Animal Allergies

Food Allergies

Allergy, Immunology, and ENT

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiology

Acne

Atopic Dermatitis

Dermatology

Emergency Medicine

Diabetes

Endocrinology

Formula

Nutrition

Obesity

Gastroenterology

Antibiotic Resistance

Bacterial Conjunctivitis

COVID-19

Influenza

Pneumonia

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Vaccination and Immunization

Vaccines

Infectious Diseases

ADHD

Addiction

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Anxiety

Autism

Depression

Developmental/Behavioral Disorders

Psychiatry

Mental, Behavioral and Development Health

Concussion

Epilepsy

Headache

Neurology

Neonatal/Perinatology

OB/GYN

Pain

Drug Pipeline News

Pharmacology

Telemedicine

Practice Improvement

Asthma

Cystic Fibrosis

Respiratory

Rheumatology

News 

All News

PNP Corner

AAP News

Media

Around the Practice

Cure Connections

Expert Interviews

Insights

Medcast

Medical World News

Peer Exchange

Peers & Perspectives

Podcasts

Webinars

Puzzler

Publications

Contemporary Pediatrics Journal

Supplements And Featured Publications

CME/CE

Resources

Handouts

Job Board

Conferences

Conference Coverage

Conference Listing

Partnerships

Subscribe

Editorial

Editorial Advisory Board

Writer’s Guidelines

Reference Guidelines

Meet the Editors

. He joined the brand in March of 2023 as an editor before being promoted to senior editor in January 2024. Fitch graduated from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio in 2020 with a degree in telecommunications and journalism. He started his career as a news and sports videographer before becoming an on-air sports anchor at the NBC-affiliated news station in Youngstown. Fitch briefly worked as a national content writer for a Chicago-based national television station before joining the 

team. He can be reached at: jfitch@mjhlifesciences.com.

Articles

 and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in December 2019. She graduated from Youngstown State University in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in political science. Prior to graduating, Morgan worked as the editor-in-chief of her college newspaper. She went on to work as an assignment editor at a broadcast news station in Youngstown, Ohio before joining 

 You can reach her at mpetronelli@mjhlifesciences.com.

Study links early childhood eczema timing to risk of allergies like food allergy, asthma, and rhinitis, with five distinct disease phenotypes identified.

Atopic dermatitis phenotypes and allergic disease development in children

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, is an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and associate director, CHOP Vaccine Education Center. 

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, highlights how pediatricians can better prepare families and systems for missed vaccines during the back-to-school rush.

Lori Handy, MD: Vaccine-only visits can help ease back-to-school gaps

Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician; medical director, Asthma Prevention Program; chief health equity officer, Center for Health Equity, at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, encourages families to revisit asthma triggers, refill medications, and manage allergies to prevent avoidable complications.

Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, talks asthma reminders ahead of school year

Most youth with type 1 diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa lack autoimmune markers, suggesting a distinct, non-autoimmune form of insulin-deficient diabetes.

Non-autoimmune diabetes common in African youth with T1D diagnosis

Contemporary Pediatrics connects pediatricians with peer-reviewed articles, guideline updates, and practice strategies for real-world clinical application.

About Us

Advertise

Contact Us

Terms and Conditions

Privacy

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Contemporary Pediatrics – Clinical News & Pediatrician Practice Tips

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

Clinical

Gynecology

Infectious disease

Mental Health

Oncology

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sexual Health

View More

1rem

Authors

In this podcast, Dr John Harrington of Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, and Dr Michael Paul, CEO and Rena Vanzo, Genetic Counselor of Lineagen-provider of a new integrated genetic testing and counseling service FirstStepDx-discuss the diagnosis of autism and genetic testing for autism.

Genetic Testing for Autism: What Can Be Done, How Helpful Is It?

**Editor's Note** Please note that starting January 1, 2025, we will be switching to an online-exclusive publication process. This will allow us to publish case submissions quicker without having to deal with the variables that come along with print publication. All cases will still be eligible for print publication consideration, but publication in our print magazine is not guaranteed and will be up to the editor's discretion. 

Do you have a puzzling pediatric case that you’d like to share with the readers of 

We are looking for intriguing diagnoses that have stumped the experts—a diagnostic “Puzzler”—to help our physicians enhance their day-to-day practices. If you have such a story to tell, tell us.

Here’s what to do: Before you begin, we suggest that first you review the Puzzler 

https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/case-studies

. Please note the specific style required for writing Puzzler manuscripts.

Next, prepare a draft of your case, including a summary of the presenting symptoms, a case overview, a 

table of the differential diagnosis (MANDATORY)

, and the special aspects of your case that qualify it as a Puzzler, and send it to us. Please note that the differential diagnosis table should also be discussed in the body text. We’ll review your draft and let you know what you need to add or revise before we send the manuscript to peer review for evaluation.

Puzzlers vary in length, and we suggest a minimum of 1,200 words up to a maximum of 2,000 words, but that is because of the complexity of some cases and whether some patients returned for many assessments before their diagnoses were determined. Also, some authors describe the pathophysiology of the differentials in great detail. Please also note no more than 3 authors are allowed per article.

What's most important is to show us the process that you used to analyze the case, including:

Why you decided to order certain tests and why you did not order others.

Peer consultations or why you elected to contact other specialists.

Lab values including vital signs or blood tests.

Labs and values if your patient was attended to in the emergency department or other hospital departments such as radiology or neurology.

Discussion related to the possible diagnoses.

Final diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and follow-up.

Remember to indicate numbered citations within the body of the text and include a complete list of corresponding literature/references at the end of the manuscript. (Do not use any citation management programs or unlink them.) 

Limit references to 25. No references (unless it is a seminal study) can be older than 10 years.

We prefer primary research as references, but some cases are so obscure that authors will need to pull from a variety of sources. However, 

. Be advised that peer reviewers are adamant that the disease/disorder you describe was actually diagnosed and not determined by index of suspicion on the basis of ruling out various differentials. We use AMA11 as our publication style, which uses superscript citation numbers and a corresponding numbered reference list. Please create your citations and references in this style.  Check this recent article posted online at 

https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/the-rx-of-adhd

 for examples of reference style. IMPORTANT NOTE WITH AMA 11TH EDITION: PLEASE PUT DOI OR WEBSITES/URLS AT THE END OF THE REFERENCE LINE.

When you send your draft manuscript, also 

. These image files must be high-resolution jpg or tiff files (minimum of 300 dpi) and as large in size as possible. We suggest a minimum of 7 horizontal inches. The images must be original photos with clear permissions to use, not images from copyrighted sources. Send as separate attachments with your e-mail submission; do not embed images into your manuscript document.

After we receive your manuscript, our editors and peer reviewers will review your draft and let you know if we accept your submission for publication. 

Puzzler is one of the departments for which we receive the most submissions, so it may be several months after submission before you receive feedback from us.

If we do accept your submission for publication, we will contact you with further instructions.

Send your submissions in Microsoft Word format to 

, via e-mail to mpetronelli@mjhlifesciences.com

Guidelines for PUZZLER, Contemporary Pediatrics

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has adopted recommendations to remove thimerosal from all influenza vaccines distributed throughout the country, as recommended by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June.

According to a press release from the HHS, the adoption followed 5 "yes," 1 "no," and 1 "abstain" votes to recommend that individuals 18 years or younger receive seasonal influenza vaccines only in single-dose formulations that are free of thimerosal as a preservative.

In a second vote related to thimerosal, the ACIP voted, with 5 "yes," 1 "no," and 1 "abstain," to recommend pregnant women receive seasonal influenza vaccines only in single-dose formulations that are free of thimerosal as a preservative.

According to the HHS, vaccine manufacturers have "confirmed they have the capacity to replace multidose vials containing mercury, ensuring the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and adult vaccine supplies will remain uninterrupted," the press release stated.

“After more than 2 decades of delay, this action fulfills a long-overdue promise to protect our most vulnerable populations from unnecessary mercury exposure,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said in a statement. “Injecting any amount of mercury into children when safe, mercury-free alternatives exist defies common sense and public health responsibility. Today, we put safety first.”

Regarding routine, annual influenza vaccination for all persons 6 months or older who do not have contraindications, the ACIP reaffirmed this recommendation by a vote of 6 "yes" and 1 "abstain" for the 2025-2026 influenza season.

In the June 25-26, 2025, meeting, the ACIP also voted 5-2 to recommend clesrovimab (Enflonsia; Merck), 

which was approved by the FDA on June 9, 2025

, for infants 8 months or younger who are not protected by a maternal vaccine, according to a national news report from ABC News.

Additionally, the committee voted in unanimous fashion to update the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program to include details of clesrovimab, as approximately half of children in the United States are eligible for low-cost or free vaccines, according to ABC.

AAP liaisons not participating in ACIP meeting

Outside the adoption of the influenza thimerosal removal, the HHS stated other recommendations (listed above) from the June meeting continue to be under review.

In the statement, the HHS stated that Secretary Kennedy approved all recommendations from the April ACIP meeting.

 These recommendations included, by a 15-0 vote, that individuals 10 years or older receive a single dose of Penmenvy as an alternative to separate dose administration of meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y and serogroup B vaccinations when both vaccines would be given at the same clinical visit, typically at age 16.

Click here for more on the April 2025 recommendations from the ACIP.

The adopted recommendations announced this week follow the lawsuit 

filed by many medical societies on July 7, 2025

, against Kennedy and the HHS, which was an effort to defend vaccine policy, the societies stated, amid recent changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and the removal of members from the CDC's ACIP.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American Public Health Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Massachusetts Public Health Alliance, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and a pregnant physician announced the lawsuit via a joint press release on July 7, 2025. 

In the announcement, the joint societies reference the CDC's May 27, 2025, 

 for routine COVID-19 vaccination among healthy individuals and pregnant women.

Kennedy took to the social media platform X to announce that he "couldn't be more pleased to announce that, as of today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedule."

 Editor in Chief Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, who is also the Infectious Diseases Society of America's president, stated, "The [IDSA] will fight to ensure that all individuals of every age have access to lifesaving vaccines. We will not stand by while a single federal official unilaterally and effectively strips Americans of their choice to vaccinate with actions that thoroughly disregard overwhelming scientific evidence and decades of established federal processes. As a community of clinicians, public health officials, and scientists, our focus remains the protection of patients and public health.” 

HHS adopts ACIP recommendation to remove thimerosal from all U.S. influenza vaccines. Press release. US Department of Health and Human Services. July 23, 2025. Accessed July 24, 2025. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/thimerosal-mercury-removed-from-us-flu-vaccines-acip.html

Fitch J. ACIP updates: committee recommends clesrovimab for RSV, reaffirms routine influenza vaccination. 

. June 26, 2025. Accessed July 24, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/acip-updates-committee-votes-5-2-to-recommend-clesrovimab-to-protect-against-rsv

Fitch J. ACIP votes in favor of recently FDA approved vaccines for meningococcal disease, chikungunya. 

. April 17, 2025. Accessed July 24, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/acip-votes-in-favor-of-recently-fda-approved-vaccines-for-meningococcal-disease-chikungunya

Fitch J. AAP, other medical societies sue HHS, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over vaccine practices. 

. July 7, 2025. Accessed July 24, 2025. https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/aap-other-medical-societies-sue-hhs-robert-f-kennedy-jr-over-vaccine-practices

This week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr signed the ACIP's recommendation to remove the mercury-based preservative from all influenza vaccines. 

News

HHS to remove thimerosal from all influenza vaccines in the US

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, emphasizes the role of school entry as a critical time for ensuring children are caught up on routine vaccinations.

 Lori Handy, MD on importance of vaccine catch-up before the school year

As families prepare for the start of a new school year, ensuring children are up to date on routine vaccinations remains a key public health priority, according to Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, associate director of the Vaccine Education Center and attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Handy explained that the link between vaccines and the school calendar dates back to early immunization programs targeting highly contagious childhood diseases such as measles and polio. These infections were known to spread rapidly among young school-aged children, often encountering their first exposures in classrooms. 

“There was a way to link prevention to the age group that needed it the most, at the time they needed it the most, right when they were about to enter a crowded setting,” said Handy. 

Requiring vaccines prior to school entry allowed public health officials to strategically deliver protection at a time of heightened risk. But Handy said it also served another, often overlooked function: creating a universal checkpoint for children who may have had missed or inconsistent access to care. 

“For children who might have had intermittent medical care or missed opportunities for medical care, turning 5 [years old] became this moment to ensure that all children in the country are receiving the preventative measures they need,” she said. “It was a nice pause for all children to say, let’s look back: have you missed anything? Do we need to catch you up?” 

Handy emphasized the ongoing relevance of this system, particularly in households juggling the demands of multiple children or busy schedules that can result in missed appointments. 

“Parents may not realize they missed that 4-year-old visit. Maybe they have 3 or 4 kids, and it is hard to keep track of all the well care their children need,” Handy said. “So, it is a great time to pause and make sure children are protected and ready to enter a crowded setting where they can learn and not contract a new infection.” 

By treating the back-to-school period as a built-in reminder to review vaccination records, Handy said providers and parents alike can help ensure children start the academic year protected, prepared, and positioned to thrive.

Lori Handy, MD, MSCE, emphasizes the role of school entry as a critical time for ensuring children are caught up on routine vaccinations. 

Lori Handy, MD on importance of vaccine catch-up before the school year

Pediatric pulmonologist Richard Wong, DO, outlines how school environments can complicate asthma management for children across all age groups.

Richard Wong, DO, explains challenges children with asthma face in school

Before long students will be walking the hallways of schools across the nation, and children with asthma often face heightened risks and management challenges that differ significantly from their home environment, according to Richard Wong, DO, pediatric pulmonologist at Phoenix Children’s.

“At home, families can better control exposures and reduce triggers, but school presents a much more complex environment,” Wong said. “Respiratory viruses, allergens, exercise, and environmental exposures like air pollution all contribute to increased risk.” 

Wong noted that the start of the school year frequently correlates with a dramatic increase in asthma-related emergency department visits. “In one large metropolitan area, ER visits jumped by almost 46% after school resumed,” he said. “That pattern highlights how common and serious school-related asthma challenges can be.”

Pediatric pulmonologist Richard Wong, DO, outlines how school environments can complicate asthma management for children across all age groups. 

Michael Paul, PhD

Articles

Latest Updated Articles