Jan 30th, 2023 - Heavy binge drinking isn't just a college problem, researchers affirmed, finding that most teen alcohol use that escalated to having 10 or more drinks in a row reached that level rapidly during the high school years. Among a sample of youth who reported drinking in the prior 30 days when surveyed in the 12th grade and who said they engaged in high-intensity drinking (HID, 10 or more in a row) w...

Jan 30th, 2023 - Children with a concussion may no longer have to sit quietly in a dark room for days. New research suggests that prolonged absence from school and other activities may hinder recovery from a concussion. Returning to school earlier than previously recommended may be associated with lower symptom burden, leading to a faster recovery, according to an published online in JAMA Network Open. The anal...

Jan 26th, 2023 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approval of Odactra® to include treatment of house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic rhinitis in patients 12 to 17 years of age. Odactra is an allergen extract indicated as immunotherapy for the treatment of HDM-induced allergic rhinitis, with or without conjunctivitis, confirmed by positive in vitro testing for IgE antibodies to Dermatopha...

Jan 24th, 2023 - The FDA on Tuesday unveiled recommended limits on lead levels in processed baby foods including fruits and vegetables, dry cereals, and yogurts, among others, with the potential for adverse neurodevelopmental effects cited as a particular concern. In draft guidance for manufacturers of processed foods consumed by kids under 2 years of age, the agency stated that the action levels are intended t...

Jan 24th, 2023 - In this video, Amanda Calhoun, MD, MPH, of the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut, discusses the new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity. The following is a transcript of her remarks: Essentially, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a series of guidelines that are meant ...

Jan 23rd, 2023 - Hospitalized adolescents have "unique and essential needs" that differ from those of younger pediatric inpatients, and it is critical that care teams have "knowledge, experience, and compassion" when it comes to addressing these specific needs, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said in a new policy statement. This statement marks the first of its kind published in the U.S., noted Cora Br...

Jan 23rd, 2023 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for nirsevimab for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract disease in newborns and infants entering or during their first RSV season, and for children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second RSV season. Nirsevi...

Jan 23rd, 2023 - Note that some links may require subscriptions. The Department of Justice has begun a criminal investigation of Abbott Laboratories, the company responsible for the nation's continuing infant formula shortage. (Politico) Biosecurity experts advising the NIH issued a draft report calling for greater government oversight of studies on dangerous pathogens. (Washington Post) Spread of the Omicron s...

Jan 19th, 2023 - HealthDay News — Emergency departments with high pediatric readiness have lower short-term and long-term mortality among children, according to a study published online in JAMA Network Open. Craig D. Newgard, MD, from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues assessed associations between high pediatric readiness and in-hospital mortality and 1-year mortality among inju...

Jan 19th, 2023 - An adolescent transition package designed to improve the transition to independent care among adolescents and younger adults with HIV infection resulted in overall higher scores in transition readiness, HIV literacy, and self-management assessments, according to study findings published in the Lancet HIV. Researchers conducted a multicenter, cluster randomized clinical trial, enrolling particip...

Jan 18th, 2023 - HealthDay News — Children’s asthma appears to be increasing in states that have legalized cannabis, according to a study published online in Preventive Medicine. Renee D. Goodwin, PhD, from the City University of New York in New York City, and colleagues examined the relationship between cannabis legalization for medical or recreational use and the state-level prevalence of asthma among childre...

Jan 17th, 2023 - A new prognostic model for identification of term-born neonates at increased risk for cerebral palsy (CP) may have brought better outcomes through early intervention one step closer. The model, based on 12 clinical variables, improved the prediction of CP in infants compared with clinical presentation of encephalopathy, Mary Dunbar, MD, of the University of Calgary in Alberta, and colleagues re...

Jan 13th, 2023 - HealthDay News — In a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published online in Pediatrics, key action statements and consensus recommendations are presented for the evaluation and treatment of children with overweight and obesity. Sarah E. Hampl, MD, from the Children’s Mercy Kansas City Center for Children’s Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition at the Universi...

Jan 11th, 2023 - Once-weekly treatment with semaglutide 2.4 mg in adolescents with obesity, along with lifestyle intervention, is associated with a substantial reduction in body mass index (BMI) compared with the use of lifestyle intervention alone, according to study findings that were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Investigators conducted the STEP TEENS trial (Semaglutide Treatment Effect i...

Jan 10th, 2023 - While there was no association between prenatal exposure to acid-suppressive medications and allergic diseases in kids, infant exposure was linked to a higher risk of developing asthma, a South Korean nationwide cohort study showed. Among over 84,000 pairs of infants exposed and unexposed to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine 2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), the propensity score-matched...

Jan 9th, 2023 - In contrast to previous recommendations, pediatricians and other pediatric healthcare providers are advised to provide "immediate, intensive obesity treatment to each patient" as soon as they receive a diagnosis, according to new guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The guidance, published in Pediatrics, marks the AAP's first clinical practice guideline outlining evidence-bas...

Jan 4th, 2023 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Wegovy® (semaglutide injection) as an adjunct to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management in pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with an initial body mass index (BMI) at the 95th percentile or greater for age and sex (obesity). Wegovy contains semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) rec...

Jan 3rd, 2023 - Habitually checking social media may be associated with changes in the brain's sensitivity to social rewards and punishments in preteens, according to an imaging-based study. Young adolescents who checked in to Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat at least 15 times per day also showed distinct longitudinal changes in their functional brain development, reported Eva H. Telzer, PhD, of the University...

Jan 3rd, 2023 - A positive relationship may exist between pediatric psoriasis and the onset of depression and anxiety, and evidence suggests the causal relationship may go both ways. It is unknown how early comorbid psychiatric trends begin in patients with pediatric psoriasis. These are among the review findings published in Pediatric Dermatology. An association between psoriasis and the onset of mood disorde...

Dec 29th, 2022 - The FDA approved injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) for people with obesity ages 12 and up, maker Novo Nordisk announced. When paired with diet and exercise, it's now indicated for use in adolescents with an initial BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex based on CDC growth charts. This new indication for the GLP-1 receptor agonist marks the first anti-obesity medicine for teen...