American Academy of Pediatrics, Sept. 26-30

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics was held this year from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver and attracted participants from around the world, including primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, and other health care professionals. The conference featured scientific sessions that focused on the latest advances in the care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.In one study, Angeli Sirilan, a medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix, and colleagues found that abortion-related videos on TikTok stand out as a notable source of misinformation and provide unsafe guidance, despite most sexual health information on TikTok being accurate.The authors established a TikTok account representing a 15-year-old and evaluated the top 10 videos that appeared using keywords associated with sexual and reproductive health. The researchers found that more than half of the videos were produced by health care professionals (58 percent) and were generally accurate (71.5 percent). Abortion-related content, however, had significantly higher rates of inaccuracy and unsafe recommendations (25 percent) compared with all other reproductive health topics, including pregnancy, urinary tract infections, and condom use (4.3 percent). Only abortion and HIV/sexually transmitted infection categories promoted unsafe behaviors."This highlights a critical gap in digital sexual health education and the need for targeted interventions," Sirilan said. "Clinicians should proactively ask adolescents where they get sexual health information and provide trustworthy resources to counteract online misinformation."Press ReleaseIn another study, Hadi Berbari, M.D., of Cincinnati Children's, and colleagues found that the number of planned out-of-hospital births has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic, with a shift seen toward younger, more highly educated mothers.The authors assessed out-of-hospital births locally and found that planned out-of-hospital births increased from 1.5 to 3.0 percent of total births after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant changes to the maternal sociodemographic and risk profiles were seen in the post-COVID-19 pandemic group.Mothers who opted for out-of-hospital births during this time were younger and more highly educated than their prepandemic counterparts. In addition, greater racial diversity was seen post-COVID-19 pandemic, with significant increases in Black and Asian mothers choosing home deliveries compared with those seen pre-COVID-19. Furthermore, mothers delivering out-of-hospital post-COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to have an elevated body mass index (BMI), a prior cesarean section, and fewer prenatal visits; they were also more likely to be first-time mothers. It should be noted there were significant amounts of missing maternal and neonatal sociodemographic data in the out-of-hospital group across both time periods. The analysis is ongoing; researchers will compare neonatal outcomes of out-of-hospital births to matched in-hospital births."With more families choosing to give birth outside of the hospital -- whether at home or in a birthing center -- it is important to know how this choice might affect newborn health," Berbari said. "This data is a tool to help future parents make informed decisions about what is best for their individual situation and can serve as a reminder to have a plan in place if medical care becomes necessary."Press ReleaseHannah Chiu, an M.D./M.P.H. candidate at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, and colleagues found that a program focusing on information for managing periods can help better prepare young adults for dealing with changes during menstruation.Chiu founded Period Prepared, an organization dedicated to providing applicable menstrual education to students in grades 3 to 12. The curriculum is informed by parents, educators, and pediatricians. Each lesson has a skill-building activity, including crafts, role-playing, and engaging materials.Preliminary evidence suggests this program was well received by educators, parents, and youth. Students remained actively engaged and asked questions openly despite initial expectations they may shy away due to the taboo nature of menstruation. Facilitators found that small-group sessions (<10 students) with similar-aged menstruators were most effective in fostering conversations compared with larger groups that spanned greater than four grade levels. Notably, premenstruators (ages 8 to 10 years) showed enthusiasm for more advanced topics, reinforcing the idea that preparedness fosters confidence."My experiences developing the curriculum and teaching them to over 100 students allowed me to witness the enthusiasm and curiosity of young people in our community to learn about their own health," Chiu said. "This should encourage clinicians to speak to their patients about these topics early on, rather than feeling like their patients are "too young" for it to be relevant. As students turn to social media and other avenues to get their questions answered, it's valuable as patient providers to understand their health perceptions and take an active approach to debunking myths and reinforcing positive health practices."Press ReleaseZane Hellman, M.D., of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues identified smoking declines among the general population between 2017 and 2023, including pregnant women, along with a corresponding decline in infants born with gastroschisis.The authors assessed live birth data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between 2017 and 2023 and observed a significant decline in the percent of mothers who reported smoking in the three months prior to gestation -- from 9.5 percent for babies born at the beginning of 2017 to around 4 percent for babies born at the end of 2023. There was also a decline seen in the rate of gastroschisis cases observed -- from 2.5 per 10,000 live births to about 1.5 per 10,000 live births during the study period.A significant relationship was seen between the report of any amount of pregestational smoking and the subsequent diagnosis of gastroschisis in the newborn, with those children born to mothers who reported no smoking being diagnosed at a rate of 1.75 per 10,000 births. This compared to 5.0 in 10,000 births for babies born to mothers who smoked in the three months prior to gestation, an almost threefold increase in the likelihood of gastroschisis. There was also an increasing likelihood of babies developing gastroschisis based on the volume of pregestational smoking reported by mothers, suggesting a potential dose response in the development of gastroschisis in response to smoking."The data suggest the following conclusions: First, as has previously been reported, there is a significant link between smoking and fetal gastroschisis, demonstrated here at a national level. Second, the reduction in the national rate of gastroschisis may be partially due to significant reductions in smoking," Hellman said. "This research highlights how public health policies affecting the general populace, including adults, can indirectly benefit the lives of children now and in the future."Press ReleaseAAP: Routine Asthma Symptom Screening Improves Pediatric DiagnosesFRIDAY, Oct. 3, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Routine screening of children for asthma symptoms in a population with high prevalence can improve diagnoses, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver.Read Full TextAAP: One in Four Pediatric Firearm-Related Homicides Occurs at HomeTHURSDAY, Oct. 2, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly one-quarter of U.S. pediatric firearm-related homicides occurred at home in recent years, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in JAMA Surgery to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver.Read Full TextAAP: Pediatric Golf Cart-Related Injuries Mainly Caused by FallsTUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric/young adult golf cart-related injuries are mainly caused by falls from the golf cart, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver.Read Full TextAAP: TikTok 'Benadryl Challenge' Fueling Rise in Diphenhydramine-Related Adverse EventsMONDAY, Sept. 29, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Monthly reports of diphenhydramine-related adverse events were more common after April 2020, coinciding with introduction of the TikTok 'Benadryl challenge,' according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Sept. 26 to 30 in Denver.Read Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

American Academy of Pediatrics, Sept. 26-30

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