Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital are collaborating to help pediatricians deliver better care to children with ADHD.
An immune reaction to dystrophin, the muscle protein that is defective in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, may pose a new challenge to strengthening muscles of patients with this disease, suggests a new study appearing in the October 7, 2010, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has invited selected scientists outside the United States whose work is primarily concerned with injury control and prevention to become international affiliate faculty.
Eleven years after the first edition, a new edition of the Sturge-Weber Syndrome textbook has been published by the Sturge-Weber Foundation in New Jersey. Co-author E. Steve Roach, MD, is chief of Neurology and vice-chair of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Octavio Ramilo, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is one of three principal investigators who will share in a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Ramilo and a team of more than 50 physicians across the United States are investigating the use of novel technologies for distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections in infants with fevers within emergency departments. This could lead to more rapid and accurate diagnoses and treatment for serious bacterial infections such as bacteremia and meningitis.
The use of device-assisted enteroscopy, a technique that allows complete examination of the small bowel, may be just as successful pediatrics as it has been in adult medicine, according to a study from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Mark A. Klebanoff, MD, MPH, joined Nationwide Children’s Hospital in September as director of the Ohio Perinatal Research Network (OPRN) and principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute. He comes to Nationwide Children’s from the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research (DESPR) at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Repairing small, seemingly benign holes in a child’s heart may be more clinically important than previously thought, as dysfunction could be lurking out of sight. These are the findings from a study conducted by doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Ohio State University Medical Center examining a subset of the most common form of congenital heart disease, ventricular septal defect.
A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined basketball-related injuries treated in emergency departments among children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 from 1997 to 2007. According to the study, more than 4 million basketball-related injuries were treated in emergency departments during the 11-year study. While the number of injuries decreased 22 percent over the course of the study, the average number of injuries per year (375,350) remained high.
Maya Spaeth, MD, joined Nationwide Children’s Hospital in September as co-director of the Hand, Microsurgery and Brachial Plexus Program within the section of Plastic Surgery. She comes to Nationwide Children’s from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California where she served as an Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery.
Brian Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, along with a team of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) researchers and clinicians, recently received a $250,000 grant for SMA research and clinic development from Sophia’s Cure Foundation via the Pepsi Refresh Project.
Interventional cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons throughout the United States and the world, who treat patients with congenital heart disease, will gather at the Hilton Columbus at Easton Town Center August 31-September 2, 2010 for the International Symposium on the Hybrid Approach to Congenital Heart Disease (ISHAC). This is the fifth annual ISHAC, and this year, the Symposium returns to Columbus after a shared meeting with Mario Carminati’s, MD, workshop last year in Milan, Italy.
It may soon be possible to identify patients who will develop tuberculosis, as scientists have identified changes in the blood specific to the disease. These findings are from an international study published in the August 19 issue of Nature and conducted by doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital using blood profiling techniques to understand infections.
A $7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will help researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital translate new scientific findings and technological developments into novel treatments for the muscular dystrophies. The grant designates Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, one of three national award recipients in 2010.
Although sledding is a popular winter pastime, it can unfortunately lead to serious injury. A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that from 1997-2007, an estimated 229,023 children and adolescents younger than 19 years were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments for sledding-related injuries – an average of more than 20,000 cases each year.
Along with skeletal muscles, it may be important to monitor heart function in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These are the findings from a study conducted by Nationwide Children’s Hospital and published online ahead of print in Human Molecular Genetics. This is the first study to report cardiac dysfunction in mouse models of SMA.
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), the largest non-profit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), announced that PPMD will award a $600,000 grant to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio to conduct clinical testing of a promising gene therapy technique for muscle disease.
The popularity of high school sports in the United States has continued to increase over the past decade, with more than 7.5 million athletes participating in school sports during the 2008-09 academic year.
Jennifer Dyer, MD, MPH, an endocrinologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has developed and completed a pilot study that uses weekly, customized text messages to remind adolescent diabetes patients about their personal treatment activities. At the conclusion of the study, Dr. Dyer found an increase in overall treatment adherence and improved blood glucose levels.
As a collaboration of the Colorado Injury Control Research Center, the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the School of Public Heath, Tongji Medical College at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the USA-China Agricultural Injury Research Training Project was created in 2004. The project aims to provide training to Chinese scholars, expand collaborative research activities between the injury control research centers and researchers in China and provide training and continue development of human subjects research ethics. Through the project, several Chinese scholars have received research training in the U.S. and have been awarded funding to further their research projects in China.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been selected as a Center of Excellence by the Batten Disease Support and Research Association (BDSRA), the largest research and support organization in North America for families that have children with Batten disease. BDSRA chose Nationwide Children's because of its clinical and research history with the disease and its ability to provide comprehensive care for these unique children.
A newly funded study is set to determine whether waiting two minutes to clamp a newborn’s umbilical cord after delivery could improve how well he or she recovers from corrective heart surgery.
It is a time most families look forward to every year – summertime. For parents, the warm summer months are often filled with family vacations and cookouts. For kids, it is a chance to play outdoors and enjoy a few months without homework. However, doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have recently noticed a trend in injuries that occur in children during the summer months that are both predictable and preventable.
Not all patients with sickle cell disease receive laxatives after being treated with narcotics, despite recommendations from a collaborative panel of pediatric experts. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children’s Hospital study examining patients from 29 pediatric hospitals, and appearing in Pediatric Blood & Cancer.
Recently, doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have seen an increase in the incidence of skin cancer cases among children ages 5-16-years-old, and particularly among teenagers. In fact, melanoma – cancer of the skin’s pigment elements – is now responsible for approximately one out of 10 cancer cases in adolescents ages 15-19-years-old.
The use of modified measles virus may represent a new treatment for a childhood brain tumor known as medulloblastoma, according to a new study appearing in Neuro-Oncology.
Infants born with complex congenital heart disease are not only at risk for serious heart-related complications, but also for developing a deadly bowel disease, regardless of the type of surgical intervention they receive for their heart. These are the findings from a study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and appearing in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine published online May 6 ahead of print.
Children and adolescents with an injury or disability may use mobility aids such as crutches, walkers and wheelchairs to help them move around more easily. However, use of these aids has been associated with risk for injury. A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that more than 63,000 pediatric mobility aid-related injuries were treated in United States emergency departments from 1991-2008, and the annual number of cases increased 23 percent during the 19-year study period.
A new weight reduction surgical option is now available through the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The newest surgical weight loss procedure offered by the Center is the “gastric sleeve,” named as such because a large part of the stomach is removed and the remainder is closed to make a tube-like “sleeve.”
Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern and a new book focuses on evaluating what is currently known about childhood TBI and the challenges faced by researchers and clinicians in this arena. The book is entitled “Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: New Frontiers in Clinical and Translational Research,” edited by Vicki Anderson and Keith Owen Yeates and published by Cambridge University Press.
While most headaches in children can be treated with over-the-counter pain medications or lifestyle changes, it is important to pay attention to their symptoms in case they herald something more serious.
The Columbus Fetal Medicine Collaborative has been formed by Mount Carmel Health System, OhioHealth, The Ohio State University Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital joining together to provide optimal outcomes for high-risk expectant mothers and their babies with suspected fetal abnormalities. This collaboration among all the Columbus hospital systems is one of only a few in the U.S. and brings together a unique blend of medical experience and expertise.
Kidney damage associated with chronic reflux is the fourth leading cause of chronic kidney disease and is the most common cause of severe hypertension in children. Doctors and researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have developed a new mouse model of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), a common childhood condition that can lead to chronic kidney disease in children.
As technology continues to change and grow, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is keeping pace by unveiling a new combined operative and diagnostic MRI suite. Unlike a fixed MRI system, this structure offers the versatility of moving between three different rooms, ultimately utilizing the machine for two needs – intraoperative MRI diagnostics and non-operative diagnostic imaging.
Richard E. Kirschner, MD, FACS, FAAP, joined Nationwide Children’s Hospital March 22 as chief of Plastic Surgery and director of the Cleft Lip and Palate Craniofacial Center. He comes to Nationwide Children’s from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
The popularity of weight training has grown over the past decade. A new study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found that the number of injuries from weight training has increased as well. The study found that more than 970,000 weight training-related injuries were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments between 1990 and 2007, increasing nearly 50 percent during the 18-year study period.
Currently, foreign-born people make up approximately 13 percent of the total U.S. population. As the immigrant population grows, understanding its disability status and employment characteristics becomes increasingly important. People, both native and foreign-born, with disabilities make important contributions to our society, and many individuals continue to work despite a wide range of impairments. A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital focuses on disability and employment among working-age immigrants in the United States.
The first edition of James Toole’s Cerebrovascular Disorders, published in 1967, was the first modern stroke textbook. Now, more than 40 years later and through five editions, a new edition has been released for both specialists and residents.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently was accepted into the CIGNA LifeSOURCE Transplant Network, becoming the first Center of Excellence (COE) for Pediatric Heart Transplant designated by the Network in the state of Ohio, and one of 25 COE’s in the United States.
Choking is a leading cause of injury and death among children, especially those younger than 4 years of age. The majority of choking-related incidents among children are associated with food, coins and toys. A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), led by a doctor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and published in the February 22 online issue of Pediatrics, takes a closer look at preventing choking among children.
According to a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, there were more than 950 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged 17 years and younger in the United States in 2003. Of these cases, finger and thumb amputations accounted for the majority of the injuries (64 percent).
On average, a child is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy every hour of every day in the United States. It’s a disease that can affect everything from a child’s vision to their ability to walk. Therapy for these kids is tough and frustrating as this is a chronic health condition. A new approach to their standard course of therapy may help them make sizable strides in fighting the disease one step at a time.
The act and victimization of bullying continues to be a problem among today’s youth. While many children are experiencing this form of violence, it is more prevalent in children that are different from the social norm. As medical professionals continue to further their understanding of bullying, research shows a high rate of sexual minority youth who experience this harmful activity.
Investigators in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have identified a link between specific modifications of the dystrophin gene and the age of cardiac disease onset in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). This information could help clinicians provide early cardiac intervention for BMD patients based on genetic testing results performed on a blood sample.
Woodworking is a popular hobby, with table saws being owned and used by an estimated 6 million to 10 million people in the United States. Although table saws are associated with more injuries than any other woodworking tool, there have been no previously published national studies of table saw-related injuries.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital will break ground on property west of Parsons Avenue and north of Livingston Avenue in early 2010 for its third research facility as the last piece of its $840 million strategic facilities expansion plan, first announced in 2005. Nationwide Children’s Board approval of the final construction budget is expected in early 2010.
The holidays are over and the tree is down. For millions of families reality is setting in. Between the bills that will come due in January, the struggling economy and the stress that comes with it, it can be a very dangerous time for children. Experts say many parents who are overwhelmed often take out their anxieties and frustrations on their kids.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital recently was awarded an initial $5.5 million contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to serve as a Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR) for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a program co-managed by the NCI and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Saving the lives of children is the goal of a $7 million announcement today by Franklin County Commissioners Paula Brooks, Marilyn Brown and John O’Grady. During a press conference this morning, Commissioners announced their intention to provide $7 million over 5-years to fund clinical research and community outreach efforts to prevent premature births, the leading cause of death for newborns in Franklin County.
Although a trip to summer camp is highly anticipated by over 11 million children and adults each year, sending a child off to summer camp can be a source of anxiety for parents. Findings from a new study published in the December issue of Injury Prevention should ease their concerns however.