS) suggests that the answer to this question may well be “yes.”
‘No child left behind’ catches up
February 1st 2016The new 391-page Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; S.1177), the first major rewrite of federal education law in 14 years, has lists of provisions to impact children in myriad ways, including efforts on safe and healthy schools, many different behavioral issues, early childhood education, and homeless children.
Talking to teens about marijuana
February 1st 2016The expanding number of states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use reflects a growing acceptance of the drug in the United States as an alternative therapy for specific medical conditions as well as a perceived legitimate drug for recreational use more akin to alcohol or cigarettes than heroin or cocaine.
Improve your practice with behavior evaluation and management portals
February 1st 2016To continue our ongoing theme of “taking back” the practice of pediatrics for ourselves and our patients, I’d like to discuss utilizing behavior portals to facilitate the diagnosis of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as depression and anxiety.
Drug testing and the pediatrician
February 1st 2016It’s a delicate and potentially volatile topic: testing for pediatric drug abuse. So, how is a physician to walk this high wire, assessing patients and providing care while respecting and protecting those patients’ rights, especially when those patients are minors?
How pediatricians can tackle oral healthcare
January 26th 2016Cases of early childhood dental caries are greater than they were in the 1990s, and few children visit a dentist before age 3, leaving pediatricians in a position to offer possibly the only dental care to young children. Find out more about how pediatricians can help head off tooth decay and why early dental care matters.
Is drinking and driving among teens on the decline?
January 21st 2016New statistics from the CDC show that teen drinking and driving rates are declining, but that driving under the influence of marijuana is on the rise. Additionally, the report notes that while, drinking and driving rates may be dropping, the statistic does not signal an overall drop in drug and alcohol use.
Menstruation: The sixth vital sign
January 5th 2016After blood pressure, heart rate, oxygenation, temperature, and pain, pediatricians should include an evaluation of menstrual cycles for adolescent females when assessing overall health, according to a recommendation from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).