Contemporary Pediatrics Staff

To describe the typical longitudinal developmental trajectories of social and communication functioning and repetitive behavior in children with autism, investigators analyzed data from birth records and a database of the California Department of Developmental Services that recorded symptom severity and functioning in nearly 7,000 children aged from 2 to 14 years with autism.

A new study shows that infant weight gain may be associated with the way the milk is consumed, not only with the type of milk.

The US FDA has approved a combination vaccine for preventing invasive diseases caused by Hib and Neisseria meningitis serogroups C and Y in children aged 6 weeks to 18 months.

Children with autism spectrum disorder need greater access to the coordinated care available through a medical home, according to a systematic review of 13 studies that examined health care use, health care expenditures, and access to services by children with ASD.

Significant numbers of infants who survive meningitis caused by group B Streptococcus (GBS) suffer long-term adverse outcomes such as developmental delay, academic underachievement, neurologic impairment, blindness, hearing loss, and cerebral palsy, a new study reports. More >>

Exposure to antimicrobial agents commonly used in personal-care products may increase children’s risk of food and environmental allergies, a study of a large, nationally representative sample suggests. More >>

Teenagers may have a new and legitimate reason to sleep longer. New research shows that lack of weekday sleep during adolescence may be an important predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adulthood. More >>

Researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration reported that for US children aged 17 years and younger, outpatient prescriptions for birth control medications soared 93% and for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder 46% since 2002, although overall prescription drug use declined. What is behind these trends? More >>

Serum uric acid level may be a predictor of metabolic syndrome in adolescents, a new study reports. The findings offer clinicians another diagnostic tool for identifying children who are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Children aged as young as 7 years report that they have engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury, hurting themselves without the intent to die. Who is most at risk?

Increased intake of dietary fiber is associated with less visceral fat and lower levels of inflammatory markers in adolescents, a new study found. Getting adolescents to eat more fiber might also lower the long-term risks associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Negative results on newborn screening do not rule out classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and can delay the diagnosis, according to a new report. The study showed that over a 12-year period, 22% of babies diagnosed with CAH were not identified by newborn screening.

Auditors found that there is room for improvement in numerous areas of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccines for Children program. What areas failed to make the grade?

In children younger than 15 years, 2 to 3 computed tomography (CT) scans of the head might triple the risk of brain tumors; 5 to 10 of them might triple the risk of leukemia. New research tries to answer the ongoing question of whether radiation from diagnostic scans causes these pediatric cancers.

A pilot trial of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in children with autistic disorder has demonstrated reduced irritability with minimal adverse effects. Can NAC improve other symptoms as well?

Wearing progressive-addition lenses (PALs)—otherwise known as no-line bifocals—seems to slow the progression of nearsightedness in elementary school-aged children, but do they do so well enough to make progressive lenses the clinical standard for children with myopia?

Teenagers and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are more likely to relapse and less likely to survive than younger children with the disease, according to a preliminary study. What is responsible for the lower survival rates?

The prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes has increased substantially among American children over the past decade, new research says.

Findings of a new study suggest that the current schedule of acellular pertussis vaccination is not sufficient to prevent outbreaks of the disease. The rate of vaccine failure rose as the interval from the last dose increased. Should earlier or more frequent booster doses be recommended?

Some newborns are testing falsely positive for marijuana exposure, which can lead to erroneous allegations of child abuse, researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, report. What commonly used products can skew test results like this?

Assessing bone age should be a standard of care for children with Crohn disease, new research recommends. How would patients benefit?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new database of pediatric medications to assist health care professionals find information on medical products studied in children. How will this resource clarify the prescribing of medicines?

Research has shown that children aged 7 to 9 years who exercise daily can increase bone mass and bone size, but does increased activity place these children at heightened risk for bone fracture?

Friendships strongly influence physical activity levels among children even as young as 5 to 12 years, a new study reports. The findings may point to new ways of fighting obesity. More >>

Parents? smoking worsens urinary problems in kids

Investigators examined the effect of state and school-district policies on the prevalence of 2 separate physical activity opportunities - physical education and recess - in a nationally representative sample of US public schools.

The US Food and Drug Administration wants manufacturers of imaging devices to design new machines with protocols specifically for children and to add safety labels that warn against using the devices on children unless they are demonstrated to be safe for pediatric use.

Children whose mothers had low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy are more likely to have higher levels of body fat at 6 years, according to British research.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has commended the US Senate for passing the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act and calls on the US House of Representatives to quickly pass companion legislation.

A proposed revision to the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis of autism had critics charging that many patients with autism spectrum disorders would no longer quality for their diagnoses and would lose access to government services.