Debora Porter

To determine the frequency, type, and severity of adverse events during intra-hospital transport of newborn infants, and to identify associated factors. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00859-3/fulltext?rss=yes

To examine the degree to which neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation influences youth assault injury risk. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00858-1/fulltext?rss=yes

  Aside from the few rabid “adults” who have childishly decided that protecting their notion of personal freedom is more important than protecting their own lives and livelihoods (not to mention, by the way, the lives and livelihoods of everyone around them) from a punishing global pandemic by getting vaccinated and wearing masks in schools, many parents have been anxiously asking pediatricians when a COVID vaccine will be available to kids younger than 12 years old. Kaiser Family Foundation  predicts a mid-winter delivery date: There are approximately 48 million children under the age of 12 in the United States. This group is not yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, though it is widely expected that a vaccine will be authorized for at least some children by the end of the year (clinical trials are currently underway among children between the ages of 6 months and 11 years old).   Some parents have reportedly insisted that their not-yet-eligi...

To evaluate associations of race/ethnicity and social determinants with 90-day rehospitalization for mental health conditions to acute care non-psychiatric children’s hospitals. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00863-5/fulltext?rss=yes

To identify self-reported pain scores that best represent categories of no pain, mild, moderate, and severe pain in children, and a pain score that accurately represents a child’s perceived need for medication (PNM), i.e. a minimum pain score at which a child would want an analgesic. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00856-8/fulltext?rss=yes

  180,175 American children were diagnosed with COVID-19 last week — a 48% increase from the week before, and a 2,000% rise since late June when only 8,500 cases were reported. In their weekly COVID report, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association found the number of positive tests in the pediatric age group approaching the highest number — 211,466 — recorded in mid-January 2021. Mark Wietecha reports that children’s hospitals are reaching their breaking points, and not just in states with low vaccination rates: Reports of crowding are similar from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Denver and Miami. Many children’s hospital intensive care units are at or near capacity, with kids waiting in emergency departments because there aren’t enough beds to admit them or enough hospital staff to safely care for them. In the previous month, the numbers of new COVID-19 cases in children and youth have more than quadrupled – from 39,000 per week to...

NBS programs for Phenylketonuria (PKU; OMIM 261600) have been successfully implemented in many countries for over 50 years, however, globally there are still countries without NBS or with an ineffective NBS program (1, 2). Consequently, late diagnosis of PKU still occurs in countries with no NBS programs or without national coverage (3, 4). Immigrants or refugees from countries without NBS or recently implemented NBS programs are at risk for missed diagnoses (4-6). In addition to the lack of national NBS programs, technical issues like false-negative results (5, 7, 8), failures in follow-up procedures (8-10) and cultural circumstances (11) are reported reasons for late diagnosis or delayed treatment of PKU. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00855-6/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate practice variation in pharmacological management in the International Kawasaki Disease Registry (IKDR). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00857-X/fulltext?rss=yes

For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston ( GoComics.com )           source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/08/29/sunday-funnies-469/

Uncover Antarctica from Tall Story Films on Vimeo: National Geographic photographer Michaela Skovranova uncovers the beauty of Antarctica and inspires the everyday photographer using the Oppo Find X2 Pro.     source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/08/28/cool-video-of-the-week-469/

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on August 27, 2020.   Virtual Eye Strain     One of the things that has made living through a global pandemic a little easier and more productive is being able to communicate with others — family, friends, colleagues — electronically. For those who are still able to work remotely, web conferencing apps are highly effective for the most part, though your mileage may vary depending on your technological abilities (remember, unmute your mic before speaking) and Internet connectivity and speed. All of us, and especially our kids, rely on electronic media — computers, tablets, smartphones — to get our work done and stay entertained at a time when there is hardly anywhere to go. (Going outside for some exercise every day is safe but not much fun for a lot of people.) Too much screen time can cause eye strain. Writing for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Daniel Porter explains why: The reason we get digital eye s...

To provide national-level antibiotic use data from Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to inform future antimicrobial stewardship using a large contemporary cohort of preterm infants in China. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00852-0/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate the odds of a behavioral health diagnosis among youth with a difference of sex development (DSD) or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) compared with matched controls in the PEDSnet database. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00851-9/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate changes in electronic screen-based media use in 3- to 7-year-old children across six countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00853-2/fulltext?rss=yes

To detect risk factors of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) development in patients with Kawasaki disease determined to have a low risk for resistance to primary IVIG treatment based on Kobayashi score. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00850-7/fulltext?rss=yes

To assess the burden of invasive infection following surgery (surgery-associated infections, SAI) among extremely premature infants. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00849-0/fulltext?rss=yes

  Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg joined fellow youth climate leaders from Mexico, Bangladesh, and Kenya in writing a scathing op-ed in the New York Times last week following the release of a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( The PediaBlog covered that on Tuesday ): Last week, some of the world’s leading climate change scientists confirmed that humans are making irreversible changes to our planet and extreme weather will only become more severe. This news is a “code red for humanity,” said the United Nations secretary general. It is — but young people like us have been sounding this alarm for years. You just haven’t listened.   Climate change is a pediatric health crisis, according to Harvard’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment and likely every pediatrician on the planet: No pediatrician will doubt the importance of adequate food, clean air and water, and freedom from disease to the health of a child. In f...

To evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of autoantibodies in children with overweight and obesity with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in comparison with those with autoimmune liver disease (ALD). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00826-X/fulltext?rss=yes

To characterize the neuropsychological outcome of children with CHD at age 5; the stability of cognitive and language abilities across childhood; and to identify early neurodevelopmental markers of neuropsychological outcomes in these children. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00827-1/fulltext?rss=yes

Shortly after the contours of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent in early 2020, specific measures to reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 were implemented. By mid- to late- March, 2020, recommendations for masking, social distancing and school closures were in place in many areas, with other regions adopting these precautions later . By June 2020, it had been recognized that these measures appeared to be impacting the transmission of other infectious agents of childhood, especially those spread by the respiratory route. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00854-4/fulltext?rss=yes

To compare the term equivalent) brain MRI findings between erythropoietin (Epo) treated and placebo control groups in infants 24-0/7 to 27-6/7 weeks’ gestational age (GA) and to assess the associations between MRI findings and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years corrected age (CA). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00825-8/fulltext?rss=yes

To investigate the trend of 1-year mortality and neonatal morbidities in preterm infants with serious congenital heart disease (CHD). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00824-6/fulltext?rss=yes

    By Brian W. Donnelly, M.D., I.B.C.L.C. AHN Pediatrics — Pediatric Alliance Northland       Since 2011, August has been designated as National Breastfeeding Month. And for the last 9 years, the last week of August has been designated as Black Breastfeeding Week. From the Black Breastfeeding Week website : “Black breastfeeding advocacy groups work tirelessly to reduce racial disparities in breastfeeding rates, to normalize Black breastfeeding, to combat negative stereotypes surrounding Black breastfeeding, to celebrate the joys of Black breastfeeding, and to elevate the voices of Black breastfeeding champions within the community.” . Breastfeeding is associated with reduced risk for various infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, sudden infant death syndrome, type 1 diabetes, and obesity among infants, and with reduced risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer among mothers. Because Black pop...

To characterize respiratory function monitor (RFM) measurements of sustained inflations and intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) delivered non-invasively to infants in the Sustained Aeration of Infant Lungs (SAIL) trial and to compare vital sign measurements between treatment arms. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00823-4/fulltext?rss=yes

Viruses are a ubiquitous part of childhood, and though commonly mild, there is a more perilous side to common childhood viral infections. Childhood “viral syndromes” may begin with fever, cough, and rash; however, by poorly understood mechanisms, the generally mild viral infection can progress to cause severe neurologic complications. Important endemic respiratory infections - respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza occur each fall and winter. These two viruses cause significant respiratory morbidity and are leading causes of hospitalization for respiratory failure in pediatric hospitals each year123. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00822-2/fulltext?rss=yes

To assess pediatricians’ mumps knowledge and testing practices, to identify physician and practice characteristics associated with mumps testing practices, and to assess reporting and outbreak response knowledge and practices. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00821-0/fulltext?rss=yes

To compare the effectiveness of a 4-week precision vestibular rehabilitation intervention compared with a behavioral management control intervention for adolescents with vestibular symptoms/impairment within 21 days of a concussion. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00793-9/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate structural and functional carotid changes and inflammatory profiles in children with OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and healthy controls. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00792-7/fulltext?rss=yes

To characterize respiratory function monitor (RFM) measurements of sustained inflations and intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) delivered non-invasively to infants in the Sustained Aeration of Infant Lungs (SAIL) trial and to compare vital sign measurements between treatment arms. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00823-4/fulltext?rss=yes

To assess pediatricians’ mumps knowledge and testing practices, to identify physician and practice characteristics associated with mumps testing practices, and to assess reporting and outbreak response knowledge and practices. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00821-0/fulltext?rss=yes

Viruses are a ubiquitous part of childhood, and though commonly mild, there is a more perilous side to common childhood viral infections. Childhood “viral syndromes” may begin with fever, cough, and rash; however, by poorly understood mechanisms, the generally mild viral infection can progress to cause severe neurologic complications. Important endemic respiratory infections - respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza occur each fall and winter. These two viruses cause significant respiratory morbidity and are leading causes of hospitalization for respiratory failure in pediatric hospitals each year123. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00822-2/fulltext?rss=yes

“Skies turned hazy from Pittsburgh to Washington to Boston, as smoke from fires in Canada poured into the U.S. Northeast.” — NASA EarthObservatory — July 21, 2021 ___________________________   If you are an avid watcher of TV news or regularly read a daily newspaper, you still may have missed the headlines describing the dangerous future our children and grandchildren are inheriting … from us: The U.N.’s dire climate report confirms: We’re out of time.  — Washington Post, 8/10/21   Eugene Robinson pulled his attention away from the other headlines distracting us at this crucial moment — an assortment of disappointments and debacles here and there — to convey some very bad news: We’re out of time. It’s as simple as that. If the world immediately takes bold, coordinated action to curb climate change, we face a future of punishing heat waves, deadly wildfires and devastating floods — and that’s the optimistic scenario, according to an alarming new U.N. ...

To compare the effectiveness of a 4-week precision vestibular rehabilitation intervention compared with a behavioral management control intervention for adolescents with vestibular symptoms/impairment within 21 days of a concussion. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00793-9/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate structural and functional carotid changes and inflammatory profiles in children with OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) and healthy controls. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00792-7/fulltext?rss=yes

To investigate treatment modalities for children with extremity indwelling catheter (EIC)- or cardiac catheter-related arterial thrombosis. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00820-9/fulltext?rss=yes

Sleep is of utmost importance for the adequate growth, physical and cognitive development, and health of children. The field of pediatric sleep medicine, which is not a component of many residency training curricula, has grown significantly in recent years with newly described disorders, updated diagnostic methods, and new treatment options. Sleep transcends all disciplines; hence, having a fundamental awareness of suboptimal sleep in a child is paramount for the general pediatrician, and also any subspecialist. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00791-5/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate long-term survival in patients with Turner Syndrome after congenital heart surgery with a focus on left heart obstructive lesions (LHOLs). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00819-2/fulltext?rss=yes

  It’s back to school week! Understood ’s 4-week plan to start the year right began last week to help prepare students for the first day of school, especially young ones feeling a little anxious about returning to new routines and new faces in the classroom instead of on the Zoom screen. This week starts out with organizing and packing up supplies “to avoid last-minute scrambling” and “getting an outfit ready that your child feels good about.” Week 2 (school starts) Monday:  Send your child off with a confidence boost: “You’ve done a great job getting ready to start the year. I can’t wait to hear about your day.” Tuesday:   Rehearse things your child can say when other kids or teachers ask how summer break was. Wednesday:   If your child will be switching classrooms, take some of the stress off. Assure your child that most teachers will understand being a couple minutes late for a few days. Thursday:  Take a breather and just let your child get used t...

To capture the early effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on pediatric clinical research. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00789-7/fulltext?rss=yes

Luann by Greg Evans ( GoComics.com )           source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/08/22/sunday-funnies-468/

Dust & Dirt from Chris Stanford on Vimeo: Mason Massey dreams of one day making it to the top level of racing but with a lack of big money sponsorship he knows that it is going to be a long, hard road.     source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/08/21/cool-video-of-the-week-468/

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00790-3/fulltext?rss=yes

This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on August 20, 2019.   Tip Of The Iceberg     The nervous energy is starting to build up as children get ready to return to school after what was hopefully a fun and relaxing summer. To be a little anxious before the first day of school should be expected. Sometimes this nervousness is readily apparent to observant parents and teachers, and kids can be reassured until the daily routines of school are re-established and the acute stress fades away. For other children who are feeling nervous, the anxiety may just be the tip of the iceberg, with the underlying emotions they really feel but have a hard time expressing hidden from view. Renee Jain says the tip of that iceberg itself may be lurking below the surface as well, deepening the mystery behind the despair: [T]here’s a huge assumption that parents can actually recognize that tip of the iceberg or look at a child’s behavior and say, “Yup, that’s anxiety.” Here’s t...

An 6-month-old female, born at 27 weeks gestational age presented with sharply demarcated, eczematous, pinkish-orange, hyperkeratotic papules and plaques in a U-shaped distribution, extending from her cheeks to her chin and notably sparing the lips. Sharply demarcated, symmetrical, beefy red, shallow erosions – “scald-like” in appearance – were noted peri-anally and acrally. Eyebrow hair was sparse, and fingernails were slightly ridged and soft. Mouth, tongue, and muscle tone were normal. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)00781-2/fulltext?rss=yes

Less than a week to go until schools open in southwestern Pennsylvania and pediatricians are busy dispelling disinformation repeated by adults who oppose universal masking in schools. Pediatric lung doctors Kimberly W. Dickinson, M.D and Theresa W. Guilbert M.D.  debunk the following myths about kids wearing masks with a simple “No.” Can wearing a mask make it harder for my child to breathe? [M]asks are made from breathable materials that will not block the oxygen your child needs. Masks will not affect your child’s ability to focus or learn in school. The vast majority of children age 2 or older can safely wear face masks for extended periods of time, such as the school day or at child care. This includes children with many medical conditions. Can masks interfere with a child’s lung development? No, wearing a face mask will not affect your child’s lungs from developing normally. This is because oxygen flows through and around the mask, while blocking the spray of spit and r...