Dr. Judy Aschner continues her investigations into childhood development
Tag: Pediatrics
Iron supplements provided in prenatal visits improved outcomes
Giving free prenatal iron supplements to medically underserved pregnant patients rather than only recommending them significantly reduced anemia and postpartum blood transfusions, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Health report in a study published in JAMA Network Open.
The Latest in Science and Medical Advancement in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery to be Presented at AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting
The latest research and advances in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery will be presented in Nashville, Tennessee, during the AAO-HNSF 2023 Annual Meeting & OTO Experience, September 30 – October 4.
Study Shows Nearly 300% Increase in ADHD Medication Errors
In a new study, published in Pediatrics, researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital investigated the characteristics and trends of out-of-hospital ADHD medication errors among people younger than 20 years old reported to U.S. poison centers from 2000 through 2021.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Names Alan S. Wayne, MD, as Pediatrician-in-Chief and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs
A nationally renowned medical leader, clinician and researcher in cancer and blood diseases, Alan S. Wayne, MD, has been appointed as the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
Medical Care publishes article collection on integrating evidence-based programs into clinical practice
As part of its partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Medical Care has published its first PCORI-sponsored article collection, which provides specific information about the costs that healthcare systems can expect to incur in promoting the uptake of specific evidence-based programs.
Study tracks Texas youths being treated for depression
Nearly half of Texas youths being treated for depression or suicidal thoughts reported at least one suicide attempt, and 90% had experienced suicidal ideation, according to a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.
Study: health equity an important aspect of improving quality of care provided to children in emergency departments
A new multi-site study led by Indiana University School of Medicine found increasing pediatric readiness in emergency departments reduces, but does not eliminate, racial and ethnic disparities in children and adolescents with acute medical emergencies.
Firearm Injuries and the Pandemic: Lower Opportunity Neighborhoods are Disproportionately Affected
In a new study, investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles reveal that children from lower opportunity neighborhoods had a significantly higher rate of firearm-related injury during the pandemic.
New primary care model created to dispense nutrition advice
Expert advice on nutrition delivered to patients electronically saved physicians time, improved patient satisfaction, and was reimbursable by insurance, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

Obesity plays key role in children’s sleep apnea
Obesity and older age are significant predictors of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health found. The study is published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology.
Medical experts available: Backpack safety, Child Eye Health & Safety Month, preventing injuries in young athletes, and National Breastfeeding Month
As you plan your health coverage for this week and next, Ochsner Health has medical experts on standby to discuss backpack safety as kids head back to school, Child Eye Health & Safety Month, preventing injuries in young athletes, and…

Research pinpoints inflammation source behind atherosclerosis
Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas have discovered in mice how high cholesterol causes blood vessels to become inflamed, a necessary prerequisite for atherosclerosis – the “hardening of the arteries” responsible for most heart attacks and strokes. The findings, published in Nature Communications, could lead to new interventions to protect against cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally.
Wake Forest University School of Medicine Approved for $4.4 Million PCORI Funding Award to Study Telehealth
A team of researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has been approved for a $4.4 million funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to assess the benefits of expanding telehealth by primary care physicians to children with complex chronic conditions and their caregivers. The project is a collaboration with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s in Winston-Salem and Atrium Health Levine Children’s in Charlotte.
Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month — 10-Year-Old Johns Hopkins Children’s Center Patient’s Journey Living with Juvenile Arthritis
In December 2021, 9-year-old Bryce Lampe of Edgewater, Maryland, began experiencing serious symptoms — a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches so intense he could barely move, causing him to sleep like a corpse, recalls his mother, Alexandra.
CRI’s Sean Morrison elected to European Molecular Biology Organization
Stem cell biologist Sean J. Morrison, Ph.D., Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and founding Director and Professor of the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI), has been elected by his peers as an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Public-private consortium will fund three gene therapy clinical trials at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health
A consortium of government, industry, and nonprofit partners will fund gene therapy clinical trials for three different rare diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Health, where scientists are working on gene therapies to treat neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
As Summer Heats Up, CHOP Researchers Study Caregiver Attitudes Toward Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke
Despite prevention efforts, a child dies of heatstroke in a vehicle approximately once every 10 days. According to a new survey, most caregivers report they never leave children in their vehicles for any length of time. However, the attitudes toward those who were thought to put their children at risk for pediatric vehicular heatstroke are largely negative, which may cause some caregivers not to adopt important mitigation efforts to prevent these tragic deaths.
Public-private consortium will fund three gene therapy clinical trials at UT Southwestern
A consortium of government, industry, and nonprofit partners will fund gene therapy clinical trials for three rare diseases at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where scientists are working on gene therapies to treat neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Marks A Decade as One of the Nation’s Best
Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll for the 10th consecutive year. The Honor Roll is a top distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide recognized by U.S. News as the “Best of the Best.” Nationwide Children’s is ranked sixth on the 2023-24 Honor Roll list.
Debriefing After Critical Events Combines Review, Reflection
The PICU bereavement/wellness committee at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago developed a tailored debriefing process to allow time for reflection and communication after critical patient events. The process was designed as a hot debriefing to be completed during the current shift, with all staff members who were involved in the event invited to participate.
Mortality high for children whose caregivers decline tracheostomies, UTSW study shows
Forty percent of critically ill children whose parents or other caregivers declined tracheostomies died within 24 months, and half of all deaths occurred within six weeks, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center Dallas found.
CHOP Researchers Show that IgA Fine Tunes the Body’s Interactions with Microbes
A new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has demonstrated that IgA acts as a “tuner” that regulates the number of microbes the body sees every day, restraining the systemic immune response to these commensal microbes and limiting the development of systemic immune dysregulation.
CHOP Researchers Comprehensively Assess the Safety of Using Your Head in Youth Soccer
Repeatedly heading a soccer ball has been previously associated with negative long-term brain health for professional players. However, a new study found that a small number of repeated soccer headers equivalent to a throw-in did not cause immediate neurophysiological deficits for teens, suggesting that limited soccer heading exposure in youth sports may not result in irreversible harm if players are properly trained.
New Computational Tool Identifies Novel Targets for Cancer Immunotherapy
Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a computational platform capable of discovering tumor antigens derived from alternative RNA splicing, expanding the pool of cancer immunotherapy targets. The tool, called “Isoform peptides from RNA splicing for Immunotherapy target Screening” (IRIS), was described in a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Pandemic stress reshapes the placentas of expectant moms
Elevated maternal stress during the COVID-19 pandemic changed the structure, texture and other qualities of the placenta in pregnant mothers – a critical connection between mothers and their unborn babies – according to new research from the Developing Brain Institute at Children’s National Hospital.
When rural hospitals stop delivering babies, fewer mothers receive adequate pre-natal care
A study of Iowa hospitals finds that when a rural county loses its last labor and delivery unit, fewer expectant mothers who live there get adequate pre-natal care, even though that care is still available.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Princeton Researchers Identify Novel Genetic Disorder
Researchers have discovered a novel genetic disorder associated with neurodevelopmental differences. The discovery identified the disorder in 21 families from all over the world.
UT Southwestern, Children’s Health to lead clinical trial on pediatric cancer patients
UT Southwestern Medical Center will lead a national multicenter clinical trial to test a treatment strategy for pediatric cancer patients that has shown promising results in adults. The trial will examine the effects of combining several chemotherapy agents with an immunotherapy drug in children with solid tumors that have recurred or shown no significant response after initial treatment.
Extreme poverty a key driver for relapse in kids with ALL
Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who live in extreme poverty and were undergoing maintenance therapy faced an almost two-fold greater risk of relapse compared with kids who weren’t as poor, according to a study published in today’s issue of Blood.

Scientists narrow down pool of potential height genes
When it comes to height, our fate is sealed along with our growth plates—cartilage near the ends of bones that hardens as a child develops. Research publishing April 14 in the journal Cell Genomics shows that cells in these plates determine the length and shape of our bones and can hint at our stature.
Researchers Find Earlier Intervention Leads to Greater Improvements in Young Children on the Autism Spectrum
Researchers have demonstrated that starting intervention coaching parents of autistic toddlers as early as 18 months leads to better gains in language, social communication, and daily living skills.

From tragedy, a new potential cancer treatment
Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a lethal pediatric brain cancer that often kills within a year of diagnosis. Surgery is almost impossible because of the tumors’ location. Chemotherapy has debilitating side effects. New treatment options are desperately needed.
Wireless pacemakers may be safe, effective for children with irregular heart rhythms
Wireless or leadless pacemakers, commonly implanted in adults, may be a safe and effective short-term option for children with slow heartbeats, according to new research published today in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
UT Southwestern surgeon offers insight on elbow injuries among young baseball players
Spring marks the arrival of baseball, and with it the risk of elbow injuries among young players. Tears or ruptures of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) are the most common elbow injury among baseball players from youth leagues to the major leagues, especially pitchers. The most severe cases require reconstructive surgery, commonly known as Tommy John surgery.

UT Southwestern researchers create model to assess post-tonsillectomy bleed rates
Researchers led by a team at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a statistical model to identify standards for typical, high, or low rates of bleeding after pediatric tonsillectomies. The findings, published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, could help doctors and hospitals improve outcomes for the third-most common pediatric surgery in the U.S.
Shh! Intensive care incubators resonate sounds and risk damage to premature babies’ hearing, scientists say
For vulnerable premature babies, an incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a lifesaver, but the consequences can last a lifetime.
Saint Joseph’s University Expert Available to Comment on Adderall Shortage in U.S.
What: According to a recent Washington Post article, prescriptions for Adderall rose more than 30% over the past five years and accelerated during the pandemic. Now, there is a nationwide shortage of the drug. Nearly 40% of all prescriptions for stimulants, including…
CHOP Researchers Develop First-Of-Its-Kind Prediction Model for Newborn Seizures
Researchers have developed a prediction model that determines which newborn babies are likely to experience seizures in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This model could be incorporated into routine care to help the clinical team decide which babies will need electroencephalograms (EEGs) and which babies can be safely managed in the Neonatal Care Unit without monitoring through EEGs. This would allow families and providers to care for babies without intrusive and unnecessary procedures.
CHOP Researchers Find Strong Adolescent-Parent Relationships Lead to Better Long-term Health Outcomes in Young Adults
Researchers have found that adolescents who report strong relationships with their parents have better long-term health outcomes. Study findings suggest that investments in improving parent–adolescent relationships could help improve general health, mental health and sexual, health while also reducing substance use in young adulthood.
Vitamin A may reduce pancreatitis risk during ALL treatment
Consuming a diet rich in vitamin A or its analogs may help prevent children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) reduce their risk of developing painful pancreas inflammation during chemotherapy treatment.
Simmons Cancer Center investigators receive nearly $15 million in CPRIT funding
Ten scientists in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center have been awarded nearly $15 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to advance research on a wide range of cancer issues.
Healthy gut bacteria can help fight cancer in other parts of the body, UTSW researchers find
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how healthy bacteria can escape the intestine, travel to lymph nodes and cancerous tumors elsewhere in the body, and boost the effectiveness of certain immunotherapy drugs. The findings, published in Science Immunology, shed light on why antibiotics can weaken the effect of immunotherapies and could lead to new cancer treatments.
CHOP Researchers Find Rate of Fatal Opioid Poisonings Among Children More Than Doubled Over 13-Year Span
Researchers found opioids were responsible for more than half of all fatal poisonings in children ages 5 and younger, more than double the proportion of fatal poisonings caused by opioids in 2005. Additionally, over-the-counter drugs still contribute to fatal poisonings in this age group despite increased regulation. The findings, published today in the journal Pediatrics, underscore the need for improved intervention to prevent further fatal poisonings.

Splicing Deregulation Detected and Targeted in Type of Childhood Leukemia
UC San Diego researchers delve deep into the unknown cause of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia to identify a gene splicing dysregulation and potential target for treating the disease, which often becomes treatment-resistant.
Kids with Cerebral Palsy Have More Small Muscle Fibers, More Stem Cells in Contractured Muscles
Article title: Resident muscle stem myogenic characteristics in postnatal muscle growth impairments in children with cerebral palsy Authors: Ryan E. Kahn, Timothy Krater, Jill E. Larson, Marysol Encarnacion, Tasos Karakostas, Neeraj M. Patel, Vineeta T Swaroop, Sudarshan Dayanidhi From the…
How do parents decide if they should vaccinate their kids against SARS-CoV-2?
For parents, the decision to vaccinate their kids against SARS-CoV-2 is complex, influenced by scientific evidence, political and social pressures, and views about individual versus collective benefits of vaccination.
Paying Family Members for At-Home Medical Care of Their Children Found to Be a Viable Answer to Healthcare Worker Shortage
A recent study found that a Medicaid program in Colorado can help address the shortage of home healthcare workers for children with complex medical needs by offering family members certified nursing assistant (CNA) training and paying them for at-home medical care their child requires. Results show that children who received family-CNA care were not more likely to be hospitalized than children cared for by a non-family CNA. Children with family-CNA caregivers also experienced greater care continuity since turnover was not an issue as it tends to be with traditional home healthcare workers. Findings were published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Emphasizes Importance of Lifesaving AED & CPR Training for Schools and Communities
While sudden cardiac arrest is rare, it can happen to anyone at any time – including children, non-athletes and healthy individuals. Educating youth and adults to act swiftly and use an AED when they witness medical emergencies can help save lives. The AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses potentially life-threatening heart rhythms and delivers a shock only if necessary.
CHOP Study Finds Multidisciplinary Approach Best When Assisting Families with Limited English Proficiency
Pediatric patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) may face additional challenges when they present to an emergency room. However, researchers found that a multidisciplinary approach helped implement the services of interpreters earlier and significantly improved the identification of these patients to help them receive the care they need.