Pediatrics News

Solitary drinking during adolescence increases the risk for an alcohol use disorder later in life, researchers reported in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Researchers estimated that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, among children and adolescents in the United States was 3.14% in 2019 and 2020 overall, up from 2.24% in 2014.

While well tolerated, balovaptan did not improve socialization and communication difficulties in young persons with autism spectrum disorder compared with placebo, according to results of a clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Childhood obesity incidence was higher and came at younger ages during the 2000s compared with the previous decade, according to a study in Pediatrics.

Researchers said they found a potential link between food insecurity and increases in BMI in certain groups — particularly among infants, preschoolers and elementary and middle school students.

More than 76% of parents of middle and high school students in New Jersey said that depression screenings in school are necessary, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University.

Pediatric mental health visits to the ED increased at community hospitals in Chicago during the COVID-19 pandemic, findings from a study in Academic Pediatrics reported.

In youth with Tourette syndrome and other persistent tic disorders, treatment with behavioral therapy was linked with symptom remission and a reduction in tic severity, according to a new study.

Bullying in school was associated with increased levels of anxiety for both victims and perpetrators, particularly for those involved on both sides of the issue, according to a study from China published in Psychiatry Research.

Boston Children’s Hospital topped the U.S. News & World Report list of the country’s best children’s hospitals for a 9th year in a row.