Monthly Archives :

November 2020

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
microscopic image of brain organoid

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 advance stem cell research, improve three-dimensional tissue culture techniques and enhance…

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
Julie Samora, MD

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 cause constipation and other gastrointestinal side effects. Opioid-induced constipation causes abdominal…

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
Young child

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 for babies with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and related congenital…

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

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 the readiness of health systems and technology providers to adopt these…

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

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 postnatal renal injury. “Before we can determine if surgical interventions or…

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
conceptual art of DNA

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 do some babies born preterm develop complications while many others seem…

What Are the Clinical Implications of Crescentic Glomerulonephritis?
What Are the Clinical Implications of Crescentic Glomerulonephritis? 1024 732 Abbie Miller

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 within the glomerulus. A recent study from the Pediatric Nephrology Research…

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
teen girl using cell phone

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 adolescents and young adults (AYA), or those 15-39 years old, has…

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

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 Spectrum Disorder. When children are born prematurely, they miss the opportunity…