Until recently, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) repair in premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) required an involved surgical procedure. The surgeon would enter from the side, collapse the lung, find and ligate the vessels, reinflate the lung, and close. The patient usually required significant support for the next two to three days…
The patient Newborn with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) with a dysplastic pulmonary valve and progressive pulmonary valve stenosis The challenge The dysplastic pulmonary valve makes it unsuitable to proceed with the typical first stage of single ventricle palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — the Norwood procedure, which would transition the pulmonary valve…
Kelly L Faber, M.D. Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Pediatric simulation isn’t much different from the training that allowed airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger make a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River after a bird strike caused engine failure on the passenger jet taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The so-called “Miracle on the Hudson” was possible only because pilots train on…
For two-thirds of children with epilepsy, medications are effective at reducing seizures. After trying two or more anti-seizure medications without success, the remaining one-third have medically refractory epilepsy. For these children, surgery, a ketogenic diet or implantation of a neuromodulation device are options. Determining which of these is best for a particular child requires a…
Before beginning medical treatment for depression or anxiety in a child or adolescent, it is helpful to rule out medical conditions such as anemia (checking iron, B12, and folate), diabetes, vitamin D deficiency and abnormal thyroid levels, according to Felissa P. Goldstein, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatrist with Norton Children’s Behavioral & Mental Health, affiliated…
Even though children are more likely to be spared serious illness from COVID-19, the so-called long COVID-19 in children has brought symptoms like headache and fatigue lasting a month or more. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that long COVID-19 appears to be less common in children and adolescents than adults….
Research at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is dedicated to understanding and managing diverse types of heart conditions affecting children and adults with congenital heart disease. We accomplish this locally and through large multicenter collaborative efforts. What we find in these studies adds to a growing literature available to…
The only accredited program in Kentucky and Indiana, Norton Children’s Heart Institute is recognized for collaborative work to treat adults and children living with lifelong congenital heart disease. In recognition of its expertise in serving individuals with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD), a structural heart condition present at birth, Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School…
Soham Dasgupta, M.D., has joined Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, as a pediatric cardiologist specializing in pediatric electrophysiology. Dr. Dasgupta completed his initial medical training at the Calcutta National Medical College in Kolkata, India. His residency in pediatrics was completed at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Texas….
Neurological effects of COVID-19 in children have been most common in those who had a preexisting neurological condition, representing both new symptoms and a continuation or worsening of previous symptoms, according to a recently published study in JAMA Neurology. Among children hospitalized for COVID-19, the study of patients at 61 U.S. hospitals found 21% had…
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by deficiency of the dystrophin protein. In the absence of dystrophin, skeletal muscle fibers rupture and atrophy over time leading to progressive weakness, respiratory muscle weakness and cardiomyopathy. Loss of ambulation typically occurs early in the first decade of life without treatment. Orthopedic treatments may…