Pediatrics Digest

The Burden of Influenza in Young Children, 2004–2009

Influenza is an important cause of medically attended illness in young children before expanding influenza vaccine recommendations for children.

This study characterizes the health care burden of influenza in young children over 5 years (2004–2009) when influenza vaccine recommendations were expanded to all children aged ≥6 months.

Disparities in Unmet Need for Care Coordination: The National Survey of Children’s Health

Care coordination has been proposed as a key mechanism for increasing quality and reducing costs of care. Little is known about the degree to which disparities exist in care coordination or whether having high-quality primary care attenuates disparities.

A considerable proportion of parents reported unmet care coordination needs for their children, especially parents of children with special health care needs. Black and Latino children also may have more unmet needs because they received family-centered care less often.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Pediatric Specialty Outpatients

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is common among children, especially those with chronic, recurrent, or incurable conditions. Concurrent use of CAM with conventional medications is of concern and needs to be assessed, especially in vulnerable patient populations.

CAM use is high among pediatric cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, oncology, and respiratory patients, most of whom use CAM concurrently with conventional care. This study provides additional evidence to suggest the use of CAM be included in routine patient history taking.

Playground Safety and Quality in Chicago

Quality urban playgrounds that are accessible and safe support physical activity and decrease injury rates. Little is known about the quality and accessibility of playgrounds in Chicago public parks.

Most playgrounds in Chicago are in fair condition, yet access to quality playgrounds varies by neighborhood. Public/private collaboration can lead to improved playgrounds, and failing playgrounds can be improved with modest investment.

A Model to Determine the Likely Age of an Adolescent’s First Drink of Alcohol

First drink before age 15 greatly increases the likelihood for later alcohol abuse or dependence. Separate investigations have linked many variables to alcohol initiation, but few have attempted to identify the optimal combination of predictors for age …