Years after the opioid epidemic began in the mid-1990s, emergency medical services are seeing increases in emergency calls for pre-teens and adolescents, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30. The research, “EMS Calls for Pediatric Patients Ages 11-18 years with Opioid Exposures using NEMSIS data,” examined calls for services due to suspected pediatric opioid exposure reported to the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, which tracks emergency medical service data from across the United States. Authors reviewed the data from 2019 through 2023, breaking it down into two categories: middle school aged children and high school aged teens.

Adolescents and young adults are misusing common over-the-counter antihistamines, putting them at risk of severe health outcomes including heart arrythmias, seizures or death, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30. Trends such as the “Benadryl Challenge” circulating on social media are fueling the rise in these dangerous activities, according to the author of an abstract, "Toxic Trends: The Hallucinatory Appeal of the TikTok Benadryl Challenge.” 

A decline in smoking in the general population, including pregnant people, over the last few decades corresponded with a decline in infants born with a birth defect called gastroschisis, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 26-30. Authors of an abstract, “A Declining Incidence of Gastroschisis Parallels Trends in Maternal Smoking Rates in the United States,” point to the success of public health efforts to discourage smoking within the general population. Consequently, a decline in maternal smoking prior to conception led to fewer diagnoses of gastroschisis, a condition in a baby is born with their organs outside of their body due to their abdominal wall not forming completely in the womb, according to the study.

One effective way of tackling childhood food insecurity could be hiring and collaborating with food outreach specialists in pediatrician offices, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30. The research, titled “Addressing Childhood Food Insecurity: An Integrated and Community-Based Approach,” placed a food outreach specialist from a local community organization in an urban Midwest clinic to serve as a liaison for connecting families in need with available resources

Media: Journalists covering the conference must be registered as members of the press. Reporters must apply for press credentials in advance of the conference and meet criteria of Media Guidelines. Attendees can pick up their badge at the Colorado Convention Center registration desk with photo ID. All conference attendees must wear a badge at all times. Masks are optional and are not provided on site. For more information about covering the conference, contact AAP Public Affairs. Information will also be available in the AAP News Room. All attendees must adhere to AAP’s Health & Safety and Code of Conduct policies.

Young adults turning to TikTok for sexual health information are being confronted with misinformation, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30. The research, titled “Digital Misinformation and Public Health: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Sexual Health Content on TikTok,” sought to determine the accuracy of medical information posted on the social media platform, whether created by a medical professional or not.

A 2018 federal mandate to equip all new vehicles with a backup camera was associated with a significant decrease in severe injuries and death in small children according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition. The abstract, “The Impact of a Federally Mandated Car Safety Feature on Rate and Severity of Pediatric Backover Trauma,” will be presented during the conference at the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 26-30.  Backover trauma refers to injury sustained when a pedestrian is struck by a motorized vehicle in reverse. These incidents disproportionately affect small children.