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A decline in the adolescent birth rate in 2004 to its lowest recorded level is one among many findings in the federal government's annual monitoring report on the well-being of the nation's children and youth. The report covers the most recent years for which data are available and, in the case of adolescent births, reveals a prevalence of 22.1 births for every 1,000 females between the ages of 15 and 17 years in 2004, down from 22.4 for every 1,000 in 2003. Other noteworthy findings from "America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2006," reflect changes in the infant mortality rate, prevalence of overweight, and rising math and reading scores among elementary school students.

Guide for Parents: Bees, wasps, and other ?stingers?: Keep your child safe! Bees, wasps, and other ?stingers?: Keep your child safe!

The author traveled to India to learn about the polio eradication effort as a summer project after her first year of medical school. It was a singular opportunity to witness global public health work at its most ambitious.

Nationally, immunization levels are higher than ever, but new challenges mean no rest for the pediatric community. Consider these tips on maintaining immunization coverage-to help you preserve and extend essential protection for children in your care.

Pioneering physicians took inspiration from chickens and zoos and envisioned a means to reduce mortality in premature newborns. The idea worked, they strutted their stuff before the public, and the rest is medical history.

Some normal variants of pubertal development-particularly premature adrenarche and thelarche-can be managed by the generalist. Here is how to recognize those conditions-and to spot situations that warrant immediate referral.

What's causing this newborn's feeding problems?

Summertime stings-which actually peak in incidence late in the season-can result in either a mild local reaction and a lesson learned, or a systemic allergic reaction with a devastating outcome. Here are strategies to help you and your patients prevent stings and their potentially devastating outcomes.

A 3-year-old girl develops a red, dry, flaky rash over her body, and a dried, yellow crust around her eyes. What's the diagnosis?

What has--and hasn't--changed in pediatrics since 1976.

Guide for Parents: Bees, wasps, and other ?stingers?: Keep your child safe! Bees, wasps, and other ?stingers?: Keep your child safe!

The parents of a 3-year-old girl sought evaluation of their daughter's hair loss. During the past several months, a large patch of alopecia with scaling had developed. The differential diagnosis included seborrhea, trichotillomania, and tinea capitis. Joe R. Monroe, PA-C, MPAS, of Tulsa, Okla, writes that in seborrhea, scaling typically occurs throughout the scalp without the patches of alopecia seen in this patient. Broken-off hairs--a key to trichotillomania--were absent here. A potassium hydroxide preparation of scrapings that contained hairs from the affected area were positive for the "endothrix" phenomenon--the finding of fungal elements inside the hair shaft. Palpable, tender suboccipital lymph nodes were also detected. Both of these findings are common in tinea capitis and essentially confirm the diagnosis.

Musculoskeletal infections in children encompass a broad spectrum of entities that vary greatly in severity and complexity. Their presentation ranges from obvious and acute to insidious and chronic.

For several months, a 12-year-old boy has been bothered by intermittent pruritus of the feet. He is very active in sports all year, and his feet tend to perspire heavily. He has a family history of seasonal allergies. He says that the rash worsened after he used an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.

The adoptive parents of an 11-month-old infant noticed that their son did not use his right arm as often as the left. Concern for brachial plexus injury was raised. Antenatal, natal, family, and early developmental history were unknown.