Pediatricians and health institutions are rejecting a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to limit hepatitis B vaccination at birth to infants whose mothers test positive or have unknown status, opting to follow guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics to vaccinate all newborns. The ACIP's recommendation has drawn criticism for lacking scientific basis and for potentially increasing hepatitis B infections among children.

A cohort study published in JAMA Network Open found that breastfeeding while taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors did not affect cognitive performance scores for children who also had prenatal exposure to SSRIs. The study, which involved almost 100 mother-child pairs, compared cognitive outcomes among children with various exposure levels to SSRIs.

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A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the rate of parents refusing vitamin K shots for newborns increased from less than 3% in 2017 to more than 5% in 2024. Researchers found that about 4% of babies did not receive the shots from 2017 to 2024. The CDC has said that compared with infants who get the shot, those who do not get vitamin K shortly after birth have a more than 80 times higher risk of developing bleeding from vitamin K deficiency.

Research reported in the journal Epidemiology, which included almost 200,000 privately insured schoolchildren in California, found that their mental health improved after schools reopened for in-person learning in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The likelihood of a child being seen for mental health conditions dropped 43% nine months after schools reopened.

Parenting styles significantly shape the mental health of Nepali adolescents, with 42% of teens experiencing anxiety and 37% experiencing depression, according to a study in PLOS One. Authoritarian parenting is linked to higher depression and lower self-esteem, while authoritative parenting is linked to better mental health outcomes. The researchers recommend support for parents to encourage authoritative parenting and school-based mental health programs.

The FDA has granted approval to omidubicel, or Omisirge, as the first cell therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) in patients lacking a compatible stem cell donor. This landmark approval offers a new treatment option for SAA, which is a life-threatening condition characterized by the bone marrow's inability to produce adequate blood cells.

The study categorizes children's digital habits into social media, gaming, and video watching, examining their effects on ADHD symptoms. It found that only social media usage was linked to increased inattentiveness, not gaming or video watching. This distinction suggests that the type of digital activity is crucial in understanding its impact on children's attention and highlights the need for further investigation into digital habits.

Two studies presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology's annual meeting highlighted the role of social media in spreading misinformation about respiratory and allergic diseases. An analysis of TikTok videos found more than a quarter had partially or fully inaccurate information about asthma, and a review of videos about alpha-gal syndrome found most were anecdotal and sometimes contained inaccuracies about diagnosis, treatment and symptom management.

The CDC's recently overhauled Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last week discussed reducing the overall childhood vaccination schedule and evaluating the safety of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines. The committee had also voted to stop recommending that every newborn receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The meeting featured vaccine-skeptical arguments and critiques of existing safety data, with comparisons made between US and Denmark vaccination schedules. NAPNAP liaison, DNP Stacy Buchanan, noted that unvaccinated communities in the US need to be considered when making vaccination policy changes.

The FDA has informed AstraZeneca, Merck and Sanofi that their respiratory syncytial virus treatments for infants will face increased safety scrutiny due to concerns raised by vaccine skeptics. The move, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., follows claims of potential seizure risks, although several studies have found no evidence supporting this.