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In Brief

New Zebrafish Pipeline Enables Functional Evaluation of Novel, Rare, Fusion-Oncogenes in vivo
 New Zebrafish Pipeline Enables Functional Evaluation of Novel, Rare, Fusion-Oncogenes in vivo 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD
By: Jessica Nye, PhD

An innovative method that uses a zebrafish model to rapidly study novel fusion-oncogenes in vivo has been developed by investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.   Fusion oncogenes are frequently observed in pediatric cancers. These fusion oncogenes are typically caused by a chromosomal translocation that produces gain-of-function chimeric gene activity. Although there has been experimental work…

Interactions Between Invading Tumor and Lung Cells Permit Metastatic Lung Colonization of Osteosarcoma
 Interactions Between Invading Tumor and Lung Cells Permit Metastatic Lung Colonization of Osteosarcoma 150 150 Lauren Dembeck
By: Lauren Dembeck

Survival signals elicited by lung tissue interactions promote osteosarcoma metastasis and represent a promising target for clinical trials in both human and canine patients.   Osteosarcoma, the most common primary tumor of bone, occurs predominantly in children, teens and young adults. Patient survival largely depends upon the presence or absence of metastasis. Within five years…

Transforming Treatment for Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adolescents through Robotics
 Transforming Treatment for Paratesticular Rhabdomyosarcoma in Adolescents through Robotics 1024 683 Erin Gregory
By: Erin Gregory

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) has been a crucial component of treating testicular and paratesticular cancers for over a century. Recent advancements in minimally invasive techniques, such as robotic-assisted methods, have expanded the applicability of RPLND, offering reduced morbidity and faster recovery. However, concerns persist regarding the equivalence of oncological outcomes compared to traditional open…

What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants?
 What Are the Risk Factors for Recurrent Wheezing in Late Preterm Infants? 1024 683 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana

A collaboration between a pulmonary medicine fellow and allergy and immunology expert identifies four risk factors associated with recurrent wheezing in these patients.   When Brooke R. Gustafson, MD, a member of the Section of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine at Nationwide Children’s and an assistant professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine,…

GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants
 GERD Less Likely Cause of Irritability and Back Arching in Infants 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
By: Lauren Dembeck

In infants, frequent irritability and arching of the back can be concerning to parents and providers. These symptoms are often attributed to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a disease in which the lower esophageal sphincter does not close or opens at the wrong time. As a result, food and stomach acid can come back up into…

Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care
 Ensuring All Children Have Access to Behavioral Health Care 531 213 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana

New study reports the results of integrating psychologists into primary care clinics. Cody A. Hostutler, PhD, a psychologist in the Department of Pediatric Psychology and Neuropsychology at Nationwide Children’s, is concerned about the mental health of the children and adolescents visiting primary care centers. “There is a mental health crisis for kids happening right now.…

Researchers Create a Stem Cell Line to Study Alagille Syndrome
 Researchers Create a Stem Cell Line to Study Alagille Syndrome 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

The patient-derived iPSCs have a mutation affecting the Notch signaling pathway. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s have developed an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line derived from a patient with Alagille syndrome, a multisystem genetic disease. Like the majority of patients with Alagille syndrome, the stem cells have a pathogenic mutation in the JAG1 gene, part…

Frequency of Pediatric Encounters Predicts Timely Transfer to Adult Care for Youth With Autism
 Frequency of Pediatric Encounters Predicts Timely Transfer to Adult Care for Youth With Autism 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
By: JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

For adolescents and young adults with autism, the total number of pediatric appointments is strongly correlated with a timely transfer to adult care, while the reason for this correlation remains to be elucidated.   In a recent study, Laura Hart, MD, a pediatrician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and her research team reported a strong correlation…

Rural-Urban Differences in Social and Emotional Protective Factors
 Rural-Urban Differences in Social and Emotional Protective Factors 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Efforts to improve child health and flourishing should consider communities’ unique sources of support. Children living in rural areas experience well-documented health and health care disparities compared to those living in urban areas. Protective factors, such as social connectedness and social engagement, also vary by geography, yet their contribution to differences in child health is…

Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life for Children Treated With Antegrade Continence Enemas
 Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life for Children Treated With Antegrade Continence Enemas 1024 601 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana

ACE treatment can lead to long-term clinical and quality-of-life improvement in children with defecation disorders.   For about 10-15% of the children who experience chronic constipation or other defecation disorders, the usual behavioral modification treatments and oral medications don’t help. These disorders can significantly impact their quality of life, yet other treatment options are limited.…

What Treatment is Best for Preventing Kidney Complications in STEC Infections?
 What Treatment is Best for Preventing Kidney Complications in STEC Infections? 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is participating in a multicenter trial to determine the optimal way to treat children with high-risk STEC infections. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infections can lead to systemic disease affecting multiple organ systems, including the kidneys. Up to 20% of children infected by high-risk STEC develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a devastating…

Is Dextranomer/Hyaluronic Acid an Effective Bladder Neck Bulking Agent for Patients with Persistent Incontinence Following Bladder Neck Reconstruction?
 Is Dextranomer/Hyaluronic Acid an Effective Bladder Neck Bulking Agent for Patients with Persistent Incontinence Following Bladder Neck Reconstruction? 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana
Dr. Jayanthi standing in OR

Urinary incontinence caused by bladder neck incompetence is common in children diagnosed with neurogenic bladder. Many patients undergo surgery to increase bladder outlet resistance to incontinence, but some still experience it even after surgery. Endoscopic injection of bulking agents has previously been utilized and studied for use in the bladder neck as follow-up treatment for…

Modulator Therapy Improves Lives of Patients With Cystic Fibrosis With Severe Lung Disease
 Modulator Therapy Improves Lives of Patients With Cystic Fibrosis With Severe Lung Disease 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Patients receiving ETI on a compassionate use basis experienced substantial clinical improvement. The development of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator drugs, most recently elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI), has transformed the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis. A new study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital shows that ETI therapy has the potential to change even…

Outcomes After Surgical Interventions for Abusive Head Trauma
 Outcomes After Surgical Interventions for Abusive Head Trauma 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Study suggests that most children can make clinically meaningful recoveries after neurosurgical intervention. Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a leading cause of injury and death in children under 5 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), yet the scientific literature on neurosurgical intervention for this population is mixed. Given the range…

Expanding Access to Genomic Testing in Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units
 Expanding Access to Genomic Testing in Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Units 1024 575 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana
conceptual art of DNA

Recent study identifies variations in availability and highlights opportunities to improve access to genomic testing in the United States and Canada. In the Nationwide Children’s Hospital neonatal intensive care unit, patients needing rapid genome sequencing can get it on demand without administrative approval. However, that is not the case in all level IV neonatal intensive…

Congenital Heart Disease and Extracardiac Phenotypes Associated With Novel Pathogenic Variant in GATA6
 Congenital Heart Disease and Extracardiac Phenotypes Associated With Novel Pathogenic Variant in GATA6 1024 575 Jessica Nye, PhD
By: Jessica Nye, PhD

A study published in Pediatric Research describes a novel pathogenic variant in the gene GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) associated with congenital heart disease (CHD), diabetes mellitus and necrotizing enterocolitis.   GATA is a family of transcription factors that encode zinc finger DNA binding proteins which are critical regulators during organogenesis. Pathogenic variants in three…

Enhancing Intestinal Rehabilitation Workflow with Disease-Specific Documentation Tools
 Enhancing Intestinal Rehabilitation Workflow with Disease-Specific Documentation Tools 150 150 Erin Gregory
By: Erin Gregory

Structured data entry not only reduces the amount of time physicians are spending in the electronic health record but also opens the door for new research. A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics by Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Ethan Mezoff, MD, Jennifer Lee, MD, and team has shed light on a promising solution to improve the…

Treating Pediatric Melanoma: Ultrasound Surveillance vs. Completion Lymph Node Dissection for Sentinel Node Positive Patients
 Treating Pediatric Melanoma: Ultrasound Surveillance vs. Completion Lymph Node Dissection for Sentinel Node Positive Patients 1024 683 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana

Treatments for pediatric melanoma are usually based on adult studies, but increasing recognition of the differences between pediatric and adult melanoma could change that. Pediatric melanoma is rare in the United States. The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that about 400 children under 20 years old are diagnosed with melanoma each year in the United States.…

Novel Cause of Brain Mosaicism and Focal Epilepsy Identified
 Novel Cause of Brain Mosaicism and Focal Epilepsy Identified 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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
By: 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,…