News

Children with severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often wander away from their homes or other safe environments, placing themselves in harm's way. A new study reveals the effect wandering has on families with children who exhibit this behavior.

Rib fractures suggest abuse and are a lone finding in 29% of pediatric skeletal injury cases.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved extended-release methylphenidate hydrochloride oral suspension for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Efficacy was determined in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study that showed improvement for both attention and behavior metrics for up to 12 hours in children aged 6 to 12 years diagnosed with ADHD compared with placebo. The once-daily treatment will be available in January 2013.

Lifetime earnings for primary care physicians (PCPs) fall well below the career incomes of specialists, which makes attracting medical students to primary care a difficult sell, according to a national study. More >>

Antianaerobic antibiotics commonly used to treat infections in children have been linked to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in this population, with the highest risk for children aged younger than 1 year. More >>

Babies born into low-income, urban environments develop wheezing illnesses and asthma more often than suburban infants, and these findings have prompted research to identify the viral pathogens that lead to asthma or indicate predisposition to the disease. More >>

Baby boys who use pacifiers fail to mimic the facial expressions of adults and other children, which in turn impairs learning social and emotional responses to other human beings, according to research that explored the relationship between pacifier use and emotional development in children. More >>

Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of the fibrous sutures in an infant skull prematurely fuses by ossification, thereby changing the growth pattern of the skull.

New designer drugs : Legal, available, deadly Etiologies of infectious mononucleosis Unique sleep needs of teenagers Puzzler : Abnormal, fidgety movements in young girl Dermcase : New virus causes fever, rash

The nation's drug czar's office highlighted the issues around the increased use of opioids by pregnancy women at a recent meeting, held just across from the White House.

Synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones have become drugs of abuse for adolescents and young adults. Research suggests that there is potential for great harm with chronic use.

Greek researchers conducted a study in 69 children with febrile illness who were admitted to a hospital with a diagnosis of a bacterial or viral infection to assess established iron indices in acute febrile infections and to explore whether serum iron distribution differs depending on whether the infection is bacterial or viral.

Children diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have triple the risk for cancer, and the findings hold for those who were never treated with biologic therapies for JIA, according to a new study.

Born almost 3 years ago, the set of federal measures for quality care for children in Medicaid and CHIP is being slowly pushed out of infancy; however, states are having difficulties gathering and reporting data, which may keep some of the measures aspirational for some time.

Intrusive parents may not effectively prevent every risky or dangerous behavior by every teenager, and dangerous drugs and guns are but 2 of the possible risks, but intruding is the first step.

While on the inpatient pediatric service, you receive a call from the emergency department (ED) about a 6-year-old girl who has abnormal movements and emotional lability. When meeting the child and her mother, you discover that the illness began about a week before presentation, when the child was sent home from school because of headache and vomiting.

Although the Epstein-Barr virus causes most illnesses presenting as mononucleosis, clinicians should be able to recognize and consider alternate differential possibilities.

Biologic changes in the sleep-wake cycle contribute to inadequate sleep and hypersomnolence in adolescents. Pediatricians should counsel their teenage patients on the these changes.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautions that SimplyThick, a brand of thickening agent added to breast milk or formula for premature babies, has been linked to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a full-term infant.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is the best choice for preventing unintended pregnancies, rapid repeat pregnancies, and abortions among sexually active adolescents and should be the first-line recommendation by health care providers, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

A study in Finland found that infants who had contact with dogs in their first year showed fewer respiratory tract symptoms or infections.

Schoolchildren with heave backpacks risk back pain and pathology.

Many physicians are not monitoring children's blood pressure during ambulatory or preventive care visits as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Tooth pain, dental disease, and poor access to dental care adversely affect how children perform in school and are associated with increased school absences and missed parental days of work.

Children who are overweight or obese, especially girls, face an increased risk for developing gallstone disease compared with their normal-weight peers, according to research by Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

You are called to the emergency department to evaluate a 2-year old boy with a fever for 5 days and a rapidly spreading rash on his face, arms, and legs for 2 days. The rash was made up of 3-mm to 6-mm diameter elongated vesicles on a red base. He is irritable and not eating well. There was another child at his day care with a similar rash, and his mother is worried that his 8-month old brother will develop the same illness.

Among 100 primary care physicians recently polled about electronic health record (EHR) systems, approximately 40% cited financial problems as their practices’ biggest hurdle, whereas another 40% listed EHR implementation itself. More >>

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is revamping its Back to Sleep campaign for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome to address a wider awareness of all causes of sudden unexpected infant death. The goal is to promote education among health care providers, parents, and caregivers regarding safe sleep practices for all infants. More >>

New research has linked bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly found in the lining of metal cans, food packaging, polycarbonate drink bottles, and other consumer products, to obesity in children and adolescents. More >>

Adolescents who smoke marijuana on a regular basis face a decline in intelligence and brain function as adults, even if they quit using the drug later on. The findings are the first to associate a drop in neuropsychological functioning with cannabis use. More >>