In Brief

Can Brain Imaging Help Predict Bipolar Disorder in High Risk Children?
Can Brain Imaging Help Predict Bipolar Disorder in High Risk Children? 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Patterns in connectivity in a portion of the frontal lobe called the inferior frontal gyrus appears to be an early biomarker in children of parents with bipolar disorder. Researchers report a potential neural marker of individual risk in those with a family history of bipolar disorder. The study, published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, points to particular…

Novel Metric Predicts Severity of Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Novel Metric Predicts Severity of Community-Acquired Pneumonia 150 150 Rachael Hardison

Researchers utilize a biomarker to predict disease severity during early stages of pneumonia. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality in children. Each year, 4 percent of children under 5 years of age will develop CAP in industrialized countries. Although pneumonia is common, diagnosing and treating it remains a challenge for…

“Learn From Every Patient” to Improve Clinical Care
“Learn From Every Patient” to Improve Clinical Care 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

How can busy clinicians tending to clinical care simultaneously conduct translational research and improve treatments for patients? The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Cerebral Palsy team recently reported an evidence-based change in practice — eliminating annual screening X-rays in patients mildly affected by CP — facilitated by use of the Learn From Every Patient (LFEP) Program. LFEP…

What Pediatric Care Providers Need to Know About Kratom
What Pediatric Care Providers Need to Know About Kratom 150 150 Laura Dattner

The herbal supplement is increasingly the source of toxic exposures and health care facility admissions. In recent years, kratom has become popular as a treatment for chronic or acute pain as well as mood conditions such as depression and anxiety. It is also sometimes used to help with opioid withdrawal. While there is a perception…

Acid Reflux Index Severity Alone Should Not Determine GERD Diagnosis
Acid Reflux Index Severity Alone Should Not Determine GERD Diagnosis 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

ARI severity plays little role in symptom generation, but symptoms alone are unreliable for diagnosing gastroesophageal reflux disease, researchers say. However, a new study from the Neonatal and Infant Feeding Disorders Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows that stomach acid alone doesn’t appear to have much to do with GERD at all, and responses to esophageal stimulation…

Vaccine Enables Model to Clear Hepatitis C Virus and Prevent Persistence
Vaccine Enables Model to Clear Hepatitis C Virus and Prevent Persistence 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

Scientists are conceptualizing an effective HCV vaccine using a new animal model. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) subverts responses of immune cells, resulting in chronic infection in more than 71 million people worldwide. The virus causes 1.79 million new infections and 399,000 deaths worldwide annually. Antivrials can cure the disease but are unaffordable or not available…

Keeping Young Patients With Congenital Heart Disease Connected to Care
Keeping Young Patients With Congenital Heart Disease Connected to Care 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Race, type of insurance and severity of disease affect likelihood of experiencing a lapse in care for CHD patients younger than 5 years. Lapse in care is prevalent among congenital heart disease survivors by age five, with nonwhites demonstrating elevated risk, according to a new study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital researchers. Medicaid patients and those…

A Simple Measure to Help Early Detection of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy in Infants
A Simple Measure to Help Early Detection of Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy in Infants 150 150 Jeb Phillips

An easily derived Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination asymmetry score, in combination with the total HINE score, differentiates typically developing infants from those with hemiplegic CP. While cerebral palsy can now be diagnosed at 6 months of age – allowing for earlier interventions and better potential outcomes than ever before – evaluation can be difficult in…

National Survey of Emergency Department Management of Self-Harm Highlights Successes, Room for Improvement
National Survey of Emergency Department Management of Self-Harm Highlights Successes, Room for Improvement 150 150 Abbie Miller

Only 15 percent of hospitals surveyed routinely provided all recommended safety planning elements. Approximately half a million patients in the United States arrive in emergency departments (EDs) after deliberate self-harm annually. In the short term following the ED visit, these patients are at high risk for repeated self-harm and suicide. In a study published [today]…

Simple Tip for Elbow Pinning: Adjust Your Wire Size
Simple Tip for Elbow Pinning: Adjust Your Wire Size 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Growth Hormone Also Has Metabolic Benefits
Growth Hormone Also Has Metabolic Benefits 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Do All Cystic Fibrosis Modulators Improve Killing of Bacteria?
Do All Cystic Fibrosis Modulators Improve Killing of Bacteria? 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

New Guidelines for Home Oxygen Therapy in Pediatric Patients
New Guidelines for Home Oxygen Therapy in Pediatric Patients 150 150 Abbie Miller

A High Risk of Urological Diagnosis in Anorectal Malformations
A High Risk of Urological Diagnosis in Anorectal Malformations 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Predicting Subsequent Hip Slips in Children Using MRI
Predicting Subsequent Hip Slips in Children Using MRI 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Suicide Deaths Among Incarcerated Youth
Suicide Deaths Among Incarcerated Youth 150 150 Abbie Miller

Endocrinology Considerations in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Endocrinology Considerations in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 150 150 Jeb Phillips

New Year’s Resolution: Be Mentally Fit
New Year’s Resolution: Be Mentally Fit 150 150 Gina McDowell, LPCC

Concussion is Associated With a 2x Higher Risk of Suicide
Concussion is Associated With a 2x Higher Risk of Suicide 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Acid Suppression Should Not Be the First Treatment for Infants With Reflux
Acid Suppression Should Not Be the First Treatment for Infants With Reflux 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is common in infants. Many show no symptoms more serious than agitation and frequent regurgitation, and most cases resolve on their own by the time the child is 1 year old.

Despite a paucity of well-controlled clinical trials, acid suppression medications are commonly prescribed for infants with GER. In a paper published in Pediatric Drugs, physician researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital review the data regarding acid suppressants for infants as well as clinical practice guidelines for how and when to use these medications.

Influences of Maternal Diabetes on Fetal Heart Development
Influences of Maternal Diabetes on Fetal Heart Development 150 150 Abbie Miller

Beyond Survival: Improving Social Development in Preterm Infants
Beyond Survival: Improving Social Development in Preterm Infants 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Prediction of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension by Combining Clinical and Genetic Data
Prediction of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Associated Pulmonary Hypertension by Combining Clinical and Genetic Data 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Chronic Constipation: What Manometry Tells Us About Gastro-Colonic Response and Pathophysiology
Chronic Constipation: What Manometry Tells Us About Gastro-Colonic Response and Pathophysiology 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Targeting a Bacterial Switch to Treat Chronic Ear Infections
Targeting a Bacterial Switch to Treat Chronic Ear Infections 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Child Sex Trafficking in the U.S. is Real — and a New Tool can Help Doctors Identify Victims
Child Sex Trafficking in the U.S. is Real — and a New Tool can Help Doctors Identify Victims 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Researchers exploring the alarmingly high prevalence of child sex trafficking in the United States have validated a practical tool for identifying victims in multiple health care settings. At least one in every 10 minors visiting emergency departments, child advocacy centers and teen clinics for sexual trauma or assault are victims of child sex trafficking, according…

Researchers Identify Proteins Triggering Imbalance of Cells in Chronic Lung Disease
Researchers Identify Proteins Triggering Imbalance of Cells in Chronic Lung Disease 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood
Illustration of lungs on blue silhouette of upper chest on black background

A protein that triggers an imbalance of mucous and ciliated cells in patients with chronic lung disease could be a target for treatments to restore airways. Many chronic lung diseases in children and adults have one thing in common: the airway lining that normally traps and sweeps out bacteria, viruses and diesel particulates stops functioning…

DNA Variations Associated With Prolonged Walking in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
DNA Variations Associated With Prolonged Walking in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy 1024 575 Kevin Mayhood
boy with muscular dystrophy completing walk test

Genome-wide association study identifies two variants that may yield therapies for children with DMD. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s have found that two DNA variants that play a role in gene regulation are associated with prolonged ability to walk in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Kevin Flanigan, MD, director of the Center for Gene Therapy,…

Big Gains in FSHD Research: A Newly Published Model of FSHD and a Potential Gene Therapy to Improve Functional Outcomes
Big Gains in FSHD Research: A Newly Published Model of FSHD and a Potential Gene Therapy to Improve Functional Outcomes 150 150 Abbie Miller

The model aims to provide the basis for many future studies to bring therapeutic options to patients with FSHD. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the most prevalent dominantly inherited muscular dystrophy in the world. To date, there are no pharmacologic treatments available for the more than 850,000 people affected worldwide. Developing models to use for…

Wishes Help Keep Pediatric Patients Out of the Hospital
Wishes Help Keep Pediatric Patients Out of the Hospital 150 150 Gina Bericchia

Cimone Stills, 15, has a medical condition that has caused her to have multiple seizures a day for most of her life. Specifically, she has treatment-resistant generalized epilepsy because of a genetic variation. Like many patients with such a serious illness, it affects her daily life and as a result, she was diagnosed with clinical…

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: “They Get the Job Done”
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: “They Get the Job Done” 1024 575 Abbie Miller

Research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics 2018 National Conference finds that the growing number of grandparents serving as sole caregivers for their grandchildren are coping well. In the United States, millions of children are being raised solely by their grandparents. As the opioid crisis and other factors continue to disrupt families, experts expect the number…

Smoke Alarms Using Mother’s Voice Wake Children Better than High-Pitch Tone Alarms
Smoke Alarms Using Mother’s Voice Wake Children Better than High-Pitch Tone Alarms 1024 575 Laura Dattner
Color image of young boy asleep in bed

When residential fires happen at night while people are sleeping, deaths are more likely to occur. Smoke alarms are important for preventing these deaths, yet many young children don’t wake up to traditional high-pitch tone alarms. In a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Sleep Disorders Center at Nationwide…

Using Quality Improvement to Customize Opioid Reduction Strategies
Using Quality Improvement to Customize Opioid Reduction Strategies 1024 681 Abbie Miller

Different specialties across pediatrics have different uses, indications and practices when it comes to opioids. Many primary care pediatricians do not routinely prescribe them. Pediatric surgical specialties, however, may use opioid medications more frequently depending on the patient and procedure performed. While broad restrictions, such as those enacted on the federal and state levels, aimed…

Treating Pilonidal Disease with Laser Hair Depilation
Treating Pilonidal Disease with Laser Hair Depilation 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Lymphocyte Response After a Burn Predicts Infection
Lymphocyte Response After a Burn Predicts Infection 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

How to Reduce Cast Complications in Orthopedics
How to Reduce Cast Complications in Orthopedics 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Enzyme Treatment Slows Decline in Common Form of Batten Disease
Enzyme Treatment Slows Decline in Common Form of Batten Disease 150 150 Kevin Mayhood

The Changing Medical and Legal Landscape for Cannabidiol
The Changing Medical and Legal Landscape for Cannabidiol 150 150 Jeb Phillips

Is Your Patient Really Allergic to Penicillin?
Is Your Patient Really Allergic to Penicillin? 150 150 Abbie Miller

Cumulative Subconcussive Impacts in a Single Season of Youth Football Not Associated With Declines in Neurocognitive Measures
Cumulative Subconcussive Impacts in a Single Season of Youth Football Not Associated With Declines in Neurocognitive Measures 1024 575 Abbie Miller

In an investigation of head impact burden and change in neurocognitive function during a season of youth football, researchers find that sub-concussive impacts are not correlated with worsening performance in neurocognitive function. Each year, more than 3 million children in primary and high school play tackle football in the United States. Growing concern about the…