Nationwide Children's Research News

Feb 01, 2022

Study supports virotherapy as a potential treatment for brain tumors

A new study provides additional evidence of the efficacy of virotherapy for glioblastoma, the most deadly type of brain tumor. The research findings, published Feb. 1, 2022, in Clinical Cancer Research, indicate that an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, G207, appears to boost immune response and that this is associated with better overall survival for patients with glioblastoma.

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals
Dec 28, 2021

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time? Frequency and Duration of Boarding for Pediatric Mental Health Conditions at Acute Care Hospitals

According to the results of a national survey conducted, in part by a researcher at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, mental health boarding in emergency departments (ED) and/or hospital inpatient settings is common with a median of 4 patients daily and associated with median durations of 48 hours – 10 times longer than standards established by the Joint Commission. In addition, in these acute care settings, youths received minimal mental health services during their lengthy boarding. Unfortunately, these patients are getting the wrong care, in the wrong place and at the wrong time. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

Dec 23, 2021

Study Finds High Mortality Rates of Youths Previously Incarcerated in the Juvenile Legal System

New research from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital finds that youth aged 11 to 21 years, who have been previously incarcerated in the juvenile legal system, are 5.9 times more likely than the general population to experience early mortality. The report, which describes a cohort study of 3645 previously incarcerated youths in Ohio’s juvenile legal system, appears this week in JAMA Network Open.

Creating a Physician Workforce that Reflects the Patients and Families We Serve
Dec 14, 2021

Creating a Physician Workforce that Reflects the Patients and Families We Serve

Workforce disparities persist within health care institutions and medical training. While individuals who identify as Black/African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander comprise roughly 30% of the U.S. population, they are less than 15% of physicians, making them underrepresented in medicine – or URM. In fact, as the U.S. population grows more diverse, the racial and ethnic demographic gap between patients and physicians, including pediatricians, is worsening. In a bold effort to bridge that gap, a team of physicians (medical educators, advocates, and researchers) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital developed a plan. The plan and its results are now published in Pediatrics.

Dec 13, 2021

Human MicroRNA Inhibits Expression of Pathogenic Gene Underlying Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is caused by aberrant expression of the DUX4 gene in skeletal muscles. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have recently demonstrated that an endogenous human microRNA, miR-675, inhibits DUX4 expression and protects muscles from DUX4-mediated cell death in a mouse model when administered via gene therapy. They also showed that the small molecule-based treatments that upregulate miR-675 inhibited DUX4 mRNA and DUX4-associated biomarkers in myotubes derived from patients with FSHD.

Sep 09, 2021

Alarming Upward Trend in Black Youth Suicide From 2003 to 2017

In the United States, the rates of suicide and suicidal behavior among youth, children and adolescents 5-17 years of age, have been steadily increasing over the last decade, and Black youth, 5-12 years, are approximately two times more likely to die by suicide than their White counterparts. However, the literature investigating Black youth suicide is extremely limited. For the first time, researchers have examined the trends and precipitating circumstances of suicide in Black youth only by age group and sex.

Every 46 Minutes a Child is Treated in a U.S. Emergency Department for an Injury from a Furniture or TV Tip-Over
Aug 26, 2021

Every 46 Minutes a Child is Treated in a U.S. Emergency Department for an Injury from a Furniture or TV Tip-Over

Furniture and TV tip-overs are an important source of injury, especially for children younger than 6 years old. A recent study led by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that an estimated 560,200 children younger than 18 years old were treated in U.S. emergency departments for furniture or TV tip-over injuries from 1990 through 2019. In 2019, there were 11,521 injured children, which is an average of one child every 46 minutes.

Aug 20, 2021

When Dismantling Bacterial Biofilms, the First Line of Defense Comes From Within

Researchers identified the mechanism behind the anti-biofilm properties of a protein found in all vertebrates. Too little of this protein allows disease-causing bacteria protected by biofilms to spread, while too much can lead to septic shock. Could a molecule of this protein be engineered to destroy biofilms without negative effects on the body?

Aug 06, 2021

An Alarming Connection Between Justice System Involvement and Child Health

A new study conducted at Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Abigail Wexner Research Institute and published in the journal Health & Justice, appears to be the first to use electronic medical records and link children’s personal or family involvement in the correctional system to diagnoses – and the authors say the findings are so alarming they should be a call to action for pediatric providers.

Jul 29, 2021

New Study Finds Hands-free Cellphone Laws Associated with Fewer Driver Deaths

A recent study led by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital looked at drivers, non-drivers (passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists), and total deaths involved in passenger vehicle crashes from 1999 through 2016 in 50 U.S. states, along with the presence and characteristics of cellphone use laws.