New initiative improves detection, evaluation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common pediatric neurobehavioral disorder with a prevalence of approximately 7%-10% in school-age children. ADHD significantly affects functioning throughout life including academic achievement, social and family relationships and occupational success, predisposing individuals to secondary psychopathology, substance use, justice system involvement and suicide. Fortunately, ADHD is treatable, most effectively with […]
Clinical Challenges: Managing Pediatric Crohn’s Disease
Pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD) is on the rise, with an estimated 40,000 U.S. children affected by this potentially growth-stunting condition. This increase is not an artifact of better detection. “Rather, it appears that Western diets, antibiotic exposure early in life, and dietary emulsifiers may contribute to disease pathogenesis,” said Jeffrey Hyams, MD, of Connecticut Children’s […]
Conservative Oxygenation Outperforms Liberal Targets for Critically Ill Kids
Conservative oxygenation targets in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) improved outcomes and reduced costs for ventilated patients, a randomized clinical trial found. The rank-based endpoint of duration of organ support or death before day 30 was significantly lower among children randomized to conservative oxygenation as opposed to liberal targets (probabilistic index 0.53, 95% CI […]
Opinion | Wondering Which Specialty to Choose? Consider This
Smith is a pediatric neurosurgeon. When young medical students consider their career trajectories, there are an incredible number of variables to consider: What are my passions? What kind of hours do I want to work? What specialties will help me pay down my student debt the fastest? I believe the strongest consideration ought to be […]
COVID Upended Bronchiolitis Admission Patterns in Kids
Pediatric bronchiolitis hospitalizations took a brief downturn during the pandemic before consistently rising thereafter, with seasonal patterns yet to return to normal, a nationwide study found. After admissions plummeted by 69.2% in the 2020-2021 season, the subsequent 2022-2023 season tracked at 75.3% above the pre-pandemic median. Patients who were ages 12 to 23 months saw […]
Amoxicillin Alone for Acute Sinusitis Holds Up Against Broad-Spectrum Cousin
Treatment failure with amoxicillin-clavulanate for pediatric acute sinusitis was similar compared with amoxicillin alone, but the broad-spectrum antibiotic may be associated with more adverse events, an examination of a large commercial claims database revealed. The two frequently prescribed antibiotics were similar in their risk for treatment failure (1.7% with amoxicillin-clavulanate vs 1.8% with amoxicillin; RR […]
FDA Advisors Grapple With Logistical, Ethical Issues of Artificial Womb Technology
While members of the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee (PAC) said much of the existing artificial womb technology (AWT) research is promising, they noted that the logistical and ethical concerns previously raised by the agency’s staff members are complicated. The committee did not vote during their 2-day meeting this week. Further discussion about first-in-human trials for […]
Pediatric Asthma Risk Score Robust Across Diverse Backgrounds
The Pediatric Asthma Risk Score (PARS) remained an effective tool for estimating asthma risk when used for patients of varying backgrounds, a study of 10 cohorts found. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) for the PARS assessment was 0.76 (95% CI 0.74-0.78), with AUC scores ranging from 0.61-0.83 across the cohorts, reported Gurjit […]
Opinion | Long COVID Persists as a Mass Disabling Event
Bonuck is a pediatric health researcher and a professor of family and social medicine. The latest CDC data on long COVID in U.S. adults and an alarming World Health Organization (WHO) statement about its long-term impact underscore the pandemic’s lingering and debilitating effects. Like the satirical film “Don’t Look Up,” in which scientists couldn’t focus […]
Opinion | To Fight the Gun Epidemic, Think Like a Parent
Prince is a pediatric surgeon. Each year, around Father’s Day, I find myself moved by two powerful memories, one involving my father, the other my sons, and both involving guns. The first memory is of my dad looking over me as I fired a .22 caliber rifle as a teenager for the first time. It […]