Two experimental drug approaches that target vulnerabilities in cancer cell metabolism may extend survival and enhance the effectiveness of standard chemotherapies for a highly aggressive type of pediatric brain cancer.
Tag: Pediatric
Can Doctors Predict Which Children with Pneumonia Will Develop Mild or Severe Disease?
Currently, there are no evidence-based rules that help physicians in the Emergency Department (ED) predict if a child with community-acquired pneumonia will have a mild disease course that can be treated at home or a more severe illness that requires hospitalization. A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics found that the predictive accuracy of clinical judgement was generally fair, but clinicians were least accurate when predicting progression to severe disease in children initially classified as having “low to moderate” risk, which accounts for a large portion of children presenting with pneumonia.
Virtual Health Pilot Program Expands for Salado ISD Students and Families
The innovative virtual health pilot program is designed to facilitate care for elementary and middle school students by connecting the school nurse, the child’s parent or guardian, and a Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical Center provider via a video visit.
CooperVision Joins American Academy of Ophthalmology Initiative to Address Worldwide Myopia Epidemic
A recently announced initiative from the American Academy of Ophthalmology to protect children from the vision-threatening consequences of high myopia (nearsightedness) has attracted major financial support from CooperVision.
First targeted therapy for children with achondroplasia shows persistent height gain for up to two years
Children with achondroplasia, the most common form of disproportionate short stature, grow taller with trends in improved body proportions after two years of daily vosoritide treatment, a new study analysis finds. Results of the industry-sponsored study will be presented at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.
Lab-created heart valves can grow with the recipient
University of Minnesota lab-created heart valves made from real cells can grow with the recipient and are a step forward in reducing the need for repeated pediatric valve replacement surgeries.
MicroRNA Testing of Healthy Children Could Provide a Window on Heart and Kidney Health Later in Life
Molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) that are measurable in urine have been identified by researchers at Mount Sinai as predictors of both heart and kidney health in children without disease. The epidemiological study of Mexican children was published in February in the journal Epigenomics.
Simulation Helps Refine Pediatric Care Guidelines For COVID-19
DALLAS – Jan. 28, 2021 – Simulation can be a viable way to quickly evaluate and refine new medical guidelines and educate hospital staff in new procedures, a recent study from UT Southwestern’s Department of Pediatrics shows. The findings, published recently in the journal Pediatric Quality and Safety and originally shaped around new COVID-19-related pediatric resuscitation procedures at UTSW and Children’s Health, could eventually be used to help implement other types of guidelines at medical centers nationwide.
Talking With Children About Civil Unrest and Other Violence in the News
David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, has some advice on how to navigate conversations with children when community violence and civil unrest dominate the news cycle.
Impact of COVID-19 on children with disabilities, caregivers and healthcare providers
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with disabilities has not received much attention, perhaps because the disease disproportionately affects older individuals.
Four Things You Should Know Before Your Young Athlete Returns to Sports
Playing sports has plenty of physical and mental benefits: It can improve health, boost your mood, offload stress, reduce anxiety and build confidence. But for months, children and teens have been missing out on organized sports due to COVID-19. When…
University of Miami Pediatric Mobile Teams Surpass 10,000 COVID-19 Tests
With strong support from community partners, University of Miami Health System pediatric professionals have tested more than 10,000 Miami-Dade children for COVID-19, providing a vital service to families without convenient access to care.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Performs 400th Pediatric Liver Transplant
The Liver and Intestinal Transplant Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles began in 1998 and now performs 25 to 30 liver transplants each year—the most in Southern California—with survival rates exceeding national averages. The hospital recently performed its 400th transplant.
Discriminatory policies threaten care for transgender, gender diverse individuals
The Endocrine Society and the Pediatric Endocrine Society oppose legislative efforts to block transgender and gender diverse individuals from accessing gender-affirming medical and surgical care, the two medical societies said in a joint policy perspective published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
American Academy of Ophthalmology Leads Global Initiative to Address Worldwide Myopia Epidemic
Eye health community warns the coronavirus pandemic may worsen the epidemic of children at risk of nearsightedness.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Surgeon Establishes First-Ever Guidelines for Pediatric Opioid Prescribing
Dr. Lorraine Kelley-Quon forms team of health care providers and community advocates to establish recommendations for safe opioid use. According to the National Institutes of Health, opioid misuse and addiction in the United States is a national crisis, with an economic burden upwards of $78 billion. Opioids are useful for pain management following surgery and other major procedures, but until now there have been no recommendations guiding safe use of opioids in children.
Partnership aims to improve critical care for young patients
UW Medicine and MultiCare Health System have signed an agreement making Airlift Northwest the preferred air transport service for pediatric patients needing care at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and neonatal patients needing care at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital in Tacoma, Wash
Niagara Falls ‘Miracle’ Baby Beats Aggressive Leukemia After Successful CAR-T Cancer Immunotherapy in Buffalo
“She’s a bundle of joy, she’s a blessing. She’s just life.” That’s what Cariorl Mayfield of Niagara Falls, NY, says about his young daughter, Chastity, a year after she went through a complex series of therapies at the Roswell Park Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program to treat the leukemia she was diagnosed with at only 5 weeks old.
New Biomarkers for Glioma Treatment Response
Biomarkers using mass cytometry can assess patient response to an emerging vaccine for a specific pediatric brain tumor, according to a recent multi-center study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Complications from diabetes linked to worse memory, IQ in children
A study led by UC Davis Health researchers uncovered that even one severe episode of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is linked to cognitive problems; and among children with a previous diagnosis, repeated DKA exposure predicted lower cognitive performance after accounting for glycemic control.
Pandemic Will Leave Children With Less Access to Eye Care, New Survey Shows
New survey shows that pediatric specialists are struggling to keep their practices viable in the wake of the shutdown. As a result, children in America may suffer medical outcomes not anticipated in first-world countries.
Just in time for children returning to school this fall, Baylor Scott & White Health has launched an at-home monitoring service for children diagnosed with COVID-19.
Just in time for children returning to school this fall, Baylor Scott & White Health has launched an at-home monitoring service for children diagnosed with COVID-19. The service has been offered for adults since April. If you are interested in…
Baylor Scott & White Health Launches Digital At-Home Monitoring for Children Diagnosed with COVID-19
Baylor Scott & White Health has launched expanded digital care options via the MyBSWHealth app and online portal to provide support for children who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Digital at-home monitoring has been available for adults ages 18 and older since May
How a Baby in Heart Failure Received a New Heart in the Midst of the Pandemic
A pandemic story with a happy ending. How a baby received a new heart after months of waiting amid the pandemic.
Dr. Lisa Gwynn Named President of Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics
Lisa Gwynn, D.O., M.B.A., associate professor of clinical pediatrics and public health sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has been named president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP). Dr. Gwynn’s two-year appointment, effective Sept. 6, was voted on by FCAAP members across Florida.
Pregnant mother’s immunity tied to behavioral, emotional challenges for kids with autism
Children with autism born to mothers who had immune conditions during their pregnancy are more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems, a UC Davis Health study has found. Offspring sex may also interact with maternal immune conditions to influence outcomes, particularly in terms of a child’s cognition.
Insulin Cost-Sharing Caps May Help Kids, Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes
Although additional policies are needed to relieve insulin’s financial burden, researchers find a national cost-sharing cap helps privately insured children and young adults with type 1 diabetes pay less out-of-pocket.
Virginia Tech, partners launch nation’s first pediatric rehabilitation resource center
Research partners across three institutions are opening the nation’s first and only resource center dedicated to promoting clinical trials research in the rapidly expanding field of pediatric rehabilitation. It will be one of a network six centers under the umbrella of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, with direct oversight from the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.
Should You Take Your Child to the Emergency Room, Urgent Care—or Call the Doctor?
As a parent, your number one goal is keeping your child safe and healthy. When is it time to head to the emergency department (ED)—and when is it best to call your child’s doctor, or go to an urgent care center?
Previously undetected brain pulses may help circuits survive disuse, injury
For the sake of research on brain and mobility, Nico Dosenbach, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, wore a cast on his right dominant arm despite not having an injury. He then underwent hours of MRI scans while wearing the cast, and for two weeks before and after. The MRI scans found previously undetected brain pulses. The researchers also found that disuse of an arm causes the affected brain region to disconnect from the rest of the brain’s motor system within two days. However, spontaneous pulses maintain activity in the disused circuits until the region becomes active again when mobility is regained.
How Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Is Keeping Families Safe During COVID-19 How Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Is Keeping Families Safe During COVID-19
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has launched extensive protective measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and keep patients, families and team members safe. With these measures firmly in place, the hospital is encouraging families not to delay needed care for their children.
New chemotherapy drug studied for malignant brain tumor in children
MTX110 is a new formulation of panobinostat, a chemotherapy drug that has shown promise in laboratory models of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Now, MTX110 is the focus of a novel trial that places the therapy directly into the fourth ventricle of the brain to treat patients with recurrent medulloblastoma.
Behavioral intervention, not lovastatin, improves language skills in youth with fragile X
A UC Davis Health study found more evidence for the efficacy of behavioral intervention in treating language problems in youth with fragile X syndrome (FXS), but none for lovastatin as a treatment for FXS.
Robot Uses Artificial Intelligence and Imaging to Draw Blood
Rutgers engineers have created a tabletop device that combines a robot, artificial intelligence and near-infrared and ultrasound imaging to draw blood or insert catheters to deliver fluids and drugs. Their research results, published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, suggest that autonomous systems like the image-guided robotic device could outperform people on some complex medical tasks.
Seed Funds Awarded to Four Proposals to Develop Medical Devices for Children
The Pennsylvania Pediatric Medical Device Consortium (PPDC) has announced its latest round of seed grants to companies developing medical devices for children. The Consortium chose four projects from eight finalists in a competition to receive seed grants of $50,000 each.
Study finds many youth living with undiagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome
Most youth living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) have not been diagnosed, according to a new prevalence study from researchers at DePaul University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, published by the journal Child & Youth Care Forum. Leonard A. Jason, a professor of psychology at DePaul University, led the seven-year study to screen more than 10,000 children and teenagers in the Chicago area.
Clinical Trial: Vitamin D Supplementation Linked to Potential Improvements in Blood Pressure in Children
Overweight and obese vitamin D-deficient children who took a relatively high dose of vitamin D every day for six months had lower blood pressure and improved insulin sensitivity than their peers who took a lower dose, according to the results of a new clinical trial.
Visits to Pediatricians on the Decline
Commercially insured children in the U.S. are seeing pediatricians less often than they did a decade ago, according to a new analysis led by a pediatrician-scientist at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital Welcomes New Pediatric Neurology Chief, Jan B. Wollack, M.D.
Hackensack Meridian Health K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, located at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, recently welcomed Jan B. Wollack, M.D., PhD, as Chief of Pediatric Neurology.
Pediatric feeding group helps picky eaters and problem feeders
Local children are learning how to enjoy eating during the first Pediatric Feeding Group at the Wichita State University Speech-Language-Hearing (SLH) Clinic.
3D brain tissue system aids study of deadly tumor progression
Made with extracellular matrix (ECM) from pig brains and seeded with tumors from patients, the system is revealing tumor/ECM interactions that aid tumor growth, providing potential targets for new therapies.
Kids who specialize in a single sport more than 8 months in a year are more likely to get injured.
Tracy Zaslow, MD, is the director of the Sports Concussion Program and medical director of the Sports Medicine Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Zaslow, a team physician for the L.A. Galaxy professional soccer team, understands the goals and…
Stay alert at the pool, beach, or lake
Failing to keep an eye out at the pool, lake or ocean can be deadly as drownings can happen in seconds. If you plan to head out to the water this Labor Day weekend, there are some safety steps you can take to prevent tragedy.
Back-to-school tips from Rowan Medicine Pediatrics
Heading back to school after the long summer causes jubilation in many parents but the adjustment and the anxiety for children can make the transition very difficult. To help ease that transition, Rowan Medicine pediatrician Dr. Tanya Kadrmas-Iannuzzi offers these tips and advice for parents to follow: Easing back-to-school nerves Some kids are nervous or anxious about starting or going back to school – they are uncertain about leaving the home or separating from their parents.
$4.96 million CIRM grant awarded to Sanford Burnham Prebys to help the tiniest patients
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded a $4.96 million grant to Sanford Burnham Prebys Professor Evan Y. Snyder, M.D., Ph.D. The funding will allow Snyder to complete pre-investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies, a step toward securing U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a human trial for neural stem cells as a potential treatment for newborns who experience oxygen and blood-flow deprivation during birth. Called perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HII), the lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain can cause cerebral palsy and other permanent neurological disorders.