Q: Should your sexually active teenager be tested for HIV?

A: Yes.

That seems pretty straightforward. And yet it’s news.

A new recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics says that all sexually active teenagers should be tested for HIV. The recommendation is hardly surprising. What’s a shock to me is that it’s new. Where has the AAP been for the last 30 years?

Jezebel’s confusing response to this news seems to suggest both that it’s an overreaction to a relatively small risk and that it’s a good public health move. I’m going to have to come down firmly on the side of it being a good idea. Such a good one that I thought it was the standard already.

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When the American Academy of Pediatrics originally advised against TV for kids under 2 in 1999, they were doing so based on the Precautionary Principle: the idea that this might cause harm and had no known benefits. Their policy was met with what pediatrician Ari Brown describes as “a lot of screaming”. The resistance came from the industry— people who were creating media for babies and toddlers—but it also came from parents, who were dependent on the TV to give them a break from active parenting so they could take care of other things.

People complained, where’s the harm? People also didn’t take the recommendations very seriously, as it’s now estimated that 90% of kids under 2 watch 1 to 2 hours of television a day.

Those early recommendations were based on limited research. But by now, the AAP has had more than a decade to review over 50 studies on the effects of television on small children. And the results have only strengthened their original position. Their new policy, released today, unequivocally advises against ANY screen time for babies and toddlers under age 2.

What’s so bad about screens?

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Do you stay in the room while your child is undergoing a physical examination by a doctor?  Certainly when they’re younger, but the older your child gets, the more awkward the scenario.

With younger children — up to around age 10 — a parent should always be present for any kind of physical exam, the American Academy of Pediatrics says

Now, the AAP is updating it’s policy on medical chaperones during physical exams.  According to the new statement, teenagers should have the option of having a “medical chaperone” present when they are undergoing any kind of intimate physical exam.  Continue reading »

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Doctors want to ban teens from tanning salons.

For the last couple of decades, pediatricians — along with other health officials — have urged parents to protect their children’s skin from too much sun exposure. In the past few years, concerns were raised over the low levels of Vitamin D found in an increasing number of children. But overall, medical professionals have advised limiting time in the sun, using sunscreens and wearing protective clothing.

But doctors and researchers missed another area where some teens are knowingly soaking up harmful ultraviolet rays and even paying to do it. Continue reading »

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Just about the time you stop worrying about when your kids will start eating “real” food comes a new worry – what will make them choke? Now the American Academy of Pediatrics wants to take the worry out of your hands.

The AAP is calling for an added line to nutritional fact labels. They want you to know ahead of time if something poses a choking hazard to your child. And that’s not all. Continue reading »

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Many parents choose home-based day care over larger day care centers because they feel it offers a more personal experience for their child.  But according to a new study out of the University of Washington, the home-based day care experience might be a little too much like home for some kids.  In much the same way parents sometimes use television as an electronic babysitter, the study found that a surprising number of home-based day care centers do, too.  Continue reading »

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If you’re thinking about opting out on vaccines, you might want to check with your doctor. No, not about whether it’s a good idea. Whether the practice will let you keep bringing your kid.

Pediatricians who are fed up with the anti-vaccine movement are beginning to show patients the door. Continue reading »

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