Monthly Archives :

July 2022

Nephrotoxic Medications in the NICU
Nephrotoxic Medications in the NICU 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Nurse caring for infant in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

New study shows treatment with nephrotoxic medications in newborns is associated with the development of acute kidney injury, yet remains common. A multicenter analysis of nearly 50 pediatric hospitals showed that newborns are commonly treated with nephrotoxic medications and, troublingly, the prevalence of acute kidney injury is higher in newborns treated with these drugs. The…

Fertility Navigators Support Important Consultations in Pediatric Settings
Fertility Navigators Support Important Consultations in Pediatric Settings 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

At Nationwide Children’s, hiring a full-time fertility navigator increased access to fertility care among pediatric patients. With advances in chemotherapy and radiation, more children are surviving cancer and entering adulthood. However, a potential consequence of such treatments is fertility impairment, which can affect about 15% of female and 50% of male childhood cancer survivors. Although…

Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux?
Do Symptom Scores and pH Impedance Correlate in Infants Treated for Gastroesophageal Reflux? 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) — the passage of gastric contents into the esophagus — is a physiologic process that can be considered normal or abnormal depending on whether troublesome symptoms and/or complications also occur. In infants, it is difficult for clinicians to distinguish between GER and pathophysiologic GER disease (GERD). “Current diagnostic criteria for GERD are…

Salivary MicroRNAs: A Promising Biomarker for Persistent Post-concussive Symptoms in Children With Concussion
Salivary MicroRNAs: A Promising Biomarker for Persistent Post-concussive Symptoms in Children With Concussion 1024 768 Lauren Dembeck

The multidisciplinary study used children’s saliva and genomic analysis to identify promising biomarkers for persistent post-concussive symptoms. Predicting clinical recovery of children with concussion is challenging. While concussion symptoms typically resolve within one to three weeks, up to one-third of children develop persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS), including headache, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, and sensitivity to…

Telehealth Has the Potential to Bridge Gaps in Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Care
Telehealth Has the Potential to Bridge Gaps in Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Care 1024 535 Jessica Nye, PhD
Collage of health technology tools

A growing body of evidence supports telebehavioral health delivery for children, adolescents and their families, as outcomes are comparable to in-person treatment delivery. Despite evidence of efficacy, regulatory and financial concerns and technology barriers continue to impede widespread uptake of telebehavioral health. “There have definitely been silver linings to the pandemic, and this is one…

What’s the Scope of Nephritis in Pediatric Patients With IgA Vasculitis?
What’s the Scope of Nephritis in Pediatric Patients With IgA Vasculitis? 150 150 Jessica Nye, PhD

A multicenter study from the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium found that many pediatric patients with IgA vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN) are treated with immunosuppressive (IS) agents, and some had evidence of chronic kidney disease as early as 12 months after presentation.   IgA vasculitis (IgAV) is the most common vasculitis in children, usually presenting with typical…

A Single-Dose Cancer Immunotherapy via Gene Transfer
A Single-Dose Cancer Immunotherapy via Gene Transfer 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital report proof-of-principle results for a new gene therapy cancer treatment. The off-the-shelf, single-dose immunotherapy serves as an alternative to CAR-T therapy and can be engineered to be on-demand. T cells redirected to cancer cells either via a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) or a bispecific molecule have been game-changers in treating…

Researchers Characterize Growth and Remodeling of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels
Researchers Characterize Growth and Remodeling of Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels 600 400 Lauren Dembeck
Tissue engineered vascular graft

Tissue engineering may soon give babies with congenital heart disease new blood vessels capable of native function and growth.   Major cardiovascular reconstructive operations in babies with congenital heart defects require the use of artificial blood vessels called vascular grafts. Because these grafts are made of man-made materials, the recipients’ tissues eventually begin to outgrow…

Quality Improvement Scorecard Enhances Safety for Newborns
Quality Improvement Scorecard Enhances Safety for Newborns 1024 683 Emily Siebenmorgen

The collaborative program between academic and community hospitals improves neonatal care quality. In a recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and affiliated level one and two community hospital nurseries implemented a quality improvement (QI) scorecard and found improvements in important perinatal outcomes. “Roughly half of all newborns in…

Predicting Disease Severity and Assessing Long-Term Outcomes of Pediatric La Crosse Virus
Predicting Disease Severity and Assessing Long-Term Outcomes of Pediatric La Crosse Virus 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Limited data exist on mosquito-borne La Crosse Virus in children, underscoring the importance of determining which patients are at risk for severe disease and long-term neurobehavioral difficulties.   La Crosse Virus (LACV) is a neuroinvasive arbovirus spread by the Aedes triseriatus mosquito, causing symptoms such as vomiting, seizures and altered mental status (AMS). Within the…

Featured Researcher — Mitchel Stacy, PhD
Featured Researcher — Mitchel Stacy, PhD 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Mitchel Stacy, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of Surgery at The Ohio State University, started his education with dietetics in mind. Finding his way instead to nuclear and molecular imaging of cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Stacy’s research blossomed during his postdoctoral fellowship and first…

Investigators Develop Technique to Effectively Edit NK Cells to Target Specific Cancer Cells
Investigators Develop Technique to Effectively Edit NK Cells to Target Specific Cancer Cells 1024 649 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

The third of three major challenges in enabling the clinical potential of NK cells for cancer therapy has just been addressed, thanks to the combined talents of gene editing experts and NK cell specialists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.   Originally, NK cells seemed promising for a natural therapy to fight cancer due to their innate…