Dimension Inx, a regenerative biomaterials company, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago have been jointly awarded an NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant.
When a child with RSV requires intensive care, parents often ask about how long it will take before their child can go home. Currently, there is no reliable way to answer this question. Results of a new study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, however, offer important insights.
Medicaid eligibility and coverage for children with medical complexity vary substantially by state, which gives rise to health equity concerns, especially if families move across state lines, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study focused on Medicaid programs for these children beyond the traditional family income-based eligibility.
Cystic fibrosis is missed more often in newborn screenings for non-white than white babies, creating higher risk for irreversible lung damage and other serious outcomes in Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian and Alaska Native newborns, a new study finds.
Some children aged 7 years and younger may benefit from screening for anxiety in primary care, according to an editorial published in JAMA by John Walkup, MD, Chair of Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and colleagues. The authors respond to the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that children be screened for anxiety at 8-18 years of age.
A device known as a bionic pancreas, which uses next-generation technology to automatically deliver insulin, was more effective at maintaining blood glucose (sugar) levels within normal range than standard-of-care management among people with type 1 diabetes, a new multicenter clinical trial has found.
First pediatric international conference on acute kidney injury (AKI) resulted in an expert consensus statement published in the journal JAMA Network Open. In this milestone publication, 46 global experts identify key issues in pediatric AKI and set a focused research agenda for the next five to 10 years.
A groundbreaking study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago determined the threshold for a new measure of early scarring in the esophagus of children with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which allows immediate intervention during endoscopy to halt further damage and prevent food from getting stuck in the esophagus (feeding tube) of kids with this condition.
Dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-1 infection is more effective in pregnancy than some other ART regimens commonly used in the U.S. and Europe, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Parents who identified as Hispanic/Latinx or Black were less likely to have reliable, high-speed internet than White parents, according to a survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Just six pediatric procedures from two pediatric subspecialties accounted for most post-surgery hospital and emergency department (ED) visits in a comprehensive analysis led by researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The study was published online in August in JAMA (the Journal of the American Medical Association.)
Infants from minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds who have positive newborn screening tests for cystic fibrosis received their diagnostic follow-up for the disease later than recommended and later than white, non-Hispanic infants, according to a study published in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. The study also found that this delay in diagnosis and treatment was associated with worse early nutritional outcomes and may contribute to previously documented, considerable health disparities in people with cystic fibrosis.
Nearly 6 percent of children who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with COVID-19 reported symptoms of long COVID 90 days later, according to a study conducted in eight countries and published in JAMA Network Open. Initial hospitalization of 48 or more hours, four or more symptoms at the initial ED visit, and age 14 years or older were associated with long COVID.
Most children and adolescents living in the U.S. have suboptimal scores for cardiovascular health (CVH), according to the first study to use the American Heart Association’s new “Life’s Essential 8” metrics and scoring algorithm for quantifying CVH levels in adults and children. Overall, under 30 percent of 2-19-year-olds had high CVH. The proportion of children with high CVH declined markedly with older age: 56 percent of 2-5-year-old children had high CVH, compared with 33 percent of 6-11-year-olds and 14 percent of 12-19-year-olds.
In the Chicago area, pediatric mental health Emergency Department (ED) visits increased 27 percent at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a 4 percent increase monthly through February 2021, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. The authors found increased ED visits for suicide, self-injury and disruptive behaviors, as well as higher admission rates for these children.
In a new study sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers provide additional evidence that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy helps protect babies younger than 6 months from being hospitalized due to COVID-19. The risk of COVID-19 hospitalization among babies was reduced by about 80 percent during the Delta wave (July 1–December 18, 2021) and 40 percent during the Omicron wave (December 19–March 8, 2022).
Pediatric Emergency Department (ED) encounters related to physical abuse decreased by 19 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a multicenter study published in the journal Pediatrics. While encounter rates with lower clinical severity dropped during the pandemic, encounter rates with higher clinical severity remained unchanged. This pattern raises concern for unrecognized harm, as opposed to true reductions in child abuse.
Genetic testing results in lower length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for infants with epilepsy, according to a study published in the journal Pediatric Neurology. The reduction in hospital stay time in babies with epilepsy who spent time in the NICU was not explained by changes in the severity of illness, birth weight or population changes in the NICU over time. These findings confirm the importance of early genetic testing for epilepsy, which allows more precise treatment and better seizure control during a critical time in brain development.
Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents 0-19 years of age, with a staggering 83 percent increase in youth firearm fatalities over the past decade, according to a commentary published in Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. Nearly two-thirds of youth firearm deaths were from homicides. Strikingly, Black youth had an unprecedented 40 percent increase in firearm fatalities between 2019 to 2020.
Immune response and the lymphatic system are central to cardiac repair after a heart attack, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute. These insights into the basic mechanisms of cardiac repair are the first step towards developing novel therapeutic approaches to preserve heart function. Findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Adolescents who had access to firearms had about 1.5 times higher odds for prior suicide attempt and current suicidal ideation, according to a study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics. The study also found that one-third of adolescents coming to the Emergency Department (ED) for any reason had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and over 40 percent of this group had access to a gun. This data was collected before the pandemic, during which EDs across the country saw an overwhelming increase in mental health burden in youth.
Parents are generally receptive to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the management of children with respiratory illnesses in the Emergency Department (ED), according to a survey from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. However, some demographic subgroups (non-Hispanic Black and younger age parents) had greater reservations about the use of these technologies. These findings point to the importance of involving a broad representation of parents from the earliest stages of development of AI systems for pediatric healthcare. The study was published in the journal Academic Pediatrics.
New research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and collaborators from other institutions provides insights into some of the genetic characteristics resulting in the development of relapse in patients with Wilms tumor (nephroblastoma), the most common type of pediatric cancer of the kidney.
Studies have demonstrated that exposure to physical and psychological abuse in childhood is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. A new study shows for the first time that well-organized households protect children who have experienced abuse from developing some precursors to heart disease.
Children with chronic nausea and a condition known as orthostatic intolerance (OI) (dizziness when standing up) exhibit brain connectivity changes in areas related to sensory external and internal awareness resulting in over self-monitoring, according to a study published in the journal Neurogastroenterology & Motility.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Center for Childhood Resilience (CCR) at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago are expanding a comprehensive and collaborative system to better identify and respond to Pre-K-12 students who need mental health support. The expansion from 200 CPS pilot schools to all District schools aims to strengthen the District’s response to an escalating national youth mental health crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chicago parents view climate change not only as a global crisis, but as a very real problem at home that can threaten their children’s health. In the first known study of Chicago parents’ concerns about the impact of climate change on their families, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago identified significant levels of worry.
Results of a new multicenter study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that vaccination with a primary series of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in children ages 5–11 years by two-thirds during the Omicron period.
A free youth development program serving Black children and teens living in a low-income segregated community demonstrated positive long-term educational and financial outcomes in its alumni, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal BMC Public Health.
A recent study from the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago sheds light on what predisposes premature infants to necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a deadly intestinal disease. Currently, there are no targeted treatments for NEC because the causes are not well understood. The study identifies key players in the disease development, which offers promise for novel treatments.
Adolescents with severe obesity may not pursue metabolic bariatric surgery for weight loss due to lack of information, difficulties with access to care, and because of social stigma, according to a newly published study.
A new study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago published in the journal Epilepsia examined a population of pediatric patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. For these patients, the study found that the patients who received vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), when used with anti-seizure medications (ASM), had lower hospital costs compared to the use of ASM alone. The study found that the patients treated with ASM plus VNS had savings of over $3,000 of epilepsy-related annual costs per year, compared to treatment with ASM only.
The lower airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) have unique biochemical features that correlate with the complex communities of lung bacteria typical of this disease, according to a multicenter study led by researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. These findings offer insights into the underlying biological mechanisms driving infection and inflammation in the CF lungs, and may help develop novel targeted therapies and more precise diagnostics to improve the care of children with CF.
Nirsevimab showed 74.5 percent efficacy against medically attended lower respiratory tract infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in healthy infants, according to an international, randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial. It is the first potential immunization against RSV in the general infant population, with a single dose providing safe protection across the entire RSV season. Results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Over 90 percent of patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, no longer needed monthly blood transfusions years after receiving gene therapy, according to an international Phase 3 clinical trial that for the first time included children younger than 12 years of age. Twenty-two patients were evaluated (ranging in age 4-34 years), including pediatric patients enrolled at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.
A new study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that children from less resourced neighborhoods were at increased odds of presenting with complicated appendicitis, an indicator of delayed access to surgical care. This is the first pediatric study to link many neighborhood-level factors that influence health – such as quality of schools, housing, safety, and economic opportunity – to timely surgical care access.
Bariatric surgery not only treats obesity and reverses Type 2 diabetes, but a new study now shows that it also reverses low testosterone levels in teen males with obesity. The finding is important because in addition to reducing inflammation and increasing insulin sensitivity, weight loss after bariatric surgery may also influence sexual and fertility functions.
Modeled on the annual surveillance tool that the CDC and public health departments have used for the past 35 years for new mothers called PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System), PRAMS for Dads for the first time provides data on the unique needs of new fathers.
A new international study offers a clearer picture of the impact of COVID-19 infection and the risk of severe outcomes on young people around the world.
Concerns about mental health consequences for children and adolescents arising from the COVID pandemic motivated the members of the Pritzker Family to make a gift to support greater access to services, staff appreciation and investment in clinical research in the Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The gift, valued at $6.45 million, follows the generous $15 million gift from the Pritzker Foundation in 2019 that resulted in the naming of the Department.
The lab of Youyang Zhao, PhD, from Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago developed a unique nanoparticle to deliver genome editing technology, including CRISPR/Cas9, to endothelial cells, which are cells that line blood vessel walls. This is the first time that vascular endothelial cells could be reached for genome editing, since the usual way to deliver CRISPR/Cas9 – through a virus – does not work for this cell type.
Restoring hearing through cochlear implantation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can help them understand spoken language and enhance social interactions, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The study reported long-term outcomes of the largest number of children with ASD who received a cochlear implant, with mean follow-up of 10.5 years.
.A survey by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has found that more than 4 in 10 children and adolescents have experienced an increase in one or more mental health symptoms over the last six months.
Babies born to women who had COVID-19 during pregnancy showed reassuring patterns of growth and development at 6-month follow-up, according to a study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern Medicine in partnership with Erie Family Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves a diverse and low-income patient population.
In efforts to reduce radiation exposure from x-rays in children and reinforce guideline compliance, researchers from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and colleagues developed a simple diagnostic model that accurately predicts whether patients are at high risk or low risk for community acquired pneumonia, eliminating the need for x-ray confirmation.
A recent study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that using a consumer-grade wearable device to track a child’s heart rate and physical activity after surgery could help clinicians decide if at-home recovery is going as expected or if an emergency department (ED) visit is needed to address possible complications.
Epilepsy surgery in infants younger than 3 months is safe and effective, according to a multinational, multicenter study published in the journal Epilepsia. The study found that surgery can stop seizures and lessen the need for medications in babies with drug resistant epilepsy and epileptic encephalopathy.
In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that the lower airways in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have a higher burden of infection, more inflammation and lower diversity of microorganisms, compared to children with other illnesses who also have lung issues. They noted a clear divergence in these bacterial communities in toddlers, which is typically before progressive lung disease takes hold in patients with CF. Their findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE, could help providers target specific pathogens earlier, treat them and potentially prevent more severe lung disease.
Uses of facial images and facial recognition technologies – to unlock a phone or in airport security – are becoming increasingly common in everyday life. But how do people feel about using such data in healthcare and biomedical research?
A majority of Chicago parents feel that schools and employers should be able to require students and employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19, respectively, according to results of the latest survey by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.