MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
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Robert F. Heary, M.D.
Co-Director, Reynolds Family Spine Laboratory
Director, Spine Center of New Jersey
Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Newark, New Jersey[/caption]
Robert F. Heary, M.D.
Co-Director, Reynolds Family Spine Laboratory
Director, Spine Center of New Jersey
Professor, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Newark, New Jersey
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: This article was written to assess the relative danger versus safety of youth football. As this is a hot-button topic in the world of neurosurgery and neurology, we decided to look into this issue.
In a suburban town, middle school football players were studied. They wore helmets with accelerometers mounted inside the hemet to measure how many hits the player absorbs and the magnitude of the force behind the hits. Also, soft “guardian caps” we worn over the outside of the helmets during practices.
For all football activities (practices and games), the helmets were worn and data were accumulated. In addition, specialized coaching related to safe tackling techniques was provided.
Dr. Kempe[/caption]
Allison Kempe, MD, MPH
Ergen Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Outcomes Research
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
Director of ACCORDS (Adult and Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science)
University of Colorado School of Medicine | Children’s Hospital Colorado
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: In 2019 the WHO designated vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten leading threats to global health. Although studies have assessed parental vaccine hesitancy in different localities and estimated vaccine refusals nationally, there is little recent US national data on the prevalence of hesitancy about routine childhood vaccines and national hesitancy rates for influenza vaccine have never been assessed. We used a hesitancy scale developed by the WHO to estimate levels of parental hesitancy for both routine childhood and childhood influenza vaccination
Dr. Paller[/caption]
Amy S Paller, MD
Chair, Department of Dermatology
Director, Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center
Walter J. Hamlin Professor of Dermatology
Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics (Dermatology)
Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University
Dr. Paller discusses the FDA approval of Dupixent® (dupilumab) for children aged 6 to 11 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema), whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable.
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this announcement? Would you briefly discuss what is meant by atopic dermatitis and how it affects children?
Response: “Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is a chronic inflammatory disease that often appears as a rash on the skin. Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is characterized by rashes that can potentially cover much of the body and can include intense, persistent itching, skin lesions and skin dryness, cracking, redness or darkness, crusting and oozing. Itch is one of the most burdensome symptoms for patients and can be debilitating.
This recent FDA approval expands the use of Dupilumab in the U.S. to include children aged 6 to 11 years with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, making it the only biologic medicine approved for this use in this population. Dupilumab is also approved in the U.S. to treat patients aged 12 years and older with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can place a particularly substantial burden on young children aged 6 to 11 years and their families. Limited treatment options leave many of these children to cope with intense, unrelenting itch and skin lesions. Families of these children can spend countless hours helping them to manage their disease.” 
Dr. Garstang[/caption]
Dr Joanna Garstang
Consultant Community Paediatrician / Designated Doctor for Child Death
Allenscroft Children's Centre
Kings Heath, Birmingham UK
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Each year in England and Wales there around 3-400 babies die unexpectedly, in many cases the cause of death remains unexplained and these deaths are called Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Parents are understandably anxious about the risks for future children, the Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme was set up to offer support for families. In this study, we looked at records of families registered with CONI between 2000-2015 to determine the frequency and causes for repeat unexpected infant deaths.
Dr. Travers[/caption]
Colm Travers, M.D., MSPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics
University of Alabama at Birmingham
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: It is known that black mothers are much more likely to deliver preterm and low birth weight infants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities in care practices and outcomes were decreasing or increasing among extremely preterm infants.
These are infants born from 22 to 27 weeks of gestation who have a high risk of death and major illnesses. 
Dr. Kao-Ping Chua[/caption]
Kao-Ping Chua, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Medical School
Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center
University of Michigan
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Due to high and rising prices, insulin has become increasingly unaffordable for patients with type 1 diabetes who must pay out-of-pocket for this life-saving medication. Over the past 5 months, many states and insurers have taken steps to cap insulin out-of-pocket spending. For example, Cigna imposed a $25 monthly cap earlier this year. This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services announced a $35 monthly cap for many Medicare Part D beneficiaries.
Dr. Tandon[/caption]
Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH
Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development
Seattle Children's Research Institute
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Cell phone use is common among middle and high school students, yet we do not have an understanding of school cell phone policies and practices in the U.S. We conducted a survey of public schools serving grades 6-12. The survey sent to over 1,100 school principals, representing a national sample of schools across the U.S., asked questions about the presence of a cell phone policy for students and staff and restrictions on phone use. Additional questions addressed consequences of policy violation, the use of cell phones for curricular activities and principals’ attitudes toward cell phone policies. 
Barbara Chaiyachati, MD PhD
SafePlace: The Center for Child Protection and Health
Division of General Pediatrics
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Children in foster care have high rates of medical problems including chronic diseases. There is less known about the differences in mortality for children in foster care.
Looking at national data from 2003 to 2016, this study finds that children (ages 1 to 18) in foster care have higher mortality compared to children in the general population and that the difference in mortality has increased over time. 
Adawiyah Jami[/caption]
Adawiyah Jamil, AdvMDerm
Associate Professor at Department of Medicine
University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: We commonly observed poor dietary pattern and multiple food restrictions imposed on atopic dermatitis (AD) children by their parents in our daily clinical practice. Food allergy is often associated with AD, however excessive and medically unsubstantiated restriction may lead to various health issues. AD is a chronic skin disease, like any other chronic diseases it affects an individual’s general health. Growth and development are key measures of health in children. We embarked on this study as we were very worried of the consequences of medically unsupervised food restriction, especially those with severe disease. We were concerned about how our atopic dermatitis children are eating and how to help them. 
