In Brief

Novel Cause of Brain Mosaicism and Focal Epilepsy Identified
Novel Cause of Brain Mosaicism and Focal Epilepsy Identified 1024 575 Abbie Miller

In Nature Genetics, researchers report a novel mechanism for the origin of brain chromosomal mosaicism and link brain mosaic chromosome 1q gain to a distinct clinical phenotype.   In most people, every cell in their body contains the same genetic information. However, sometimes people can have two or more genetically different sets of cells. This…

Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model
Probiotics Delivered in Biofilm State Protect the Intestines and Brain in NEC Model 898 504 Abbie Miller

Biofilm formulation of Limosilactobacillus reuteri protects against necrotizing enterocolitis in piglet model.  Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a debilitating and deadly condition affecting infants born preterm. In NEC cases, intestinal tissues become inflamed, and in severe cases, there is ischemia and death of the involved intestines. Treatment for NEC often involves surgery to remove the dying…

Increasing Same-Day Amoxicillin Graded Dose Challenges
Increasing Same-Day Amoxicillin Graded Dose Challenges 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

A quality improvement initiative overcomes several barriers to de-labeling penicillin allergies. In a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, a research team led by Margaret Redmond, MD, a pediatric allergist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, reported on a quality improvement (QI) initiative that sustainably increased rates of same-day amoxicillin graded…

Preventing Accidental Ingestion of Marijuana
Preventing Accidental Ingestion of Marijuana 1024 683 Abbie Miller

If you are a child, and you find a bag of fruit snacks — you don’t eat just one piece. The THC/marijuana products on the market today have an average of 10-20 mg in one serving. That’s one square of a chocolate bar, one gummy (which looks like a fruit snack) or one chip. “THC…

User Experiences with Subcutaneous DMPA
User Experiences with Subcutaneous DMPA 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Survey reveals high satisfaction among adolescents and young adults using subcutaneous DMPA. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only injectable contraceptive that is used as a birth control method and in the treatment of heavy or painful menstrual periods, endometriosis, and for menstrual suppression. DMPA can be injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously, with no difference in…

Should You Offer Fentanyl Test Strips in Your Office?
Should You Offer Fentanyl Test Strips in Your Office? 150 150 Abbie Miller

Harm reduction approaches support the use of fentanyl test strips for individuals who are taking illicit substances but want to avoid fentanyl. Nichole Michaels, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s, is conducting two studies about the efficacy of offering and educating about fentanyl testing among adults.…

Combined Pediatric-Adult Anticoagulation Program Exceeds Goals
Combined Pediatric-Adult Anticoagulation Program Exceeds Goals 1024 580 Mary Bates, PhD

The program achieved excellent quality of anticoagulation therapy in children and adults. The goal of most anticoagulation programs is to improve the care of adult patients on warfarin therapy, specifically by treating and preventing thromboembolic events while minimizing bleeding risk. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital report excellent outcomes for a combined…

Literature Review: Coping Through Narrative Medicine
Literature Review: Coping Through Narrative Medicine 1024 555 Natalie Wilson

Engaging with others’ stories helps prevent burnout among pediatric residents. A recent publication in Annals of Medicine shows pediatric residents practicing narrative medicine reported sustained improvements in their perceived levels of stress, self-compassion, empathy, mindfulness, burnout and resilience. This marks the first study to demonstrate the value of a narrative medicine intervention in promoting lasting…

Associations Between Blood-Based and Biochemical Markers of Inflammation and Body Mass
Associations Between Blood-Based and Biochemical Markers of Inflammation and Body Mass 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD

Blood-based markers of inflammation increased with increasing body mass in healthy adolescents. The chronic inflammatory disease atherosclerosis has its origins in childhood and adolescence; however, there are currently no simple methods to easily identify at-risk adolescents.  In a new study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital explored the relationships between blood-based and biochemical markers of inflammation…

Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors
Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

The overall survival rates for children with childhood cancers is now over 80%; however, for children with relapsed and refractory tumors, the survival rates remain low. “For example, children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma have a five-year survival of less than ten percent,” explains Keri A. Streby, MD, director of the Neuroblastoma Program in the…

Recognizing the Benefits of Music and Massage Co-therapy in Pediatric Palliative Care
Recognizing the Benefits of Music and Massage Co-therapy in Pediatric Palliative Care 1024 680 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

For adolescent patients in home-based pediatric palliative care, co-treatment with music therapy and massage therapy benefits both the patients and their families. A case study recently published in Music & Medicine reported the benefits of co-treatment with music therapy and massage therapy for a patient in home-based pediatric palliative care. Complementary therapies, such as music…

QI Initiative Reduces Emergency Room Visits for Functional Constipation
QI Initiative Reduces Emergency Room Visits for Functional Constipation 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Preliminary data from a large accountable care organization’s quality improvement efforts suggest advanced care visits dropped 27% in two years. Partners For Kids (PFK), the nation’s oldest and largest pediatric accountable care organization, launched a series of quality improvement (QI) projects targeting disease management strategies that could significantly impact healthcare utilization and outcomes for children…

Racial Disparities in Healthcare Use Among Medicaid-Covered Children With Congenital Heart Disease
Racial Disparities in Healthcare Use Among Medicaid-Covered Children With Congenital Heart Disease 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In the United States, congenital heart disease is the most common birth anomaly, with almost 40,000 newborns diagnosed each year. As these children grow, they are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications. Thus, ensuring they receive recommended cardiology care is essential to their long-term health and well-being. Racial disparities in health outcomes have been…

Ensuring Vulnerable Babies Receive the Benefits of Human Milk
Ensuring Vulnerable Babies Receive the Benefits of Human Milk 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
small baby with nose canula

A QI project increases human milk consumption among newborns hospitalized with congenital heart disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend human milk for infants because of its important health benefits. However, most newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) are separated from their mothers shortly after birth and admitted to a…

Bridging Language Barriers to Advance Health Care Equity in Developmental Screenings
Bridging Language Barriers to Advance Health Care Equity in Developmental Screenings 1024 575 Pam Georgiana

A QI project to utilize interpreters for screening questionnaires eliminated completion disparities between English speakers and people who prefer a language other than English.  In primary care pediatrics, there are several standard screenings for development delay in children younger than 30 months. Nationwide Children’s Hospital has a high rate of screening completion – over 90%.…

5 Keys to Managing Iron Deficiency in Children Undergoing Intestinal Rehabilitation
5 Keys to Managing Iron Deficiency in Children Undergoing Intestinal Rehabilitation 150 150 Erin Gregory

A new position paper offers recommendations for the evaluation and management of iron deficiency in children undergoing intestinal rehabilitation. Iron deficiency is a prevalent concern among children with certain digestive problems, presenting various health challenges. A position paper from the NASPGHAN Intestinal Rehabilitation Special Interest Group, led by Ethan Mezoff, MD, a pediatric gastroenterologist at…

Developing Predictive Tools for CAKUT
Developing Predictive Tools for CAKUT 1024 575 Leslie Feldman

Pediatric nephrologists routinely see infants and children with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) — the most frequent cause of childhood chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some of these anomalies are not clinically significant, while others result in varying degrees of kidney function impairment. Half of all children receiving dialysis or kidney transplants…

NIDDK Grant Awarded to Launch Integrated Islet Distribution Program Islet Isolation Center
NIDDK Grant Awarded to Launch Integrated Islet Distribution Program Islet Isolation Center 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A Nationwide Children’s Hospital research team has received federal funding to become a hub for the isolation and distribution of high-quality human islet cells for the diabetes research community. Since joining Nationwide Children’s Hospital in 2022 as director of the Islet Cell Isolation Program, Balamurugan Appakalai, PhD, has been leading one of the nation’s most…

Supporting Children With Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease
Supporting Children With Interstitial and Rare Lung Disease 1024 687 Abbie Miller

In pediatrics, some causes of lung dysfunction, while rare in their own right, are fairly common – such as cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and asthma. Interstitial and rare lung disease (IRLD) is an umbrella term for 30-50 diseases that affect children worldwide. IRLD may affect 0.1 to 16 per 100,000 children, according to Katelyn Krivchenia,…

Coexistence of Different Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Tumors
Coexistence of Different Telomere Maintenance Mechanisms in Pediatric High-Grade Glioma Tumors 1024 504 Lauren Dembeck

Due to within-tumor heterogeneity, telomere-based therapeutic interventions will likely need to target both known telomere maintenance mechanisms to prevent resistance and recurrence.   Normal differentiated somatic cells can divide only a limited number of times due to loss of the physical ends of their chromosomes, the telomeres, with each replication. When the telomeres reach their…

A Decade of Evidence: The SIMPLE Program Shows Continued Success
A Decade of Evidence: The SIMPLE Program Shows Continued Success 1024 575 Pam Georgiana

In 2010, Nationwide Children’s Hospitals NICU leaders observed that infant feeding practices varied depending on the provider, resulting in significant variations in milestones and length of hospital stays (LOHS). They asked Sudarshan R. Jadcherla, MD, and Erika Osborn, NNP, to partner with stakeholders, including nurses, physicians, nutritionists, lactation experts, and others, to develop an evidence-based…

User Experiences With Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate
User Experiences With Subcutaneous Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Girl sitting on a bench with her phone smiling.

Survey reveals high satisfaction among adolescents and young adults using subcutaneous DMPA Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) is a progestin-only injectable contraceptive that is used as birth control method and in the treatment of heavy or painful menstrual periods, endometriosis, and for menstrual suppression. DMPA can be injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously, with no difference in effectiveness…

Exploring the Clinical Journey of Children With Primary Hyperoxaluria
Exploring the Clinical Journey of Children With Primary Hyperoxaluria 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Children with primary hyperoxaluria, a rare genetic disease, navigate a complicated clinical journey that includes a heavy reliance on health care services and usage of multidisciplinary care. Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) is a rare disease caused by genetic mutations of enzymes that regulate hepatic glyoxylate metabolism, leading to oxalate overproduction. The excess oxalate is excreted by…

Diagnosing and Treating Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in Adolescents
Diagnosing and Treating Cubital Tunnel Syndrome in Adolescents 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Julie Samora, MD

Surgery leads to improved outcomes in pediatric patients with symptoms of cubital tunnel syndrome, even when electrodiagnostic studies are negative. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital demonstrate that pediatric patients who underwent surgical decompression for cubital tunnel syndrome achieved good resolution of their symptoms, regardless of whether their electrodiagnostic findings were positive…

Counseling Families of Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Counseling Families of Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

A new survey investigates how palliation strategies have changed in the last ten years. Approximately ten years ago, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital surveyed pediatric cardiac providers regarding initial counseling for families of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Given the evolution of options and outcomes since that time, the team recently queried providers…

Using Machine Learning to Classify Treatment Approaches for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Using Machine Learning to Classify Treatment Approaches for Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia 1024 683 Pam Georgiana

We don’t yet know the best way to help infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) breathe using ventilators. Currently, doctors across the country and around the world use a variety of different approaches.  These variations depend on the severity of a patient’s medical condition, the ventilator settings used, and location-specific standards. Matthew Kielt, MD, a…

Changing the Odds: Survival Trends in Children With Down Syndrome and Congenital Heart Defects
Changing the Odds: Survival Trends in Children With Down Syndrome and Congenital Heart Defects 1024 683 Pam Georgiana
Smiling baby with Down syndrome

About half of the children born with Down syndrome also have congenital heart defects (CHD). As a transplant cardiologist, Lydia K Wright, MD, wanted to learn if CHD was still the most significant mortality risk for these patients before age five. [1] “Our aim was to assess whether the survival rate of kids with Down…

Safe, Minimally Invasive Upper Urinary Tract Surgery for Infants
Safe, Minimally Invasive Upper Urinary Tract Surgery for Infants 1024 575 Patti Doud
small baby with nose canula

Evidence supports robotic surgery as a safe approach to upper urinary tract procedures in infants 6 months or younger. While robotic surgery has risen in popularity and feasibility for procedures in both older children and adults alike, there has been little data to determine whether it’s a safe possibility for young children and infants. But…

Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care?
Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care? 1024 575 Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD
Teen girl with backpack

STI screening is recommended for all sexually active adolescents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nearly 1 in 4 teens have an STI. Safe sexual practices and routine screening can prevent these infections – that’s where health care providers come in. By offering routine testing for all sexually active teens in addition to safe…

Fertility Concerns in Boys and Men With Sickle Cell Disease
Fertility Concerns in Boys and Men With Sickle Cell Disease 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Color photo of Black father holding infant on shoulder in front of nursery background with clouds on the wall

Sickle cell disease and its treatments may impact fertility, but more research is needed to help counsel this population. Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects approximately 100,000 Americans, most of whom belong to underserved, minority populations. Advances in disease-modifying therapies, such as hydroxyurea, have led to better clinical outcomes. However, as more individuals with SCD survive…

Assessing Respiratory Stability in Infants Hospitalized with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Assessing Respiratory Stability in Infants Hospitalized with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

The Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability Scale is a valid, reliable measure of respiratory status and developmental ability. In a new study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s evaluated the Behavioral Signs of Respiratory Instability (BSRI) Scale, which was developed as an objective measure of developmental capacity of infants with severe forms of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). The…

Home Infusions of Infliximab for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Home Infusions of Infliximab for Inflammatory Bowel Disease 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

With a standardized care approach, home infusions may be an effective alternative to hospital-based infusions. Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often treated with infusions of infliximab in a hospital setting. However, these can be costly and present time and travel barriers to patients and their families. Due to these considerations and recent insurance mandates,…

Expanding Use of Trikafta for Cystic Fibrosis to Patients as Young as 2 Years Old
Expanding Use of Trikafta for Cystic Fibrosis to Patients as Young as 2 Years Old 1024 683 Karen McCoy, MD
Smiling boy outside

When I first started my pulmonary training, the average life expectancy in the United States was about 70 years, and the average life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis (CF) was 14 years! Intense study and pursuit of consistent care across the country yielded improvements. By 2010, with standards of treatment very consistent and implementation…

Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues
Implementation Science to Expand Contraception Access for Adolescents Hospitalized with Mental Health Issues 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
Black and white image of teen girl posing outside

Research has documented that adolescents with mental health concerns have a higher need for contraceptive counseling and care because they are at a higher risk for unintended pregnancy.[i] [ii] Unintended pregnancies can make mental health symptoms worse, especially depressive symptoms. [iii] Counseling and use of contraceptives are simple evidence-based strategies to reduce unplanned pregnancies. However,…

Recent Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in US Children and Adolescents
Recent Trends in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in US Children and Adolescents 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association joined together to declare a national state of emergency in children’s mental health. The declaration was motivated by steadily increasing rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide between 2010 and 2020. Among those concerns are anxiety…

Pregnancy and Ebola: Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Ebola Survivors
Pregnancy and Ebola: Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Ebola Survivors 150 150 Abbie Miller

Ebola virus disease during pregnancy is known to cause fetal demise, and preliminary evidence suggested that pregnancies conceived shortly after recovery from Ebola were also at heightened risk of adverse outcomes. Additionally, the perception that health care providers could contract Ebola from survivors during delivery led to stigmatization and barriers to care for pregnant women…

Straightforward Stitch Technique Dramatically Reduces Post-Operative Anorectoplasty Complications
Straightforward Stitch Technique Dramatically Reduces Post-Operative Anorectoplasty Complications 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

The novel para-U-stitch keeps post-operative wound dehiscence to a minimum, helping patients with anorectal malformations avoid readmission, reoperation and infection. After recognizing a pattern of wound dehiscence and postoperative complications in patients with anorectal malformations (ARMs) repaired without a colostomy bag — meaning they stool directly through the surgical site as it heals — surgeons…

Preemptive Stenting of the Left Pulmonary Artery During Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Preemptive Stenting of the Left Pulmonary Artery During Surgery for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Perioperative stenting during the comprehensive stage 2 surgery does not negatively impact overall outcomes. However, Preemptive stenting has a survival advantage of babies relative to those who had reactionary stenting.   Each year, approximately 1,000 babies in the United States are born with one of the most common critical congenital heart defects—hypoplastic left heart syndrome.…

Mapping the 3D Structure of Rhabdomyosarcoma Chromatin
Mapping the 3D Structure of Rhabdomyosarcoma Chromatin 1024 575 Abbie Miller
yellow squiggly lines representing chromatin strands in the nucleus

Researchers published the first comprehensive, 3D analysis of the complete rhabdomyosarcoma genome. In a paper published in Nucleic Acids Research Cancer (NAR Cancer), researchers from the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Nationwide Children’s and their collaborators report a comprehensive 3D chromatin structural analysis and characterization of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). RMS is a pediatric soft-tissue tumor…

Exploring Disordered Eating Beyond Binge Eating in Youth with Obesity
Exploring Disordered Eating Beyond Binge Eating in Youth with Obesity 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Youth with obesity can suffer from various disordered eating behaviors beyond binge eating. A holistic approach to caring for these youth can help improve their long-term physical and psychological health outcomes. A literature review recently published in Nutrients shed light on eating disorders beyond binge eating in youth with obesity. In this review, Eileen Chaves,…

Ask A Specialist: What Running Distances Are Safe for Children?
Ask A Specialist: What Running Distances Are Safe for Children? 1024 895 Gabriella Gonzales, MD and James MacDonald, MD, MPH

Sports Medicine experts offer advice for pediatricians about what age it is appropriate for children to run and train for races such as the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon. Running is a great activity! It requires very little equipment and can be done individually or with a team. Running can be beneficial for children…

Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Prevents Neuroma and Phantom Limb Pain in Children After Amputation
Targeted Muscle Reinnervation Prevents Neuroma and Phantom Limb Pain in Children After Amputation 1024 684 Lauren Dembeck

In certain cases, such as limb traumas and sarcomas, amputation may be chosen to optimize patients’ physical function. Persistent postamputation residual limb or “stump” pain and phantom limb pain can be debilitating and has been associated with prosthetic abandonment in patients who have undergone amputation. This pain is often secondary to symptomatic neuromas, tumor-like disorganized…

Is Growth Hormone Replacement Safe Following Central Nervous System Tumors?
Is Growth Hormone Replacement Safe Following Central Nervous System Tumors? 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Research suggests the benefits of growth hormone therapy outweigh the risks for pediatric cancer survivors. In a new review paper, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital evaluated the risks and benefits associated with administering growth hormone to pediatric patients after diagnosis of a central nervous system tumor. The authors conclude that the therapy has many important…

Does Etiology Impact Outcomes After Hemispherectomy?
Does Etiology Impact Outcomes After Hemispherectomy? 1024 575 Jessica Nye, PhD

Patients with cerebral palsy (CP) who have comorbid medically intractable epilepsy (MIE) had similar quantitative functional and seizure outcomes following functional hemispherotomy (FH) or anatomic hemispherectomy (AH), regardless of vascular or dysplastic MIE etiologies.   Early onset seizures are a common comorbidity in CP, affecting between 30% and 50% of patients. Among the patients with…

An Alternative Method for Diagnosing Central Adrenal Insufficiency in Newborns
An Alternative Method for Diagnosing Central Adrenal Insufficiency in Newborns 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
Baby in NICU

Researchers evaluate the utility of random cortisol levels to diagnose adrenal insufficiency. In infants with central adrenal insufficiency, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) fails to signal to the adrenal gland, leading to decreased cortisol levels. It is a potentially life-threatening condition requiring urgent diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosing central adrenal insufficiency typically involves a low-dose synthetic ACTH (cosyntropin)…

Chaotic Genomes in Childhood Bone Tumors Are Not Always Unstable
Chaotic Genomes in Childhood Bone Tumors Are Not Always Unstable 1024 575 Jessica Nye, PhD
conceptual art of DNA

The structural genomic complexity that characterizes most osteosarcoma tumors in children was not evidence of an unstable genome and a driver of cell-to-cell variations in gene expression within each tumor. “We’ve been trying to understand how tumor cells change as they become resistant to therapy or as they metastasize and spread to different parts of…

Creatine Supplements and the Youth Athlete
Creatine Supplements and the Youth Athlete 945 825 Natalie Wilson

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found there is insufficient evidence that creatine supplementation is effective for consistently improving athletic performance in adolescents. They also identified a gap in knowledge of the long-term effects of creatine supplementation in this population. Creatine is naturally found in skeletal muscle and acts as an energy source during muscle activation.…

Evaluating Chronic Constipation and Abnormal Colonic Motility in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Evaluating Chronic Constipation and Abnormal Colonic Motility in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder 1024 680 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
Close up color photo of little boy holding hands on his belly

In children with chronic constipation, rates of abnormal colonic motility are similar between children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For children with ASD, symptom duration and soiling due to fecal retention are risk factors for abnormal colonic motility.   Treating constipation in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging because of feeding…

Susceptibility to and Use of E-cigarettes and Marijuana Is Common Among Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease
Susceptibility to and Use of E-cigarettes and Marijuana Is Common Among Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

Adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) are subject to disease-related stressors, such as attending medical appointments and undergoing medical procedures. They have elevated risk for cardiovascular and cognitive complications, which may be exacerbated by the use of e-cigarettes and marijuana. To inform prevention strategies for their long-term wellbeing, it is critical to understand patterns of…

What Pediatricians Need to Know About Lymphedema in Pediatrics
What Pediatricians Need to Know About Lymphedema in Pediatrics 150 150 Abbie Miller

Lymphedema is chronic, progressive swelling caused by maldevelopment or disruption of the lymphatic system. Typically, patients present with an asymmetric swelling of an arm or leg that progressively worsens. Min-Jeong Cho, MD, a microsurgeon and assistant professor at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says that lymphedema affects more children and teens than…