October greetings from Dr. Tan

The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 continues to surge throughout the United States, especially in unvaccinated populations, resulting in critical hospital bed shortages in many areas of the country. This has led to a major increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations among children, coinciding with a surge of respiratory syncytial virus infections that also places a strain on available pediatric hospital beds. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and everyone who can get vaccinated should do so.

This month’s journal has a number of must-read articles:

• The cover story provides a review of new artificial intelligence apps that help clinicians with the screening and diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder. This was written by Andrew J. Schuman, MD, a Contemporary Pediatrics® editorial advisory board member.
• The Respiratory Disorders report is on community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and how to determine who should receive antibiotic therapy. The decision to use antibiotics remains challenging in patients that present with symptoms of pneumonia, even though viruses are the most frequent cause of CAP. Jane M. Carnazzo, MD , FAAP, also a Contemporary Pediatrics® editorial advisory board member, wrote this article.
• The Infectious Disease news brief discusses how many lives have been saved by COVID-19 vaccines—a sobering reminder of vaccination’s critical role in reducing the mortality associated with COVID-19 infection.
• The Nutrition section offers a practical guide to meeting the challenge of feeding infants who have a history of intestinal injury or resection.

Thank you for providing outstanding care to your patients during these rapidly changing times. Please make time to take care of yourselves—the importance of which I was recently reminded of when a family medical emergency arose. Consider this anonymous quotation: “When life gives you a hundred reasons to break down and cry, show life that you have a million reasons to smile and laugh. Stay strong.” As always, I welcome your suggestions, comments, and questions.

With warmest regards,

Tina

Tina Q. Tan