Ninety percent of adult smokers start as teens and consequently, youth are the tobacco industry’s primary target. As pediatric providers and researchers, it’s our responsibility to provide thoughtful approaches to protect youth from the harmful effects of the industry’s deadly,…

Despite recent declines, the unintended pregnancy rate among US adolescents is among the highest for industrialized nations [1]. Many adolescents who seek care in emergency departments (EDs) are at high-risk of pregnancy, reporting early sexual debut, multiple partners, and infrequent…

ABSTRACT: Skeletal surveys (SSs) have been identified as a key component of the evaluation for suspected abuse in young children, but variability in SS utilization has been reported. Thus, we aimed to describe the utilization patterns, yield, and risks of obtaining SS in young…

Abuse and neglect are serious concerns for all children, but military families may have unique needs that complicate efforts to prevent abuse and intervene on behalf of those who are at risk. For the more than 50 percent of Armed Forces members who are parents, deployment can introduce…

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the primary care setting, there are racial and ethnic differences in antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs). Viral ARTIs are commonly diagnosed in the pediatric emergency department (PED), in which racial and ethnic…

BACKGROUND: Though regional variation in healthcare spending has received national attention, it has not been widely studied in pediatrics. OBJECTIVES: (1) To evaluate regional variation in costs of care for 3 inpatient pediatric conditions, (2) assess potential drivers of variation,…

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether the incidence of low birthweight and rates of infant mortality were associated with Massachusetts health reform in the overall population and for subgroups that are at higher risk for poor health outcomes. DATA SOURCES: Individual-level data on…

ABSTRACT: Perinatal epidemiology examines the variation and determinants of pregnancy outcomes from a maternal and neonatal perspective. However, improving public and population health also requires the translation of this evidence base into substantive public policies. Assessing the…

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of a 1% lidocaine paracervical nerve block on pain during intrauterine device (IUD) insertion compared with a sham block in adolescents and young women. METHODS: We conducted a multisite, single-blind, sham-controlled randomized trial in adolescents…

Many studies have established a link between foster care placement instability and child behavioral problems. Evidence-based interventions for behavioral problems, however, are often unavailable to children in foster care given challenges of recruiting behavioral health providers,…