Top Stories

• AAP finds school suspension, expulsion counterproductive
  Out-of-school suspension and expulsion are ineffective in improving student behavior, and such disciplinary measures do not address potential underlying problems, according to an AAP policy statement in Pediatrics. The group recommends that pediatricians screen children with behavioral problems at an early age and consult with a school nurse or counselor. Reuters (2/25)     

• Maternal alcoholism linked to increased SIDS risk
  Babies born to mothers who were diagnosed with an alcohol-use disorder while pregnant or during the baby's first year were at least seven times more likely to die from sudden infant death syndrome than those born to nonalcoholic mothers, Australian researchers found. They reported in the journal Pediatrics that babies of alcoholic mothers were also at greater risk of dying from causes other than SIDS. DailyRx.com (2/24)     

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3D echocardiography improves pediatric outcomes Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, under the leadership of Girish Shirali, MBBS, is spearheading the use of live 3D echocardiography to advance understanding of pediatric heart structures. Three-dimensional echocardiography produces images that more closely correlate to real life, and Dr. Shirali intends to push the technology in new directions. Read more.

Pediatric Health Care

• Timing of weight faltering during infancy affects later growth
  Children with weight faltering before age 2 months started gaining weight more quickly from 2 months old until 2 years old and then gained at about the same rate as typically developing children. Infants who fell behind in weight between 2 and 9 months old steadily gained weight throughout childhood and caught up to their typically developing peers between 7 and 10 years old, according to the study in Pediatrics. DailyRx.com (2/24)     

• Children with food allergies have lower BMIs, study says
  Food-allergic children were smaller than healthy children and those with two other conditions known to impair growth, U.S. researchers said. Children with more than two food allergies were found to have a lower body mass index compared with those with one or two food allergies. The study was to be presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology meeting. U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News (2/24)

• Natalizumab is effective for treating pediatric multiple sclerosis
  Austrian researchers reviewed the efficacy of natalizumab in 20 pediatric multiple sclerosis patients and found that the drug led to reduced relapse activity, recovery lesions and Expanded Disability Status Scale scores. However, the study in JAMA Neurology showed that the medication was linked to adverse reactions such as headaches, asthenia, infections and hypersensitivity. PhysiciansBriefing.com/HealthDay News (2/22)     

• Study: Girls' genes makes them less vulnerable to autism
  Girls may have a "genetic advantage" that makes it five times less likely they will develop autism than boys, according to a recent study. Researchers at Harvard University Medical School looked at 10,000 sets of fraternal twins from Sweden and the United Kingdom and found that girls who developed the disorder came from families with more genetic risk factors than many boys with autism. Researchers suggest more studies examining autism in girls may lead to a better understanding of the condition. Disability Scoop (2/21)     

Trends & Technology

• Mo. tanning salons may misinform consumers on health risks
  U.S. researchers surveyed operators at 243 indoor tanning facilities in Missouri and found that almost two-thirds of them said they accept customers as young as 10 or 12 years old, sometimes without consent from their parents. Of all the respondents, 43% said there were no health risks linked to indoor tanning, while 80% said that tanning could help avoid sunburns later in life. The findings appear in the journal Pediatrics. Reuters (2/25)     

• E-prescribing curbs drug errors, but adoption remains modest
  Electronic prescribing in U.S. hospitals helped prevent 17.4 million drug mistakes in one year, and wider adoption of the practice could eliminate more than 50 million errors annually, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. However, e-prescribing adoption remains modest despite its apparent efficacy, researchers said. HealthDay News (2/21)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AAP SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• FDA: Codeine use after tonsillectomy can be fatal to children (The Wall Street Journal)

• Switching to positive TV programs may improve child behavior (USA Today)

• Stricter diagnostic criteria may reduce ear infection recurrence (DailyRx.com)

• Medical device use in NICUs linked to higher BPA levels (DoctorsLounge.com)

• AAP guidelines address gene tests for children (PhysiciansBriefing.com)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Health Policy & Regulations

• 25 states to evaluate Medicaid savings, quality models
  HHS said Thursday it will fund programs in 25 states that evaluate new approaches to curbing medical costs and improving heath care quality in Medicaid. Arkansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon and Vermont were the first states to receive State Innovation Model support. Healthcare IT News (2/21), Reuters (2/21)     

The Last Word - News from the AAP

• The Pediatrician and Substance Use
  Boston, Mass.
  April 26 to 28
  This AAP-sponsored conference brings together experts in the fields of general pediatrics, adolescent medicine, developmental medicine and addiction to discuss the developmental, behavioral and medical aspects of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs use, and provide a comprehensive approach to addressing substance use in the primary care setting. Register by March 15 for early-bird rates.     

• Best immunization practices
  The Childhood Immunization Support Program gathers and compiles quality improvement and best immunization practices to share with other pediatricians. We have developed a new set of questions and would like to hear from your practice. Visit the AAP website to submit ideas on cost-effective and sustainable immunization practices, based on the National Vaccine Advisory Committee standards.     

SmartQuote

It is wonderful how much news there is when people write every other day; if they wait for a month, there is nothing that seems worth telling." --Anna Masterton Buchan, Scottish writer