CLINICAL GUIDELINES

ADHD screening: Begin earlier, continue longer

Evaluations for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should begin in children at 4 years and continue until 18 years, which significantly expands the age range for recommended screening. Released at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, the clinical practice guidelines recommend behavioral interventions as the first-line treatment in preschool children. The guidelines also have some new suggestions related to methylphenidate treatment for children younger than 6 years. » More

NEW RESEARCH

Social phobia in teens not just extreme shyness

Social phobia is not just an extreme form of shyness in most teenagers, and it often requires referral and/or intervention from a pediatrician, according to recent research. In a recent study, 12% of teens who identified themselves as shy met the criteria for social phobia, and another 5% of those who did not consider themselves shy also met the diagnostic criteria. You may be surprised to discover how rare it is for adolescents with social phobia, even those with significant impairment, to receive treatment. » More

Survey

According to the latest Medical Group Management Association survey, there has been a slight drop in the cost of operating expenses and a slight rise in revenues for pediatric practices. Contemporary Pediatrics would like to know: How’s your bottom line?

Better than last year
Worse than last year
About the same as last year

Last month we asked if you have seen a rise in the incidence of STIs in your younger than 16-year-old patients. Here’s what you told us.

HEALTH LAW & POLICY

Teens’ alcohol risk predicted with 2 quick questions

What if you could accurately assess risk for alcohol-related problems with just 2 straightforward questions? Here’s a new government-sponsored tool, developed in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, that has been shown to have the greatest accuracy in predicting current or future alcohol issues in young people. » More

Pediatricians contribute to $6.7 billion annual cost of overtreatment

Instead of too little, too late, in terms of medical care, are your patients getting too much, too soon? Pediatricians and other primary care physicians overtreat patients at a cost of $6.7 billion a year. Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, attributed the costs to performing unnecessary tests or prescribing unneeded medications. Can you guess in what areas pediatricians most contributed to the problem? » More

NEW RESEARCH

Hypertension risk greatly increased for children in top 15% of BMI

Children in the 85th percentile for body mass index (BMI) are at greatly elevated risk for high blood pressure and require regular monitoring as well as possible interventions, according to a new American Heart Association study. The study of 1,111 healthy Indiana school children found that the adiposity effect on blood pressure was minimal until patients reached the overweight category, when it increased 4-fold. Find out why researchers believe the hormone leptin may play a role in the relationship between weight and blood pressure. » More

Autism risk increases with low birth weight

Knowledge of a child’s birth weight can be a valuable tool when determining whether to screen for autism spectrum disorder. Patients who weigh less than 2,000 g at birth are 5 times more likely to have autism than the general population. How much does the autism incidence increase with a history of very low birth weight (less than 1,500 g)? » More

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