Developmental screening via phone increases referrals
June 17th 2019Young children whose parents are screened via telephone about their offspring’s development are far more likely to be referred for evaluation and to receive services than children who receive usual care from their primary care provider (PCP), a randomized trial involving 152 youngsters found.
Riddle me this: The making of a bully
June 14th 2019This month’s Riddle Me This! online quiz explores the study evidence to reveal some unexpected traits, risk factors, and trajectories for these children. Are there common functional skills traits in younger bullies? What does the literature say about the familial linkage of bullying-is it learned at home?
How to identify and treat bullying
Bullying is a preventable health problem that has lasting impacts. Pediatricians need to screen patients for risk factors, empower families with coping skills, and advocate for antibullying resources in their communities.
Fathers’ influence on development and well-being of children
June 12th 2019Despite the growing involvement of fathers in their children’s lives, there persists a lack of focus on fathers in pediatric care. Updated guidelines can help pediatricians to better engage fathers in the care of their children.
Living near greenspace reduces children’s risk of mental health problems
June 7th 2019Living in a dwelling that is close to greenspace reduces youngsters’ risk for behaviors associated with neurobehavioral problems. This relationship varies with the type of behavior, the child’s age, and the proximity of the greenspace, according to a study conducted in an ongoing prospective birth cohort.
Fever and neck swelling in a teenaged girl
June 6th 2019A previously healthy 15-year-old female presents to the emergency department (ED) with complaints of right-sided neck swelling, pain, decreased range of motion, and fever for 3 days. She also reports a sore throat and mouth pain with decreased oral intake. She denies any rhinorrhea, shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, or dental pain. What's the diagnosis?
Reading books with toddlers: Print or electronic?
June 5th 2019When parents and children read a book together they have better collaborative experiences when the books are traditional print volumes than when they are tablet-based (electronic) books, according to a recent study in 37 parent-toddler pairs.
Taking a journal club approach
May 22nd 2019Best practices for both hospital and ambulatory care centers include methods to encourage the continuous educational development of all members of nursing and interprofessional (IP) teams. One successful, but sometimes resisted strategy, is to engage all members of the team in planned monthly journal club luncheons in which the members review a recently published article that may impact practice management strategies.
Two-question teen screening tool predicts future alcohol use, drinking problems
May 1st 2019Adolescents who initially screened as being at highest risk for alcohol problems on a 2-question screen were more likely than their peers to have more drinking days and be at higher risk for alcohol use disorders at 1, 2, and 3 years after the screen, a large study showed. Participants were 12- to 17-year-olds treated for a non–life-threatening injury, illness, or mental health condition in 1 of 16 pediatric emergency departments.
Fever, conjunctivitis, rash, and belly pain
May 1st 2019A 3-year old male presents with 3 days of fever (maximal temperature, 105°F), diffuse abdominal pain, and several episodes of nonbilious, nonbloody emesis and loose nonbilious, nonmucousy stools. On day 3 of illness, he was seen at an urgent care clinic where he was diagnosed with acute otitis media and prescribed amoxicillin and ondansetron. He could not tolerate any oral intake and developed red eyes, abdominal pain, and redness of his hands and feet. Later that same night, he presented to the pediatric emergency department and was admitted to the pediatric ward for management of his fever, abdominal pain, and dehydration.
Provider recommendations increase HPV vaccinations
May 1st 2019More providers have been recommending human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to their adolescent male patients in recent years, and the effort seems to be paying off: HPV vaccination coverage among boys aged 13 to 17 years increased from 8.3% in 2011 to 57.3% in 2016, while the proportion of providers who recommended the vaccination to this patient group increased from 14.2% to 65.5%.