The following are among a few of the many notable
presentations by physicians from Packard Children's Hospital at the
upcoming Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting in San Francisco April
29- May 2. For more information or to reach one of the researchers,
call Robert Dicks at (650) 387-7500 or email him at rdicks@lpch.org.
ALL RESEARCH IS EMBARGOED UNTIL THE DATE AND TIME OF THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS NOTED BELOW
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Neonatologists have a tough choice when it comes to their newborn charges. Many of the important nutritive solutions essential to keeping a premature infant alive and thriving also contain trace amounts of aluminum, which can damage the baby's fragile central nervous system and bones. Packard Children's Pharmacy Director Robert Poole, PharmD, heads a study showing that, in order to meet the special bone-building needs of these infants, physicians are forced to exceed by five to ten times the maximum daily amount of aluminum recommended by the FDA, often for a week or more. He and his colleagues conclude that it is essential that the manufactures of the solutions take into account the special needs of premature infants and adopt new methods to reduce the amount of aluminum in their products.
When and Where: Saturday, April 29, 4:00 p.m.; Neonatal Fetal Nutrition and Metabolism I, Platform Presentation
Doctors and Lawyers and Hospitals, Oh My!
The idea of attorneys in a hospital may make many hospital administrators nervous. But Packard Children's has joined forces with lawyers and community groups in the form of a Family Advocacy Program. These law professionals are focused on improving children's health by advocating for families outside the hospital--urging a reluctant landlord to deal with mold or roach problems in an apartment of a child with asthma, for example, or helping a child with cancer continue her education during treatment. They can also help families with immigrants' rights, child custody issues or low-cost health insurance. Packard Children's pediatrician Dana Weintraub, MD, headed a study that found that more than 90% of families referred to the family advocacy program are minorities, and 25% had previously avoided seeking health care for their children because of concern about a family member's immigration status.
Also, infant development specialists from Packard Children's and Stanford will present a poster analyzing some of the developmental outcomes of premature infants receiving early intervention services, among which are improved access to legal assistance.
When and Where: Saturday, April 29, 5:15 pm.; Poster Session I
Tenth graders baffled by emergency contraception and birth control
You might not be surprised to learn that over one quarter of tenth graders is sexually active. But via a survey of over 500 tenth graders in Northern California, Packard Children's adolescent medicine specialist Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, found that about one in five believe that birth control pills are a form of abortion, and twice that (nearly half) felt the same way about emergency contraception. What's more, even though 85% of the kids would consider using emergency contraception if they had unprotected vaginal sex, more than half didn't know where to get the pills. The findings highlight the need for better sexual education for teens to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 8:45 am; Adolescent Medicine I, Platform Presentation
Obesity Rx? Play more video games
Not all screen time is bad! Packard Children's adolescent medicine specialist Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, teamed up with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, in a study that found that playing the video game Dance Dance Revolution with Red Octane Ignition pads for more than one hour each week helped many kids lose weight. Kristine Madsen, MD, MPH, a UCSF pediatrics fellow is first author of the study, which shows that it's possible that video games incorporating interesting physical activities can have a positive impact on overweight children.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 12:00 pm.; Poster Session II
Making the team
It's obvious that athletic participation often increases physical fitness in children. But many overweight or obese kids who might benefit from team sports aren't encouraged to join in. Packard Children's pediatrician Dana Weintraub, MD, reports on a just-concluded, randomized controlled trial of 21 children comparing an after-school team sports program designed with this special population in mind--the skinny need not apply--with traditional health education. The idea has legs: Many of the 13 overweight children who participated in a trial feasibility study reduced their body mass index. They also reported a jump in self-esteem and a reduction in depressive symptoms and concerns about their weight. Nearly 3/4 of these early participants were enthusiastic enough to continue with the sports program after completing the initial study.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 12 pm.; Poster Session II
Take two pills and...oh, never mind!
Pediatric emergency medicine specialists may sometimes feel like they are banging their head against a wall when it comes to their young patients' long-term health. A new study of pediatric patients at the emergency department formerly shared by Packard Children's and Stanford Hospital indicates that little more than half of parents or guardians of children treated in the emergency room follow through with recommended doctor visits and prescriptions. The study also characterized those patients at risk of poor follow-up. Families with private insurance were more likely to follow the doctors' orders than were those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. These families may benefit from focused interventions aimed at improving compliance, say the researchers.
When and Where: Monday, May 1, 5:15 pm; Poster Session III
Goodbye to finger sticks?
Kids with type I diabetes have grown accustomed to repeated finger sticks to test blood glucose levels. That doesn't mean they have to like it. Packard Children's pediatric endocrinologist Darrell Wilson headed a study of a commercial continuous glucose monitoring system in children and teens. The researchers found that the system, which relies on a small sensor left under the skin that wireless transmits real-time glucose values to a monitor carried by the patient, works as well at home as it does in the hospital environment--even after five days.
When and Where: Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 am; Endocrinology: Diabetes--Immune Mediated Poster Symposium
Watch not, want not?
Kids who speed more time staring at a television, computer or video game screen are more likely to ask their parents for toys, food or drinks they've seen advertised--even months later, according to Packard Children's pediatricians Lisa Chamberlain, MD, and Thomas Robinson, MD. It's time for a hard look at how marketing to children may promote a growing culture of consumerism and obesity in kids, they believe.
When and Where: Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 am; General Pediatrics platform session IV
ALL RESEARCH IS EMBARGOED UNTIL THE DATE AND TIME OF THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS NOTED BELOW
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Neonatologists have a tough choice when it comes to their newborn charges. Many of the important nutritive solutions essential to keeping a premature infant alive and thriving also contain trace amounts of aluminum, which can damage the baby's fragile central nervous system and bones. Packard Children's Pharmacy Director Robert Poole, PharmD, heads a study showing that, in order to meet the special bone-building needs of these infants, physicians are forced to exceed by five to ten times the maximum daily amount of aluminum recommended by the FDA, often for a week or more. He and his colleagues conclude that it is essential that the manufactures of the solutions take into account the special needs of premature infants and adopt new methods to reduce the amount of aluminum in their products.
When and Where: Saturday, April 29, 4:00 p.m.; Neonatal Fetal Nutrition and Metabolism I, Platform Presentation
Doctors and Lawyers and Hospitals, Oh My!
The idea of attorneys in a hospital may make many hospital administrators nervous. But Packard Children's has joined forces with lawyers and community groups in the form of a Family Advocacy Program. These law professionals are focused on improving children's health by advocating for families outside the hospital--urging a reluctant landlord to deal with mold or roach problems in an apartment of a child with asthma, for example, or helping a child with cancer continue her education during treatment. They can also help families with immigrants' rights, child custody issues or low-cost health insurance. Packard Children's pediatrician Dana Weintraub, MD, headed a study that found that more than 90% of families referred to the family advocacy program are minorities, and 25% had previously avoided seeking health care for their children because of concern about a family member's immigration status.
Also, infant development specialists from Packard Children's and Stanford will present a poster analyzing some of the developmental outcomes of premature infants receiving early intervention services, among which are improved access to legal assistance.
When and Where: Saturday, April 29, 5:15 pm.; Poster Session I
Tenth graders baffled by emergency contraception and birth control
You might not be surprised to learn that over one quarter of tenth graders is sexually active. But via a survey of over 500 tenth graders in Northern California, Packard Children's adolescent medicine specialist Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, found that about one in five believe that birth control pills are a form of abortion, and twice that (nearly half) felt the same way about emergency contraception. What's more, even though 85% of the kids would consider using emergency contraception if they had unprotected vaginal sex, more than half didn't know where to get the pills. The findings highlight the need for better sexual education for teens to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 8:45 am; Adolescent Medicine I, Platform Presentation
Obesity Rx? Play more video games
Not all screen time is bad! Packard Children's adolescent medicine specialist Sophia Yen, MD, MPH, teamed up with researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, in a study that found that playing the video game Dance Dance Revolution with Red Octane Ignition pads for more than one hour each week helped many kids lose weight. Kristine Madsen, MD, MPH, a UCSF pediatrics fellow is first author of the study, which shows that it's possible that video games incorporating interesting physical activities can have a positive impact on overweight children.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 12:00 pm.; Poster Session II
Making the team
It's obvious that athletic participation often increases physical fitness in children. But many overweight or obese kids who might benefit from team sports aren't encouraged to join in. Packard Children's pediatrician Dana Weintraub, MD, reports on a just-concluded, randomized controlled trial of 21 children comparing an after-school team sports program designed with this special population in mind--the skinny need not apply--with traditional health education. The idea has legs: Many of the 13 overweight children who participated in a trial feasibility study reduced their body mass index. They also reported a jump in self-esteem and a reduction in depressive symptoms and concerns about their weight. Nearly 3/4 of these early participants were enthusiastic enough to continue with the sports program after completing the initial study.
When and Where: Sunday, April 30, 12 pm.; Poster Session II
Take two pills and...oh, never mind!
Pediatric emergency medicine specialists may sometimes feel like they are banging their head against a wall when it comes to their young patients' long-term health. A new study of pediatric patients at the emergency department formerly shared by Packard Children's and Stanford Hospital indicates that little more than half of parents or guardians of children treated in the emergency room follow through with recommended doctor visits and prescriptions. The study also characterized those patients at risk of poor follow-up. Families with private insurance were more likely to follow the doctors' orders than were those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. These families may benefit from focused interventions aimed at improving compliance, say the researchers.
When and Where: Monday, May 1, 5:15 pm; Poster Session III
Goodbye to finger sticks?
Kids with type I diabetes have grown accustomed to repeated finger sticks to test blood glucose levels. That doesn't mean they have to like it. Packard Children's pediatric endocrinologist Darrell Wilson headed a study of a commercial continuous glucose monitoring system in children and teens. The researchers found that the system, which relies on a small sensor left under the skin that wireless transmits real-time glucose values to a monitor carried by the patient, works as well at home as it does in the hospital environment--even after five days.
When and Where: Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 am; Endocrinology: Diabetes--Immune Mediated Poster Symposium
Watch not, want not?
Kids who speed more time staring at a television, computer or video game screen are more likely to ask their parents for toys, food or drinks they've seen advertised--even months later, according to Packard Children's pediatricians Lisa Chamberlain, MD, and Thomas Robinson, MD. It's time for a hard look at how marketing to children may promote a growing culture of consumerism and obesity in kids, they believe.
When and Where: Tuesday, May 2, 8:00 am; General Pediatrics platform session IV
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