Debora Porter

To assess the role of neonatal pulse oximetry screening and other bases of referral for patients of all ages with aortic coarctation referred to a tertiary care medical center. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01164-1/fulltext?rss=yes

  Baby-wearing products such as slings, harnesses, and soft carriers have become an increasingly popular way for parents to carry their infants and young toddlers, and keep them close by. New research , however, indicates these devices can be risky to children under one year old if parents don’t read the instructions first: “The most precious thing a parent will ever wear is their child,” said CPT Patrick T. Reeves, MD, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Naval Medical Center at San Diego. “But like when buying a new pair of shoes, parents must be educated on the proper sizing, selection and wear of baby carriers to prevent injury to themselves and their child.”   The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that baby-wearing is not some new fashion trend: Baby-wearing, also known as baby carrying, is a common form of attachment parenting that dates back to prehistoric times. Over the last decade, baby-wearing has demonstrated many benefits, including improved...

  Americans were still digesting their Thanksgiving feasts when the World Health Organization announced on Friday the emergence of a new coronavirus “variant of concern” whose name better fits a Marvel Comics villain than an invisible contagion. The first known sample containing the new B.1.1.529 variant was collected in South Africa three weeks ago and confirmed last Wednesday. WHO is concerned that the new variant is replicating faster than previous variants have, giving it a significant growth advantage over the Delta variant which currently dominates in the United States: This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa.   Several dozen cases of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant have been identified outside of South Africa — b...

  ( Cagle.com )   source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/11/28/sunday-funnies-482/

Tiger (Shark) King from Densidad Neutra on Vimeo: More than 20 years ago conservationist and diver, Jim Abernethy, discovered the affectionate side of large predatory sharks after removing a fishing hook from the jaws of a tiger shark. Since then he has removed thousands of hooks from sharks in the warm, clear waters off the Bahamas and has brought divers to safely encounter these apex predators with the goal of demstigmatizing sharks as mindless killers.     source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/11/27/cool-video-of-the-week-482/

To determine the effect of three distinct comparison groups on associations between placental abnormalities and neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01160-4/fulltext?rss=yes

In the initial months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic , due to the lack of effective treatments and unavailability of a vaccine, governments worldwide developed a variety of safety measures to control the spread of virus among their populations. Heterogeneous strategies variously implemented during the first year of the pandemic, were often maintained after COVID-19 vaccines were made available2. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01159-8/fulltext?rss=yes

A previously healthy 12-year-old boy had severe SARS-CoV-2 related multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) that was rapidly fatal. Autopsy revealed the presence of a large intracardiac thrombus. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was detected in intestinal cells, supporting the hypothesis that viral presence in the gut may be related to the immunologic response of MIS-C. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01155-0/fulltext?rss=yes

To describe the perspective of parents who participated in peer-to-peer support meetings between parents of children in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and veteran resource parents with a previous NICU experience. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01158-6/fulltext?rss=yes

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on November 26, 2019.   Choices: Water, Milk,  “ Nothing”   Graphic:  Healthy Eating Research (click to enlarge)   In a joint policy statement with the American Heart Association published earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics bluntly described the health consequences for children who drink sugar-sweetened beverages excessively: Excess consumption of added sugars, especially from sugary drinks, contributes to the high prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity, especially among children and adolescents who are socioeconomically vulnerable. It also increases the risk for dental decay, cardiovascular disease, hypertension,  dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, fatty liver disease, and all-cause mortality.   American consumers spend over $1 billion annually on popular children’s fruit drinks and flavored waters. U.S. beverage companies spend a lot, too...

Every academic medical center aims for excellence in patient care, teaching and research; this includes quality and safe patient care, patient and family satisfaction, provider engagement and wellness, and cost-efficient utilization of resources. Optimal staffing schedules are important in reaching these aspirations. Creating a hospital-based physician staffing model has been problematic because no universally agreed-upon method to measure physician work effort or productivity exists. Allocating inpatient physician staff equitably may be particularly challenging when there is unpredictable variation in the clinical service from shift to shift. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01161-6/fulltext?rss=yes

Red and Rover by Brian Basset ( GoComics.com )         The PediaBlog wishes every family a ful- filling Thanksgiving!   source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/11/25/thanksgiving-2021/

  Raising Intuitive Eaters By  Jennifer Yoon, RDN, LDN, IBCLC AHN Pediatrics — Pediatric Alliance St. Clair     *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * Child obesity and overweight are increasing at epidemic rates in this country, especially during the  pandemic .  The PediaBlog is pleased to highlight a series of articles written by Jennifer Yoon related to this important topic. We hope by posting these articles once a week for the next few weeks parents will gain some useful ideas to help combat this alarming problem. This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on May 2, 2018. Watch Jennifer and Dr. Ned Ketyer discuss child obesity and overweight on Facebook Live from 10/28/21  here. *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   “Numerous organizations, including the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics, include advice in their child feeding guidelines ...

To characterize the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) over time and test the association of multi-level factors, including respiratory support, with the diagnosis of BPD. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01147-1/fulltext?rss=yes

A 3-year-old girl presented with intermittent left sided neck tilt since the age of 9 months. She is the first born to second degree consanguineously married parents, with normal antenatal and perinatal history. She has mild gross motor delay with preserved social and language milestones. She is a slow runner and falls frequently while running. She also takes support to sit from lying down position. On examination, she has intermittent left sided torticollis (Figure). There are no dysmorphic features. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01145-8/fulltext?rss=yes

In utero and postnatal air pollution exposures affect a myriad of outcomes throughout the lifespan, including preterm birth and low birth weight, asthma and respiratory infections, as well as cardiac and metabolic disease.1–3 Understanding how exposure to air pollution affects infant health is an area of growing importance to environmental policymakers, clinicians, and patients seeking to reduce and mitigate exposures. In this volume of The Journal, Chen et al add important evidence to a growing body of literature surrounding ambient outdoor air pollution exposure and infant health by exploring the relationship between in utero exposure to nine specific constituents of ambient air pollution (CO, SO2, O3, PM10, PM2.5, NO, NO2, NMHC, and CH4) and the risk of requiring phototherapy for hyperbilirubinemia in Taiwan. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01156-2/fulltext?rss=yes

  While COVID-19 appears to be less common and less severe in children compared to adults, children do get sick with the virus and easily pass it on to others. Some children develop dangerous health-altering and life-threatening complications from the infection (long-COVID symptoms that last for months, for example, and multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C) and several hundred children have died. Children with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable to having bad outcomes, according to CDC data: Current evidence suggests that children with special healthcare needs, including genetic, neurologic, metabolic conditions, or with congenital heart disease can be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Similar to adults, children with obesity, diabetes, asthma or chronic lung disease, sickle cell disease, or immunosuppression can also be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.   In an editorial written last week in t...

A 6-month-old Hispanic female presented with a 2-month history of a pruritic rash overlying a congenital nevus on the right arm (Figure, A). No bleeding from the lesion was noted. The growth of the underlying congenital nevus was stable prior to presentation. On physical exam, a 2.8 x 1.5 cm dark brown plaque with a surrounding honey crusted xerotic plaque was present. A diagnosis of a medium congenital melanocytic nevus with Meyerson phenomenon and secondarily impetiginized eczema was made. Treatment with oral Azithromycin and Fluticasone propionate 0.005% ointment was initiated. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01146-X/fulltext?rss=yes

Covid 19 Vaccines - Microbiologists separate the facts from the myths Dr Rania Siam and Dr Nicole Cumby gave a 60 minute presentation on the currently available vaccines for Covid 19 recently on a Facebook live presentation. During this presentation they discussed the pros and cons of getting the vaccine. They also discussed the common myths and misinformation that is rampantly circulating on social media. Towards the end of the presentation they answered questions from attendees. If you are looking for the facts about Covid 19 Vaccines, then this is the presentation that you should watch! Read more about Dr Cumby here: https://www.umhs-sk.org/nichole-cumby Read more about Dr Saim here: https://www.umhs-sk.org/rania-siam The University Of Medicine and Health Sciences is a top rated medical school in the Caribbean and takes pride in providing world class medical education with personalized attention to each student. Please check out an overview of the Medical school here: https://www.um...

Covid 19 Vaccines - Microbiologists separate the facts from the myths Dr Rania Siam and Dr Nicole Cumby gave a 60 minute presentation on the currently available vaccines for Covid 19 recently on a Facebook live presentation. During this presentation they discussed the pros and cons of getting the vaccine. They also discussed the common myths and misinformation that is rampantly circulating on social media. Towards the end of the presentation they answered questions from attendees. If you are looking for the facts about Covid 19 Vaccines, then this is the presentation that you should watch! Read more about Dr Cumby here: https://www.umhs-sk.org/nichole-cumby Read more about Dr Saim here: https://www.umhs-sk.org/rania-siam The University Of Medicine and Health Sciences is a top rated medical school in the Caribbean and takes pride in providing world class medical education with personalized attention to each student. Please check out an overview of the Medical school here: https://www.um...

U.S. Hot Spots — 11/21/21 — New York Times   Last week on The PediaBlog, we noted with excitement that COVID-19 vaccines were now available for children ages 5-to-11, just in time for the holidays. In just the last two weeks, about 2.6 million American children ( around 10% of this age group) received their first Pfizer vaccine, and by Christmas they should be fully vaccinated and protected against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) two weeks after their second dose. Unfortunately, we also noted a disturbing trend in rising cases, hospitalizations, and deaths recently from COVID-19, also just in time for the holidays. On Friday, more than 113,000 new cases were reported across the U.S. in a single day and that number is expected to rise throughout this holiday week and into December. We know hospitalizations and deaths lag behind rising case rates by several weeks, so by Christmas we can expect more hospitalizations and deaths in excess of the 1,687...

Daddy Daze by John Kovaleski ( Arcamax.com/thefunnies )               source http://www.thepediablog.com/2021/11/21/sunday-funnies-481/

SUN from Michael König on Vimeo: Edited time lapse sequences of the sun’s atmosphere observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft between 2011 and 2015. Scenes in order of appearance: 1. Long shots of solar activity | October 2013 2. Boiling solar prominence | February 2013 3. Close up active regions | October 2013 4. Launching filament | November 2011 5. Twisting prominence | September 2012 6. Close up solar activity | October 2014 7. Solar prominence | July 2013 8. Lunar transit | January 2014 9. Solar prominence dance | December 2012 10. Solar activity | October 2013 11. Plasma eruption | September 2012 12. Coronal rain | July 2012 13. Close up active regions | October 2013 14. Trebuchet eruption | February 2011 15. Solar prominence | October 2013 16. Venus transit | June 2012 17. Extreme solar eruption | June 2011 18. Filament eruption & ’canyon of fire’ | September 2013 19. Erupting solar filament | March 2015 20. Comet ’lovejoy’ pas...

*This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on November 19, 2013.   All In, Together   A reader asks: My child is vaccinated but spends time with a few children who do not have all of their vaccinations. Is my son more susceptible to dangerous diseases?   This is an excellent question. I’ve made this point many times before:  Immunizations protect your son, as well as those around him. That “herd immunity” is why leaving some in the community unvaccinated is dangerous for everyone , especially the unvaccinated, and those around him.  Your son is less susceptible to these dangerous diseases if he is completely vaccinated. But, he is not perfectly non-susceptible, either. Immunizing your child completely — and on time — may protect him completely (he won’t get sick) if he is exposed to measles, or pertussis, or pneumococcal-caused meningitis (or any of the other diseases we immunize against). Or, it may partially protect him, whereby he contracts t...

To assess the association of the triglyceride glucose (TyG) and modified TyG indices with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and their abilities as predictors of NAFLD in the youth. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01114-8/fulltext?rss=yes

  Mindful Eating By  Jennifer Yoon, RDN, LDN, IBCLC AHN Pediatrics — Pediatric Alliance St. Clair       *   *   *   *   *   *   *   * Child obesity and overweight are increasing at epidemic rates in this country, especially during the  pandemic .  The PediaBlog is pleased to highlight a series of articles written by Jennifer Yoon related to this important topic. We hope by posting these articles once a week for the next few weeks parents will gain some useful ideas to help combat this alarming problem. This post originally appeared on The PediaBlog on March 31, 2020. Watch Jennifer and Dr. Ned Ketyer discuss child obesity and overweight on Facebook Live from 10/28/21  here. *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *       Mindful eating is about using mindfulness to reach a state of full attention to your experiences, cravings, and physical cues w...

    Even though children as young as 5 years old can now receive a COVID-19 vaccine protecting them against a potentially serious infection (potentially deadly for others), we are still not out of the woods regarding the pandemic. As winter grows dark and mean and everyone heads indoors to avoid the cold, Maggie Fox says  the improving outlook in the U.S. now seems stuck, just in time for the holidays: The coronavirus numbers don’t look so good this week. New Covid-19 diagnoses are up in about half of US states over the past week. Hospitalizations are up in 11 states, and deaths have risen in 17 states. US coronavirus cases have plateaued in recent weeks, holding on to about half of the growth from this summer’s latest surge. While new cases have fallen in some states, they’re rising in others, particularly some region’s cold-weather states.   Thanksgiving is a week away and some public health experts are getting nervous about a new nationwide spike in COVI...

  In March we learned that clinical trials were underway to determine the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children. At that time, only the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use down to 16 years of age. (Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines continue to be available for adults 18 and up.) Since then, Pfizer’s trial successfully demonstrated that two doses of 10 micrograms was safe and effective for children 5-11 years old. Earlier this month, the Pfizer vaccine was authorized by the FDA and CDC for use in that age group and as we’ve already seen, the reaction pediatricians have received from parents with young children has been extremely positive. Pfizer still has two more clinical trials underway for kids under 5. The results of their study for 2 to 5-year-olds are  expected to be available by the end of the year. A study looking at children between 6 months and 2 years of age might be completed early next year. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are also ...

We hypothesized that a cumulative heart rate characteristics (HRC) index in real-time throughout the NICU hospitalization, alone or combined with birth demographics and clinical characteristics, can predict a composite outcome of death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01098-2/fulltext?rss=yes

To identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal diagnoses recorded six months prior to the diagnosis of cancer and to evaluate whether preceding musculoskeletal diagnoses affected survival. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01096-9/fulltext?rss=yes

To evaluate the optimal duration of echocardiographic follow-up in patients with Kawasaki disease without an initial coronary aneurysm. source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01094-5/fulltext?rss=yes

To identify risk factors associated with mortality for infants receiving dialysis in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(21)01097-0/fulltext?rss=yes

  We’ve pointed out several times here on The PediaBlog just how popular the COVID-19 vaccines have been with a large majority of American adults, teens, and now children between the ages of 5 and 11. The false narrative pushed by media outlets about vaccine hesitancy runs counter to the everyday experience of healthcare professionals around the nation as the U.S. approaches the one-year anniversary of the first authorization to give Pfizer’s COVID vaccine last December. In less than 11 months, 440 million doses of COVID vaccine have been given to nearly 200 million Americans. 80% have received at least one dose, and 70% of people who are 12 and older are fully vaccinated. By any measure, that is an extraordinary public health success! But the pandemic isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. Last week , an average of 80,410 Americans tested positive for COVID-19 every day; 45,834 were hospitalized every day because their infections were severe, and 1,128 died every day. The vast ...