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Thank you for visiting the Contemporary Pediatrics® website. Take a look at some of our top stories from last week (Monday, January 27, to Friday, January 31, 2025), and click on each link to read and watch anything you may have missed.
2024 brought significant advancements in atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment, with the FDA approving new therapies that expand the options available to pediatric providers. These approvals include innovative nonsteroidal topicals and advanced systemic treatments, offering new hope for better disease management.
In this article, experts Lawrence Eichenfield, MD, and Russell Libby, MD, FAAP, discuss how these new therapies fit into the evolving AD treatment landscape. They highlight the impact on pediatric patients, the growing role of nonsteroidal options, and what primary care providers should know to optimize patient care.
“We’re in a new era of AD treatment, with options that go beyond just managing symptoms to truly improving long-term disease control,” says Eichenfield. “For pediatricians, understanding these new therapies means being able to offer families more choices and better outcomes, whether it’s through advanced topicals or systemic treatments for more severe cases.”
A 14-year-old girl presented to her primary care office with 2 weeks of vomiting that began when she tried to eat breakfast. She said she was feeling well up until that point, but then developed sudden onset vomiting and constant, 7/10, non-radiating chest pain centrally located at about the level of the second rib that remained unchanged since onset and slightly worsened when trying to eat. She was able to take in liquids but vomited all food, despite having an appetite. She denied feeling the food get stuck in her throat and endorsed continued vomiting of meals within 2 minutes of eating. She denied blood in the vomit and denied any abdominal pain.
Urination was unchanged, and stools, although infrequent because of a lack of eating, continued to have their normal consistency and color. The patient did endorse some mild shortness of breath. This started around the same time as the other symptoms, but did not find it very bothersome. Her last sexual encounter was 3 months prior to this visit, just prior to Nexplanon insertion. Her last menstrual period was 2 months prior to the visit.
On review of systems, she did not endorse palpitations, syncope, lightheadedness. She had increased her vape use recently but did not disclose when she started or how much she vaped. She had no recent travel and had not identified any extremity swelling. She was unsure if she had lost weight but had not been trying to lose any.
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics analyzed trends in sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) in the U.S. from 1999 to 2022 using CDC WONDER data. Researchers found that while overall infant mortality declined by 24.2%, SUID rates increased from 89.9 to 100.5 per 100,000 between 2020 and 2022. This rise was more generalized than previously thought, affecting infants across multiple racial and ethnic groups. However, disparities persist, with SUID rates significantly higher among Black and American Indian/Alaska Native infants compared to Asian and White infants.
Potential contributors to this increase include COVID-19, maternal opioid use, and unsafe sleep practices influenced by social media. Study lead author Elizabeth Wolf, MD, emphasizes the need for strengthened public health messaging and safe sleep education at well-child visits. She also advocates for stricter regulations on unsafe infant sleep products, stressing that while not all SUID cases are preventable, some risks can be mitigated.
Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS, editor in chief of Contemporary Pediatrics; professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine; infectious diseases attending at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, emphasized the importance of vaccination to combat the severity of this year’s respiratory virus season.
“I think this respiratory season is really starting to get much more severe because we're having flu outbreaks, we're still seeing a lot of RSV and older kids hospitalized with respiratory issues. We're seeing human metapneumovirus, some COVID-19, and adenovirus. This respiratory season really is just getting much more severe right now, which is not unexpected, given the fact that we are in the midst of winter,” Tan explained.
According to the latest data from the CDC, seasonal influenza activity remains elevated across the country and continues to rise in many areas. Additionally, COVID-19 activity remains high in several regions, while RSV activity has peaked but continues to contribute to pediatric hospitalizations.
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Parents today must navigate a vast amount of health information, including misinformation, particularly on social media. Pediatric health care providers play a key role in helping parents interpret news accurately and make informed decisions.
Donna Hallas, PhD, PPCNP-BC, emphasizes using reputable sources such as the CDC and FDA when discussing health concerns with parents. She cites the recent FDA ban on red dye No. 3, explaining that while studies linked it to cancer in male rats, the FDA clarified that these findings do not apply to humans. Providers can use such instances to guide parents in evaluating health claims critically.
Similarly, vaccine discussions benefit from a clear, evidence-based approach. Robert Frenck, MD, stresses the importance of strong recommendations while addressing parental concerns with empathy. Hallas reinforces the need to communicate vaccine risks and benefits transparently. Ultimately, pediatricians serve as trusted sources, guiding parents through complex health decisions with reliable, science-backed information.
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