Growing up isn’t easy, but neither is being the parent of a child or an adolescent. And besides all the timeless physical, social and emotional challenges they face, young people and their parents are now vexed by the added problem of dealing with medical misinformation traveling at unprecedented speed and reaching into pretty much every corner of their daily lives.
The JAMA Network™ has long published its “Patient Page” feature to help physicians provide accurate, digestible, visual guides that patients can take home and share with family. Patient Pages offer a basic definition of the condition or issue, along with symptoms, consequences, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
As part of a series of upcoming news articles curating these outstanding resources, the AMA is highlighting free, recently published “Patient Page” resources of highest relevance to various physician specialties. This article highlights some resources relevant to caring for children and the specialty of pediatrics.
AMA members can explore a range of peer-reviewed research and clinical information published by the JAMA Network, which brings JAMA together with JAMA Network Open and 11 specialty journals. Published continuously since 1883, JAMA is one of the most widely circulated, peer-reviewed, general medical journals in the world. If you are a member or interested in becoming one, learn how to access these educational materials and innovative tools.
“What Parents Need to Know About Online Misinformation”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes how parents can help their children build media literacy skills to recognize online misinformation.
- From the Patient Page: “We live in a time in which people of all ages can easily access a lot of information.
- “Mobile devices make this access even easier. Having information at your fingertips can be exciting and empowering. However, just because information is easy to find online, it does not mean it is always correct. Some information online is not accurate (called misinformation) because it has not been fact-checked. Other information can be intentionally untrue (called disinformation). This can make it hard for families to find helpful, correct information for children, teens and adults.”
“Why Is the Pediatrician Asking Me About Social Drivers of Health?”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes why pediatricians ask families about social drivers of health.
- From the Patient Page: “The next time you bring your child to see a pediatrician or health care professional, you may be surprised by some of the questions you are asked.
- “Many pediatric clinics have started asking families if they have enough food to eat, are having trouble paying their bills or feel safe at home. While this may seem strange, the conditions where we live, learn, work and play have a huge impact on our and our children’s health. These social conditions or nonmedical factors are called the social drivers of health.”
“What Parents Need to Know About Autism Screening and Early Treatment”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes autism screening for children and how to access therapies.
- From the Patient Page: “As a parent, it is normal to wonder how your child will grow and develop.
- “Importantly, your child will grow at their own pace. By knowing and understanding how they play, learn and behave, you, with your pediatrician, can help your child. As they get older, it is important to keep track of skills that they are and are not able to do. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of what to keep track of as your child grows.”
“Chest Pain in Children”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes common causes for chest pain in children, heart-related causes of chest pain and what an evaluation with a pediatric cardiologist might look like.
- From the Patient Page: “Parents often worry when their child has any pain in their chest.
- “While chest pain in adults is frequently caused by serious cardiovascular problems, chest pain in children is often innocent. Research shows less than 1% of chest pain in children stems from the heart itself.”
“What Parents Should Expect From the New AAP Obesity Guidelines”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes pediatric weight management according to the obesity guidelines recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
- From the Patient Page: “Despite recent improvements in diagnosis and treatment, more than 14 million children in the U.S. have obesity.”
- Obesity is a chronic disease and results from a number factors, including genetics and the environment. “Social drivers of health contribute as well, including poverty, racism, weight bias and discrimination, and lack of access to healthy foods and physical activity opportunities.”
“What Parents Should Know About Bugs and Bug Repellents”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes how to protect children against insect bites, how to choose a bug repellent and how to apply bug repellent.
- From the Patient Page: “Try to avoid areas with lots of insects, including areas with high grass or still water where mosquitos breed. The time of day can matter. Mosquitoes bite more frequently during dusk and dawn. When outdoors, wear long pants, a wide-brimmed hat, lightweight long sleeves, socks and closed-toed shoes. Using mosquito netting over strollers and beds is also protective.”
- But avoid wearing bright colors and floral prints, it says, because these often attract bugs.
- “Lastly, apply bug repellent. Keep in mind repellents keep biting insects away, but they do not kill bugs. After you are done with an outdoor activity, always check your child’s skin for ticks. Store bug repellents out of a child’s reach, as they can be toxic if ingested.”
“Dental Caries in Adults, Adolescents and Children”
- This JAMA Patient Page describes oral health, particularly care of the teeth and prevention of tooth and gum disease, and discusses the pros and cons of screening for dental caries by primary care doctors.
- From the Patient Page: “Dental caries, commonly known as cavities or tooth decay, is caused by the breakdown of the outer layer of the tooth (enamel).
- “Cavities can develop when bacteria and sugar on the teeth produce substances that erode tooth enamel. Risk factors for cavities include inadequate toothbrushing and flossing, consuming sugary foods and drinks, smoking and excessive alcohol use.”
“What Parents Should Understand About Lipid Screening in Children”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page describes what parents should consider in deciding whether to have their child screened for high lipid levels.
- From the Patient Page: “Pediatricians, parents and caregivers need to decide whether to screen all children for high blood lipid levels, screen only those with risk factors, or wait until they are adults.
- “High lipid levels in adults can lead to heart disease, blockages in the blood vessels to the legs (peripheral artery disease) and stroke. Taking medication to lower lipid levels reduces these risks. Therefore, screening adults for high lipid levels is common practice. In childhood, screening for high lipid levels is more complicated.”
“What Parents Should Know About Food and Food Insecurity for Their Families”
- This JAMA Pediatrics Patient Page discusses how families with food insecurity can partner with their child’s pediatrician to access nutrition food.
- From the Patient Page: “Providing for children has always been a challenge, but parents have had to struggle more to obtain food since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- This is most commonly due to “the difficulty of getting to a full-service grocery store and/or affording food (especially healthy choices). Food insecurity, or not having enough nutritious food to eat, is common in the U.S., with about 33 million people who may not have enough food to provide for their family. This leads to poor physical and mental health and increased hospitalizations, especially for children. Five million of these individuals who experience food insecurity are children. Pediatricians and policymakers therefore need to work with families to promote healthy food choices and access to these food options.”
In addition to the Patient Page feature, here are other ways physicians can leverage resources from the JAMA Network to help them in their clinical practice:
- Take CME courses and earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
- Fulfill maintenance of licensure (MOL) and CME requirements on JN Learning™, the home for all JAMA Network CME.
- Read concise summaries of clinical guidelines and recommendations in a format designed for today’s busy physicians.
The subscription cost of JAMA®is included with your AMA membership, plus unlimited digital access to all JAMA Network journals, including JAMA Pediatrics and these other journals: JAMA Cardiology, JAMA Dermatology, JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Neurology, JAMA Network Open, JAMA Oncology, JAMA Ophthalmology, JAMA Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, JAMA Psychiatry and JAMA Surgery.
The journals include many helpful features for students, residents and fellows, including full-text PDFs, clinical challenges, archived editions, audio and video author interviews where authors give their perspectives on a study’s objectives, findings and implications.
