Targeting Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

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A Surprising Approach to Classic Bladder Exstrophy

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Understanding Immune Responses to Build a Better Vaccine

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“Left Behind Again:” Rural Children Enrolled in Medicaid Use Home Health Services Far Less Than Urban Children
 “Left Behind Again:” Rural Children Enrolled in Medicaid Use Home Health Services Far Less Than Urban Children 1024 575 Jeb Phillips
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Data from a pediatric accountable care organization is allowing physicians and researchers to explore the rural-urban health care gap. While it’s long been clear that children in rural areas have reduced access to some kinds of health care services compared to their urban peers,…

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Close up color photo of little boy holding hands on his belly
Study Highlights Relationship Between SI Gene and Chronic, Idiopathic Loose Stool in Some Children
 Study Highlights Relationship Between SI Gene and Chronic, Idiopathic Loose Stool in Some Children 1024 680 Abbie Roth
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Researchers conducted one of the largest prospective, multicenter trials in pediatrics looking at the connection between SI variants and common gastrointestinal symptoms. The SI gene codes for the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme, which is expressed in the intestinal brush border. This enzyme is important to the…

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She for She: Supporting Women in Orthopaedics
 She for She: Supporting Women in Orthopaedics 1024 575 Julie Samora, MD, PhD
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Julie Balch Samora, MD, PhD, MPH, an orthopaedic surgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the hospital’s associate medical director for quality, is the 2021 President of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society – the leading international organization championing women in orthopaedics. This column was adapted…

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Featured Researcher – Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD
 Featured Researcher – Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD 150 150 Natalie Wilson
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Mingtao Zhao, DVM, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Cardiovascular Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Zhao’s research aims…

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Leaving No Stone Unturned: Nationwide Children’s Joins Children’s Oncology Group Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network
 Leaving No Stone Unturned: Nationwide Children’s Joins Children’s Oncology Group Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network 1024 683 Natalie Wilson
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The Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the world’s largest and most recognized pediatric cancer research collaborative, recently selected Nationwide Children’s Hospital to join its Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trial Network (PEP-CTN) through a peer review process. The COG PEP-CTN is a re-iteration of the COG…

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9 Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine
 9 Facts About the COVID-19 Vaccine 1024 683 Abbie Roth
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COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In the United States, three vaccines are approved for emergency use, those produced by Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J). These vaccines dramatically reduce your risk of getting severely ill or dying from COVID-19.…

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Surgical Management of Recurrent Patellar Instability in the Pediatric Population
 Surgical Management of Recurrent Patellar Instability in the Pediatric Population 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction via the quadriceps turndown technique is safe and effective in young patients. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the quadriceps turndown technique for medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in pediatric and adolescent…

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sleeping infant
Antibodies to Spinal Muscular Atrophy Gene Therapy Vector May Dissipate, Allowing More Children to Receive Treatment
 Antibodies to Spinal Muscular Atrophy Gene Therapy Vector May Dissipate, Allowing More Children to Receive Treatment 1024 681 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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A review of antibody titers for SMA patients revealed that levels may decrease with time, potentially enabling delayed dosing for children who otherwise might have been excluded from life-saving gene therapy. Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors are used to deliver gene therapies such as onasemnogene…

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Keeping in Touch: Renin-Producing Cells Require Cell Adhesion Molecule to Survive
 Keeping in Touch: Renin-Producing Cells Require Cell Adhesion Molecule to Survive 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
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Uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system may provide insights into the long-term effects of hypertension and antihypertensive medications.  As the main source of renin in the human body, juxtaglomerular (JG) cells are crucial for blood pressure and fluid-electrolyte homeostasis. However, these cells…

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The Sound of Silence: The Impact of “Silent” Genetic Variation in Health and Disease
 The Sound of Silence: The Impact of “Silent” Genetic Variation in Health and Disease 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
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Despite widespread scientific interest in messenger RNA (mRNA) structure, its role in human health and disease remains poorly understood. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have developed novel software and metrics to identify “silent” genetic variants that affect mRNA folding and may underlie rare genetic…

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Growth Hormone is Still Important Beyond the Growing Years
 Growth Hormone is Still Important Beyond the Growing Years 1024 683 Rohan Henry, MD, MS
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The History of Growth Hormone The first reported use of growth hormone (GH) as treatment for severe growth retardation occurred in the 1950s.1 Since that time, growth hormone’s importance in growth promotion has been clear. Its role in promoting normal metabolism even after growth…

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Illustration of heart, CAVD
Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative: Shared Focus on Quality to Improve Outcomes and Family Experiences
 Pediatric Acute Care Cardiology Collaborative: Shared Focus on Quality to Improve Outcomes and Family Experiences 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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The PAC3 has released three recent studies describing care practices and outcomes across member institutions in an effort to drive improved care. Established in 2014 with the aim of improving acute care outcomes and experience among pediatric cardiology patients, families, clinicians and hospitals, the…

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Featured Researcher – Susan Creary, MD, MSc
 Featured Researcher – Susan Creary, MD, MSc 150 150 and Natalie Wilson
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Susan Creary, MD, MSc, is a principal investigator in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a physician in the Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Clinic at Nationwide Children’s,…

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What is “Dry Drowning,” and How Do I Talk to Parents About It?
 What is “Dry Drowning,” and How Do I Talk to Parents About It? 1024 683 Daniel Scherzer, MD and Bema Bonsu, MD
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The concern about so called “dry drowning” (which is not an actual medical phrase; neither is “secondary drowning”) is based on the fear that a child can unexpectedly succumb to respiratory problems some unpredictable time after swimming. This fear has been exacerbated by media…

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Unraveling Intractable Functional Constipation: Manometries Are Still the Gold Standard
 Unraveling Intractable Functional Constipation: Manometries Are Still the Gold Standard 1024 680 Natalie Wilson
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Cine-MRI recordings can’t replace colonic manometries when assessing motility among children with functional constipation, but they may offer additional information. And conducting both MRIs and manometries simultaneously is feasible. While functional constipation (FC) is common in childhood, and most children who experience it respond…

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Indicators of Blood Clot Potential Directly Relate to Nephrotic Syndrome Severity
 Indicators of Blood Clot Potential Directly Relate to Nephrotic Syndrome Severity 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Researchers in the NEPTUNE network and collaborators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have confirmed their preclinical studies demonstrating a direct correlation between the severity of disease and prothrombotic biomarkers in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome (NS) dramatically increases the risk of a life-threatening blood…

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How Can We Make Child Health Equitable?
 How Can We Make Child Health Equitable? 550 350 Jeb Phillips, Abbie Roth and Natalie Wilson
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Researchers in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are tackling this question by identifying health disparities and uncovering exactly how social drivers of health impact outcomes. “Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity…

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The First Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines for Children Who Require Surgery
 The First Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines for Children Who Require Surgery 1024 573 Lauren Dembeck
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Providers should recognize the risks of opioids, maximize nonopioid regimens, and educate families appropriately. The first opioid-prescribing guidelines to address the unique needs of children who require surgery have been published by an expert panel in JAMA Surgery. The new guidelines aim to help…

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A New Kind of Rectal Diversion in Classic Bladder Exstrophy
 A New Kind of Rectal Diversion in Classic Bladder Exstrophy 1024 754 Jeb Phillips
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  This article appeared in the Spring/Summer 2021 print issue. Download the full issue.   Medical illustrations by Mandy Root-Thompson for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Source: V. Rama Jayanthi, chief of Urology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital To learn more about the procedure and it’s applications,…

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A Surprising Approach to Classic Bladder Exstrophy
 A Surprising Approach to Classic Bladder Exstrophy 1024 754 Jeb Phillips
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A procedure developed at Nationwide Children’s Hospital comes with possible risks but can have a huge impact on quality of life. It’s become clearer over the last two years that a “good outcome” for children born with classic bladder exstrophy is in the eye…

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Targeting DIPG: The Most Puzzling of Pediatric Brain Tumors
 Targeting DIPG: The Most Puzzling of Pediatric Brain Tumors 1024 629 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Survival has dramatically improved for numerous pediatric cancers over the last several decades, with a notable and very deadly exception: diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Now, a community of researchers and clinician-scientists have set the stage for a renewed — and better-armed — assault…

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Lauren Bakaletz, PhD
Lessons Learned Through a Global Pandemic
 Lessons Learned Through a Global Pandemic 1024 683 Lauren Bakaletz, PhD
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As a microbiologist and vaccinologist, I spend nearly every day thinking about viruses and bacteria and the diseases they cause, as well as how to best prevent them from doing so. While in graduate school, we were taught about the great ‘flu’ pandemic of…

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Understanding Immune Responses to Build a Better Vaccine
 Understanding Immune Responses to Build a Better Vaccine 1024 606 Abbie Roth
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Researchers have used studies of respiratory syncytial virus and infant immune responses to develop a promising vaccine candidate. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an incredibly common yet potentially deadly pathogen. Almost everyone becomes infected with RSV during their first three years of life, but…

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toddler brushing teeth
Pediatricians Offer Valuable Oral Health Services for the Very Young, Before and Throughout Pandemic
 Pediatricians Offer Valuable Oral Health Services for the Very Young, Before and Throughout Pandemic 1024 680 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Medical professionals see very young children much more frequently during the first several years of life than dentists, and many states’ Medicaid programs have seized the opportunity to reimburse pediatricians for preventive oral care, such as fluoride application and oral hygiene education. Despite reimbursement…

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Even Severe Asthma Can Improve if Guidelines Are Followed
 Even Severe Asthma Can Improve if Guidelines Are Followed 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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Patients treated with adequate medications and asthma family education can significantly improve irrespective of asthma severity. Severe asthma accounts for 5-8% of patients with asthma, but this group is more challenging to treat and is responsible for up to 40% of total asthma-care expenses.…

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Baby in NICU
Global Study Highlights Antibiotic Overuse in the NICU
 Global Study Highlights Antibiotic Overuse in the NICU 1024 683 Abbie Roth
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Antimicrobial stewardship programs were associated with lower antibiotic use, regardless of the country’s income level. Excessive antibiotic use among infants born preterm in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) is associated with poor patient outcomes, such as sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and others,…

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Can Neurocognitive Functioning Tests Help Predict Future Suicide Attempts?
 Can Neurocognitive Functioning Tests Help Predict Future Suicide Attempts? 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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Researchers identify sex-specific deficits in measures of working memory and affective processing associated with suicidal behavior in youth with depression. To prevent youth suicide, researchers are working to identify factors associated with suicide attempts in adolescents at elevated risk for suicidal behavior. In a…

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Teen driving a car
Lower Traffic Volumes During COVID-19 Shut-Downs Lead to Fewer Injuries
 Lower Traffic Volumes During COVID-19 Shut-Downs Lead to Fewer Injuries 1024 683 Laura Dattner
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To minimize transmission of COVID-19, in spring 2020, most U.S. states passed policies promoting social distancing through stay-at-home orders prohibiting non-essential travel. While vehicle-miles traveled in the United States decreased by 41% in April 2020 compared to 2019, the effect of this mobility decrease…

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Innovative Biostatistical Methodology for Causal Evaluation of Medical Treatments
 Innovative Biostatistical Methodology for Causal Evaluation of Medical Treatments 150 150 Laura Dattner
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Medical records are readily available nowadays, but using medical records to evaluate medical treatments is full of challenges. Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, professor of medicine and principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy, collaborated with biostatisticians from The Ohio State…

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coronavirus
Introducing a New SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidate
 Introducing a New SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidate 1024 512 Abbie Roth
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The new vaccine candidate takes advantage of the long and successful history of the measles vaccine. A team of researchers from The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s have built a novel vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2. The candidate, published in Proceedings of the National…

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Getting Children and Families Outside With PlayStreets
 Getting Children and Families Outside With PlayStreets 1024 683 Tiwana Henderson
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A PlayStreet initiative in 2019 from Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Families helped more than 350 South Side residents get outside and play – safely. Research has found that children who play outside are more physically active and have stronger social skills that those who do…

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cube made of ball magnets in the palm of a hand
Calls to Poison Centers About High-Powered Magnets Increased by 444% After Ban Lifts
 Calls to Poison Centers About High-Powered Magnets Increased by 444% After Ban Lifts 1024 521 Laura Dattner
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High-powered magnets are small, shiny and made from powerful rare earth metals. Since they started showing up in children’s toys in the early 2000s and then later in desk sets in 2009, high-powered magnets have caused thousands of injuries and are considered to be among…

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Long-Term Treatment of Pediatric Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy with Pulse Oral Corticosteroid Therapy
 Long-Term Treatment of Pediatric Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy with Pulse Oral Corticosteroid Therapy 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Pediatric patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy can benefit from the safety and effectiveness of long-term pulse oral corticosteroid therapy. Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) affects the peripheral nervous system in children, causing weakness, sensory loss and depressed tendon reflexes. Pediatric patients with this…

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Girls’ Perineal Microbiomes Change Over Development, After Urinary Tract Infection
 Girls’ Perineal Microbiomes Change Over Development, After Urinary Tract Infection 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
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Next-generation sequencing reveals different flora associated with developmental milestones in girls, as well as disruptions in patients with a history of urinary tract infection. In a new pilot study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital evaluated the microbiomes of girls at specific developmental timepoints. They…

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Targeting FSHD With Designed Antisense RNAs
 Targeting FSHD With Designed Antisense RNAs 1024 683 Abbie Roth
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Researchers describe small nuclear RNA antisense expression cassettes as a way to silence the DUX4 gene underlying facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) arises from genetic and epigenetic changes that result in expression of the DUX4 gene in muscle. DUX4 is a developmental…

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Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Training Improves Empathy Among Health Care Providers
 Immersive Virtual Reality-Based Training Improves Empathy Among Health Care Providers 414 224 Lauren Dembeck
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A novel VR-based training program helps providers develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes to understand how social determinants of health affect patients and how to mitigate their effects. Researchers recently reported their novel virtual reality (VR)-based empathy training program, Making Professionals Able THrough Immersion (MPATHI),…

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How Important is Fasting for Pediatric Routine Cholesterol Screening?
 How Important is Fasting for Pediatric Routine Cholesterol Screening? 1024 575 Andrew Tran, MD
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A nonfasting lipid panel is a great first-line screening tool to use. While it is ideal to have a fasting lipid panel, this can be difficult to obtain in practice. For the purposes of screening, I think that it is much more important to…

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No More Sitting in the Dark?
 No More Sitting in the Dark? 1024 728 Laura Dattner
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A new study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine is the first to document objectively self-paced physical and cognitive activity post-concussion among youth. The results suggest they may be able to engage in physical and cognitive activity…

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Illustration of NK Cells, T Cells, other immune cells floating across white background
Modifying NK Cells With CRISPR/Cas9
 Modifying NK Cells With CRISPR/Cas9 969 533 Mary Bates, PhD
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A proof-of-concept study shows success in modifying NK cells for multiple myeloma. In a new proof-of-concept study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to genetically modify natural killer immune cells, which they then showed are able to address a recognized hurdle in…

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Protecting an ‘Open Future:’ Improving Fertility Preservation Decision-Making for Young Males With Cancer
 Protecting an ‘Open Future:’ Improving Fertility Preservation Decision-Making for Young Males With Cancer 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Evidence from a new study highlights the importance of family-centered decision processes and clinician facilitation in improving fertility preservation uptake prior to cancer treatment. Numerous cancer treatments can reduce fertility or render some patients entirely infertile, but fertility preservation (FP) services have historically had…

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A Quick and Reliable Method to Determine The Time to Full Weight Bearing in Patients Undergoing Intramedullary Limb Lengthening
 A Quick and Reliable Method to Determine The Time to Full Weight Bearing in Patients Undergoing Intramedullary Limb Lengthening 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
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A new method to objectively measure bone healing may help the patient with an intramedullary lengthening nail make strides to full weight bearing status. Intramedullary limb lengthening is indicated for the treatment of limb length discrepancy and short stature. Traditionally, the procedure was done…

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No Evidence Supporting Prophylactic Indomethacin Treatment for Most Preterm Infants
 No Evidence Supporting Prophylactic Indomethacin Treatment for Most Preterm Infants 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
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Inconsistency among studies prompted researchers to take a closer look at the drug’s effects. Despite limited evidence supporting its use, prophylactic indomethacin treatment is often administered to very preterm infants within the first 24-hours after birth to reduce the risks of intraventricular hemorrhage and…

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One Year Reflection: Behavioral Health Pavilion Adds to Industry-Leading Model of Care During Pandemic
 One Year Reflection: Behavioral Health Pavilion Adds to Industry-Leading Model of Care During Pandemic 1024 538 Kaitlin Hall
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The full impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health likely won’t be known for some time. But even before the pandemic, pediatric mental health was in a national crisis, with one in five children living with a mental illness, and suicide the second leading…

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silhouette girl portrait
Investigating Youth Suicides Among Children Involved With the Welfare System
 Investigating Youth Suicides Among Children Involved With the Welfare System 1024 683 Natalie Wilson
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Youth with child welfare involvement are at an elevated risk for suicide but may benefit from suicide prevention interventions targeting health care settings and family-preservation. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 5 to 21 years in the United States.…

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Incidence and Impact of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
 Incidence and Impact of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome 150 150 Abbie Roth
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While incidence of severe kidney injury after surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome is low, it may be linked to increased 30-day mortality. Acute kidney injury – the abrupt decline of renal function – following pediatric heart surgery leads to worse outcomes, including increased…

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Top-down view of heart valves
Novel Nitric Oxide-Mediated Mechanism Facilitates Calcific Aortic Valve Disease
 Novel Nitric Oxide-Mediated Mechanism Facilitates Calcific Aortic Valve Disease 1024 752 Lauren Dembeck
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The novel pathway could be targeted to prevent or reverse aortic valve calcification in humans. Researchers have recently described a novel nitric oxide-mediated mechanism in calcific aortic valve disease that involves the ubiqutin-proteasome pathway, and its modulation in animal models was shown to cause…

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boy with muscular dystrophy completing walk test
Natural Progression of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for Boys Taking Long-Term Steroid Therapy
 Natural Progression of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy for Boys Taking Long-Term Steroid Therapy 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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New data define expected motor performance at different ages and will help in clinical trial design and interpretation. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating diagnosis, but there are many potential treatments in various stages of development. Clinical trials now target boys with DMD…

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blood cells
Inverse Relationship Between Age and Dose of Blood Thinners for Children
 Inverse Relationship Between Age and Dose of Blood Thinners for Children 1024 495 Natalie Wilson
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Infants and young children require higher doses of enoxaparin to treat blood clots than do older children. A blood clot, or thrombosis, isn’t a common problem in children, but it can be a dangerous one. Without proper treatment, a thrombosis can cause a host…

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Neurodevelopmental Trajectory in Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
 Neurodevelopmental Trajectory in Infants With Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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Infants exposed to opioids in utero begin showing cognitive and language deficits in their second year. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital report the neurodevelopmental outcomes of infants with pharmacologically treated neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS, formerly called neonatal abstinence syndrome,…

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Lisa Ulrich standing in hospital hallway
Increasing the Use of the Teach-Back Method in Asthma Education
 Increasing the Use of the Teach-Back Method in Asthma Education 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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A standardized approach to asthma education using the teach-back method helps respiratory therapists effectively address common issues with asthma management in pediatric patients. For the 8% of children and adults in the United States who have asthma, effective asthma education is essential to adequate…

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Collage of health technology tools
More Data on Rare GI Diseases, With Less Work
 More Data on Rare GI Diseases, With Less Work 1024 535 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Electronic health record systems can drive knowledge acquisition in rare gastrointestinal conditions — and other orphan diseases — without the burden of duplicative data entry. Rare diseases often remain poorly understood and inefficiently treated due to a lack of objective knowledge on their natural…

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What Puts Adolescent Patients With IBD at Risk for Suboptimal Transitions?
 What Puts Adolescent Patients With IBD at Risk for Suboptimal Transitions? 1024 673 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Psychosocial-related factors, such as mental health diagnoses and public insurance, have been shown to increase the risk of suboptimal transitions in adolescent patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Between ages 18 and 22, adolescent patients transition from pediatric to adult care. Ideally, at the time…

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Parent and child holding hands
Does Psychosocial Functioning Differ Among Children With and Without Differences of Sex Development?
 Does Psychosocial Functioning Differ Among Children With and Without Differences of Sex Development? 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck
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A multidisciplinary team of researchers recently found that children with differences of sex development (DSD) appear to be at greater risk for psychosocial problems relative to children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) and unaffected peers. The study, which was published in the Journal of…

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COVID-19 and the Heart: SARS-CoV-2-Associated Myocardial Infection
 COVID-19 and the Heart: SARS-CoV-2-Associated Myocardial Infection 150 150 Simon Lee
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Myocardial infection following COVID-19 illness has made headlines. Simon Lee, MD, tackles some commonly asked questions about MIS-C and isolated myocarditis after COVID-19 recovery.

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Lauren Bakaletz Named 2021 Allen Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research
 Lauren Bakaletz Named 2021 Allen Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research 1024 575 Abbie Roth
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Lauren Bakaletz, PhD, director of the Center for Microbial Pathogenesis in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was named the 2021 Allen Distinguished Scholar in Pediatric Research. The award is given in honor of former Nationwide Children’s CEO, Steve Allen, MD, and…

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Novel Genetic Driver Discovered for Pediatric Meningiomas Using Molecular Profiling
 Novel Genetic Driver Discovered for Pediatric Meningiomas Using Molecular Profiling 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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Researchers have uncovered a rare subset of meningiomas with a genetic driver shared by another cancer type, opening the door to new therapeutic considerations. When an interesting or intractable cancer case arises at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, researchers and clinicians involved in the Brain Tumor…

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two houses: one in poor repair, one in good repair
Study Shows That When Housing Quality is Poor, Children Suffer
 Study Shows That When Housing Quality is Poor, Children Suffer 1024 575 Jeb Phillips
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Holes in floors, cracks in walls, plumbing issues and/or problems with pests are linked with overall poorer pediatric health and higher health care use in a nationally representative study. Housing instability and homelessness are widely understood to have an impact on health, and certain…

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Pediatric Kidney Care: A Complex Issue for Low-Resource Nations
 Pediatric Kidney Care: A Complex Issue for Low-Resource Nations 1024 575 Eric Butterman
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Children are dying from kidney disease at alarming rates in low-resource nations. And some procedures that could reduce this high mortality would be considered simple and low-cost for many countries, says William Smoyer, MD, vice president and director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Research in…

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Kevin Klingele, MD
Determining the Probability of a Sequential Slipped Hip
 Determining the Probability of a Sequential Slipped Hip 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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A new predictive tool offers an objective method to help guide treatment in patients with unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis. In a recent study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s developed a scoring system based on radiological findings to predict sequential hip involvement in patients with unilateral…

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Batten Disease Experts Publish Common Key Practices For Enzyme Replacement Therapy
 Batten Disease Experts Publish Common Key Practices For Enzyme Replacement Therapy 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
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Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 disease is a rare, rapidly-progressing, neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder caused by tripeptidyl peptidase 1 deficiency. This form of Batten disease has an onset between two to four years of age. Children with CLN2 disease may experience intractable epilepsy, progressive…

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Blood cells
CLABSI in Hematology and Oncology: Progress Toward Zero
 CLABSI in Hematology and Oncology: Progress Toward Zero 1024 576 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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A thorough review of five years of CLABSI data reveals key gaps in clinical knowledge that must be addressed to further reduce infection rates. For some time, any bloodstream infection (BSI) in a patient with a central venous catheter was considered a central line-associated…

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small baby with nose canula
Polysomnography in Infants: How Much Total Sleep Time is Really Needed?
 Polysomnography in Infants: How Much Total Sleep Time is Really Needed? 1024 575 Abbie Roth
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Study identifies factors affecting total sleep time and suggests shorter sleep times can be effective for accurate interpretation and clinical decision making. In a recent study published in American Journal of Perinatology, experts from Nationwide Children’s Hospital investigated factors that affect total sleep time(TST) during infant…

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Novel Roles of the Urothelium in the Development of Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract
 Novel Roles of the Urothelium in the Development of Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract 150 150 Lauren Dembeck
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In addition to genetic defects, interactions of the developing urothelium with its underlying mesenchyme and superficial plaque may contribute to congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUTs) are the leading cause of chronic and…

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sleeping infant
Risk Stratification in Infants With Primary Pulmonary Vein Stenosis
 Risk Stratification in Infants With Primary Pulmonary Vein Stenosis 1024 681 Mary Bates, PhD
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Categorizing infants with pulmonary vein stenosis into stable and progressive groups could help inform treatment. Primary pulmonary vein stenosis is a rare, often lethal, cardiac disease. It is challenging to treat, as the disease can be progressive in some patients but not others. In a…

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Health care provider talking to male teen patient
Early Intervention is Key to Avoid Hospitalization for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
 Early Intervention is Key to Avoid Hospitalization for Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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Study finds that waiting to go to the emergency department for treatment increases likelihood of hospitalization. Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by periodic episodes of intense nausea and vomiting lasting hours to days. During episodes, some children become very sick…

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Boosting Natural Killer Cells for the Treatment of COVID-19
 Boosting Natural Killer Cells for the Treatment of COVID-19 150 150 Lauren Dembeck
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Natural killer cells — critical for immune surveillance and host defense — have an important role in cancer immunotherapy and antiviral responses. While driving to the laboratory one day, Brian Tullius, MA, MD, a fourth-year bone marrow transplant and cell therapies fellow at Nationwide…

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What Kids and Kidneys Can Teach Pediatricians About Racism in America
 What Kids and Kidneys Can Teach Pediatricians About Racism in America 1024 575 Ray Bignall
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O.N. Ray Bignall II, MD, FAAP, director of Kidney Health Advocacy and Community Engagement, explores how “race modifiers,” structural racism and health disparities are perpetuated in kidney care for kids, highlighting important areas primed for change.

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Toddler playing with toys
How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Measles Vaccination Rates?
 How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Measles Vaccination Rates? 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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Researchers are concerned about declining vaccination rates in the Nationwide Children’s Hospital pediatric primary care network. One consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is that more families are putting off their children’s preventive care visits, causing pediatric providers to worry about missed vaccines. In a…

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An Imbalance of Immune Cells Leads to Kidney Scarring After Infection
 An Imbalance of Immune Cells Leads to Kidney Scarring After Infection 1024 732 Mary Bates, PhD
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In a preclinical mouse model, researchers identify the immune cell balancing act that determines whether renal scarring will occur following kidney infection More than half of urinary tract infections in children spread from the bladder to the kidneys, causing acute kidney infections that can…

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small baby with nose canula
Taking on Bronchiolitis in the Age of COVID-19
 Taking on Bronchiolitis in the Age of COVID-19 1024 575 Eric Butterman
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In a recent episode of PediaCast CME, Drs. Asuncion Mejias and Gerd McGwire address the diagnosis and management of bronchiolitis – and special considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalizations for young infants around the world, and in a…

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Dr. Jayanthi standing in OR
Do Surgical Outcomes Differ Between Minimally Invasive Pyeloplasty Procedures in Treating Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction?
 Do Surgical Outcomes Differ Between Minimally Invasive Pyeloplasty Procedures in Treating Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction? 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Minimally invasive pyeloplasty has become increasingly popular over open dismembered pyeloplasty, the traditional treatment for ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Robotic-assisted pyeloplasty (RALP) and laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP) are minimally invasive procedures that produce smaller scars and less postoperative pain. These are advantages that appeal to parents…

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Illustration of lungs on blue silhouette of upper chest on black background
How Have Respiratory Outcomes Changed With New Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatments?
 How Have Respiratory Outcomes Changed With New Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatments? 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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Three new therapies are changing the prognosis for spinal muscular atrophy, but long-term monitoring of respiratory outcomes is still necessary.

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Reinforcing Education for Adrenal Insufficiency Self-Management Improves Patient Outcomes
 Reinforcing Education for Adrenal Insufficiency Self-Management Improves Patient Outcomes 150 150 Lauren Dembeck
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Patients with adrenal insufficiency (AI) receiving daily maintenance corticosteroid replacement therapy may develop signs and symptoms of AI when encountered with physical stress events, such as fever, infection, pain from injury or surgery. Patient education on stress dosing of hydrocortisone at the time of…

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Cerebral Organoids Provide Insight into Human Brain Development and Neurological Disease
 Cerebral Organoids Provide Insight into Human Brain Development and Neurological Disease 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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Correlations between the neuroelectrical maturation and cellular development of cerebral organoids highlight the organoids’ translational and therapeutical potential in early neurodevelopmental disorders. Cerebral organoids are three-dimensional miniature organs that resemble the human brain. Derived from human pluripotent stem cells, cerebral organoids have emerged to…

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Reducing Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients After Orthopedic Spine Surgery
 Reducing Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients After Orthopedic Spine Surgery 1024 575 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
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In pediatric patients undergoing orthopedic spine surgery, a step-wise bowel management plan can effectively reduce opioid-induced constipation and unplanned emergency department visits after surgery. Orthopedic spine surgery can generate pain in the immediate post-surgery period. Opioids are needed to mitigate this pain but commonly…

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Young child
Transplant-Free Survival Among Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Undergoing Hybrid Palliation
 Transplant-Free Survival Among Children With Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Undergoing Hybrid Palliation 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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The first long-term evaluation of kids with hypoplastic left heart syndrome undergoing hybrid palliation procedures finds transplant-free survival similar to that of the standard treatment at age 15 years. As one of the few teams in the world almost exclusively performing hybrid palliation surgery…

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The Role of Health Care Voice Assistants During a Pandemic and Beyond
 The Role of Health Care Voice Assistants During a Pandemic and Beyond 1024 576 Mary Bates, PhD
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The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the need for telehealth and other digital tools to deliver health care remotely. In a recent commentary published in NPJ Digital Medicine, researchers from Nationwide Children’s examined the state of voice assistants as an emerging tool for remote care delivery and discussed…

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Does Low Baseline Renal Volume Lead to Renal Insufficiency in Children With Cloacal Anomalies?
 Does Low Baseline Renal Volume Lead to Renal Insufficiency in Children With Cloacal Anomalies? 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
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According to the results of a recent study published in Urology, children with cloacal anomalies have baseline renal volumes similar to those of children without cloacal anomalies, indicating that the increased risk of renal insufficiency in children with cloacal anomalies appears to be due to…

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Prematurity and Genomics: Can Complications For a Baby Born Preterm Be Predicted?
 Prematurity and Genomics: Can Complications For a Baby Born Preterm Be Predicted? 1024 575 Eric Butterman
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Complications from being born preterm are the number one cause of death in the world for children under the age of five, says Leif Nelin, MD, division chief of Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University . But why…

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What Are the Clinical Implications of Crescentic Glomerulonephritis?
 What Are the Clinical Implications of Crescentic Glomerulonephritis? 1024 732 Abbie Roth
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The Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium’s most recent study investigates the risk factors for disease progression in children with glomerulonephritis and crescents on kidney biopsy. In patients with glomerulonephritis (GN), the histopathology of the kidney may include crescents, which result from extra-capillary proliferation of cells…

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teen girl using cell phone
Can Smartphone Apps Keep AYA Oncology Patients Plugged in to Their Medication Routines?
 Can Smartphone Apps Keep AYA Oncology Patients Plugged in to Their Medication Routines? 1024 684 Natalie Wilson
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Studies show that suboptimal medication adherence may be a barrier to increased survival rates among adolescents and young adults with cancer. Anthony Audino, MD, explores the utility of medication adherence apps to meet the unique needs of these patients. The incidence of cancer among…

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Fatty Acid Supplements May Improve Social and Emotional Wellbeing Even in Toddlers
 Fatty Acid Supplements May Improve Social and Emotional Wellbeing Even in Toddlers 150 150 Natalie Wilson
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Children who were given supplements of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid that serves as an important building block in babies’ developing brains, were less likely to meet the threshold on a test that determines whether they should be further evaluated for Autism…

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Exploring the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders
 Exploring the Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders 1024 680 Mary Bates, PhD
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A survey finds most children with functional abdominal pain disorders use at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine. Functional abdominal pain disorders, which include functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal migraine, are influenced by both biological and psychosocial factors. The underlying…

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Probiotics are Safe and Feasible for Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders
 Probiotics are Safe and Feasible for Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
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A pilot trial found a trend toward improvements in quality of life in patients treated with probiotics. Gastrointestinal disorders and anxiety symptoms are commonly reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent research in rodent models and neurotypical humans has demonstrated that changing…

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Measuring the Progression of CF in School-Aged Children
 Measuring the Progression of CF in School-Aged Children 1024 575 Abbie Roth
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A multicenter study utilized chest computed tomography and lung function tests taken repeatedly over two years in school-aged children with mild cystic fibrosis. Understanding disease progression in chronic illnesses is important to managing patients and improving outcomes. For children with cystic fibrosis, it can…

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Device for monitoring glucose placed on girl's arm
Comprehensive Type 1 Diabetes Wellness Score to Help Patients and Providers
 Comprehensive Type 1 Diabetes Wellness Score to Help Patients and Providers 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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A quality improvement effort resulted in the first-known composite score to track multiple clinical indicators of diabetes-related health in patients with Type 1. Despite the traditional use of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) as the standard metric for diabetes control, it has its shortcomings, such as…

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Increases in Number and Severity of Suicide-Related Calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers Involving Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
 Increases in Number and Severity of Suicide-Related Calls to U.S. Poison Control Centers Involving Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers 1024 575 Laura Dattner
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Experts call for increased regulation, prevention efforts. Over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) have long been a staple in households for managing pain, fevers and other common ailments. However, the accessibility of these medications can make them easy to…

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Paying for Telehealth After COVID-19
 Paying for Telehealth After COVID-19 1024 535 Jeb Phillips
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Telehealth has become an essential part of health care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its future depends on reimbursement and other financial questions. Just weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, health care stakeholders across the country were talking about the…

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Intractable Epilepsy Linked to Brain-Specific Genetic Mutation
 Intractable Epilepsy Linked to Brain-Specific Genetic Mutation 1024 794 Lauren Dembeck
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DNA replication errors during development are revealed by genomic study. As part of an ongoing, collaborative study between neurologists and genomics experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, researchers have identified somatic mosaicism in the resected brain tissues of a child with treatment-resistant, intractable epilepsy. One…

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More to Telehealth Than Meets the Screen
 More to Telehealth Than Meets the Screen 1024 535 Abbie Roth
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Telehealth has become essential to American health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but is it really the solution to our biggest access-to-care problems? When COVID-19 ignited stay-at-home orders, public and private insurers quickly relaxed the rules for covering telehealth visits. Health care systems responded…

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Updated Guidance on Oral Food Challenges
 Updated Guidance on Oral Food Challenges 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
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New report offers guidelines and examples for safely performing oral food challenges in clinical practice. Oral food challenges are integral for allergists to diagnose food allergies. In 2009, the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee within the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology published…

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The New Emergency Department — for Behavioral Health
 The New Emergency Department — for Behavioral Health 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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How pediatric hospitals are creatively tackling the unique care needs of a growing population of youths in crisis. From attention deficit disorder to anxiety or depression, mental health conditions affect about 1 in every 5 children. While some of these cases resolve, many children…

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Richard J. Brilli, MD
Obsessed with Zero: Reflections on the Career and Achievements of Richard J. Brili, MD
 Obsessed with Zero: Reflections on the Career and Achievements of Richard J. Brili, MD 1024 575 John Barnard, MD
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In 2008, Richard “Rich” Brilli, MD, was recruited to Nationwide Children’s Hospital as its chief medical officer. Among other physician executive duties, he was charged with lowering the rate of preventable harm as leader of the hospital’s quality and safety programs. After a few…

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Dr. Jadcherla
Advances in Neonatal GERD
 Advances in Neonatal GERD 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
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New studies from the Jadcherla Lab provide insights into diagnosing, classifying and treating GERD in infants. Differentiating gastroesophageal reflux (GER), which is defined as the passage of gastric contents into the esophagus, from GER disease (GERD), when reflux is associated with troubling symptoms, remains…

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Tissue engineered vascular graft
Findings Show TEVG Stenosis Spontaneously Resolves
 Findings Show TEVG Stenosis Spontaneously Resolves 600 400 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
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The complication that halted a clinical trial for tissue-engineered vascular grafts for children with congenital heart disease may reverse spontaneously without clinical complications. Based on promising laboratory and animal modeling of a biodegradable scaffold seeded with a patient’s own cells, a clinician-scientist research team…

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Pediatric Vital Signs: Measuring and Improving the Health of a Population
 Pediatric Vital Signs: Measuring and Improving the Health of a Population 150 150 Jeb Phillips
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Nationwide Children’s Hospital and its community partners have begun an “audacious” project to help every child in their region. Despite the best efforts of primary care providers and children’s hospitals, some children do not receive the care they need. Patients can only spend a…

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