January/February special nutrition issue of Contemporary Pediatrics

Happy 2024!

I hope everyone had a chance to enjoy the holiday season and spend some quality time with family and friends. As we start the New Year, we continue to deal with increasing surges in COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and influenza, with some infants and children being infected with more than 1 of these viruses. This stresses the importance of ensuring that your patients are up to date on their vaccinations, including influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. Remember that even outpatients who are relatively ill with influenza can be treated with a course of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or a dose of baloxavir (Xofluza). This will help them get better more quickly and decrease their ability to transmit the illness to others around them.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Lois Levine, our fabulous associate editorial director who is leaving MJH Life Sciences, for all her valuable insight, contributions, friendship, and hard work that she has dedicated to Contemporary Pediatrics and to all the members of the editorial board. She is one of the major reasons that Contemporary Pediatrics is the high-quality publication that it is and she will be greatly missed.

There are a number of excellent must-read articles in this month’s double issue. These include the following:

· The Pediatric Pharmacology section article is a great summary of the new oral anticoagulant treatments that are available for use in the pediatric population. This is important news given that there are very few FDA-approved oral anticoagulants that can be used in children, and these are replacing warfarin.

· The Infectious Diseases/Respiratory Disorders section features a comprehensive summary of the RSV landscape this winter and the latest updates with regards to RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.

· In the Nutrition section, we have an interesting discussion of the gluten-free diet trend and whether it may be helpful or harmful to children and adolescents who do not have celiac disease.

· The Dermatology section offers an insightful article that looks at cold-induced panniculitis, a self-limited condition, manifesting as erythematous plaques or nodules after cold exposure, which typically affects infants and children.

· In Developmental Health, a very thought-provoking article highlights the factors (outside of just body mass index) that should be considered in determining what is considered a healthy weight for a child.

· The Puzzler is an intriguing case of an 11-year-old boy presenting to the emergency department with complains of left testicular pain for 2 days. Put your thinking caps on!

As always, thank you for providing outstanding care to your patients during these rapidly changing times. As Josiyah Martin stated, “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” Please make time to take care of yourselves.

Stay safe and well. And, as always, I welcome your suggestions, comments, and questions.

With warm regards,

Tina Q. Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS

Editor in Chief