Clinical Care
Made-to-order therapies get a boost with new FDA guidelines
Ed. note: Mila passed away in February, 2021, at age 10. The Mila’s Miracle Foundation continues to work to pave a pathway for personalized treatments. Science-based treatments for rare genetic diseases have burgeoned in the past decade. That includes diseases so rare they affect just a handful of patients — or in some cases, just ... Read More about Made-to-order therapies get a boost with new FDA guidelines
Research
Hip reconstruction in complex patients: Predicting complications
Neuromuscular hip dysplasia and progressive spastic hip displacement are among the most common orthopedic concerns in non-ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP), leading to pain, decreased function, and impaired quality of life. While hip reconstruction surgery can improve quality of life in these children, it can be associated with acute post-operative pain, medical complications, and ... Read More about Hip reconstruction in complex patients: Predicting complications
Health and Parenting
COVID-19 vaccines: Do you know myth from fact?
Two COVID-19 vaccines — from Pfizer/BioNTtech and Moderna — have received emergency use authorization in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many more are in various stages of development around the world. Several of these are in the final stage of clinical trials and could be submitted for formal authorization ... Read More about COVID-19 vaccines: Do you know myth from fact?
Clinical Care
Low-carb diets for diabetes: Rediscovering centuries-old wisdom
This year represents the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. While insulin medications have literally been life-savers for many kids and adults with diabetes, diets that help keep blood sugar levels steady are often overlooked for controlling diabetes. These diets, often ... Read More about Low-carb diets for diabetes: Rediscovering centuries-old wisdom
Research
Botulism breakthrough? Taming botulinum toxin to deliver therapeutics
While rare, botulism can cause paralysis and is potentially fatal. It is caused by nerve-damaging toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum — the most potent toxins known. These toxins often lurk in contaminated food (home canning being a major culprit). Infants can also develop botulism from ingesting C. botulinum spores in honey, soil, or dust; the ... Read More about Botulism breakthrough? Taming botulinum toxin to deliver therapeutics
Research
Harnessing the power of machine learning to improve urology care
Urodynamics — a group of tests that evaluate how well the body collects, and then releases, urine — can be crucial for diagnosing urologic problems, particularly in children with spinal cord defects and other neurologic conditions. While urodynamics can provide clinicians with a rich set of data, the interpretation of these tests remains unstandardized. That ... Read More about Harnessing the power of machine learning to improve urology care
Health and Parenting
Gearing up for sports? Call your child’s pediatrician
Every year, young athletes are required to get sports physicals, clearing them for participation in organized athletics. But, did you know that these physicals should be done by your child’s primary care provider (PCP)? Sports physical examinations give clearance for children to participate in the sports season safely and are a crucial part of pediatrics. ... Read More about Gearing up for sports? Call your child’s pediatrician
Patient Stories
Navigating the aplastic anemia journey
Hadas Asgedom is a woman with many titles: daughter, sister of 12, aunt, mother. But, after her own daughter’s journey with aplastic anemia, she may have earned the right to add another — relentless researcher. Hadas and her only child, Asada, live in Tampa, Florida, where Asada had always enjoyed theater rehearsals, soccer, and time ... Read More about Navigating the aplastic anemia journey
Health and Parenting
What’s the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines?
After a long, difficult year, the world had reason to celebrate in late 2020 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. Many more COVID-19 vaccines are in various stages of development. Several of these are in the final stage of clinical trials and could be submitted for ... Read More about What’s the difference between the COVID-19 vaccines?
Clinical Care
2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3
Since the arrival of a new, unknown, dangerous virus in January, we entered the realm of COVID-19 science. Part 1 and Part 2 of this series recapped what we learned about how the virus spreads, how to test for it and treat it, and how COVID-19 plays out in children. This month, vaccines began to be ... Read More about 2020, the year COVID-19 tuned us into science: Part 3