Teen girl with backpack
Preventing Pregnancies for Patients on Teratogenic Medications
Preventing Pregnancies for Patients on Teratogenic Medications 1024 575 Emily Siebenmorgen

In a recent study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, researchers increased the time between pregnancies for patients on teratogenic medications from an average of 52 days to over 900 days through quality improvement (QI) and behavioral economics. Teratogenic medications such as methotrexate and mycophenolate are…

read more
Exploring the Complex Immune Microenvironment of Rasmussen Encephalitis
Exploring the Complex Immune Microenvironment of Rasmussen Encephalitis 1024 587 Lauren Dembeck

Researchers used a multi-omics approach to gain a deeper understanding of aberrant cellular signaling leading to progression of a rare childhood neurological disease.   Rasmussen encephalitis is a very rare childhood neurological disease characterized by chronic progressive inflammation of one hemisphere of the brain,…

read more
Low-Resource Screening Tool Demonstrates Superior Predictive Value for Cerebral Palsy in Infants
Low-Resource Screening Tool Demonstrates Superior Predictive Value for Cerebral Palsy in Infants 1024 683 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

The use of lower-resource screening tools for cerebral palsy in infants can help increase early detection of the condition and promote access to early interventions.   A recent study reported that the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE), when compared with the Test of Infant…

read more
Molly Fuchs, MD
Real-World Urinary Management and Outcomes in Cloacal Exstrophy Among Children and Adults
Real-World Urinary Management and Outcomes in Cloacal Exstrophy Among Children and Adults 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD

Most (94%) older children and adults with cloacal exstrophy are managed by incontinent diversion or clean intermittent catheterization. “The published literature about cloacal exstrophy can be misleading, and there is an impression that with surgical bladder reconstruction, normal bladder function and voiding can be…

read more
Supplementation With Omega 3-6 Improves a Marker of Inflammation Among Children Newly Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Supplementation With Omega 3-6 Improves a Marker of Inflammation Among Children Newly Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder 1024 681 Jessica Nye, PhD

Fatty acid supplementation may be a treatment route for addressing some underlying causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children.   One potential mechanism affecting autism-related behaviors is inflammation. In general, ASD severity has been associated with inflammatory cytokine levels and externalizing behaviors with…

read more
Illustration of lungs on blue silhouette of upper chest on black background
CFTR Modulation Therapy Improves Markers of Inflammation and Lung Function in Cystic Fibrosis
CFTR Modulation Therapy Improves Markers of Inflammation and Lung Function in Cystic Fibrosis 1024 575 Jessica Nye, PhD

Six months of elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI) therapy significantly reduced proinflammatory cytokines, increased immune cell composition, and improved clinical outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF).   “Cystic fibrosis is a progressive lung disease that carries significant morbidity,” says Shahid Sheikh, MD, of the Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy/Immunology…

read more
Predicting Risk of Nosocomial Infection in Pediatric Burn Patients: Can Measures of Adaptive Immune Function Help?
Predicting Risk of Nosocomial Infection in Pediatric Burn Patients: Can Measures of Adaptive Immune Function Help? 150 150 Abbie Miller

Pediatric burn injuries affect 1 million children each year in the United States. While burn care improvements have decreased mortality, infection-related complications remain a significant problem. According to the National Burn Repository, four of the top five complications of pediatric burns are infection related.…

read more
Intrauterine Devices are a First-Line Option for Adolescents with Bleeding Disorders
Intrauterine Devices are a First-Line Option for Adolescents with Bleeding Disorders 150 150 Mary Bates, PhD

Among adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding, study shows no difference in IUD expulsion rate between adolescents with bleeding disorders and those without. In a new study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s evaluated the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) in two young women’s hematology clinics. They…

read more
New Guidelines Offer a Clear Path for Expandable Endoprosthesis Use in Post-Sarcoma Limb Reconstruction
New Guidelines Offer a Clear Path for Expandable Endoprosthesis Use in Post-Sarcoma Limb Reconstruction 150 150 Abbie Miller

Limb salvage operation is the standard of care for pediatric extremity bone sarcomas. These tumors often occur during the second decade of life, when children are growing rapidly. Reconstructive surgeries must account for anticipated remaining growth and the potential for resulting limb inequity. Osteosarcoma…

read more
Robotic Approach to Rare Case Leads to Best Possible Outcome
Robotic Approach to Rare Case Leads to Best Possible Outcome 1024 683 Emily Siebenmorgen

A rare tumor in a child from Greece is resolved by robotic spleen-sparing distal pancreatectomy. Hospital visits can feel like a foreign experience for anyone, especially so when your hospital is actually in another country. But eight-year-old Evangelia felt especially at home after traveling…

read more
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…

read more
Featured Researcher — Motao (Matt) Zhu, MS, MD, PhD
Featured Researcher — Motao (Matt) Zhu, MS, MD, PhD 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Motao (Matt) Zhu, MS, MD, PhD, serves as a principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. After starting off his epidemiology studies in reproductive health, Dr. Zhu transitioned into injury research…

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

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…

read more
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…

read more
Using Hormone Therapy First Drives Earlier Remission From Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome
Using Hormone Therapy First Drives Earlier Remission From Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome 1024 575 Natalie Wilson

Recent research conducted at Nationwide Children’s Hospital demonstrated standardizing hormone therapy as the first treatment for infantile spasms improved rates of early remission. Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is an uncommon epilepsy syndrome characterized by seizures called infantile spasms that begin between 1 and…

read more
New Nomogram Helps Optimize 3-D Rotational Angiography for Congenital Cardiac Catheterization
New Nomogram Helps Optimize 3-D Rotational Angiography for Congenital Cardiac Catheterization 1024 775 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Clinician-researchers studied a large number of 3-D rotational angiography (3DRA) cases to identify patient and practice factors that produce the highest quality images. In an effort to aid in the successful application of 3-D rotational angiography (3DRA) in cardiac catheterization labs worldwide, a team…

read more
Bowel Management Program Improves Urinary Symptoms Associated with Pediatric Functional Constipation
Bowel Management Program Improves Urinary Symptoms Associated with Pediatric Functional Constipation 150 150 JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM

A one-week bowel management program can significantly improve urinary symptoms in children with functional constipation, possibly eliminating the need for extensive urologic testing. Molly Fuchs, MD, a urologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and her research team recently demonstrated that a bowel management program (BMP)…

read more
Development of Acute Kidney Injury as a Potential Biomarker of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants
Development of Acute Kidney Injury as a Potential Biomarker of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD

Regular measurement of serum creatinine levels could help identify necrotizing enterocolitis sooner. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) evaluated serum creatinine levels and the development of acute kidney injury as a potential biomarker of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. The retrospective…

read more
Study Suggests Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors Have Altered Connectivity of Key Brain Regions
Study Suggests Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors Have Altered Connectivity of Key Brain Regions 1024 575 Lauren Dembeck

The findings contribute to a scant body of literature on the changes in functional connection within the brain and neurocognitive outcomes in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumor diagnosis among children in the United States. With…

read more
Clearing Up Confusion On Cleft Lip and Palate
Clearing Up Confusion On Cleft Lip and Palate 600 400 Emily Siebenmorgen

There’s a common misconception that cleft lip and cleft palate is a third-world disease. The truth is: it’s very common in the United States. In fact, it’s the most common birth defect after congenital heart disease, occurring in one in 700 births. That’s around…

read more