JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 28, 2023) – Researchers from Nemours Children’s Health will present findings from a range of studies at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2023 meeting, April 27 to May 1 in Washington, DC. Key presentations will address pediatric mental health, HPV and flu vaccination strategies, the functional changes behind primary hypertension in youth, and social media’s effects on pediatric care.
“Nemours places high value on issues affecting children’s well-being,” said David Brousseau MD, MS, Chair of Pediatrics, Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware. “Our drive to go Well Beyond Medicine translates into research targeted to improve the daily lives of children.”
Nemours Children’s researchers from a variety of pediatric specialties will present on topics that affect large numbers of children. Key presentations include the following:
Social Media’s Impact on Pediatric Care & Research: Neonatologist Kanekal Gautham, MD, will lead a session on social media’s evolving impact on research, its role in identifying research errors, the academic community’s responsibility in building a culture of trust and research integrity, and how clinicians can best use social media. In a separate session, Dr. Gautham will speak to the lack of high-level evidence in pediatric cardiology treatments.
Dr. Gautham will also be presenting research based on CDC data about changes in infant and neonatal mortality after the introduction of a NICU designation bill in Texas. In addition, he and Dr. Kalidindi, along with other experts, will teach a workshop on effective teaching methods titled ‘Teach like Socrates.’
Emotional Health of Kids with Chronic Conditions: Pediatric psychologist Erica Sood, PhD, will co-lead a session on improving the emotional health of children and teens living with chronic conditions and their families. The prevalence of childhood chronic conditions has risen, and chronic illness is a major threat to emotional health and wellness. Dr. Sood will discuss a novel clinical approach, Normalize-Ask-Pause-Connect, that can proactively address this challenge.
Improving HPV Vaccination in Primary Care: Pediatrician Jonathan Miller, MD, will present results of a multi-pronged initiative to improve HPV vaccination rates in a pediatric primary care network. The approach resulted in an improvement in vaccination rate before age 11, from 12.4 percent in 2019 to 42.48 percent in 2022.
Emergency Department-Based Flu Vaccination: David Brousseau, MD, MS, is co-author of a study on an ED-based flu vaccination program that improved equity and patient outcomes. The program increased flu vaccination in Black children from 30 percent to 40 percent and in white children from 48 percent to 56 percent. It increased vaccination in children with public insurance from 36 percent to 47 percent, those with private insurance from 51 percent to 57 percent, and those without insurance from 22 percent to 35 percent. Just 1.2 percent of vaccinated children returned to the ED that season for influenza-like symptoms, vs. 2.3 percent of unvaccinated children.
Causes and Consequences of Pediatric Primary Hypertension: Pediatric and Preventive cardiologist Carissa Baker-Smith, MD, MPH, will give an invited talk on understanding the pathophysiology of pediatric primary hypertension. This presentation is a part of an entire session dedicated to the recently published American Heart Association Scientific Statement on Primary Pediatric Hypertension. Dr. Baker-Smith is also a co-author of this statement.
In addition, other Nemours research presentations at PAS 2023 include:
- Missed opportunities in the ED to identify red flags that suggest child physical abuse – Andrea V. Rivera-Sepulveda, MD, Emergency Medicine
- Primary care for children with intrauterine opioid exposure – Jessica F. Rohde, MD, Consultative Pediatrics
- Marijuana use and breastfeeding in new mothers – Neera K. Goyal, MD, Pediatric Primary Care
- Marijuana use in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes – Neera K. Goyal, MD, Pediatric Primary Care
- Improved asthma care quality using albuterol inhaler and dexamethasone steroid treatment – Syed Arshad Ali, MD, Inpatient Pediatrics
- Biomarkers for pediatric bacterial musculoskeletal infections in Lyme disease endemic areas – Amy D. Thompson, MD, Emergency Medicine
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children’s Health is one of the nation’s largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two free-standing children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also caring for the health of the whole child beyond medicine. Nemours Children's also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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