American Academy of Pediatrics

FINAL DAY for early bird registration! Join us at the 2025 AAP Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. on March 2-4, 2025. Learn how to be a strong advocate for children's health and head to Capitol Hill for meetings with your congressional offices to discuss a key child health issue. Register today: https://lnkd.in/e3sB9yTZ

Pediatricians Edith Bracho-Sanchez, M.D. and Elizabeth Murray urge Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act to protect kids and teens online. "Congress is moving forward right now on a year-end legislative package that misses a critical opportunity to protect young people online. Absent from this package are two key bills that — if passed — would have been the first legislation in 25 years to take meaningful steps toward keeping children and teens safe in digital spaces." Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecsxqjj6

Children and teachers should never have to worry about the threat of gun violence when they come to school each day, but with the news of yet another school shooting, another community has been tragically affected by gun violence. As pediatricians, AAP mourns with the children and families affected by the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin. Gun violence is a threat to children everywhere and we will continue to advocate for policies to keep children safe and to #EndGunViolence.

AAP brought together experts to review the existing research related to PANS and issue a new clinical report with recommendations for clinicians and families. While evidence is sparse regarding the causes and treatment of PANS, the symptoms and severity of the condition are very real and painful for families seeking care. The new guidelines urge clinicians to take a deliberate and cautious approach and partner with parents and subspecialists. Learn more in AAP News: https://lnkd.in/eg9hiqgs

Are you a parent with questions about social media? Join the Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health for our parent office hours session! Office hours are a time for parents and caregivers to come together with experts to learn from each other and receive support to help children and teens build healthy digital media habits. During these sessions, parents can ask Center experts questions, express concerns, and share experiences. Register now: https://bit.ly/4fiZpTz

Pediatricians Kiesha Fraser Doh and Terri McFadden sat down with StoryCorps to discuss the epidemic of gun violence and their advocacy work. StoryCorps is a national nonprofit whose mission is to illuminate the humanity and possibility in us all — one story at a time. You can listen to Drs. Fraser Doh and McFadden’s stories on the latest episode of the Pediatrics on Call podcast. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/dfRDCytd

A recently released policy from the AAP highlights the benefits of reading to children from birth. Pediatrician and parent Joanna Parga-Belinkie demonstrates how she reads with her kids and summarizes why reading is so important. Don’t forget to talk about reading with your patients and their families.

Pediatric specialties filled 77.5% of certified positions offered (1,530 of 1,975) in the 2024 Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, a decrease of 1.7% compared to last year. The number of positions filled and offered, however, increased slightly over last year’s numbers. Dr. Jesse Hackell, chair of the AAP Committee on Pediatric Workforce, says lower salaries for pediatricians and lower payments for the large number of children covered by Medicaid likely contribute to fewer choosing pediatrics. “This is reflective of what we’re seeing overall in the house of pediatrics — the nonprocedural subspecialties don’t offer enough compensation to be really attractive to people who have other things, like debt, to consider. Unfortunately, it comes down in a large part to money. It’s just unfortunate how these shortages can negatively impact children’s access to health care.” Read more in AAP News: https://lnkd.in/eqAZktN7

On #GivingTuesday, be a part of bringing child health programs to the next level! Donations to the Friends of Children Fund go directly to funding programs making a positive impact on children’s health. Past funding has supported: programs to help children gain access to nature and mental health support, the development of resources to support suicide prevention activities, and research on vaccine messaging. Learn and more and give: https://bit.ly/49hLfRi

People often think of babies as being really fragile, but they’re incredibly resilient. Pediatrician and neonatologist Joanna Parga-Belinkie explains why the triumphs of her tiny patients, many of them very premature babies, make neonatology the “best job.” #PrematurityAwarenessMonth