Infectious Diseases

Cytomegalovirus is common throughout childhood, but the virus can cause a host of complications for very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Nearly 25% of all newly diagnosed HIV cases occur in adolescents and young adults, who also have some of the poorest outcomes. A new study examines the rates of viral suppression and the urgent need for interventions focused on this population.

A recent study finds the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) is mild in kids and other study that pregnant mothers needn’t worry about vertical transmission. Help families handle the onslaught of media coverage through reassurance and facts.

Influenza season is full-blown and widespread, with higher hospitalization rates among children and young adults, according to the most recent surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dominating health news for the past month, the novel coronavirus COVID-19 may have parents panicked that their child has the disease or worried about upcoming travel plans. Here’s the latest on the epidemic.

Group B meningitis poses a serious health risk to children, but the disease is vaccine preventable. A recent study evaluated the efficacy of vaccination with the multicomponent meningococcal group B (4CMenB) vaccine in young children with positive results.

Flu season is in full swing according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The weekly surveillance indicates that activity is high but has not yet peaked for the season.

An 8-year-old, previously healthy girl presents to the emergency department (ED) with a rash “that looks likes bruises” and joint pain.  The red patchy rash is not painful and not pruritic. What's the diagnosis?

Palivizumab appears to be effective for reducing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in high-risk infants, according to results of a study in Australia.

Discussing vaccination against influenza can go a few different ways. For parents who are either unconcerned with the influenza immunization or who had children who received it in previous seasons but still got influenza, a targeted, evidence-based patient education supported by the influenza immunization and hospitalization data could turn the tide.

Recent research advances are providing insight on infectious causative mechanisms for this recently described disease in children.

The guidelines for diagnosing and treating Lyme disease may soon be changing, although pediatricians aren't expected to readily adopt all the recommendations.

Using antibiotics for extended periods in preterm infants can have long-term damaging effects to their gut microbiota, according to a recent study.

After assessing a child who is presenting with some type of infectious disease, the next step is to run a diagnostic test, such as a rapid strep test or measles. However, is that always the best decision?

The 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) is performing well since its 2010 introduction but still has some flaws, according to a recent report.

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal how well influenza vaccine works in reducing hospitalization rates for serious disease among children.

Dr Eden remembers a patient who suffered extreme neurologic complications as a result of the disease.

The AAP and ACIP have issued recommendations for the upcoming flu season, and they include the intranasal vaccine and a warning about watching carefully dosages on different brands of the vaccine.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have released updated guidelines on the management of Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infections in both mothers and babies.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection requiring hospitalization may be associated with later asthma development, especially when RSV hospitalization occurs in the later part of an infant's first year of life.

Contemporary Pediatrics recently spoke with Mary Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PNP-BC, CPNP, FAANP, a nationally known expert in immunization practice, about why measles infection rates have skyrocketed in her home state of New York, what’s in store for the rest of the United States during the current measles outbreak, and how physicians can engage with parents to boost immunization rates.

In the July 2019 edition of Contemporary Pediatrics, Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS, MPH, discusses measles and its hallmark signs and symptoms. For most of us practicing today, we have never seen the disease outside of a textbook or a website.

Measles cases continue to add up in the worst outbreak of the viral infection in the United States since 1992.

A new study from researchers at Columbia University indicate that the solution to increasing influenza immuinzation rates may be simple.

Measles is once again a significant public health problem in the United States. Many pediatricians and most parents have never seen actual measles in a child, hence the urgent need to reeducate clinicians and caregivers about clinical manifestations and prevention of the disease.

As in adults, antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) that change the microbiota of the gut can increase risks for developing Clostridium difficile-C diff-in pediatric patients.

A new study investigating antibiotic prescribing found that 17% of these prescriptions written for children were inappropriate-and the number climbs even higher in adults.

Infections and how they are treated early in life may impact how mental health disorders develop early on, according to a new report, highlighting the need for a better understanding of the mind/body connection.

Lymph node enlargement is common in children. Focused assessment and quick diagnosis of cause are key to ensure proper treatment.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Influenza are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in children. Pediatricians must step up vigilance to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.