Publications

The American Academy of Pediatrics and its members recognize the importance of improving the physician's ability to recognize intimate partner violence (IPV) and understand its effects on child health and development and its role in the continuum of family violence. Pediatricians are in a unique position to identify IPV survivors in pediatric settings, to evaluate and treat children exposed to IPV, and to connect families with available local and national resources. Children exposed to IPV are at increased risk of...

This article describes a two-phase process implemented by the American Board of Pediatrics in 2021 to investigate and remove potential bias on its General Pediatrics Certifying Examination at the item (question) level based on gender or race and ethnicity. Phase 1 used a statistical technique known as differential item functioning (DIF) analysis to identify items in which one subgroup of the population outperformed another subgroup after controlling for overall knowledge level. Phase 2 involved a review of items flagged for...

Understanding factors that weigh heavily on Black patients and families during hospitalization is key to minimizing the strain of admission and optimizing outcomes. Individuals with chronic conditions carry the cumulative emotional burdens associated with their illness into every hospitalization. Black patients carry the additional burden of the trauma of lived experiences of structural racism. As part of its strategic initiative on mental health, the American Board of Pediatrics launched the Roadmap Project with an aim to improve emotional health in...

Active participation of youth and surrogate decision-makers in providing informed consent and assent for mental health treatment is critical. However, the procedural elements of an informed consent process, particularly for youth in child welfare custody, are not well defined. Given calls for psychotropic medication oversight for youth in child welfare custody, this study proposes a taxonomy for the procedural elements of informed consent policies based upon formal and informal child welfare policies and then examines whether enacted state formal policies...

The transition to parenthood can be welcome, joyous, and celebratory. It is also rarely without challenges, requiring rapid learning, substantial physical and emotional adjustment, and the shouldering of new roles and responsibilities. When peripartum complications occur either in the mother or infant, this transition is even more difficult.