Pearls from the trenches: Part 4
January 1st 2016In his final installment of the series "Pearls from the trenches," Dr. Farber encourages pediatricians to think outside the box, to trust their "sixth sense" when it comes to treating patients, and always to look at what they are doing from the parents' and child's point of view.
Early hearing detection and intervention
January 1st 2016Unidentified children who are deaf or hard of hearing may have delayed speech and language development that can interfere with daily functioning. Unidentified hearing loss also places a cost burden on families and the healthcare system, with the lifetime educational cost of hearing loss estimated in 2007 at $115,600 per child.
NICU graduates: Be advocates for their healthcare
December 16th 2015Caring for the medically complex neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) graduates is a challenge for everyone: the very stressed parents and family members, physicians, physician specialists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and early intervention specialists including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and education specialists.
When 'firing' a patient for vaccine refusal is the only response
December 8th 2015Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and pertussis have led pediatricians to take a hard line, sometimes dismissing patients who are non-compliant with immunizations. A new study examines the prevalence-and consequences-of patient dismissal.
First guidelines for pediatric pulmonary hypertension
December 3rd 2015Pediatric pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be difficult to spot, and a lack of research on this rare condition has resulted in a lack of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidance–until now. The American Heart Association and the American Thoracic Society have released new, extensive guidelines that task force members hope will pave the way for new research and continued development of care plans for pediatric PH patients.
Maternal supplements can provide breast milk with adequate vitamin D
December 1st 2015Breastfeeding mothers can supply enough vitamin D in their milk to satisfy their infants’ requirements by taking 6400 IU of vitamin D each day, a 6-month randomized trial among mothers of exclusively breastfed babies showed.