Below are releases on studies appearing in the November issue of Pediatrics, the peer-reviewed, scientific journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

For Release: Monday, October 19 at 12:01 a.m. ET

BELT-POSITIONING CAR BOOSTER SEATS REDUCE INJURY RISK

A new study, “Effectiveness of Belt Positioning Booster Seats: An Updated Assessment,” confirms previous reports that booster seats significantly reduce the risk of crash injury in children ages 4 through 8. In the study, data was collected on children involved in car crashes in 16 states and Washington, DC, between December 1, 1998, and November 30, 2007. Children in belt-positioning booster seats were 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries than similarly aged children in standard vehicle seat belts. Booster seats with and without backs provided similar protection. Pediatricians should continue to recommend belt-positioning booster seats for children who have outgrown a harness-based child restraint until they are at least 8 years old or 4’9”, according to the study authors. Booster seat laws should cover children through age 8 for the best protective effect, as research has linked passage of these laws with a nearly 40 percent increase in use up to age 8.

SMALL TURTLES LINKED TO SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

A new study links a recent 34-state, 107-person outbreak of salmonellosis – an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella – with exposure to small turtles. In the study, “Continuing Risk of Salmonellosis From Small Turtles: Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Associated With Small Turtle Exposure, 2007-2008,” researchers interviewed 78 patients or parents of patients (median patient age, 7) diagnosed with Salmonella during the outbreak. Thirty-three percent of the patients were hospitalized from the potentially fatal illness, and 60 percent reported exposure to a turtle during the week before their illness. Most of the reported turtle exposures were to small turtles less than 4 inches in length. Since 1975, the U.S. has banned the sale of small turtles because of Salmonella risks. The study authors say that despite a federal ban, small turtles continue to be sold in the U.S. and pose a health risk, especially to young children.

AAP CALLS FOR TOBACCO-FREE ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL CHILDREN

Children deserve to live tobacco-free lives. A new policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises pediatricians and families to work together to make this happen. A life free of tobacco means smoke-free homes and apartment buildings, cars, schools, restaurants, parks, beaches, sidewalks and sporting events - everywhere children live, study and play. It means freedom from the harmful effects of tobacco use on family health, income and safety.

The policy statement, “Tobacco Use: A Pediatric Disease,” and two accompanying technical reports released Monday, Oct. 19, at the National Conference and Exhibition of the AAP, lay out the AAP’s recommendations for tobacco- and smoke-free environments for children, guidelines for treatment of tobacco use and dependence, implementation and enforcement of tobacco-control measures, and support for training and research in pediatric tobacco control.

There is no safe way to use tobacco and no safe level or duration of exposure to secondhand smoke, said David T. Tayloe, Jr., MD, immediate past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Note to media: Dr. Tayloe’s term as AAP president ends Monday, Oct. 19, when he becomes immediate past president.)

“Children’s environments should be tobacco- and smoke-free, even when children are not present,” Tayloe said. “The AAP supports and advocates for laws that protect children from tobacco smoke everywhere they learn, live and play.”

The lead authors of the reports will present the recommendations in a news briefing at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in Press Briefing Room 157 of the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Media attending the news briefing should first register in the Press Office in the West Registration area.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death and illness in the United States, causing more than 443,000 deaths each year. Tobacco use is greatest among adults who live below the poverty line and secondhand smoke exposure disproportionately affects children living in low-income households. Tobacco use is passed on to the next generation through children: an estimated 3,000 U.S. children start using tobacco every day. If current patterns of tobacco use continue, an estimated 6.4 million of today’s children will die prematurely from a disease related to tobacco use.

“Tobacco use is deadly, and the affects of secondhand smoke exposure of children are severe,” said Dana Best, MD, MPH, FAAP, a former member of the AAP Committee on Environmental Health and co-author of the tobacco policy statement. “Children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop asthma, permanent harm to their lungs, and other significant health effects. Infants born to mothers who smoked or exposed to secondhand smoke during the prenatal period have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome and many other harms. It’s important that families make their homes and cars completely smoke- and tobacco-free.”

Parents should ask about the tobacco use policies at their children’s schools and child care centers. There should be no tobacco use on the premises, whether or not children are present. If parents use tobacco, they can talk to their child’s pediatrician about how to quit – and even get help with quitting and accessing cessation therapies, services and resources. “Parents and children should know that it is not safe to ‘experiment’ with tobacco,” said Tammy Sims, MD, MS, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Substance Abuse and co-author of the tobacco policy statement. “Nicotine is so highly addictive that dependence can begin immediately, even occasional use of tobacco is harmful.”

The AAP’s work to eliminate children’s exposure to tobacco and secondhand smoke is spearheaded at the AAP Julius B. Richmond Center, which was established in 2006. The AAP recommends bans on tobacco advertising in all media, and restrictions on the depiction of tobacco in movies and television. In addition to laws banning the sale of tobacco products to children, the AAP calls for bans on candy cigarettes, cigars, and other products that imitate smoking or tobacco use. E-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) should also be banned. The sale of tobacco products on the same premises as pharmacies should be eliminated, including pharmacies located in supermarkets.

AAP ADVOCATES FOR SAFER MEDIA AND MUSIC LYRICS

Exposure to media violence through television, movies, music and video games can contribute to a variety of physical and mental health problems for children and adolescents, including aggressive behavior, nightmares, desensitization to violence, fear and depression. Listening to explicit music lyrics can effect schoolwork, social interactions and produce significant changes in mood and behavior.

Two new policy statements from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Media Violence,” and “Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth” will be released on Monday, Oct. 19, at the AAP National Conference and Exhibition (NCE) in Washington, DC. They include recommendations for parents and pediatricians to take an active role in monitoring and controlling what their children are watching and listening to.

The lead authors of the reports will present the recommendations in a news briefing at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in Press Briefing Room 157 of the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Media attending the news briefing should first register in the Press Office in the West Registration area.

U.S. children between the ages of 8 to 18 are using media an average of 6 hours and 21 minutes each day. Children between 0 and 6 years of age spend an average of almost 2 hours a day using screen media (television, movies and computers). By age 18, most teens will have viewed an average of 200,000 acts of violence on television alone.

“Media violence is the single most negative aspect of entertainment media” said Victor Strasburger, MD, FAAP, lead author of the Media Violence policy statement. “Parents who bring young children to see PG-13 and R-rated movies take a risk that their child will see violence as an acceptable way to solve their problems.”

As previously recommended by the AAP, babies or toddlers younger than 2 years should avoid all screen media. Parents need to limit their children to 1 to 2 hours of screen time per day, and remove TVs, Internet connections, and video games from the child’s bedroom. Children with a TV set in their bedroom increase their risk of obesity by 31 percent, watch more PG-13 and R-rated movies, and double their risk of smoking.

Many parents find the entertainment industry’s various rating systems difficult to use. The movie ratings are used by approximately three-quarters of parents, but only half have ever used the TV and video game ratings, or music advisories as a guide. Most parents aren’t aware that a v-chip (viewer control) is installed on their TV, and only 20 percent of parents actually use it. The AAP suggests pediatricians advocate for a simple, universal content-based media ratings system to help parents make healthy media choices for their children.

According to the new policy statement, “Impact of Music, Music Lyrics, and Music Videos on Children and Youth,” it is important for pediatricians and parents to be aware of the music children are listening to, in addition to TV and video games.

“Music plays such a vital role in the socialization and identity of children and adolescents, and parents often don’t know what lyrics their children are listening to because of increasing use of downloaded music and headphones,” said Rosario Gonzalez, MD, FAAP, lead author of the new statement.

On average, American youth listen to music from 1.5 to 2.5 hours per day, and an analysis of at-risk youth revealed they listen up to 6.8 hours per day. Studies have shown that a preference for certain types of music or music videos with explicit references to drugs, sex or violence can be associated with negative effects on schoolwork, behavior and emotions. Heavy metal and hard rock music have also been associated with increased suicidal risk, depression and delinquent behavior.

The AAP recommends that pediatricians become familiar with the literature on the effects of music and music videos on children and adolescents. Pediatricians should also encourage parents to actively monitor the music their children listen to and purchase. Parents can find song lyrics on Internet search engines and discuss them with their children. In addition, parents should be aware of the parental advisory warning of explicit content, located on the front of the CD, album, or DVD.


POPULAR AAP PARENTING BOOK IS THOROUGHLY UPDATED

For immediate release: October 13, 2009

CHICAGO-- One of the most popular parenting books from the American Academy of Pediatrics is now available in bookstores in a thoroughly revised and updated edition. With more than 4 million copies in print, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (A Bantam Trade Paperback Revised; October 13, 2009) is a comprehensive guide to the basic care of infants and children through age 5. What's the best nutrition for your infant? When should you see a doctor? How do you handle your toddler's temper tantrums? Is your child developing normally? The answers to these questions—and thousands more—are delivered in a warm, accessible, user-friendly style.

The new edition includes sections on:
- Sleep (in conjunction with sleep expert Marc Weissbluth, MD, FAAP)
- Allergies (including food allergies)
- Prebiotics and probiotics
- Sickle-cell disease
- Asthma
- Autism
- Prenatal health
- Twins and multiples

Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 covers important developmental milestones and provides a complete health encyclopedia of injuries, illnesses, immunizations, and much more. This is the all-in-one reference guide for any parent—new or experienced—to turn to during the early years of their child’s life.

About the Editors:
Steven P. Shelov, MD, MS, FAAP, is chair of pediatrics at Maimonides Medical Center and professor of pediatrics at SUNY-Brooklyn. He is editor-in-chief of several AAP parent publications, including Your Baby’s First Year and A Guide to Child Symptoms.

Tanya Remer Altmann, MD, FAAP, editor-in-chief of the AAP book, The Wonder Years and author of Mommy Calls, is a pediatrician in private practice and a clinical instructor at Mattel's Children's Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles.

To arrange an interview with one of the editors or for a review copy of the book, please contact the AAP Department of Communications. Cover art is available.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.