Research In Action

Here is a roundup of some newsworthy articles in the world of child injury prevention from the past month:

A Review of Unintentional Injuries in Children

This article highlights the morbidity and mortality of common causes of unintentional injuries in children  and also presents various prevention strategies for clinicians to share with families.

Ibuprofen and Kidney Injury in Children

A study explored the association between prescribed ibuprofen with the risk of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury among hospitalized children.

Impact of Pandemic on Lead Screening

With steep declines in lead screenings in children due to the pandemic, especially among populations at greatest risk for lead exposure, clinicians fear that many cases of lead poisoning may be missed.

Recovery of Executive Function Following Traumatic Brain Injury

A study examined the trajectory of executive function recovery over 3 years after mild-to-severe traumatic brain injury in children.

Diagnosing Concussion with Saliva Test

A new saliva test might be able to help with diagnosing sports-related concussions.

Policy Statement: Caring for American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Adolescents

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued recommendations on the care of American Indian and Alaska Native patients, a population at risk of experiencing violence, substance use, and stress related to adverse childhood experiences.

Low-Cost Measures to Address Root Causes of Gun Violence 

In this opinion piece for The Washington Post, Dr. Eugenia South of the Perelman School of Medicine describes how initiatives to restore natural outdoor spaces (like planting trees and cleaning vacant lots) can help improve safety and reduce gun violence in predominantly Black neighborhoods. 

Spike in Deadly Wrong Way Crashes

A new analysis from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found an increase in fatalities from wrong-way driving crashes between 2015-2018.