News

Almost half (48%) of parents across the United States are concerned or very concerned that their children and teenagers will try electronic cigarettes, according to a poll conducted by the University of Michigan. In fact, nearly 44% of parents worry that trying the electronic devices will make their adolescents more likely to start smoking tobacco products.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) combined with amitriptyline results in fewer days with headache and migraine disability in kids and teenagers with chronic migraine than does education about migraines and the tricyclic antidepressant.

In my day . . .

Contemporary Pediatrics' content managing editor looks at how pediatric practice has changed since her own childhood.

An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel says that despite public concern about concussions in young people, we really know precious little about them, including how often they occur and their short- and long-term effects.

Restrictions on the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications for children aged younger than 2 years and subsequent labeling changes in these products has led to a decline in their unintentional ingestion, therapeutic errors, health care facility referrals for ingestions, and serious medical outcomes in these children, a retrospective database study showed.

Do parents know whether their pediatric provider offers enhanced access services? Is access to such services associated with fewer visits to an emergency department (ED)? Investigators conducted an Internet-based national survey of 820 parents to answer these questions and determine the prevalence of such enhanced access services in pediatric primary care.

The worried mother of a 4-week-old boy brings her son to you for evaluation of a rash that started 3 weeks ago on his left eyebrow and chest, then spread to his back, arms, and legs despite treatment with topical steroids. What’s your diagnosis?

Baby teeth are vitally important. It’s time we made their protection a North American public health priority.

Despite some key pieces of federal legislation passed in recent years, most drugs-about 93%-are still not studied in neonates. Of those drugs that researchers have studied in this vulnerable population and that bear labels reflecting the changes in pediatric prescribing information, only about half (54%) are used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

A single intranasal spray of the naturally occurring hormone oxytocin improves function in areas of the brain associated with social interaction in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a new study.

Although little difference exists in outcomes between broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum antibiotics for children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), narrow-spectrum agents are associated with a shorter hospital stay, according to a recent study, and, not incidentally, help to minimize the problem of antibiotic resistance.

Although almost one-half of parents say they would let their children participate in clinical trials, only about 5% of children actually do so, according to a recent survey.

Computer-based cognitive training programs that claim to improve things such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and academic and social success in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) probably don’t live up to those promises.

While experts have known that maternal-preterm infant contact produces highly beneficial short-term effects on preemies’ physiology, psychology, and behavior, a new study shows that early and consistent touching between mother and child produces benefits that span the first 10 years of life and potentially beyond.

Girls approaching puberty may need to avoid a diet high in saturated animal fats to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer later in life.

Waiting to introduce solid foods until infants are at least 17 weeks of age and continuing breastfeeding after the introduction of solids reduces the likelihood that children will develop food allergies.

Preventive health care services, including dental and vision benefits, will now be available under the ACA to millions of previously uninsured children.

An investigation of the combined risks of adolescence, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and driving while engaged in texting or cell phone conversation found that while distractions significantly impair the driving performance of all adolescents, the negative effects of texting are especially prominent in youngsters with ADHD.

We caught up with Jae H. Kim, MD, PhD, associate clinical professor of pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, via a Google Hangout, for key takeaways from his neonatal presentation at AAP 2013 in Orlando.

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an increasingly recognized condition in children and adults that may mimic gastroesophageal reflux but that does not respond to acid suppression. Current treatment focuses on dietary modification and topical corticosteroids. However, future studies are needed to better define this disease’s natural history and to identify effective therapies for children and adults.