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Center for Biobehavioral Health

Why Do Some Children Have Worse Outcomes After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury?
 Why Do Some Children Have Worse Outcomes After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury? 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD
By: Jessica Nye, PhD

Children had reduced white matter structural connectivity after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to children with complicated-mild TBI (cmTBI) or orthopedic injury (OI). This reduced connectivity may explain some disparities in behavioral outcomes. Children and adolescents who experience a TBI are at risk for psychological and behavioral morbidities. “We find that kids…

Studying the Environment’s Impact on Pediatric Health Outcomes
 Studying the Environment’s Impact on Pediatric Health Outcomes 1024 619 Wendy Margolin
By: Wendy Margolin

A massive population database is expected to inform and transform children’s health outcomes. Researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University are focusing on how early exposures might be associated with areas such as neurodevelopment and cardiovascular outcomes as part of a large national study, Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.…

The Nurse Perception of Infant Condition (NPIC) Scale: A Tool for NICU Nurses to Evaluate Neonatal Well-being
 The Nurse Perception of Infant Condition (NPIC) Scale: A Tool for NICU Nurses to Evaluate Neonatal Well-being 1024 683 Jessica Nye, PhD
By: Jessica Nye, PhD
Baby in NICU

Investigators from Nationwide Children’s Hospital developed a tool for nurses to use when assessing a neonate’s wellbeing, called the Nurse Perception of Infant Condition (NPIC) Scale. “For neonates, it was hard to find a scale that was relevant and would allow us to measure anything for research,” says Christine A. Fortney, PhD, RN, FPCN, FAAN,…

How Does Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Affect Children?
 How Does Cannabis Use During Pregnancy Affect Children? 1024 683 Katelyn Scott
By: Katelyn Scott

A recent study shows that prenatal exposure to cannabis is associated with poorer thinking skills and behaviors.  In a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, researchers found prenatal cannabis exposure was associated in early childhood with poorer thinking skills and behaviors such as impulse control, paying attention and planning ability, and more aggressive behavior, all of…

Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Cancer Survivors: Assessing the Impacts
 Health-Related Quality of Life in Pediatric Cancer Survivors: Assessing the Impacts 1024 683 Madison Storm
By: Madison Storm

Family factors have a significant impact on health-related quality of life. Childhood cancer is a life-changing diagnosis for children and their families. Children undergoing cancer treatment often experience impairment in health-related quality of life compared to children from healthy populations. The severity of impact can depend, in part, on social determinants of health, such as…

Enhancing School Readiness for Children with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Insights and Strategies for Health Care Clinicians
 Enhancing School Readiness for Children with Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Insights and Strategies for Health Care Clinicians 1024 664 Erin Gregory
By: Erin Gregory

A recent publication in Pediatric Cardiology explores the complexities of school readiness among children with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) compared to their peers. The study hypothesizes that children with CCHD will face more significant difficulties in school readiness, linked to specific medical risk factors associated with their condition. Identifying Barriers to Progress The study, led by…

Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Improve Access to Social Resources for Better Patient Outcomes?
 Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Improve Access to Social Resources for Better Patient Outcomes? 1024 540 Pam Georgiana
By: Pam Georgiana

A recent study tests the ability of the DAPHNE© Chatbot to do just that. Health care providers and organizations recognize the impact of social factors on health and are increasingly addressing social determinants to improve health outcomes and equity. However, integrating social care into health practices remains challenging due to structural barriers such as staffing,…

Adolescents With Concussion May Benefit from More Cognitive Activity as Early as the First Week After Injury
 Adolescents With Concussion May Benefit from More Cognitive Activity as Early as the First Week After Injury 1024 575 Laura Dattner
By: Laura Dattner

A new study shows limiting screen time and returning to school early following a concussion may hasten recovery timelines. In a study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers with the Center for Injury Research and Policy, Division of Sports Medicine, Center for Biobehavioral Health, and Division of Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital evaluated…

Meet Daphne©, a ChatBot for Pediatric Health Care
 Meet Daphne©, a ChatBot for Pediatric Health Care 150 150 Madison Storm
By: Madison Storm

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI)have exploded across the worlds of marketing and commerce in recent years. At Nationwide Children’s, clinicians and researchers are focusing on how AI and related technologies can be used to reduce clinician workloads and improve patient outcomes. Emre Sezgin, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide…

Racial Disparities in Health Care Use Among Medicaid-Covered Children With Congenital Heart Disease
 Racial Disparities in Health Care 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…

How Language-Processing Technology Could Transform Medical Practice, Research and Patient Participation
 How Language-Processing Technology Could Transform Medical Practice, Research and Patient Participation 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Recent revolutions in researchers’ ability to process natural language sources, such as clinic visit notes, transcripts or medical diaries, could dramatically expand opportunities to improve health care and prevention health outreach.   Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a subfield of computer science and artificial intelligence that deals with the interaction between computers and human language.…

Beyond the Wow Factor: Artificial Intelligence in Pediatrics
 Beyond the Wow Factor: Artificial Intelligence in Pediatrics 1024 576 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

What promise do AI and machine learning hold for pediatrics, and how can their potential flourish while still safeguarding children’s health and privacy? Machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have exploded across the worlds of marketing and commerce in recent years. Streaming services track what you watch and suggest other content you may enjoy.…

Featured Researcher — Eric Nelson, PhD
 Featured Researcher — Eric Nelson, PhD 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Eric Nelson, PhD, is a principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute (AWRI) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His work centers around how the brain develops, particularly during adolescence, as well as how it changes (or doesn’t) during periods of mental health symptoms, crises or therapeutic interventions. He collaborates…

Virtual Support for Educating Parents of Newborns with Sickle Cell Trait
 Virtual Support for Educating Parents of Newborns with Sickle Cell Trait 1024 681 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD
Black couple with newborn

A supplementary videoconferencing program engages parents and reduces worry about sickle cell trait status. Nearly 3 million people in the U.S. have sickle cell trait (SCT), in which they inherit one sickle cell gene and one normal gene. Individuals with SCT are usually asymptomatic; however, two parents with SCT have a 25% chance of having…

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
By: 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 interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-1β levels. Supplementation may be a treatment route,…

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
By: 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 advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate among these children and…

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
By: 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…

Physical Activity Intervention May Benefit Adolescents With Congenital Heart Defects
 Physical Activity Intervention May Benefit Adolescents With Congenital Heart Defects 1024 684 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD
teen girl using cell phone

A lifestyle intervention delivered via videoconference increased physical activity in the least active participants. In a new pilot study, researchers from Nationwide Children’s evaluated the efficacy of the Congenital Heart Disease Physical Activity Lifestyle (CHD-PAL) intervention for high school-aged adolescents with congenital heart defects. The results demonstrate the intervention is feasible and acceptable, and preliminary…

Exploring Dopamine Genotype as a Moderator of the Effect of Parental Behavior on Children’s Self-Control
 Exploring Dopamine Genotype as a Moderator of the Effect of Parental Behavior on Children’s Self-Control 150 150 Daphne Vrantsidis, PhD
By: Daphne Vrantsidis, PhD

Did you know developmental psychologists have found the secret to life success? It’s not eating your vegetables or doing your homework or anything else your parents or teachers told you growing up. It’s how long you waited to eat a marshmallow when you were 4 years old. Delaying gratification — waiting 5 minutes to eat…

Are Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease Getting Enough Physically Activity?
 Are Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease Getting Enough Physically Activity? 1024 728 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Study reports adolescents with congenital heart disease are less physically active than recommended, with gender playing a role. In a new study, researchers at Nationwide Children’s described physical activity patterns among high school-age adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the United States. The results, including analyses of the effects of gender and behavioral elements,…

Featured Researcher — Leena Nahata, MD
 Featured Researcher — Leena Nahata, MD 150 150 Natalie Wilson
By: Natalie Wilson

Pediatric endocrinologist Leena Nahata, MD, is the founder and medical director of the Fertility and Reproductive Health Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and a principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. Although fertility-related decisions can seem far away for children, adolescents and their families, many…

Understanding the Social Neural Network
 Understanding the Social Neural Network 1024 575 Natalie Wilson
By: Natalie Wilson
Young boy turned sideways in front of a dark background, with dark lighting and an illustration of his brain appearing in front of the side of his head

Neuroimaging of participants with and without epilepsy allows researchers to explore the neural networks associated with social skills. Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease characterized by neural network dysfunction and seizures. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 470,000 children in the United States had active epilepsy in 2015. These children are more likely…

Fatty Acid Supplements May Improve Social and Emotional Wellbeing Even in Toddlers
 Fatty Acid Supplements May Improve Social and Emotional Wellbeing Even in Toddlers 150 150 Natalie Wilson
By: Natalie Wilson

Children who were given supplements of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid that serves as an important building block in babies’ developing brains, were less likely to meet the threshold on a test that determines whether they should be further evaluated for Autism Spectrum Disorder. When children are born prematurely, they miss the opportunity…

Reproductive Health Attitudes and Behaviors in Transgender/Nonbinary Adolescents
 Reproductive Health Attitudes and Behaviors in Transgender/Nonbinary Adolescents 1024 683 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

A survey suggests providers may need unique strategies for counseling sometimes disinterested youth on important reproductive health issues. Transgender and nonbinary adolescents have unique issues when it comes to reproductive health. They are at high risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections. Additionally, hormonal or surgical interventions begun in adolescence can risk impairing future fertility. Researchers…

Brain Characteristics Associated with Epilepsy and Internalizing Disorders
 Brain Characteristics Associated with Epilepsy and Internalizing Disorders 1024 575 Mary Bates, PhD
By: Mary Bates, PhD

Diffuse alterations in brain structure and function are seen in youth with epilepsy and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Internalizing disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are common in patients with epilepsy. Specific brain characteristics – structural changes in the hippocampus and amygdala as well as some differences in structure and function of more frontal…

Family Support Linked to Resilience in Kindergarteners Born Preterm
 Family Support Linked to Resilience in Kindergarteners Born Preterm 150 150 Adelaide Feibel
By: Adelaide Feibel

Despite known adverse outcomes associated with prematurity, a large minority of kindergarteners born preterm exhibit none of them. For years, medical researchers have dedicated countless hours to studying the adverse outcomes of premature births. But in their attempts to illuminate the incidence of cognitive, behavioral and learning deficits in preterm and low-birth-weight infants, researchers have…

How Do Brain Processes Change With Social Reorientation Toward Peers In Adolescence?
 How Do Brain Processes Change With Social Reorientation Toward Peers In Adolescence? 150 150 Adelaide Feibel
By: Adelaide Feibel

A recent study shows an association between closeness with peers and levels of activation in the social and reward areas of the adolescent brain. Parents of adolescents know all too well that once children hit their teenage years, they often become closer to their peers and less close to their parents. But little is known…

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
By: 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…

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

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

How Can We Optimize Fertility Related Discussions With Male Survivors of Childhood Cancer?
 How Can We Optimize Fertility Related Discussions With Male Survivors of Childhood Cancer? 150 150 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

A recent study suggests that fertility is a “later” issue for adolescents and young adults, rather than a “now” concern, leading to low rates of conversation with health care providers. Survival rates for pediatric cancers exceed 80 percent. But late effects can persist throughout the survivor’s lifetime. Among those late effects, infertility may have both…

Starting the Conversation on Sickle Cell Disease and Reproductive Health
 Starting the Conversation on Sickle Cell Disease and Reproductive Health 1024 575 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease — and their caregivers — care about future fertility. But what should doctors tell them? Until just a few decades ago, sickle cell disease (SCD) was often fatal in childhood. Now that more patients reach adulthood, clinicians and researchers need to ask — and answer — questions…

Small Trial of Omega Fatty Acid Supplementation in Toddlers Born Preterm Points to Possible Therapeutic Intervention
 Small Trial of Omega Fatty Acid Supplementation in Toddlers Born Preterm Points to Possible Therapeutic Intervention 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller
Color close up image of young baby girl looking at hanging toys

Researchers show that supplementation of omega fatty acids may improve symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder in toddlers who were born very preterm. Researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital have shown that omega fatty acid supplements may improve autism spectrum disorder symptoms in toddlers who were born very preterm (<29 weeks gestation). The study was published in The Journal…

The Challenge of Studying Supplementation: Omega Fatty Acids to Prevent Preterm Birth and Associated Complications
 The Challenge of Studying Supplementation: Omega Fatty Acids to Prevent Preterm Birth and Associated Complications 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

Dietary supplements: it seems that medical professionals either love them or hate them. And while much research shows that the average healthy adult with a good diet probably doesn’t need them, studies of specific supplements in specific patient populations may show efficacy. For example, studies show that omega-3 fatty acid supplements can reduce inflammation and…

Study Finds Cow’s Milk is Added to Breast Milk and Sold to Parents Online
 Study Finds Cow’s Milk is Added to Breast Milk and Sold to Parents Online 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Deceptive Internet advertisements for human breast milk may put infants at risk. What do parents (and doctors) need to know about milk sharing? A study published yesterday on the safety of human breast milk bought over the Internet found that 10 percent of samples contained added cow’s milk. The discovery that purchased samples of human milk may…

Survivors of Congenital Heart Disease Report Poor Risk Knowledge and High-Fat Diets
 Survivors of Congenital Heart Disease Report Poor Risk Knowledge and High-Fat Diets 150 150 Tiasha Letostak, PhD
By: Tiasha Letostak, PhD

A new study suggests that CHD survivors may lack knowledge about their disease and would benefit from education about future risks and health behaviors. Over 1 million adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) currently reside in the United States. These individuals are at heightened risk for numerous health concerns, including endocarditis, pregnancy complications and life-threatening…

(Some Other) Mother’s Milk
 (Some Other) Mother’s Milk 150 150 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

Women who can’t breastfeed often turn to the Internet for breast milk. But is it safe?