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.

Young people are increasingly turning to sodium nitrite and nitrate as a method of suicide after buying the products online, according to research presented during the 2025 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 26-30. The chemicals, which when ingested may cause hypoxia and eventual death, are often readily available for purchase online, according to the author. He said his findings indicate the need for a robust system with collaboration between public health officials, emergency responders and healthcare workers to address this growing concern.

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.” 

More pregnant people are turning away from hospital births and instead choosing their homes, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center Sept. 26-30. Cincinnati Children’s researchers tracked out-of-hospital births and found that the numbers doubled in the region from April 1, 2020 - December 31, 2023, compared to births from January 1, 2018 - February 29, 2020. The trend was seen most in young, highly educated mothers who were also more likely to have higher body mass index and fewer prenatal visits, according to a study abstract, “The Changing Landscape of Planned Out-of-Hospital Births.”

A majority of medical and parenting videos being shared on TikTok by non-medical professionals contained misinformation, according to research presented during the American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 26-30. Researchers centered on the “eco-influencer” movement, which emphasizes natural living, holistic health, and other alternative medical and parenting methods. The research, titled " The Rise of ‘Eco-Influencers’ and Misinformation on Child Health,” examined top TikTok videos with hashtags such as #naturalparenting, #antivaccine, #holistichealth, and #alternativehealing.