Pediatrics
09 Aug USPSTF: Anyone Who Could Become Pregnant Should Take Folic Acid To Prevent Spinal Cord Defects
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:x [caption id="attachment_60752" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Nicholson[/caption]
Wanda K. Nicholson, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professor of Prevention and Community Health
Milken Institute School of Public Health
George Washington University
Vice chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Neural tube defects are when a baby’s spinal cord or brain don’t develop properly during pregnancy, which can cause serious complications including disability and death. The good news is that taking folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy is proven to help prevent this from happening.
08 Aug When It Comes to Blood Pressure Cuffs, Size Matters
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60730" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Dr. McLoughlin Brady[/caption]
Tammy M. Brady, MD, PhD (she/her/hers)
Vice Chair for Clinical Research, Dept of Pediatrics
Associate Director, Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Nephrology
Medical Director, Pediatric Hypertension Program
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD 21287
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Accurate BP measurement is key to identification and treatment of hypertension which serves ultimately to prevent cardiovascular disease. Our study describes substantial measurement error that can occur in a common office and home BP measurement scenario: use of a regular cuff size for all individuals regardless of arm size. Many office triage measurements occur without individualized cuff selection and most home BP devices come with one cuff size – and our study shows that using a regular cuff size for people who have larger arms – those who require a large adult cuff or an extra-large adult cuff – can lead to blood pressure readings that are almost 5 and 20 mmHg greater than their actual BP, respectively. Those require a small adult cuff can have BP readings that are almost 4 mmHg lower than their actual BP.
26 Jul USPSTF: Lipid Screening Recommendation Statement for Children and Adolescents
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60674" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Dr. Li Li[/caption]
Li Li, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H
Walter M. Seward Professor
Chair of Family Medicine
Director of population health
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Editor-in-chief of The BMJ Family Medicine
Dr. Li joined the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in January 2021
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: The Task Force reviewed the latest available evidence to evaluate whether screening all children and adolescents who are 20 years old or younger for high cholesterol improves their heart health into adulthood.
At this time, there is not enough evidence to determine whether or not screening all kids is beneficial, so we are calling for additional research on the effectiveness of screening and treatment of high cholesterol in kids and teens.
21 Jul Microplastics and Nanoplastics Released from Plastic Baby Food Containers and Food Pouches
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60658" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Kazi Albab Hussain[/caption]
Kazi Albab Hussain
Graduate Student (PhD)
Specialization: Water Resources
Advisor: Professor Yusong Li, PhD
Associate Dean for Faculty and Inclusion
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Microplastics have been detected in various food items and beverages, including table salt, bottled water, fish, and mussels. The extensive use of plastic-based products in food preparation, storage, and handling has raised concerns about the direct release of microplastics. Interestingly, we often discuss microplastics but overlook nanoplastics in the conversation. Due to their smaller size, nanoplastics are harder to be detected.
In our study, we wanted to see the release of both microplastics and nanoplastics, as nanoplastics may be even more toxic than microplastics.
Unfortunately, infants and toddlers are particularly vulnerable to the potential health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics. Studies have shown significant ingestion of these particles from polypropylene feeding bottles and silicone-rubber baby teats. We aimed to investigate the release of of micro- and nanoplastics, estimated their exposure for infants and toddlers, and evaluated their cytotoxicity to human embryonic kidney cells.
17 Jul TUFTS GEMINI Study Finds Whole Genomic Sequencing Identifies More Pathogenic Genes than Targeted Panels
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60600" align="alignleft" width="125"]
Dr. Davis[/caption]
Prof. Jonathan Davis, MD,
Chief of Newborn Medicine
Tufts Medical Center and
[caption id="attachment_60599" align="alignleft" width="125"] Dr. Maron[/caption]
Jill Maron, MD, MPH
Chief of Pediatrics
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The Genomic Medicine for Ill Neonates and Infants (GEMINI) trial was designed to be the first comparative study to explore the diagnostic yield, clinical utility and time to diagnosis between whole genomic sequencing (WGS) and a targeted genomic sequencing panel specifically designed to detect gene disorders that present in early life. GEMINI was a US based study that enrolled 400 hospitalized infants, along with their available parents, suspected of having an undiagnosed genetic diagnosis. Every participant underwent testing on each platform simultaneously, allowing us to better understand the limitations and advantages of each approach.
26 Jun Study Finds Children of Moms Who Used Cannabis During Pregnancy More Likely to Use Cannabis Themselves
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60541" align="alignleft" width="128"]
Dr. Miller[/caption]
Alex P. Miller, PhD
TranSTAR T32 Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Psychiatry
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Adolescent cannabis use is increasing in the United States. Prior research suggests that people who start using cannabis earlier are more likely to engage in problematic use and also experience greater mental health challenges and socioeconomic disadvantages overall. For example, children who begin using cannabis early are more likely to have behavioral problems and disorders and are more less likely to complete school.
In our study, we used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, which is following nearly 12,000 kids across the nation to track behavior and brain development as well as health from middle childhood to young adulthood. We looked at what factors are associated with the initiation of cannabis use by age 12-14.
10 May NEJM: Viaskin Patch Shows Promising Results for Toddlers with Peanut Allergy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60414" align="alignleft" width="162"]
Dr. Greenhawt[/caption]
Matthew Greenhawt, MD, MBA, MSc
Professor of Pediatrics
Section of Allergy and Immunology
Director, Food Challenge and Research Unit
Children’s Hospital Colorado
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Anschutz Medical Campus
Aurora, CO 80045
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Is the incidence of peanut allergy in toddlers stabilizing with the earlier introduction of peanuts?
Response: There exists an urgent unmet medical need for infants and toddlers living with peanut allergy. Peanut allergy affects approximately 2% of U.S. children and has been a growing public health problem over the past 20 years. In fact, the number of kids affected by peanut allergy has tripled in that time span. Peanut allergy is not likely to be naturally outgrown, and reactions can be severe.
However, there is hope. There is growing evidence that the allergic immune system is more modifiable early in life. The EPITOPE study evaluated Viaskin Peanut in children ages 1 – 3 years of age. Viaskin Peanut is an investigational epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) product, which uses the skin as a route to desensitize a patient to be less reactive to peanut. This is a daily therapy, worn between the shoulders on the back, which allows for non-oral peanut desensitization, which many parents find highly appealing.
19 Apr Study Uses Visual Attention to Assess How Young Children Learn New Words
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Larissa K. Samuelson, PhD
Professor
Developmental Dynamics Lab
School of Psychology; UK 14th for Research Quality
Psychology, Psychiatry, and Neuroscience
University of East Anglia, United Kingdom
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Words direct the attention of infants, children and adults to mentioned objects in the environment. When someone says “Can you find the candy,” you look to the candy sitting on the counter. This fact is the basis of many tests of infant cognition in laboratories. To find out if a child knows the word “bike” we put a picture of a bike and a truck on a TV screen, say the word “bike” and see if they look at the correct object.
There is also evidence that words can direct attention even if you don’t know what they mean yet. For example, in studies of learning in the lab novel made up words like “modi” can direct children’s attention to specific features of objects. One particular example of this is the “shape bias”. If a two-year-old is shown a novel object and told a novel name, for example “This is my blicket,” and then asked, “Can you get your blicket” and shown one object that matches the named one in shape and another that is made from the same material, they will attend to the one that matches in shape. Researchers think the naming event “This is my…” cues children to look at things that are the same shape because they already know many names for things in sets that are similar in shape; cups are all cup-shaped, keys are all key-shaped, spoons are all spoon-shaped, etc.
Prior research suggests there may be differences in the way children who struggle with language decide what a new word means. For example, children with Developmental Language Disorder do not pay attention to the same things when learning new words as children with typical language development. These children do not look to an object that matches a named exemplar in shape when asked to “get your blicket”. But you can’t diagnose children with DLD until they are 3 or 4. We want to see if we can identify these children earlier, so they can get early support.
18 Apr Misuse of Prescription Stimulants Highly Variable Among US Schools
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60300" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Esteban McCabe[/caption]
Sean Esteban McCabe, PhD
Director, Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking and Health
Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences
University of Michigan School of Nursing
Ann Arbor, MI
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Prescription stimulant therapy for ADHD helps millions of people, including in my own family, and students, friends and colleagues. It's critical to balance the need for access to these medications while reducing the risk for misuse. This is more important than ever now because there have been recent increases in the prescribing of stimulant therapy for ADHD. There is a need to understand the prevalence of stimulant therapy for ADHD and prescription stimulant misuse in U.S. middle and high schools.
08 Mar Effect of Antibiotics During Pregnancy on Neonatal Sepsis and Mortality
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60144" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Roca[/caption]
Anna Roca PhD
MRC Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Fajara, The Gambia
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Context specific interventions are needed to decrease the high burden of severe neonatal morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Severe bacterial infections are a main cause of neonatal mortality in the continent. Oral intra-partum azithromycin is a cheap intervention easily scalable. Before embarking on this trial, we conducted a proof-of-concept trial that showed the intervention reduced maternal and neonatal bacterial carriage of the most prevalent bacteria causing neonatal sepsis in the continent.
28 Feb Murdoch Children’s Reports Surprising Finding on Preterm Births During COVID Lockdown
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60097" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. MIller[/caption]
Dr Jessica Miller, PhD
Murdoch Children’s Researcher and
Professor David Burgner,
Murdoch Children’s Group Leader, Infection and Immunity
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Royal Children's Hospital
Victoria Australia
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Early reports following the initial COVID-19 lockdowns showed huge variation in changes to preterm birth and stillbirth rates, deeming it difficult to understand the pattern worldwide. It was uncertain if the observed variations were due to differences in study design and methodology, immediate impacts of lockdowns or changes in health service utilization. Previous reports from single populations or facilities were unlikely to be representative of the population and could not be compared across populations. Lockdowns affected health, social and economic factors that could lead to reductions in preterm birth rates. Changes in hygiene practices and abruptions to traffic following lockdown led to alterations in non-COVID infections and air pollution, which are known to trigger inflammation and contribute to preterm birth.
Given the uncertainty in the earlier reports, we aimed to conduct a rigorous, standardised analysis using high-quality, total-population data from across the world in order to summarize and compare rates across countries. Our large global study included 52 million births between 2015-2020 from 26 countries and represents one of the first large-scale analyses of birth outcomes during the early months of COVID-19.
28 Feb Childhood Obesity Tied to Increased Risk of Diabetes
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60075" align="alignleft" width="128"]
Yuxia Wei[/caption]
Yuxia Wei | PhD Student
Unit of Epidemiology
Institute of Environmental Medicine
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm | Sweden
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Diabetes is traditionally known for having two types (type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes). However, it is becoming increasingly clear that diabetes is much more complex than this traditional classification. Several attempts have been made to address this heterogeneity and in 2018, a Swedish ground-breaking study proposed that there are five distinct subtypes of diabetes in adults. They have been replicated in different populations and it has been shown that there are differences between the subtypes in terms of genetics and risks of complications. Another way of elucidating the relevance of these subtypes is to investigate whether the influence of known risk factors for diabetes is different on different subtypes. Our study is one of the first attempts to address this. We used a study design known as Mendelian randomization, to investigate the influence of childhood obesity on these diabetes subtypes that typically occur after age 35. This work was a collaboration between Karolinska institutet in Stockholm, University of Bristol in the UK and Sun Yat-Sen University in China.
26 Feb Atopic Dermatitis – Eczema: Greater Awareness in Black and Hispanic Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Siri Choragudi Medical Student University of Miami Gil Yosipovitch, MD Professor and Stiefel endowed Chair of Medical Dermatology at the Dr Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami [caption id="attachment_60062" align="alignleft" width="125"] Example of Eczema-Atopic DermatitisDermNet NZ Image[/caption] MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly...
21 Feb Gender Differences in Brain Connectivity and School Performance in Late Childhood
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Nora Volkow MD Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Dardo Tomasi PhD Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse Bethesda, Maryland MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Girls tend to develop cognitive skills earlier and more quickly and...
20 Feb NIEHS Study Finds Same Toxic Protein Can Cause Two Rare Genetic Diseases
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_60043" align="alignleft" width="100"] Dr. Shaw[/caption]
Natalie Shaw, M.D., MMSc.
Principal Investigator
Head of the Pediatric Neuroendocrinology Group
Dr. Shaw holds a secondary appointment in NIEHS
Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Would you briefly describe the two affected conditions?
Dr. Shaw: Congenital arhinia is a rare congenital malformation characterized by the complete absence of an external nose and internal olfactory (smell) structures. It is frequently associated with eye and reproductive defects. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 2 is a form of muscular dystrophy that presents in young adulthood. Both conditions are caused by mutations in the gene SMCHD1. In FSHD type 2, we know that loss of SMCHD1 activity leads to expression of a toxic protein called DUX4 in muscle. The cause of arhinia was unknown.
08 Feb Toddlers Who Lack Attention to Mother’s Speech More Likely to Be Diagnosed with Autism
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59999" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Pierce[/caption]
Karen Pierce, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Neurosciences, UCSD
Co-Director, Autism Center of Excellence, UCSD
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: The mean age of ASD diagnosis and eventual treatment remains at ~52 months in the United States1 - years beyond the disorder’s prenatal origins2, and beyond the age when it can be reliably diagnosed in many cases3.
Currently the only way to determine if a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is to receive a developmental evaluation from an experienced clinician (usually a licensed clinical psychologist). There are often long waiting lists, and only a small number of clinicians have the experience required to make early-age (i.e., between 12-36 months) diagnoses of ASD. Thus, there are many places in the country as well as world wide wherein children wait months or years to receive a formal diagnosis due to a lack of available expertise. Moreover, diagnostic evaluations are expensive and usually cost the parent and/or insurance approximately ~$2,000 or more per evaluation. Finally, clinical evaluations usually take between 2-3 hours to complete and result in fatigue for both the parent and toddler.
Eye-tracking, which generates biologically-relevant, objective, and quantifiable metrics of both visual and auditory preference profiles in babies and toddlers in just minutes, is a technology that can dramatically change how ASD is diagnosed.
02 Feb NEJM: Effectiveness of Pediatric Meningococcal B Vaccine
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59975" align="alignleft" width="128"]
Dr. García Cenoz[/caption]
Manuel García Cenoz MD, PhDInstituto de Salud Pública de Navarra - IdiSNA, Pamplona, SpainCIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of severe disease in infants and children. After the introduction of serogroup C vaccines, serogroup B meningococcus has become the main cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Europe. The multicomponent protein-based meningococcal B vaccine (4CMenB, Bexsero, GSK) was licensed in the European Union in 2013. Its authorization was based on immunogenicity studies. Although some countries have introduced the 4CMenB vaccine into the publicly-funded infant immunization programs, the low incidence of the disease has limited the conduct of post-commercialization studies of effectiveness.Meningococcal B vaccine began to be used in Spain in children in 2014, recommended by the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, and paid by their families as it was not publicly-funded. We have conducted a nationwide study including all confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in Spain between October 2015 and September 2019 in children aged two months to five years.
22 Jan Tiny Food Tastings Linked to Shorter Duration of Breastfeeding
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59951" align="alignleft" width="128"]
Dr. Grandahl[/caption]
Maria Grandahl, Associate Professor, PhD, Senior lecturer
Director of Education in Nursing and Midwifery programs
Uppsala University
Department of Women’s and Children’s Health
on behalf of authors:
Dr Jenny Stern, Dr Eva-Lotta Funkquist and Dr Maria Grandahl
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Conflicting advice and non-evidence-based recommendations have a negative effect on breastfeeding. Since 2011, the National Food Agency in Sweden has informed parents that they can introduce tiny tastings (1 mL of solid food, i.e. other sources of nutrition than breastmilk/formula) to infants from four months of age. It is unknown how national recommendations, which differ from the Word Health Organization’s recommendation, affect breastfeeding.
13 Jan Flinders Trial Tests Boiled Peanuts to Treat Peanut Allergic Children
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: A/Prof Luke GrzeskowiakPhD | BPharm(Hons) | GCertClinEpid | AdvPracPharm | FSHP Associate Professor (Practitioner Fellow) Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation Fellow in Medicines Use and Safety College of Medicine & Public Health Flinders University Affiliate Research Fellow – South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Specialist Pharmacist – Flinders Women & Children, Flinders Medical Centre Adjunct Research Fellow – Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University Adjunct Research Fellow – Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Peanut allergy affects 1-3% of children in Western countries, making it the most common food-related allergen. Only a small percentage (20%) of children grow out of their peanut allergy, with allergen avoidance and provision of rescue medications for the management of allergic reactions being the recognised mainstay of treatment for many years. However, avoidance of peanuts provides many challenges for children and their caregivers and requires children and caregivers to be hypervigilant regarding peanut ingestion, creating a significant burden. This burden can have a real impact on quality of life for children and their families. In more recent years there has been emerging interest in what is referred to as oral immunotherapy as an active preventive treatment to reduce the risk of accidental peanut exposure. Oral immunotherapy involves exposing children to an extremely small dose of peanut, typically in the form of peanut flour, and then gradually increasing that dose over time to build tolerance. We have been looking at opportunities for making oral immunotherapy safer, which would then make it more suitable for more people. Our previous research showed that boiling peanuts alters its protein structure and allergic properties, meaning they were less likely to cause a severe allergic reaction, but were still able to improve tolerance to peanut allergens.
20 Dec Child Homicides, Rising for Years, Rise Sharply in 2020
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rebecca F. Wilson, PhD Division of Violence Prevention National Center for Injury Prevention and Control US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Our report shows the homicide rate among children aged 0 to 17 years has been increasing annually on average 4.3% since 2013, and rose sharply from 2019 to 2020. The largest 2019 to 2020 rate increases were among children 11-17 years old, boys, and Black children. Overall increases varied by geography and demographics, with some racial and ethnic disparities persisting for more than 20 years. Firearms were the most common weapon used in child homicides. Homicides of younger children (infants to 10 years) were mostly perpetrated by parents and caregivers and precipitated by abuse and/or neglect. Homicides of older children (11-17 years) were mostly perpetrated by someone known to them, like a friend or acquaintance, and precipitated by crime, arguments, and community violence.
06 Dec Multiple Demographic Disparities in Cardiovascular Risk After Pediatric and Youth Cancer
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59798" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Berkman[/caption]
Amy Berkman, MD
Department of Pediatrics
Duke University School of Medicine
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Cancer incidence in adolescents and young adults (AYAs, aged 15-39 years at diagnosis) is increasing, with approximately 90,000 new diagnoses annually in the US. Improvements in 5-year survival have led to a growing population of survivors of AYA cancer, currently estimated at >600,000 survivors. Survivors are at increased risk of treatment related chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease (CVD).
We wanted to determine whether certain sociodemographic and medical history factors further increase the risk of CVD in AYA cancer survivors and also compare risk of CVD between AYA cancer survivors and the general population.
27 Oct Baby Foods Not as Good for Oral Health, BDA Research Finds
The British Dental Association stays on top of important trends that affect health. Baby food is the latest research subject in their crosshairs. With infant health a high concern, there is good reason to take a longer look at food consumption. Oral Care Exams Your first infant oral exam at NorthStar Dental Care will go into detail about the dos and don’ts of nutrition. Preventing oral health issues will eliminate some of the most debilitating problems when growing up. This is why the latest research from the BDA is so important, but the devil is still in the details. Before going down the rabbit hole of information, make sure that your baby is scheduled and up to date with all of their dental appointments. The first exam is one of many, with each one after being just as important as the last.
20 Oct USPSTF: Screening Can Help Identify Anxiety and Depression in Older Children and Teens
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_58144" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Kubik[/caption]
Martha Kubik, Ph.D., R.N.
Professor, School of Nursing
College of Health and Human Services
George Mason University
Member, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Too many children and teens in the United States experience mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. There is a critical need to address the mental health of children and adolescents in primary care so that they can get the support they need to thrive.
06 Oct UCLA Study Finds Kids Attending Higher Performing Charter Schools Had Lower Alcohol and Marijuana Use
Posted at 20:56h
in Addiction, Alcohol, Author Interviews, Cannabis, Education, JAMA, Pediatrics, Social Issues, UCLA
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_59623" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Wong[/caption]
Mitchell Wong, MD PhD
Professor of Medicine
Executive Vice Chair for Research Training
Department of Medicine
Executive Co-Director, Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program
Director, UCLA CTSI KL2 Program
UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research Los Angeles, CA 90024
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: It is estimated that social factors like poverty, education, and housing have a large impact on health. Yet, there are few interventions that exist to directly address those issues. Schools are a promising solution since society already invests heavily in education and schools are an everyday part of most children’s lives.
28 Sep Myths About Teenager Sleep Needs Are Common
Posted at 16:49h
in Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Melatonin, Pediatrics, Sleep Disorders
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_59589" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Robbins[/caption]
Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D.
Instructor in Medicine
Associate Scientist, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders
Investigator, Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders
Departments of Medicine and Neurology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Teens face myriad challenges to sleep, ranging from biological factors, including a preference for later bedtimes and increased need for sleep, to social factors, including social pressures and increased academic workloads, all limiting teenagers in their ability to keep a healthy sleep schedule.
In a nationally representative sample, we explored the prevalence of another potential barrier to sleep among teens, which are a set of beliefs that are held in the population, yet are actual counter to scientific principles regarding sleep and circadian rhythms.
20 Sep USPSTF: Assesses Benefits and Harms of Screening for Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59555" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr. Cabana[/caption]
Michael Cabana, M.D., M.A., M.P.H
Professor of Pediatrics
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Physician-in-chief at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore
Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. Cabana joined the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in January 2019
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes have historically been far more common in adults, but the number of children and teens who have these conditions is rising. However, there is still very limited research on whether screening, early detection, and early treatment of diabetes will improve a child’s long-term health. Due to this lack of evidence, the Task Force was unable to assess the benefits and harms of screening, particularly in Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Pacific Islander populations, who are at a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. We are calling for more research on this important topic.
28 Jul Huge Number of Children Newly Classified as Obese In Only a Decade
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59343" align="alignleft" width="200"] Dr. Staiano[/caption]
Amanda Staiano, PhD
Associate Professor
Director, Pediatric Obesity and Health Behavior Laboratory
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Baton Rouge, LA
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?
Response: The U.S. government funds the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is an ongoing surveillance study on the health and nutritional status of people living in the U.S. What is special about NHANES is it’s designed to be nationally representative and it uses objective measurements, so we’re more confident that this accurately reflects the health of the country. For this paper, we looked at the most recently released data to see how many children in the U.S. have obesity, meaning they’re above the 95th percentile for height and weight based on their age and sex. We extracted data from 2011 to 2020, which includes nearly 15,000 children and adolescents and is the most recently available data prior to the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdown when NHANES paused.
06 Jul Pediatric Peanut Allergies Blunted But Not Eliminated by Early Introduction
MedicalResearch.com Interview with: [caption id="attachment_59303" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Dr. Soriano[/caption]
Victoria Soriano PhD
Research Assistant/Officer, Population Allergy
University of Melbourne
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Peanut allergy is one of the most common childhood food allergies, and children rarely grow out of it. The only proven way to prevent peanut allergy is to give infants age-appropriate peanut products in the first year of life.
We previously showed there was a dramatic increase in peanut introduction from 2007-11 to 2018-19, following changes to infant feeding guidelines. We wanted to know if earlier peanut introduction would reduce peanut allergy in the general population (in Melbourne, Australia).
06 Jun If FDA Approved, Dulaglutide Provides New Treatment Option for Youth with Type 2 Diabetes
Fasting plasma glucose concentrations improved with Dulaglutide....