Mental Health

In a letter, AAP President Sara H. Goza, MD, FAAP, asked HHS for “immediate, direct financial relief payments” for pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists “to keep practices open, pay staff, and procure needed supplies.”

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics concurred with AAP guidelines that children aged younger than 18 months should not be exposed to screens, whereas screen time should be limited to an hour for those aged between 2 and 5 years.

The AAP released a list of tips for parents who are dealing with financial, emotional and other stresses related to the COVID-19 pandemic as they spend time isolated indoors with their families, encouraging them to engage in self-care, seek assistance and use healthy discipline for children.

According to WHO, Earth has warmed approximately 0.85°C over the last 130 years — with each of the past 3 decades being successively warmer than any preceding decade since 1850. It will warm more than 3°C this century alone.

Unstructured “nature play” has a positive impact on children’s health and development, including their cognitive development, according to a systematic review of 16 studies.

New data show that few Americans get a good night’s sleep, despite an abundance of literature showing the benefits of one.

About 64% of young mothers reported at least one mental health problem and 37% had reported experiencing more than one, according to the results from a study conducted in Canada.

The American Academy of Neurology published a clinical practice guideline to address sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, which included a recommendation that they be offered melatonin if other strategies are not helpful.

According to researchers, eating disorders — which affect more than 1 in 10 Americans — pose “a serious threat” to patients’ health and well-being, but many primary care physicians find it challenging to identify these disorders.

Pediatric patients with epilepsy treated with pharmaceutical CBD had better seizure control than those treated with artisanal CBD, according to findings from a retrospective chart review that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting this spring.