All articles tagged with #pediatrics
A 34-year Australian study finds that higher cardiorespiratory fitness in childhood is associated with a 15-20% lower risk of depression in adulthood, with stronger effects observed in women.
Oliver Broner, now 15, spent over a decade seeking answers for his movement disorders after early developmental delays and a misdiagnosis of cerebral palsy. A rare mutation in the DNM1L gene, initially dismissed as insignificant, was eventually confirmed as the cause through genetic research and fruit fly studies. The condition, affecting only 58 known cases worldwide, is now being managed with medication that has significantly improved his mobility and quality of life.
A Japanese study of 113 preschoolers found that higher spontaneous eye-blink rates correlate with better performance on cognitive flexibility tasks and increased activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Researchers suggest blink rate could serve as a simple, non-invasive marker for tracking executive function development in children aged 3 to 6.
A UK case report describes a mid-childhood boy who developed erythema ab igne ('toasted skin') after prolonged laptop use—sitting with a warm laptop on his abdomen up to eight hours daily, often while charging; the heat caused a lace-like reddish-brown rash that resolved after removing the heat source.
A Lakeville, Mass., clinic described as a 'practice of last resort' welcomes families skeptical about vaccines, aiming to address concerns through conversation rather than mandates, reflecting the rise of vaccine hesitancy and the survival challenges faced by independent pediatric practices amid distrust in science.
Vaccination rates for young children are declining nationwide, measles outbreaks are rising, and pediatricians warn that dropping immunization levels threaten herd immunity and could cause long-term health problems for kids unless public trust is rebuilt and catch-up immunizations are accelerated.
As kindergarten vaccination rates dip below herd-immunity thresholds in parts of the United States, doctors warn that measles and other preventable illnesses could rise, with long-term health, equity, and trust implications for communities.
In Massachusetts, Middleboro Pediatrics uses extended “meet-and-greet” conversations with vaccine-hesitant families to understand concerns, explain risks and benefits of vaccines, and build trust rather than dismiss patients. The approach acknowledges local variation in uptake and the broader political and public-health shifts affecting how doctors discuss immunization, aiming to keep families engaged and informed rather than expelled from care.
A 15-year-old with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) suffered from severe vomiting that led to dangerous vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency and signs of Wernicke encephalopathy, a brain disorder usually associated with alcohol misuse. After rapid thiamine treatment, his neurological symptoms improved and he recovered enough to be discharged; he later stopped using cannabis. The case, one of the earliest pediatric CHS-linked instances of this brain condition, underscores the risk of nutritional deficits in CHS and suggests clinicians consider empiric thiamine supplementation in teens with prolonged CHS and new neurologic findings, even if MRI is inconclusive.
Back-to-school season is bringing a surge in four illnesses—gastrointestinal bugs, hand-foot-mouth disease, strep throat, and mono—according to a Northwestern Medicine pediatrician, with spread driven by close contact in classrooms; she emphasizes strict hygiene, changing older kids’ clothes after school, and keeping feverish children home, plus guidance on when it’s okay to return. The doctor also urges flu vaccination by Halloween, noting last season’s severe pediatric flu toll and that vaccines help reduce severity and illness even when not a perfect match.
An 8-year-old girl in Ruston, Louisiana died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba likely acquired during a Lake Claiborne swim; the infection affects the nose and can cause fatal brain inflammation, with about 97% mortality; Louisiana has had three prior Naegleria fowleri deaths since 2011.
A growing number of families are turning to pediatric GLP-1 therapies such as Wegovy and Zepbound to treat obesity and related health problems in children, hoping to jump‑start healthier habits and prevent long‑term disease. While clinicians say there can be real medical benefits beyond weight loss, experts caution about unknown long‑term effects on development, potential puberty impacts, access barriers, and social stigma; use remains relatively rare but is expanding in pediatric care.
A five-year-old in South Tampa, Laine Nipper, suffers severe brain inflammation from an autoimmune encephalitis caused by MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). After emergency surgery and a prolonged hospital stay, she enters months of intensive rehabilitation across locations, backed by a community that launched and sustained a “Pray for Laine” campaign with signs, fundraisers, and billboard support. Through music, speech, and other therapies—and with an eye-tracking device to aid communication—Laine shows progress while doctors manage ongoing IVIG treatments and the unpredictable trajectory of her recovery. The family remains hopeful, cherishing small milestones as they navigate an uncertain but determined road ahead.
A Finnish eight-year PANIC study followed about 260 children and found that more childhood screen time was associated with better cognitive processing in adolescence, especially when screen use involved learning or problem-solving. Gender differences emerged: girls benefited from light activity, boys from guided activity, while unsupervised activity showed an unexpected pattern and device-based activity measurements sometimes diverged from self-reports. The study shows associations, not causation, and more research is needed to determine cause and effect and sex-specific effects.
A 5-year-old on a family vacation in Oregon developed a stomachache and vomiting that rapidly escalated to a life-threatening case of Clarkson’s disease (systemic capillary leak syndrome). The rare diagnosis, typically seen in adults and with few pediatric cases, caused plasma leakage, edema, and distributive shock, leading to the child’s death after extensive life-support efforts. The case underscores how difficult it is to diagnose this condition in children and that there is no established cure, with fundraising supporting the family.