Contemporary Pediatrics Staff

Research has shown that children aged 7 to 9 years who exercise daily can increase bone mass and bone size, but does increased activity place these children at heightened risk for bone fracture?

Friendships strongly influence physical activity levels among children even as young as 5 to 12 years, a new study reports. The findings may point to new ways of fighting obesity. More >>

Parents? smoking worsens urinary problems in kids

Investigators examined the effect of state and school-district policies on the prevalence of 2 separate physical activity opportunities - physical education and recess - in a nationally representative sample of US public schools.

The US Food and Drug Administration wants manufacturers of imaging devices to design new machines with protocols specifically for children and to add safety labels that warn against using the devices on children unless they are demonstrated to be safe for pediatric use.

Children whose mothers had low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are more likely to have higher levels of body fat at 6 years, according to British research.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has commended the US Senate for passing the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act and calls on the US House of Representatives to quickly pass companion legislation.

A proposed revision to the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of autism had critics charging that many patients with autism spectrum disorders would no longer quality for their diagnoses and would lose access to government services.

To assess the relationship between HIV testing and HIV-related risk behaviors in US high school students, investigators examined self-reported data from the 2009 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 7,591 students in grades 9 through 12 who reported ever having sexual intercourse.

Infants avoid spending time examining stimuli that are either too simple or too complex, focusing instead on events with an intermediate level of complexity, according to a new study.

A study of asthma medication use and asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits showed that in children aged 5 years and older, greater cost sharing for asthma medications is associated with a slight reduction in medication use and higher rates of asthma hospitalization.

Treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children early can alter their entire learning trajectory, new research shows. What treatment was most effective in reversing cognitive deficits caused by OSA?

A simple pull-to-sit test of posture control at 6 months may indicate inappropriate neurologic development and warn of autism spectrum disorder in children at high genetic risk. What are the implications for screening and treatment?

Children born to women with preeclampsia may have increased cardiovascular (CV) risk factors early in life, a meta-analysis suggests. What is the long-term outlook for these children?

Newborns with a decreased innate response to viruses have more viral respiratory infections in their first year of life than infants with a stronger immune response, a new study reports. What therapy might help protect newborns against viral infection, including seasonal influenza?

Incidences of some kidney cancers and brain tumors in US children have fallen since 1996, and the reductions coincide with the US Food and Drug Administration?s mandated folic acid fortification program. Should folic acid really get the credit?

Occupational and other types of therapists are increasingly using sensory-based integration therapies to treat children with developmental and behavioral disorders. Are these therapies effective for children with sensory deficits?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reduced its recommended upper limit for blood lead levels in young children by half. What are the implications of the revised recommendations for clinical practice? More >>

The number of emergency department (ED) visits by US children aged younger than 18 years for battery-related accidents more than doubled from 1990 to 2009. What?s driving the rise in these power cell-related emergencies? More >>

Low concentrations of intestinal microbiota could lead to obesity in children, a new study suggests. What dietary deficiency is associated with decreased colonization rates of these bacteria? More >>

Children born postterm are at increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other behavioral and emotional problems in early childhood, according to a study from the Netherlands. What could explain these problems? More >>

A good number of US adolescents are already at risk for cardiovascular disease. According to new data, which risk factors should clinicians have to watch most carefully? More >>

So You Want to Be a Camp Doctor? Everything You Need to Know About Medically Supervised Summer Camps by Aarti Raheja, MD, medical director of Camp Bold Eagle, the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan?s camp for children with bleeding disorders, and Gary L. Freed, MD, director, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, and editorial board member of Contemporary Pediatrics.

Treatment of children in the emergency department (ED) varies according to medical insurance status, new findings indicate. Could the amount of ED use for children with or without private insurance explain the differences? More >>

Evidence from a pilot study suggests that blood biomarkers obtained from teenagers may identify those at risk for early onset major depressive disorder.

A new Australian study suggests that an adequate maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy is important for optimal language development in offspring.

Pediatric emergency department physicians usually can accurately predict the likelihood of an intussusception diagnosis on the basis of history and physical examination, a new study shows.

Measles cases in the United States in 2011 were quadruple the usual number of cases during the previous decade, with almost all cases associated with importation.

Researchers say that understanding the influence of developmental stage on children's adjustment to divorce can help practitioners recognize warning signs of difficulties and help them to provide guidance to parents.

Escherichia coli has replaced group B Streptococcus (GBS) as the leading cause of bacteremia in term infants, with E coli accounting for 56% of cases, followed by GBS (21%) and Staphylococcus aureus (8%).