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. 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.

If approved, vatiquinone would have been the first therapy approved for pediatric patients with FA. 

FDA issues CRL for vatiquinone to treat Friedreich's ataxia

The AAP recommends all children aged 6 to 23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as this group is the highest risk for severe infection.

American Academy of Pediatrics releases immunization schedule

Andrew Faniku, MD, pediatric hospitalist at Scott & White Healthcare.

Can you diagnose this newborn with a rash?

The AAP stated public health and trauma care should address "needs of injured children across the continuum of care."

AAP policy: Developing trauma systems that provide optimal care

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

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Contemporary Pediatrics – Clinical News & Pediatrician Practice Tips

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Allergic sensitization was more prominent in severe phenotypes but did not explain seasonal differences. 

Research finds non-allergic rhinoconjunctivitis phenotypes in children with asthma

All children included in the analysis achieved swallowing, oral nutrition, and airway protection outcomes. 

Zolgensma yields 100% bulbar function response in presymptomatic SMA

**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

 poll. Take a look at the following case below. After reading through the description, choose a multiple choice answer and try to guess the correct patient diagnosis. 

Then, visit our website on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time or later for the full case presentation, differential diagnoses, and correct patient diagnosis.

This case was provided by Akash Deswaney, MD, Neil Copeland, MD, and John Bishara, DO.

An 18-day-old female presented to the ED with concerns of apnea, cyanosis, and decreased feeding. The mother reported intermittent cyanosis of the lips, pale-appearing skin, and suspected apnea episodes. Since birth, Mom states patients had retractions since birth, which the PCP reassured her was normal periodic breathing. She had nasal flaring and grunting a couple of days after discharge from the nursery. Mom has noticed she breathes quickly, in the 60s or 70s at times.

Initial vitals in the ED showed hypoxemia, tachypnea, and fluctuating oxygen saturations were between 65-100% on room air. A chest X-ray is shown (

Click here for the full case presentation, differential diagnoses, and correct patient diagnosis.

Can you diagnose this patient? Take our poll and find out! Then check back for the full case, differential diagnosis, and correct diagnosis. 

News

Case Studies

Diagnose this 18-day-old female with apnea, cyanosis, decreased feeding concerns

Bite injuries are a significant problem in the United States. Discriminating between human and animal bites and identifying those associated with child maltreatment is essential. Approximately 250,000 human bites and several million animal bites occur annually.

 There was also a reported increase in animal bite injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Despite their frequency, it can be challenging to distinguish between types of bites. There are also few detailed images and descriptions of cutaneous findings of human and animal bites in the literature. 

Additionally, though such injuries occur in various ways, pediatric providers must consider the possibility of child maltreatment. In the COVID-19 pandemic, there was also a documented increase in child abuse–related injuries.

 Though bite wounds are a less common cutaneous finding in child abuse,

 both human and animal bites may result from nonaccidental trauma or neglect. 

In the poll below, try to identify what caused this bite mark on the palm of a 16-year-old boy

Thank you for taking this Contemporary Pediatrics puzzler poll

Visit ContemporaryPediatrics.com on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET or later for many more bite examples in the pediatric population and how to distinguish between common animal bites and human bites.

"This [case] was prompted by the increases in child abuse and animal bite injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the need to add to the limited descriptions of cutaneous findings of bites in the literature," wrote the authors of this case.

Bula-Rudas FJ, Olcott JL. Human and animal bites. 

. 2018;39(10):490-500. doi:10.1542/pir.2017-0212

Dixon CA, Mistry RD. Dog bites in children surge during coronavirus disease-2019: a case for enhanced prevention. 

. 2020;225:231-232. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.06.071

Kovler ML, Ziegfeld S, Ryan LM, et al. Increased proportion of physical child abuse injuries at a level I pediatric trauma center during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

. 2021;116(Pt 2):104756. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104756

Kos L, Shwayder T. Cutaneous manifestations of child abuse. 

. 2006;23(4):311-320. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1470.2006.00266.x

Despite their frequency, it can be challenging to distinguish between types of bites. Can you identify the source of this bite mark? 

Puzzler poll: Can you identify this bite? 

 poll. Take a look at the following case below. After reading through the description, choose a multiple-choice answer and try to guess the correct patient diagnosis.

This case was presented by Rutva Vora, BS; and Monica Guirguis, DO.

A 2-month-old girl was born after an uneventful pregnancy at 40 weeks’ gestation via vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery to a G2P1011 female. The patient’s APGAR scores were 7 and 9 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively, at birth. No bleeding or other complications were reported during delivery. The newborn and mother were discharged two days after delivery without requiring neonatal intensive care unit stay or interventions. The infant briefly developed a small soft palpable scalp swelling that resolved within days after delivery. The patient followed an otherwise uncomplicated growth progression since birth. She did exhibit mild reflux symptoms, which were managed with supportive care measures. Physical examination after delivery and subsequent exams revealed no abnormalities, including no signs of scalp swelling or injury.

At 8 weeks of age, the patient presented to the emergency department with a 3-day history of new-onset scalp swelling. The parents decided to seek medical attention after the swelling became noticeably enlarged. Parents denied any changes in her mental status, vomiting, fevers, lethargy, irritability, or any other new concerns. She did have symptoms of gassiness and fussiness that were unchanged from baseline. No history of trauma was reported, and there were no concerning signs suggestive of nonaccidental trauma. The patient appeared well, with a soft, fluctuant palpable subcutaneous fluid collection overlying the parieto-occipital scalp, without crossing suture lines. The anterior fontanelle was soft and nonbulging, and there was no hemotympanum.

Bleeding disorder (e.g. Von Willebrand Disease)

Can you diagnose this patient? Take our poll and find out! Then check back for the full case, differential diagnosis, and correct diagnosis.

Diagnose this 2-month-old with scalp swelling

Then visit our website on July 23 at 3:00 PM EST or later for the full case presentation, differential diagnosis, and correct patient diagnosis. 

This case was presented by Umer Muhammad, MD; Neil Copeland, MD; and John Bishara, DO

A 23-month-old girl presented with a 3-day history of cough, rhinorrhea, and increased work of breathing. Initially, she was treated for bronchiolitis at an urgent care center, where a nasopharyngeal swab identified adenovirus. Despite initial treatment, the patient's condition worsened, and she required oxygen supplementation via nasal cannula for oxyhemoglobin desaturation. Her hypoxemia further deteriorated, necessitating an increase in oxygen supplementation (

On physical examination, the patient showed signs of respiratory distress. A chest x-ray (CXR) revealed opacities in the right middle and lower lobes. The patient's condition improved with supportive care, and she was discharged after several days in the hospital. 

However, 9 months later, due to recurrent wheezing, she was referred to the pulmonary service for further evaluation. A follow-up CXR, taken 3 months after the initial infection, demonstrated complete opacification of the right hemithorax, with a mediastinal shift to the right, as well as collapse of the right upper and middle lobes. 

Below, take your best guess at diagnosing this patient

Congenital pulmonary adenomatoid malformation (CPAM) 

website on Wednesday, July 23, at 3:00 PM EST or later for the full case presentation, differential diagnosis, and correct patient diagnosis.

Puzzler poll: Diagnose this 23-month-old with cough and rhinorrhea

Richard J. Wong, DO, and Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, outline strategies for controlling asthma as kids head back to school.

Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, Richard Wong, DO, break down asthma in the classroom

Asthma remains one of the leading causes of school absenteeism and a top chronic illness among children in the United States, according to the CDC.

 As the school year begins, pediatricians can play a crucial role in preparing families to manage asthma in the classroom and beyond. 

“Children at school face several challenges in making sure that their asthma stays under good control, as compared to being at home,” said Richard J. Wong, DO, pediatric pulmonologist, Phoenix Children’s. Limited access to rescue therapies, lack of an asthma action plan, or even stigma can all contribute to flare-ups.

Richard J. Wong, DO; and Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD, outline strategies for controlling asthma as kids head back to school. 

Victoria Johnson

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