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Increasing Use of Pharmacologic Clot Prevention Among Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease
Increasing Use of Pharmacologic Clot Prevention Among Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease 1024 580 Mary Bates, PhD

Growing interest in preventing thrombosis and approval of direct oral anticoagulants may be driving a shift to pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital assessed the use of thromboprophylaxis in adolescent patients with sickle cell disease over the last decade. Sickle cell disease (SCD) increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE).…

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%.…

Kidney Transplant Program and the Psychosocial Power Team: Expanding Care Through Collaboration
Kidney Transplant Program and the Psychosocial Power Team: Expanding Care Through Collaboration 1024 683 Leslie Feldman

In the United States, the availability of psychosocial services within pediatric nephrology centers varies widely – despite a well-documented necessity for the provision of holistic care. For the most part, the landscape of available psychosocial services within pediatric nephrology care is poorly characterized. However, the effects of kidney disease on emotional health and health-related quality…

New Fast, Reliable Model Tests Patient Response to Novel Treatments
New Fast, Reliable Model Tests Patient Response to Novel Treatments 150 150 Madison Storm

It’s well-known that treatments work for some patients and don’t for others, and this can be a real challenge when it comes to rare neurogenerative disorders. Dr. Kathrin Meyer and her lab established a faster, reliable in vitro model to investigate why. Recent research from the Meyer lab with the Center for Gene Therapy at…

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…

What Drives Nephrotic Syndrome Hypercoagulopathy?
What Drives Nephrotic Syndrome Hypercoagulopathy? 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Antithrombin deficiency does not play a major mechanistic role in the increased clotting risk of nephrotic syndrome, according to a new study. Patients with nephrotic syndrome are at risk for life-threatening venous thromboembolism complications. This risk is thought to be driven by an acquired hypercoagulopathy, or excessive blood clotting. Although the mechanisms underlying this hypercoagulopathy…

Understanding and Implementing the Latest Recommendations for Asthma Management
Understanding and Implementing the Latest Recommendations for Asthma Management 770 513 Emily Siebenmorgen

New guidelines for the care and treatment of asthma in children were released in 2020, but implementation has been slowed by the pandemic and need for education. An estimated 8% of children had asthma in 2020, and it continues to have a significant impact in the lives of many kids. It interferes with their sports…

ADHD Diagnosis and Management: What Pediatric Providers Need to Know
ADHD Diagnosis and Management: What Pediatric Providers Need to Know 150 150 Emily Siebenmorgen

In a recent episode of PediaCast CME, host Mike Patrick, MD, reviews ADHD diagnosis and management. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), previously known as attention deficit disorder (ADD), is a relatively common neurodevelopmental disorder. While boys are at least two times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, an estimated 8% of youth have ADHD.…

5 Questions with Adolfo Etchegaray, MD
5 Questions with Adolfo Etchegaray, MD 1024 683 Emily Siebenmorgen

Meet Adolfo Etchegaray, MD, chief of fetal medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Learn more about Dr. Etchegaray’s expertise and path to leadership at The Fetal Center, and what lies ahead for this global destination program. Q: What drew you to a career in fetal medicine? A: Before going into medicine, my plan was to become…

Deep Brain Stimulation Ameliorates Symptoms of Genetic Movement Disorder
Deep Brain Stimulation Ameliorates Symptoms of Genetic Movement Disorder 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

First report of DBS for management of tremor in a treatment-resistant AIFM1-related disorder.   In a new case series, researchers from Nationwide Children’s report using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to help manage tremor due to a genetic movement disorder in two brothers. The report, published in the journal Pediatric Neurology, suggests DBS may be useful…

Improving the Diagnosis and Treatment of Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Improving the Diagnosis and Treatment of Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Disease 150 150 Lauren Dembeck

Iron deficiency with and without anemia is under-recognized and under-treated in children with inflammatory bowel disease.   Anemia is the most common extr-aintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and iron deficiency is the most prevalent cause of anemia in children with IBD. Several factors…

The Role of a Children’s Hospital in Central Ohio’s Biotech Boom
The Role of a Children’s Hospital in Central Ohio’s Biotech Boom 480 346 Lauren Dembeck and Natalie Wilson

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is at the front of the pack among top National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded children’s hospitals when it comes to developing novel gene therapies and commercializing intellectual property. Achieving this level of commercial activity is a testament to the organization’s groundbreaking investments in infrastructure, unique approaches to engaging with industry and…

Adding Telehealth Solutions to the Autism Toolbox: What Really Works?
Adding Telehealth Solutions to the Autism Toolbox: What Really Works? 1024 535 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
Collage of health technology tools

The COVID-19 pandemic forced autism diagnostics and follow-up care to digital, remote platforms. Now that telehealth is no longer required, what’s worth keeping as a digital service option?   It may be hard to imagine successfully observing a child over video — or even just having responses to prompts relayed over the phone — in…

Biofilms In Respiratory Infections and Beyond: A Review
Biofilms In Respiratory Infections and Beyond: A Review 150 150 Emily Siebenmorgen

Researchers from Nationwide Children’s recently published a landmark piece in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology reviewing everything known about biofilm aggregates and their role in respiratory tract infections to date. Biofilms create sticky situations for several diseases. These microbial communities are formed when bacterial cells stick to each other and attach themselves to a…

The Impact and Implications of Interferons Against RSV
The Impact and Implications of Interferons Against RSV 1024 575 Emily Siebenmorgen
Illustration of lungs on blue silhouette of upper chest on black background

Specific cytokines play a key role in minimizing disease severity Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shares many symptoms with other respiratory viruses like the common cold or the flu, but it represents the number one cause of hospitalization in infants worldwide. Despite being a large burden on the health care system, there are currently few preventative…

How Quality Improvement Can Expand Insulin Pump Use and More
How Quality Improvement Can Expand Insulin Pump Use and More 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

A Q&A with Don Buckingham about the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative Don Buckingham, MBOE, CPHQ, CSSBB, joined Nationwide Children’s Center for Clinical Excellence as a quality strategist eight years ago. In a Q&A, he shares how he leveraged his background in industry and business services improvement in projects for the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement…

Understanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis
Understanding Eosinophilic Esophagitis 150 150 Emily Siebenmorgen

Recent PediaCast CME episode from Mike Patrick, MD, shares important information about diagnosing and treating eosinophilic esophagitis. Eosinophilic esophagitis, or EOE, may not be the first condition providers think of when a patient presents with upper abdominal pain or dysphagia. EOE incidence has increased 30 times since its discovery in the 1990s, but overlapping symptoms…

The New Book on Youth Suicide Prevention
The New Book on Youth Suicide Prevention 150 150 John Ackerman, PhD and Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH

Our new open access Springer Series book helps close the gap between the latest research in youth suicide prevention and how to make an impact in our communities.  Youth suicide is a public health crisis. It is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10-17 in the United States, according to data from…

American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Guidelines for the Management of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia
American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Guidelines for the Management of Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia 1024 737 Emily Siebenmorgen
person in scrubs holding a baby

Nationwide Children’s physicians collaborate on updates to testing, treatment and follow-up recommendations for preventing hazardous hyperbilirubinemia and possible brain damage. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) recommendations for managing hyperbilirubinemia in infants 35 gestational weeks and older are among its most accessed sets of clinical practice guidelines. A team led by Alex Kemper, MD, MPH,…

Is There a Role for D-Mannose, Cranberry or Probiotics in Preventing Pediatric UTIs?
Is There a Role for D-Mannose, Cranberry or Probiotics in Preventing Pediatric UTIs? 1024 683 Deborah L. Ungerleider, MD, FAAP

Alternatives for prophylaxis of UTIs in children may help reduce antibiotic overuse. Preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children is important, as multiple UTIs can lead to scarring of the kidneys, which can then lead to hypertension or end-stage renal disease.1 UTIs in children are generally treated with antibiotics, which are sometimes also used for…

Factors Modulating Parenting Stress in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Factors Modulating Parenting Stress in Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
Parent and child holding hands

Parenting self-efficacy and family resources impact the relationship between behavior problems in children with autism spectrum disorder and parenting stress. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit co-occurring conditions that may increase parenting stress. These include externalizing behaviors, such as tantrums and disruptive behaviors, and internalizing issues, such as anxiety and depression. One factor…

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…

Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Post-COVID: Could Your Patient Benefit?
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Post-COVID: Could Your Patient Benefit? 1024 728 Abbie Miller

The road to recovery from COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, is not always smooth, short or straight. For adults and children, long COVID, a condition where symptoms such as fatigue, headache and decreased respiratory function persist after the virus has “cleared” the body, can add increased stress and hardship. Additionally, even mild cases of…

NASPGHAN: New Guidance for Surgical Procedure Selection in Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis
NASPGHAN: New Guidance for Surgical Procedure Selection in Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis 899 450 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Informed, multispecialty decision-making is essential to give children with chronic pancreatitis the best chance for long-term pain relief and improved quality of life, according to new guidance issued by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition.   Chronic pancreatitis has long been an underappreciated and underrecognized condition in children. Now, a NASPGHAN…

Making (Lots of) NK Cells
Making (Lots of) NK Cells 1024 649 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

When Dean Lee, MD, PhD, joined Nationwide Children’s and The Ohio  State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2016, the institutions gave him leadership of a joint program: the Cellular Therapy and Cancer Immunology Program (CTCI), which serves to develop research efforts into clinical care for both pediatric and adult patients. The CTCI team has worked…

How the Antimicrobial Protein RNase 7 Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
How the Antimicrobial Protein RNase 7 Helps Prevent Urinary Tract Infections 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Researchers identify genetic variation associated with severe and recurrent UTIs. A new study adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting the antimicrobial protein RNase 7 plays an important role in preventing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, suggest genetic variations in the RNase 7 gene may increase…

Growing Opportunities for Tissue Engineering
Growing Opportunities for Tissue Engineering 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

A new system removes much of the expense and technical challenges surrounding cell seeding of tissue-engineered vascular grafts, making the technology more accessible to patients everywhere. One of the key challenges in congenital heart surgery is that current grafts used to correct heart defects are not living grafts—they don’t grow with the patient or function…

What Pediatricians Should Know about Long COVID
What Pediatricians Should Know about Long COVID 1024 683 Octavio Ramilo, MD

More than 4 million children have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, long-term effects from COVID-19 can be significant, regardless of initial disease severity. Medical providers across the nation, including here at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, are seeing an increase in cases of what is being called…

Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017
Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck
Sad black teenage girl

Prioritization of research aimed at identifying specific risk and protective factors associated with Black youth suicidal behavior is needed. In the United States, the rates of suicide and suicidal behavior among youth, children and adolescents 5-17 years of age, have been steadily increasing over the last decade, and Black youth, 5-12 years, are approximately two…

Cylinder Mitral Valve Construct is a Safe and Durable Alternative for Young Patients
Cylinder Mitral Valve Construct is a Safe and Durable Alternative for Young Patients 1024 752 Mary Bates, PhD
Top-down view of heart valves

The new technique could potentially reduce the number of lifetime surgeries required by these patients, researchers say. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital report that pediatric patients who underwent cylinder mitral valve construct, a new technique for replacing the mitral valve, had improved left ventricular function over time. In addition, there were…

Self-Administered Electronic Assessment Tool Helps Clinicians Screen for Pediatric Bleeding Disorders
Self-Administered Electronic Assessment Tool Helps Clinicians Screen for Pediatric Bleeding Disorders 1024 684 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM
teen girl using cell phone

An electronic self-administered bleeding assessment tool is a time-saving measure to comprehensively evaluate a pediatric patient’s bleeding symptoms. Bleeding assessment tools (BATs), originally developed as research tools, are used clinically to comprehensively evaluate a patient’s bleeding symptoms. Along with clinical judgement, “BATs are used to discriminate between patients who do and do not have a…

Using Virtual Reality Games to Reduce Dressing Change Pain in Pediatric Burn Patients
Using Virtual Reality Games to Reduce Dressing Change Pain in Pediatric Burn Patients 934 401 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

Smartphone-based virtual reality games can reduce dressing change pain for pediatric patients receiving outpatient burn treatment. According to the American Burn Association, burn injuries affect approximately 250,000 children in the United States each year. The pain associated with burn injuries extends beyond the injury itself; there is also significant pain from dressing changes, which can…

How Can We Make Child Health Equitable?
How Can We Make Child Health Equitable? 550 350 Jeb Phillips, Abbie Miller and Natalie Wilson

Researchers in the Center for Child Health Equity and Outcomes Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are tackling this question by identifying health disparities and uncovering exactly how social drivers of health impact outcomes. “Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.” That’s how the Robert Wood…

Targeting FSHD With Designed Antisense RNAs
Targeting FSHD With Designed Antisense RNAs 1024 683 Abbie Miller

Researchers describe small nuclear RNA antisense expression cassettes as a way to silence the DUX4 gene underlying facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) arises from genetic and epigenetic changes that result in expression of the DUX4 gene in muscle. DUX4 is a developmental gene that is normally off in healthy muscle.  When expressed in…

How to Make a Viral Vector
How to Make a Viral Vector 150 150 Abbie Miller

The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is the home to a current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) Clinical Manufacturing Facility (CMF) that operates according to FDA cGMP Guidelines to ensure the safety of manufactured biologic products. The Space The CMF is a 9000-sq-ft space, including a 7500-sq-ft clean room suite with ISO Class 5/7/8 spaces…