Whats up, doc?
April 2026
We have several articles to review in this issue of PEDIATRICS.
Haya Hayek, MD et al, in PEDIATRICS, February 2026, vol 157, issue 2, pg. 36 INFLUENZA VACCINE EFFECTIVENESS AMONG CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.
She clearly showed the effectiveness of flu vaccine in children with and without underlying conditions. We must not discount vaccinations in controlling the spread of infectious disease.
ANKYLOGLOSSIA, BREASTFEEDING, AND INFANT WEIGHT GAIN: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY by Nikhila Raol, MD, MPH et al, PEDIATRICS, January 2026, vol 157, issue 1, pg. 29. She states the findings of her study very succinctly in her conclusion.
“Although ankyloglossia (tongue tie) may affect breastfeeding experiences, ankyloglossia alone does not appear to affect breastfeeding maintenance or infant weight gain. Improving breastfeeding outcomes should include multidisciplinary management to focus on all potential causes and not only ankyloglossia.”
Comment: That has certainly been my observation in providing care for newborns in my 50+ years of practice.
Ran Barzilay, MD, PhD et al, PEDIATRICS, January 2026. SMARTPHONE OWNERSHIP, AGE OF SMARTPHONE ACQUISITION, AND HEALTH OUTCOMES IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE. He demonstrates the problems of smartphone acquisition in early adolescence. His conclusion:
“Smartphone ownership was associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolescence. Findings provide critical and timely insights that should inform caregivers regarding adolescent smartphone use.”
My advice to parents in my practice was to provide communication between parent and child by the use of a flip phone. Yes, they are still available and can provide emergency communication between child and parent. Will the child protest? Of course, but WHO IS IN CHARGE?
AAP REPORT: SUPPORTING LACTATION KEY PRIORITY IN HIGH-RISK NEONATAL CAREby Margaret G. Parker, MD, MPH, FAAP, AAP NEWS, February 2026.
She does a great service in informing parents of the importance of providing maternal breast milk to high-risk neonatal care patients. Any inconvenience is outweighed by the thriving of the high-risk newborn.