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…
Children who are behind their peers in motor skills, speech, listening, understanding or social development are developmentally delayed, a common condition affecting 15% to 20% of children nationally. “It’s important to identify and screen for these children, because we clearly know that earlier recognition and earlier intervention leads to significantly greater gains later in life…
Precisely placed phenol injections can relieve spasticity by inducing axon necrosis, essentially destroying the nerve causing the spasticity. As a focal treatment, the phenol needs to be injected at the motor points of the right muscles. Targeting only the motor neve is very important, otherwise the patient could have sensory issues from the denaturation, according…
Signs of common bleeding disorders in children can take many forms from birth through adolescence, according to Ashok B. Raj, M.D., pediatric hematologist/oncologist with Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. A newborn bleeding from the umbilical stump, an infant who’s just starting to walk having a painfully swollen joint after…
In recent years, emergency departments have changed how they assess three common pediatric issues: febrile neonates, abdominal pain and bronchiolitis. Reflecting the evolving nature of evaluating patients, these new algorithms seek to reduce interventional risk, Kerry S. Caperell, M.D., MBA, pediatric emergency medicine physician with Norton Children’s Emergency Medicine, affiliated with the UofL School of…
Repairing the aortic and mitral valves of children is not as common as replacement with mechanical or tissue valves, but it has distinct advantages. If we can keep the child’s own tissue and have good function of the valve, we don’t have to deal with the risk of clotting or bleeding that comes with a…