Articles tagged with Pediatrics
A new study found that waist circumference-to-height ratio detects excess fat mass and distinguishes it from muscle mass in children and adolescents significantly better than body mass index (BMI). The measure is inexpensive and accurate, making it a promising alternative to BMI for diagnosing childhood obesity.
A new study led by Brown University researchers found an association between household firearm ownership and elevated lead levels in children's blood in 44 states. The study suggests that firearm-related lead ammunition use is a significant source of lead exposure in the US, disproportionately affecting children.
A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics found a strong negative association between screen time and parent-child talk among children aged 12-36 months. Children exposed to more screen time had fewer adult words, vocalizations, and back-and-forth interactions with parents.
A new study by NYU College of Dentistry shows that silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective alternative to dental sealants for preventing cavities, especially in schools. SDF can increase access to dental care while reducing costs, and its use could keep kids from needing fillings, saving families and the healthcare system money.
A new cellphone app developed by physician-scientists uses artificial intelligence to accurately diagnose ear infections in young children, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use. The AI tool is more accurate than trained clinicians and offers a simple solution for healthcare providers.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles will develop innovative stem cell approaches to treat children and adolescents with recurrent solid tumors using CAR T-cell therapy. The new approach targets B7H3, an immune marker on cancer cells, to identify and destroy them.
New research reveals that lockdowns had a significant impact on the gut microbiome development of babies born during these periods. Babies born during lockdown periods showed lower rates of allergic conditions compared to pre-pandemic babies, likely due to reduced infection and increased breastfeeding.
Researchers at Pennington Biomedical confirmed the accuracy of remotely gathered physical measurements for children in a weight management study. The findings support the value of remote height and weight measurements for both research and clinical purposes.
Researchers at UCSF have identified AF1q as a universal biomarker for neuroblastoma, a highly aggressive and fatal form of childhood cancer. High-risk cases have a five-year survival rate of just 50%. The study found that silencing AF1q in neuroblastoma cells induces cell death and weakens tumor progression.
A survey study reveals primary care pediatricians lack preparedness in managing adolescent OUD, with a notable gap compared to other substance use disorders. The results underscore the importance of workforce training programs to address this critical healthcare issue.
A national multicenter survey found that up to one-third of children who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 did not fully recover and experienced persistent symptoms. Children who had not recovered were more likely to have neurological symptoms, including headache and weakness.
A new study has created specific growth charts for children with Fanconi anemia, showing that they tend to be shorter and thinner than other children. The researchers found that boys with the condition have average heights at the lower end of the general population curve, while girls have average heights but variable weights.
A team of pediatric clinicians developed 45 multilingual videos to educate providers on pediatric care topics, using generative AI and synthetic voice avatars. The videos were recorded in English and translated into Spanish, emphasizing Latin American variations.
A UK study published in Anaesthesia found that black children are at a significantly higher risk of postoperative complications following emergency appendicitis surgery, with a four-fold greater risk compared to white children. The study also identified other risk factors for complications, including pre-existing medical conditions and...
A new method uses digital DNA melting analysis to detect pathogens in blood samples, producing results in under six hours and reducing false positives compared to traditional blood cultures. This technology has the potential to save lives by accurately diagnosing sepsis, a leading cause of death worldwide.
A recent study found that parents and clinicians are in favor of a mobile app to help manage child cancer pain at home. The app aims to ease the burden on caregivers and provide personalized pain management support. Recommendations for the app include improved accessibility, language options, and gamification features to involve children.
Flu vaccines significantly reduced the risk of both moderate and severe disease for children and adults in the US during the 2022-2023 flu season. Vaccination effectiveness was found to be around 40-45% for all age groups, with greater reductions in younger populations.
A large-scale analysis of 21 million births in Japan from 1979-2018 found significantly fewer births on weekends and holidays compared to weekdays. High-risk births became more frequent over time, especially on Thursdays and Fridays, highlighting the need for hospitals to plan and minimize risks during these periods.
A CHLA research team found that socio-economic factors like family support, employment status, patient age, race, and language spoken can impact clinical outcomes. Children with limited social support systems and working caregivers have worse outcomes.
Researchers developed a novel assay that integrates data from four fusion callers to identify disease-related gene fusions in pediatric tumors with high accuracy and efficiency. The new bioinformatics platform detected fusions, prioritized them, and custom curated downstream processes for consensus fusion calling.
Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities face higher risk for foster care involvement, particularly among Black and female populations. The study highlights the urgent need for system-level interventions to address these disparities.
Researchers found that increased time in school and low-intensity cognitive activities like listening to music or reading accelerated symptom resolution. However, prolonged screen time in non-school activities worsened symptoms.
A comprehensive report on pediatric long COVID symptoms has been published, revealing clues to risk factors and common symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and musculoskeletal pain. The study found that older age, more severe initial infection, and underlying medical conditions are associated with an increased risk of long COVID.
A team of researchers from Texas Heart Institute and Baylor College of Medicine have made a significant discovery about the underlying molecular cell states within transplanted pediatric hearts. They found that donor-derived tissue-resident macrophages are crucial for graft acceptance, but their loss leads to allograft failure.
Children's Hospital Colorado is one of nine core sites nationally in the Pediatric Heart Network, a collective working to improve outcomes and quality of life for children with heart disease. The hospital's Heart Institute will conduct multisite research projects over the next seven years.
A team of researchers analyzed 61 symptomatic and 35 asymptomatic knees with discoid lateral meniscus surgery. They found that larger meniscus sizes were associated with increased knee pain and symptoms. The study's results have important implications for surgical treatment and preoperative imaging.
Researchers investigate biomarkers from genome, transcriptome, proteins, and metabolites to help tackle the high mortality rate of pediatric sepsis. The review highlights potential biomarkers, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics.
A Canadian study found that 30% of parent caregivers have unmet emotional needs and 15% feel inadequately involved in their child's care. Providing regular updates and addressing parents' emotional needs can help ease pressures of ER crowding.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning and development among school-aged children, with disadvantaged families feeling the effects most severely. Researchers found that only 30% of students were assessed as kindergarten-ready in 2021, compared to 40% in 2018.
A recent study published in the journal Blood revealed that hydroxyurea treatment resulted in a 60% reduction in severe or invasive infections among Ugandan children with sickle cell anemia. The findings provide powerful justification for hydroxyurea's use as a standard of care in Africa, which could ultimately save countless lives.
A pilot study proposes a promising global genomic assay for diagnosing molecular subtypes in pediatric B-ALL, leading to more accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment options. RNA sequencing analysis accurately identified subtypes in all known cases and determined genetic subtype in 79% of previously unknown cases.
A new study confirms that the predominant outcome of non-fatal pediatric drowning is locked-in syndrome. Researchers found that 60% of children who survived drowning events were classified as locked in, with cognitive and sensory networks preserved in their brains.
The NEST360 alliance is launching Phase 2 with a focus on five sub-Saharan countries to reduce newborn deaths by 75% through improved medical care and systems-change approach. The initiative aims to limit newborn deaths to no more than 12 per 1000 live births by 2030, aligning with the U.N.'s SDG 3.2 goal.
A new study finds that infants born full-term to mothers infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy are three times more likely to develop respiratory distress compared to uninfected infants. Vaccination prior to infection was found to be protective, reducing the risk by half.
A global study review found negative indirect impacts of the pandemic on people with diabetes, including a rise in non-COVID-19-related deaths, diabetic ketoacidosis among children and adolescents, and sight loss. Pediatric ICU admissions were also significantly increased.
A recent study of 2,261 infants found no significant adverse effects on neurodevelopment after in utero exposure to COVID-19 vaccination. The research suggests that maternal COVID-19 vaccination is safe for infant development up to 18 months.
A new study found that despite declines in exposures among younger children, the burden remains high, with increased incidents among older children, teens, and adults. Experts call for strengthened safety efforts, including PPPA-compliant packaging and individual wrapping of laundry packets.
The new pediatric sepsis criteria, called the Phoenix criteria, define sepsis as severe response to infection involving organ dysfunction. These criteria were developed using data from over 3 million pediatric healthcare encounters worldwide and are better at identifying children with infections at higher risk of poor outcomes.
A new set of international criteria has been established to diagnose pediatric sepsis and septic shock in children, aiming to improve clinical care and research globally. The Phoenix Sepsis Score of at least 2 can identify potentially life-threatening organ dysfunction in infected children under 18 years old.
Pediatric sepsis experts have released new diagnostic criteria that will be used worldwide to diagnose life-threatening infections in children. The updated criteria, known as the Phoenix Criteria, include measures of respiratory, cardiovascular, and coagulation dysfunction.
A novel score, the Phoenix Sepsis Score, predicts mortality in children with suspected or confirmed infection. The new criteria outperform existing organ dysfunction scores and International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference criteria
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has launched a new article series, Nutrition for the Clinician, aimed at educating physicians and healthcare professionals on the fundamentals of nutrition. The series provides continuing education that enhances clinical reasoning and use of best nutrition evidence in practice.
A large retrospective study found that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 reduces the risk of persistent health problems in children after COVID-19. Vaccination provides stronger protection for adolescents, who are at higher risk of developing long COVID.
Despite pandemic disruptions, emergency visits, hospital admissions, and intensive care unit stays were lower for children. However, there were delays in new diagnoses of cancer and diabetes, and an increase in diabetic ketoacidosis among children with diabetes. Researchers urge education campaigns to improve future pandemic preparedness.
The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is offering $100,000 in scholarships to eligible students affected by pediatric cancer. The scholarships support students pursuing higher education and aim to help them realize their dreams after a life-altering illness.
A new, universal definition of acute pediatric critical illness has been reached by consensus among researchers and clinicians from 40 countries. The definition focuses on the patient's status rather than resource availability, enabling global research and potentially leading to improvements in patient outcomes.
A study of 1,471 children found that early-life digital media exposure is associated with atypical sensory processing in multiple domains. The findings suggest that excessive screen time may be a potential risk factor for the development of atypical sensory profiles.
A recent University of Cincinnati study found nicotine and a potent carcinogen called NNK on surfaces in children's homes, highlighting the persistence of thirdhand smoke pollutants even in homes with voluntary indoor smoking bans. The research emphasizes the importance of protecting children from tobacco exposure.
A new study will analyze electronic health records to identify facilitators and barriers of successful pediatric-to-adult HIV care transitions among youth in South Carolina. The research aims to develop guidance to improve systems and protocols for vulnerable populations.
Researchers developed a deep-learning-based algorithm to identify tissue cellular neighborhoods (TCNs) in breast and colorectal tumors, revealing new fibroblast-enriched and granulocyte-enriched TCNs associated with high-risk disease subtypes. The study aims to better understand cancer evasion mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.
A real-world study found that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in protecting children and adolescents from infection, with 98% reduced risk during the delta variant phase. Vaccine effectiveness slightly declined during the omicron wave, but still provided strong protection against severe illness and cardiac complications.
A new study found that fentanyl-laced prescription pills are driving a surge in overdose deaths among high school age adolescents in the US. The death rate for this group has increased to 5.2 per 100,000, with Arizona and Colorado experiencing rates double the national average.
Scientists have mapped neuroblastoma tumors at the cell level and discovered a brake on the immune system that can be blocked with existing immunotherapy. A new combination treatment targeting TIGIT and PD-L1 is being developed, showing promising results in lab experiments.
A study of Canadian pediatric emergency departments found few children developed post-COVID-19 condition after SARS-CoV-2 infection, with overall quality of life not differing from uninfected peers. Despite increased chronic symptoms, most children recovered without long-term effects.
Researchers analyzed data from over 1,500 infants, revealing a correlation between reports of food insecurity and difficulties maintaining benefits, leading to behavioral dysfunction. The study emphasizes the importance of early intervention and highlights the role of pediatricians in connecting families with support programs.
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that digoxin treatment significantly reduced mortality and the need for a transplant among infants undergoing a hybrid procedure for single-ventricle physiology. The researchers analyzed data from 259 infants who received digoxin during their interstage per...
A 15-year-old girl developed bilateral vocal cord paralysis after a COVID-19 diagnosis, highlighting the potential for nervous system complications. The case report suggests that vocal cord paralysis may be a neuropathic complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
A new study examines the impact of public benefit programs on child maltreatment rates across different racial and ethnic groups. The research suggests that these programs may exacerbate existing disparities, with white children facing lower rates of investigation compared to their Black and Hispanic counterparts.
Researchers found that pancreatic enzymatic replacement improved behavioral function in preschoolers with ASD, including reduced irritability, hyperactivity, and lethargy. The treatment had minimal side effects and demonstrated potential for addressing co-occurring maladaptive behaviors.
A national study using telehealth assessments aims to identify infants with early behavioral differences that may indicate autism or developmental delays. The study will provide valuable insights into predicting these developmental skills and offer improved feedback and support for families.