Last week on the Contemporary Pediatrics website, we covered topics including the link between maternal stress and offspring obesity and a distinct microbiome in Crohn disease patients. Take a look at some of our top stories from the past week (March 9-March 13, 2026) and click on each link to read and watch anything you may have missed.

Rajita Sinha, PhD, discusses the link between maternal stress and childhood obesity

In a recent interview with Contemporary Pediatrics, Rajita Sinha, PhD, a professor at Yale University, discussed a successful intervention aimed at reducing parental stress to help mitigate increases in body mass index in young children.

The program emphasizes a “pause and reset” strategy when a child’s difficult behavior triggers a parent’s stress response. By learning to notice their own physiological and emotional reactions—such as slamming doors, feeling overwhelmed, or becoming outwardly upset—parents can better understand what “pushes their buttons” and consciously slow down their responses to foster a calmer environment.

Sinha emphasized that addressing this parental stress is foundational. Data indicate that elevated parent stress predicts lower positive parenting and poorer nutritional choices. Offering advice solely on nutrition and physical activity without addressing the parent’s mental and emotional bandwidth may inadvertently overwhelm families and worsen health outcomes.

Mariana Bueno, PhD, RN, highlights sucrose for newborn pain relief

In neonatal care, implementing sucrose as a formal medication rather than a routine comfort measure requires strict adherence to evidence-based dosing and timing protocols. According to Mariana Bueno, PhD, RN, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, clinical practice guidelines identify 24% sucrose as the safest and most indicated concentration.

While research has investigated concentrations ranging from 10% to 50%, the 24% solution remains the clinical standard for efficacy and safety. Dosing protocols should prioritize small volumes, as amounts as low as 0.1 mL to 0.5 mL are sufficient to provide significant analgesic effects for common painful procedures such as heel punctures or intramuscular injections. Using these minimal amounts allows clinicians the flexibility to administer additional “rescue doses” or drops if the infant continues to show signs of agitation or pain during the procedure.

The timing of administration is equally critical; sucrose must be administered approximately 2 minutes before the start of a procedure. This lead time is necessary because it takes roughly 2 minutes for the sucrose to stimulate the endogenous opioid system and produce the desired analgesic effect.

Deepak Saxena, MS, PhD, highlights a distinct microbiome of Crohn disease

In a discussion with Contemporary Pediatrics, Deepak Saxena, MS, PhD, a professor at New York University, explores the evolving role of fecal microbiome profiling as a diagnostic and monitoring tool for pediatric Crohn disease (CD).

While the field is progressing rapidly, identifying the exact moment when microbial imbalances begin remains a challenge due to a lack of longitudinal studies following high-risk cohorts before symptom onset. Currently, most data come from patients who are already diagnosed, making it difficult to pinpoint the earliest reliable age of detection.

Saxena explains that the gut microbiome shifts from a healthy state to a “dysbiotic” one when exposed to environmental toxins, physical trauma, or pathophysiological changes. His research highlights a significant reduction in microbial diversity among pediatric CD patients compared with healthy, treatment-naïve populations.

Ayşe Betül Bilen, PhD, notes metabolic and developmental risks of AI-generated diets

In a recent interview with Contemporary Pediatrics, Ayşe Betül Bilen, PhD, an assistant professor at İstanbul Atlas University, breaks down the findings of a new study evaluating the safety of artificial intelligence (AI)–generated diet plans for adolescents.

As teens increasingly turn to tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini for fitness and nutrition advice, the research reveals that these AI models consistently produce severely imbalanced, low-carbohydrate diets while underestimating daily energy needs by an average of 700 kilocalories. Bilen highlights the immediate developmental risks of these sustained deficits—including compromised bone density, stunted pubertal growth, and impaired cognitive function—and emphasizes the need for pediatricians and dietitians to proactively guide families toward evidence-based nutrition rather than relying on flawed, unsupervised AI recommendations.

Click here for the full article.

Rana Chehab, PhD, highlights how maternal glycemic control influences offspring obesity risk

In a recent interview with Contemporary Pediatrics, Rana Chehab, PhD, MPH, RD, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, discussed the impact of maternal glycemic regulation on childhood obesity risk.

Her study revealed a clear dose-response relationship: The risk of obesity in children increases significantly when maternal blood sugar control is delayed or never achieved following a gestational diabetes diagnosis. Conversely, children of mothers who managed their blood sugar promptly showed no higher risk of obesity compared with those whose mothers did not have gestational diabetes, identifying pregnancy as a “critical window” for long-term health intervention.