School Feeding Programs: Comprehensive Evidence on Benefits for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged School Children’s Physical and Psychological Health
Posted inClinical Updates news Pediatrics Psychiatry Public Health

School Feeding Programs: Comprehensive Evidence on Benefits for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged School Children’s Physical and Psychological Health

This review synthesizes global evidence, including meta-analyses, showing that school feeding programs modestly improve math achievement, enrollment, and growth metrics in socioeconomically disadvantaged children, with limited effects on reading or attendance, and uncertain impact on overweight/obesity.
Higher Mortality When Children on Mechanical Ventilation Are Cared for Outside ICUs: National Japanese Cohort Signals Need for Pediatric ICU Centralization
Posted inCritical Care news Pediatrics

Higher Mortality When Children on Mechanical Ventilation Are Cared for Outside ICUs: National Japanese Cohort Signals Need for Pediatric ICU Centralization

A national retrospective cohort of 129,375 mechanically ventilated children in Japan found most received care on general wards and that ward care was associated with higher in-hospital mortality than ICU care after propensity matching (6.4% vs 4.1%; OR 1.49). Findings raise systems-level questions about pediatric critical care capacity and centralization.
Dose-Dependent Radiation and Chemotherapy Risks for Colorectal Subsequent Malignancies in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Clinical Implications from a CCSS Analysis
Posted innews Oncology Pediatrics

Dose-Dependent Radiation and Chemotherapy Risks for Colorectal Subsequent Malignancies in Childhood Cancer Survivors: Clinical Implications from a CCSS Analysis

A CCSS analysis of 25,723 five-year childhood cancer survivors shows clear dose-response relationships between colorectum-specific radiation dose, irradiated colorectal volume, several chemotherapy exposures (notably procarbazine, high alkylator and platinum doses), and subsequent colorectal cancers, with actionable implications for RT planning and survivorship surveillance.
Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescence Predicts Dose‑Dependent Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle Age: Implications for Early Detection and Prevention
Posted inCardiology news Pediatrics Public Health

Elevated Blood Pressure in Adolescence Predicts Dose‑Dependent Coronary Atherosclerosis in Middle Age: Implications for Early Detection and Prevention

A Swedish cohort study of 10,222 men linked adolescent blood pressure to coronary atherosclerosis by CCTA ~40 years later; higher systolic BP in adolescence, even in the ‘elevated’ range, was associated with greater odds of severe (>50%) coronary stenosis in middle age.
Mirikizumab Shows Promising Efficacy and Acceptable Safety in Pediatric Moderately-to-Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: Results from the SHINE-1 Phase 2 Trial
Posted inGastroenterology news Pediatrics

Mirikizumab Shows Promising Efficacy and Acceptable Safety in Pediatric Moderately-to-Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis: Results from the SHINE-1 Phase 2 Trial

The multicentre open-label SHINE-1 phase 2 trial found that mirikizumab produced clinically meaningful induction and maintenance responses in children with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, with an acceptable safety profile over 52 weeks, supporting further randomized evaluation.
Rigid Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses Improve Visual Rehabilitation After Primary Congenital Glaucoma Surgery: Results of the CLEVR‑PCG Randomized Trial
Posted innews Ophthalmology Pediatrics

Rigid Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses Improve Visual Rehabilitation After Primary Congenital Glaucoma Surgery: Results of the CLEVR‑PCG Randomized Trial

In children after primary congenital glaucoma surgery with poor spectacle response, rigid gas‑permeable contact lenses produced greater improvements in worse‑eye visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and near stereoacuity over 12 months compared with continued spectacle wear.
Rare but Real: Higher Risks of Vascular and Inflammatory Disease After SARS‑CoV‑2 Infection Than After BNT162b2 Vaccination in Children and Adolescents
Posted innews Pediatrics Public Health

Rare but Real: Higher Risks of Vascular and Inflammatory Disease After SARS‑CoV‑2 Infection Than After BNT162b2 Vaccination in Children and Adolescents

A nationwide English cohort study (n≈13.9M) found transient but significant increases in rare vascular and inflammatory events after first SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and a smaller, short-lived increase in myocarditis/pericarditis after first BNT162b2 vaccination—supporting vaccination to reduce greater risks from infection.
Orodispersible Ivermectin and Moxidectin–Albendazole Combinations Deliver Major Gains Against Trichuris trichiura in Children: Dose‑response, Safety, and Programmatic Implications
Posted inInfectious Diseases news Pediatrics

Orodispersible Ivermectin and Moxidectin–Albendazole Combinations Deliver Major Gains Against Trichuris trichiura in Children: Dose‑response, Safety, and Programmatic Implications

Two randomized trials from Pemba Island show orodispersible ivermectin–albendazole yields dose‑dependent high cure rates in preschool children, and moxidectin–albendazole is superior to albendazole alone in school‑aged children, both with acceptable safety.
Once-Weekly Navepegritide Raises Growth Velocity and Improves Skeletal and Functional Outcomes in Children with Achondroplasia: Results from the APPROACH Trial
Posted innews Orthopedics Pediatrics

Once-Weekly Navepegritide Raises Growth Velocity and Improves Skeletal and Functional Outcomes in Children with Achondroplasia: Results from the APPROACH Trial

The APPROACH randomized trial found once-weekly navepegritide significantly increased annualized growth velocity and produced favorable skeletal alignment and physical-function improvements in children with achondroplasia, with an acceptable short-term safety profile.