Top 5 pediatric health headlines you missed in January 2026

January 2026 brought new insights and policy shifts with direct implications for pediatric prevention, infectious disease management, and early risk assessment.

In this monthly recap, Contemporary Pediatrics reviews the most significant developments shaping pediatric practice and public health. Click each title below for full coverage.

1. CDC changes childhood vaccine schedule, recommends fewer vaccines for all children

In early January 2026, the CDC updated the US childhood immunization schedule, reducing routine vaccination recommendations from 18 to 11 diseases and introducing a 3-tiered framework that includes vaccines recommended for all children, for specific high-risk groups, or through shared clinical decision-making. Under the revised schedule, several vaccines—including those for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza, rotavirus, and meningococcal disease—are no longer routinely recommended for all children.

The CDC stated that all recommendations in effect as of December 31, 2025, will remain fully covered under Affordable Care Act–compliant insurance plans and federal programs. The agency noted that the updated approach aligns more closely with immunization strategies used in peer nations such as Denmark; however, US medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, criticized the changes, citing concerns that they depart from population-specific, evidence-based practice and could contribute to confusion and lower childhood vaccination rates, despite the schedule’s non-mandated status and its longstanding role in guiding insurance coverage and school requirements.

2. New dietary guidelines emphasize whole foods and child nutrition

The US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, outlining a shift in federal nutrition policy toward whole, minimally processed foods and expanded, life stage–specific dietary guidance, with particular emphasis on infants, children, and adolescents. The updated recommendations highlight food-based approaches to addressing diet-related chronic disease, citing national data showing high rates of obesity and prediabetes across age groups, and prioritize dietary patterns centered on protein, full-fat dairy without added sugars, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains while limiting highly processed foods, added sugars, and alcohol.

Pediatric organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, supported the strengthened focus on child nutrition, noting alignment with existing evidence-based guidance on breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and healthy eating patterns. The guidelines also include population-specific recommendations for pregnant and lactating individuals, older adults, and individuals with chronic disease, and are expected to inform clinical counseling, federal nutrition programs, and school meal policies through 2030.

3. AAP calls for system-level changes to improve children’s digital media environments

The American Academy of Pediatrics released an updated policy statement reframing children’s and adolescents’ digital media use as a product of a broader digital ecosystem rather than solely individual screen time behaviors, emphasizing the roles of caregiver relationships, platform design, commercial incentives, and social context. Drawing on observational and longitudinal evidence, the guidance notes that while high-quality, developmentally appropriate digital media can support learning and connection, engagement-driven environments may displace sleep, physical activity, and in-person interaction and are associated with less optimal developmental, academic, and mental health outcomes across childhood and adolescence, particularly among vulnerable youth.

The policy highlights caregivers as central mediators of children’s digital experiences and calls for joint media engagement, empathetic clinical counseling, and attention to structural stressors shaping family media habits. Beyond families and clinicians, the statement urges industry and policymakers to adopt child-centered digital design, strengthen privacy and safety protections, increase transparency and accountability around algorithms, and invest in community-based resources to support healthy development.

4. ELEVIDYS demonstrates sustained functional benefit through 3 years in ambulatory Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Sarepta Therapeutics reported positive topline 3-year functional outcomes from Part 1–treated patients in the phase 3 EMBARK trial evaluating ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) in ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, extending previously published 2-year results. In the randomized, placebo-controlled, 2-part crossover study, longer-term efficacy was assessed using a prespecified propensity-weighted external control after the blinded period.

At approximately 3 years post treatment, patients who received ELEVIDYS demonstrated statistically significant and durable benefits across key motor function measures—including the North Star Ambulatory Assessment, Time to Rise, and 10-meter walk/run—compared with untreated external controls, with the company reporting a 73% slowing of disease progression by Time to Rise and a 70% slowing by 10-meter walk/run. Mean functional scores in treated patients remained above baseline at a mean age of about 9 years, while external controls showed expected age-related decline.

Safety findings at 3 years were consistent with earlier analyses, with no new treatment-related safety signals reported. ELEVIDYS, an adeno-associated virus–based gene transfer therapy delivering a micro-dystrophin transgene, is indicated in the United States for ambulatory patients aged 4 years and older with a confirmed DMD mutation, and additional analyses from EMBARK are ongoing.

5. Arcutis reports positive phase 2 data for roflumilast cream (Zoryve) in infants with atopic dermatitis

Arcutis Biotherapeutics reported positive topline results from the phase 2 INTEGUMENT-INFANT study evaluating once-daily Zoryve (roflumilast) cream 0.05% in infants aged 3 months to younger than 24 months with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. In the open-label, multicenter trial enrolling 101 infants, roflumilast cream was well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with prior pediatric studies and no serious adverse events reported; most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity. After 4 weeks of treatment, 58% of participants achieved a 75% reduction in the Eczema Area and Severity Index, with additional reductions in disease extent and overall severity. Safety findings were aligned with earlier pediatric and pharmacokinetic studies, supporting continued clinical development of a nonsteroidal topical treatment option for infants with atopic dermatitis who have limited approved therapies.