With more than 3.5 million youth athletes participating in cheerleading in the U.S., including competition and school teams, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is issuing recommendations to improve the safety of the sport and reduce the risk of injury, including concussions.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, antidepressant use was rising among adolescents and young adults. New research shows this rise not only continued but began to accelerate through and after the COVID pandemic, according to “Antidepressant Dispensing to U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults: 2016-2022,” in the March 2024 Pediatrics.

Firearm-related injuries are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents, and more than 50 percent of U.S. K-12 schools use anonymous reporting systems to decrease these firearm injuries. According to a new research brief, “Firearm-Related Tips in a Statewide School Anonymous Reporting System,” in the February 2024 Pediatrics (available online Jan. 17), youth-submitted tips successfully bring in lifesaving responding services in the communities in which they are used. 

A study, “Racial and Ethnic Disparities for Unmet Needs by Mental Health Condition: 2016-2021,” published in the January 2024 Pediatrics examines gaps in treatment among children with depression, anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and behavioral problems. 

As standing electric scooters (e-scooters) have become an increasingly popular mode of transportation, new research finds a 71-percent increase in injuries reported in children and teens ages 18 and younger from 2020 to 2021, with limited use of helmets resulting in the head as the most injured body part.

There were significant disruptions to childhood vaccine uptake during the COVID pandemic along with vaccine-related misinformation and disinformation, making some concerned that vaccine hesitancy toward childhood vaccines increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a new study “The COVID-19 Pandemic and Parental Attitudes Toward Routine Childhood Vaccines,” in the November 2023 Pediatrics, found that overall hesitancy for childhood vaccines did not increase.

Vaccine mandates do play a significant role in boosting vaccination rates. This was particularly true during the 2020-2021 influenza season according to the study “Vaccine Mandates and Influenza Vaccination During the Pandemic.”

Marching band is a physically demanding task and performance art that can lead to injury similar to organized athletic activities. New research shows that 70 percent of marching band-related injuries reported to emergency departments over a 9-year period occurred in high school-age females, with most injuries to the ankles and knees.

High school sports participation sets boys and girls up with healthy habits that can lead to healthier lives, and body image issues caused by social media may be contributing to teenagers making the decision to quit, according to research presented during the 2023 AAP National Conference & Exhibition at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

A Pediatrics study, “Maternal Pertussis Vaccination, Infant Immunization, and Risk of Pertussis,” analyzed the effect of pertussis vaccine when given during pregnancy and found it prevented 65 percent of pertussis infections in infants through 6 months of age.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) renews its recommendation that all children ages 6 months and older receive a flu vaccine this fall to prevent severe illness. Children younger than 5 years, especially those younger than 2 years, and children with certain underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable.

Corporal punishment is ineffective as a disciplinary tool, often leads to worse behavior and causes harm to children. Yet in many U.S. states, corporal punishment in the schools remains legal, and research shows that those most likely to be hit as a form of discipline are children with disabilities and children who are Black, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A record number of children in the U.S. died from a firearm injury in 2020, making it the leading cause of death. The next year was worse, as noted in the study, “Trends and Disparities in Firearm Deaths among Children.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all infants — and especially those at high risk — receive the new preventive antibody, nirsevimab, to protect against severe disease caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is common, highly contagious and sometimes deadly.

Nearly 1 in 5 children and teens diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 showed one or more persistent symptoms three months after the infection, according to a review article published in the August 2023 Pediatrics.