February 19th 2025
In a recent study, the rate of infant deaths was increased by 5.6% in US states implementing abortion bans.
Some infantile hemangiomas can be managed with topical therapy
November 1st 2016Superficial, relatively thin infantile hemangiomas (IHs) responded to several months of treatment with topical timolol maleate in a recent trial, suggesting that this treatment is an alternative to oral propranolol for selected IHs.
Antibiotics weaken breastfeeding’s benefits
October 1st 2016The protective effects of breastfeeding against infections and overweight are reduced or eliminated by antibiotic use early in life, according to a retrospective study in 226 5-year-old Finnish children, almost all of whom had been breastfed for at least 1 month.
Artificial sweeteners linked to overweight in infants
September 1st 2016Investigators used a food frequency questionnaire to assess how often 3003 pregnant women drank artificially sweetened or sugar-sweetened beverages during their second or third trimesters. They then analyzed how this data correlated with the body mass index of these mothers’ babies at age 1 year.
When do developmental delays present in preterm babies?
August 18th 2016While late preterm infants may seem as though they’ve escaped the obstacles earlier preemies face, a new study reveals that later preterm infants who seem on part with their peers even at age 2 may have problems with reading and math by preschool.
AAP updates guidelines for random, resolved infant events
May 12th 2016Sometimes babies briefly stop breathing. Sometimes they can turn shades of blue. Sometimes, these things are not serious. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending a new, less threatening label for such events, in hopes of reducing unnecessary treatment and stress.
Delivery mode, diet influence infants’ intestinal microbiome
May 1st 2016Both mode of delivery and feeding method are significantly associated with intestinal microbial community composition, according to a study in 102 full-term infants, whose gut microbiota investigators analyzed using stool samples taken at the age of 6 weeks.
Counseling parents about safe infant sleep
May 1st 2016Counseling parents about safe infant sleeping recommendations is an important step for preventing sudden infant death syndrome. Yet, many providers, including pediatricians, do not give families with infants basic advice regarding the AAP-recommended infant sleep practices.
Is the IQ-increasing power of breastfeeding overexagerrated?
October 22nd 2015Breastfeeding may not make smarter babies, according to a new report from the UK, but CDC says it still makes healthier babies overall and hospitals have more work to do in order to provide optimal support for nursing mothers.
Hepatitis B vaccination in high-risk infants
October 21st 2015The CDC now recommends that high-risk infants undergo postvaccination serologic testing between 9 and 12 months, updated from 9-18 months. The new vaccination interval can better cover at risk infants from HBV infection and also help ensure a higher adherence to the immunoprophylaxis protocol.
Maternal substance abuse tied to risk of sudden neonatal death
October 1st 2015Of 32 neonates who died suddenly at a hospital in the United Kingdom and whose deaths remained unexplained after a thorough postmortem, 12 (37.5%) were born to mothers with a history of methadone use or use of drugs of addiction during pregnancy.
Home nurse visits decrease maternal and infant mortality
November 1st 2014Disadvantaged mothers who receive regular home visits by nurses during pregnancy and through their child’s second birthday are less likely to die from all-cause mortality and their children are less likely to die from preventable causes than their counterparts who do not have such visits.
Avoiding overprescribing medications for infant GERD
October 15th 2014Distinguishing between gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants is critical to providing appropriate treatment and avoiding overclassifying infants with GERD that leads to overtesting and overtreatment.
ACOG and AAP issue report on neonatal brain injury
May 15th 2014A “broader perspective” and a “comprehensive multidimensional assessment” are necessary to establish a causal link between intrapartum hypoxic events and neonatal encephalopathy, according to the latest report from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Task Force on Neonatal Encephalopathy.
Joining forces to tackle neonatal encephalopathy
April 10th 2014Obstetricians, gynecologists, and pediatricians joined forces to issue a new task force report on identifying the causes of newborn brain injuries. In doing so, they hope to unearth prevention strategies for neonatal encephalopathy, cerebral palsy, and other neurologic problems.