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New Findings In Post Tonsillectomy Care

Two Children’s Health researchers are among the co-authors of a new national study on the impact of national guideline implementation of post-tonsillectomy care across 43 children’s hospitals, published in the July issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The study, co-authored by Children’s Vice President of Quality and Chief Quality Officer Rustin B. Morse, M.D., and pediatric hospitalist, Vineeta Mittal, M.D., both of whom are associate professors of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, found that after national guidelines issued by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (AAOHNS) in 2011, perioperative care processes improved by increased use of steroids and reduced use of antibiotics, as the guidelines suggested. However, post-surgical visits for pain increased modestly.
Can a simple stool test change how we diagnose biliary atresia?
Bringing multidisciplinary care for congenital colorectal and pelvic conditions to North Texas

Children with colorectal and pelvic conditions need expert care from surgeons, urologists and gastroenterologists. Children’s Health brings this team together in the Colorectal and Pelvic Center.
Using patient-derived xenografts to pursue targeted pediatric cancer therapies

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern part of a research collaboration that’s using patient-derived xenografts to pursue targeted therapies for an array of pediatric cancers.
Coordinating EXIT Procedures: How 30+ Providers Work Together to Help Mothers and Babies Thrive

UT Southwestern physicians at Children’s Health℠ and Parkland Health have performed EXIT procedures since 2007 and have developed an approach that ensures the complicated procedure — which involves a team of 30+ physicians and medical staff — goes as smoothly as possible.
Pediatric Stroke: Endovascular Intervention is Revolutionizing Care

Children’s blood vessels have long been considered too small for endovascular procedures — until now. Children’s Health is using a new generation of catheterization devices and techniques to help some children overcome stroke, without open surgery’s risks or recovery times.
Virtual reality in cardiac care: improving planning, enhancing education

Every patient’s heart is different – but virtual reality is already helping physicians at Children’s Health℠ and UT Southwestern visualize each patient’s unique anatomy and develop individualized treatment and surgical plans. This is having dramatic impact on how the team’s physicians plan cardiac procedures and perform key tasks such as selecting ventricular assist devices for pediatric patients.
Abdominal Pain & Emesis: Why Dietl’s Crisis is Easy to Overlook
New hope for hyperlipoproteinemia: Weight loss drug reduces TG levels by 50%

Researchers at Children’s Health℠ and UT Southwestern are spearheading a push to find more effective therapies for Type 1 hyperlipoproteinemia (T1HLP). In a recent pilot trial, researchers at Children’s Health and UT Southwestern discovered that an FDA-approved weight loss drug called orlistat reduced blood triglyceride levels by more than 50% in T1HLP patients. Now the researchers are planning a larger trial to study orlistat’s long-term efficacy and safety in children and adults.
Novel Gene Discoveries Could Mean the End of IBD

Researchers at Children’s Health℠ and UT Southwestern are making novel gene discoveries that bring physicians closer to precision medicine for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The research team identified a gene mutation that drives ulcerative colitis, and implicated neuroendocrine cells as potential mediators of chronic intestinal inflammation. The researchers also identified a genetic change associated with early-onset Crohn’s disease that impacted a pathway that could be targeted by the drug tofacitinib.
“Kids Can” Program Shows MRIs Without Anesthesia are Possible

Thousands of children who undergo an MRI scan without the need for anesthesia at Children’s Health℠ each year. This success is driven by our “Kids Can” program which combines patient education, clinical training and fun, interactive activities to help reduce the need for anesthesia, shorten procedure times and improve patient safety.
Building Understanding Through Bedside Hearts

To aid teaching and understanding, the Children's Health℠ CICU team created Bedside Hearts -- a tool that provides illustrations of a child's anatomy before and after their intervention.
Pediatric Sleep Studies: Know When to Refer

Around 12 percent of children have some form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), an umbrella term that ranges from snoring to serious conditions, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). SDB bleeds into children’s daily lives, impacting their ability to focus at home and in the classroom. Left untreated, children with SDB face an increased risk of poor school performance, behavioral issues and possibly cardiovascular consequences.
Taking on the Challenges of Treating Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is one of the most challenging conditions in pediatric nephrology. Discover the latest treatments and NIH-funded clinical trials that are advancing the field.
Four Questions to Ask Before Diagnosing Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is on the rise, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that cases of tick-borne illnesses more than doubled from 2004 to 2016, from 22,000 to 48,000. Making matters worse, the disease is sometimes tricky to diagnose.
Can an innovative drug help kids with congenital adrenal hyperplasia reach normal height?

Children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) often have elevated androgen levels, which accelerate bone maturation and diminish patients’ adult height. Traditional glucocorticoid treatment, including hydrocortisone, controls androgen levels but can slow growth and decrease adult stature as well. Researchers at Children’s Health and UT Southwestern are working to change the game.
Closing PDA in premature infants – without surgery

Patent ductus arteriosus one of the most common heart problems in premature infants. Nearly 1 in 5 will have a PDA. They should be evaluated thoroughly to see if they have a hemodynamically significant PDA that is causing them harm or delaying their growth. Left untreated, PDA can cause signs of heart failure and eventually lead to chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.
Testicular Torsion: Three Issues that Delay Timely Treatment

Bruce Schlomer, M.D., Pediatric Urologist at Children’s Health℠ and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern, sees many patients who have suffered damage by the time they arrive at Children’s Health in Dallas. He wants to help other physicians understand what causes these delays, so they can start finding better ways to prevent testicular loss.
Epilepsy Center at Children’s Medical Center Plano Earns Level 3 Designation

One of the biggest challenges for families with epilepsy is finding expert care, close to home. Children’s Health℠ recently took a big step towards helping more families overcome that challenge. Our Plano hospital, Children’s Medical Center Plano, was designated a Level 3 epilepsy center by the National Association of Epilepsy Centers (NAEC).
Three Ways Collaborative Care Benefits Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Our Cystic Fibrosis Center brings together specialists in pulmonology, gastroenterology and endocrinology. Discover why this collaborative approach helped us land a Quality Care Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Center in 2018.
A New Treatment for EoE: Proton-Pump Inhibitors

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) diagnosis and treatment is tricky – and constantly evolving. The latest example: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) were recently reclassified from diagnostic criteria to treatment. Research from Edaire Cheng, M.D., helped open the door to this update.
How 4 Trends Are Transforming Pediatric Neurosurgery

As pediatric neurosurgery rapidly evolves, it’s challenging to incorporate new adult technologies and approaches into real-world pediatric practice. Bradley Weprin, M.D., and his colleagues are among the first to offer everything from MRI-guided laser ablation to interventional neuroradiology techniques. Here are four ways we’re reshaping care.
Three Ways MRI is Transforming the Cardiac Cath Lab

In 2017, The Heart Center at Children’s Health℠ in Dallas opened a specialized hybrid catheterization lab/MRI suite. It was the first in Texas and one of only a few in the country. Since then, we’ve performed more than 50 MRI-guided cardiac catheterization procedures – and seen first-hand how this reduces radiation exposure among patients and staff, while offering more detailed images than ever before.
Three Ways Virtual Reality is Transforming Cardiovascular Medicine

Congenital heart defects vary by child – no two are alike. Put on a virtual reality headset, and those defects become larger than life, as physicians step into a 360 degree view of the heart, rotated around by the use of a controller. Thanks to medical innovations like these, physicians can use virtual reality to improve medical education, plan procedures and improve patient care.
Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: When Should You Refer?

More than 2 million American teenagers are affected by obesity, and very few of them are able to change their diets or exercise habits. That means that obese kids almost always become obese adults, significantly increasing their long-term risk of comorbidities like cancer, stroke and heart disease. That leaves providers and parents wondering: When should we consider bariatric surgery?
How to Take on Chronic Childhood Constipation, From Diagnosis to Treatment

Most pediatric constipation can be treated with diet and over-the-counter treatments. But when medical management fails, it can be a sign of a larger problem that needs specialty care. Children’s Health APPs and UT Southwestern physicians, led by Rinarani Sanghavi, M.D., offer state-of-the-art motility testing and innovative therapies – including biofeedback – to help children overcome chronic constipation.
Discover what sets our Heart Center apart

With nearly 13,000 outpatient clinic visits, approximately 1,200 inpatient admissions and 802 surgical procedures in 2018 alone, The Heart Center at Children’s Health℠ has some of the nation’s highest volumes – and best outcomes.
Researcher Spotlight: Linda Baker, M.D.

Dr. Linda Baker is the Director of Pediatric Urology Research at Children’s Health℠ and UT Southwestern. She specializes in complex congenital birth defects of the genitourinary tract and has made great strides in achieving bench-to-bedside research.
New Tonsillectomy Guideline: More Watchful Waiting, Less Codeine and Antibiotics

The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation recently revised the pain management recommendations related to tonsillectomy, and made other key guideline changes to help reduce complications and enable faster recoveries.

"The 2019 guideline update aims to improve pain management, and outline key changes like recommending tonsillectomy for children with obstructive sleep apnea," says Ron Mitchell, M.D., Division Director of Ear, Nose and Throat at Children's Health℠ and Professor at UT Southwestern. Dr. Mitchell chaired the guideline update group.
Could Understanding How the Stroma Regulates Kidney Development Lead To New Therapies For Kidney Disease?

UT Southwestern researchers are leading the way to understanding how the stroma regulates kidney development, advancing the understanding of how one of the body’s most complicated organs forms. Now we’re taking the next steps to understand how specific stromal signaling pathways guide how the kidney grows and functions.

“By understanding the normal mechanisms that govern kidney development, we hope to further advance the already rapidly growing field of bio-engineering functional kidney tissue and develop new therapies that could improve care for many kidney disorders,” says Keri Drake, M.D., Pediatric Nephrologist at Children’s HealthSM and Instructor at UT Southwestern.
After larotrectinib’s unprecedented results, what’s next for precision medicine?

When Briana Ayala came to Children’s Health℠, she was 11 years old and had a refractory undifferentiated sarcoma around her aorta. Doctors found the tumor’s Achilles’ heel: an NTRK2 gene fusion that was potentially susceptible to a drug called larotrectinib.

Briana was enrolled in a Phase I trial of the drug, and her tumor rapidly responded. Thanks to a nationwide research team – and brave participants like Briana – larotrectinib became the first drug to get initial approval by the FDA for a specific molecular change, regardless of tumor type. Now Ted Laetsch, M.D., a physician at Children’s Health and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is launching a nationwide trial through the Children’s Oncology Group that offers larotrectinib as front-line therapy, and we’re pursuing targeted treatments for many other cancers.
Three Ways to Help Ventilator-Dependent Children Thrive at Home

More children are being discharged with at-home ventilators after a tracheostomy. We’ve created a unique program to empower parents to care for their ventilator-dependent children at home.
Pursuing Genetic Insights – and Clinical Solutions – For Prune Belly Syndrome

Prune belly syndrome (PBS) is rare but devastating: 30 percent of babies with PBS die of renal failure or urosepsis by age two. Linda Baker, M.D., is undertaking an NIH study to uncover the genetic changes that cause the disorder – and has identified intriguing candidate genes. She’s also leading clinical research to reduce the problems associated with PBS and improve physical therapy for children with it.
Pediatric IBD: Progress Toward Precision Medicine

Researchers at UT Southwestern are spearheading efforts to find genetic variants associated with IBD. Luis Sifuentes-Dominguez, M.D., and his team have identified intriguing targets, including variants involved in the regulation of type I interferon response, which could pave the way toward precision medicine for IBD.
Diabetes app helps families deliver sick-day care – on their own

Caring for children with type 1 diabetes can be challenging for parents, especially when their child has a cold or the flu. At Children’s Health℠, we recently launched a mobile app that empowers parents to more easily handle sick-day care on their own.

The app, called Diabetes Advisor, uses blood sugar readings and other real-time data to help families calculate insulin doses and fluid intake, without talking to a doctor or nurse.
TeleNICU: Insider Tips on Building – or Improving – Virtual Care

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern have developed one of the nation’s most comprehensive TeleNICU programs. Along the way, we solved thorny compliance and legal problems, built our own telemedicine platform and created a model that makes it affordable for partner hospitals to get input from our specialists.
Finally, a Transcatheter Solution for Native Outflow Tracts

Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) has revolutionized care for many children with heart problems, but one group is often left out: patients with dilated right ventricular outflow tracts. Traditionally, open-heart surgery has been their only option because their outflow tracts are too big to accommodate transcatheter valves. But this may soon change thanks to the Edwards Alterra Adaptive Prestent – a self-expanding, stent-like device that creates a “landing zone” for transcatheter valves.

Children’s Health℠ is one of four sites in a Phase I trial of the innovative device, which is used in combination with the SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve System. Preliminary results are promising, with many children.
Find the best funding source for your research

One of the most important steps in your search for research funding is to find the correct funding agency – a well-conceived, novel, and well-written grant will not be funded if the topic is not in line with the funder’s interest.
New changes for clinical trials

Everyone involved in clinical trials research is aware of the outsized time commitment required for progress. To address this and other relevant issues, the NIH has proposed “Building Better Clinical Trials through Stewardship and Transparency.” Learn about upcoming changes.
Statistics: False positive rate

When researchers get a significant result, how confidently can they conclude their findings are true? Rong Huang, Ph.D., explains the ins and outs of calculating an accurate false positive rate.
CAR-T cell Therapy

Children’s Health and UT Southwestern are proud to be among 25 sites in the United States, European Union, Canada, Australia and Japan that participated in the Novartis-sponsored ELIANA study of a groundbreaking cancer therapy.
Researcher spotlight: Peter Szmuk, M.D.

Peter Szmuk, M.D. is Director of Research within the division of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pain Management at Children’s Health, and Professor of Anesthesiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Randomization, independence and pseudo-replication

In a randomized controlled trial, test subjects are assigned to either experimental or control groups randomly, rather than for any systematic reason. A medical trial is not usually considered definitive unless it is a randomized controlled trial. Why? What’s so important about randomization?
Research Administration Leadership Team
Biodegradable Stents, Surendranath R Veeram Reddy, M.D.
CRI Scientists Pinpoint Gene Likely to Promote Childhood Cancers

Researchers at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) have identified a gene that contributes to the development of several childhood cancers, in a study conducted with mice designed to model the cancers. If the findings prove to be applicable to humans, the research could lead to new strategies for targeting certain childhood cancers at a molecular level. The study was published today in the journal Cancer Cell.

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