Transformational Pediatrics

It's been almost five years since pulse oximetry screening was recommended to be added to the uniform screening panel for newborns. While Missouri and Kansas each took different approaches, pulse oximetry screening for CCHD in the newborn nursery is now almost universal in the United States. Prior to oximetry screening, about 20% of newborns with CCHD left the hospital with undiagnosed heart defec...

Amblyopia is by far the most common cause of unilateral vision loss in children, affecting 2 to 4 percent of the population. Screening for amblyopia is an important component of well-child pediatric care. Join Children’s Mercy pediatric ophthalmologist Dr. Atkinson and Transformational Pediatrics, as we discuss the three generally-recognized types of amblyopia, available screening techniques, and...

Each year in the United States more than 3 million referrals are made to child protective services (CPS) involving more than 6 million children. Of those referrals which are investigated, between 15 to 20 percent involve allegations of physical abuse. Deaths from abuse and neglect occur most commonly in children less than 4 years of age, which highlights the importance of recognition of abuse by p...

A recent study found that student-athletes experience mental health issues at about the same rate as the general student body—30 percent. However, while 30 percent of those struggling students will get help, only 10 percent of their athlete counterparts will. Several organizations are taking steps to eliminate the stigma including the NCAA, NATA and universities through programs like Athletes Conn...

Approximately 411,000 children live in a four county Kansas City metro area, accounting for 25.6 % of the population. A community health assessment by Children’s Mercy with assistance from Professional Research Consultants, examined current health status of children in the metro area, identified unmet needs and current health priorities, explored community strengths and gaps in resources, and prov...

For more than 20 years, Children’s Mercy Kansas City has served children, families and referring specialists for burn care. As the regions ONLY pediatric exclusive burn unit, electrical, chemical and frost bite burns are cared for, with access to every pediatric subspecialty all within a pediatric hospital. Join Dr. Aguayo has he helps guide first responders, emergency practitioners and primary ca...

Appendicitis has an incidence of 80,000 pediatric cases per year in the United States, and the gold standard for the past 100 years has been to treat children with appendectomy. However, recent research in adults has suggested antibiotics without surgery may be an effective treatment, challenging conventional practice. Join Dr. St. Peter and Transformational Pediatrics, as we look to learn more ab...

Two remarkable sisters, Alice Berry Graham and Katherine Berry Richardson, one a dentist and one a surgeon, founded Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City in 1897. They brought to the task an indefatigable dedication to the plight of poor sick children that transformed the community forever. Along the way they founded a nursing school, worked around segregation to train African-American physicia...

Brazil conducted a public vaccination campaign April – May 2016 that immunized 49 million people. However, Brazil’s Ministry of Health has reported 1,233 deaths through July 1, 2016 calling Brazil’s H1N1 p2009 season worse than at any time since the pandemic. With the “flu season” in Brazil usually from April through July, add severe H1N1 p2009 influenza as a hot topic about Brazil and Olympic tra...

Telemedicine has been around in various forms for decades. But is the promise of telemedicine more hype than actual health improvement? Can remote technology truly facilitate quality care? Are patients and families ready to adopt what can be perceived as less personal care? Dr. Jay Portnoy answers these questions and discusses the growing role of telemedicine at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common virus. Nearly 80 million people—about one in four—are currently infected in the United States. Although HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections and is a linked cause of cervical cancer, the infection is often silent. Patients may never know they have the infection but often have serious consequences. Educating the population about t...

It’s summer — so what do you need to know about Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF), and ehrlichiosis, the two most common local tickborne infections associated with fever? During this season, when evaluating a febrile child, establishing if the child has had a tick bite or is tick exposed (lives or has visited an area where ticks have been seen) is helpful.  Listen in as Mary Anne Jackson, MD, a...

Long-term use of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) can cause life-threatening complications. Patients that rely on TPN benefit from programs such as Intestinal Rehabilitation, with the end goal of weaning them off TPN and thus improving their quality of life. Creating a multidisciplinary team of dedicated surgeons, psychologists, nurses, dietitians and social workers can help enhance the outcomes f...

Often misunderstood or misdiagnosed, Tourette syndrome and tic disorders have high rates of co-occurrence with diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety, sensory integration disorders, and obsessive compulsive behavior with more than 80 percent of patients being diagnosed before the age of 10. Listen in as Dr. Coffman discusses how he guides practitioners in recognizing Tic Disorders and Tourette Syndrome, prese...

Children with 22q11.2 Deletion/Duplication Syndrome are faced with many doctors’ visits across the health care system. With the burdens this puts not only on the family but also their doctors, Children’s Mercy created the Super Q Express 22Q Clinic multidisciplinary clinic. The clinic provides family access to a team of expert clinicians and provides comprehensive individualized diagnostic and man...

Amplified pain syndrome (APS) is a condition in which the child’s perception of pain is increased due to the abnormal firing of nerves which sense pain and control vascular tone. Amplified Pain Syndrome (APS) can include: Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) (formerly Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)), and other types of nerve-related pain. Treatment is a...

In a rare event, the four leading orthopedic societies have aligned on a combined statement on early detection for scoliosis. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA), and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believe that there are documented benefits for children of earlier detection and non-surgica...

Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disability, Tourette syndrome, autism and neuromuscular diseases affect more than 10 percent of children. Recent advances in genomic medicine are unraveling the etiology of these disorders and providing answers to more patients and families. These discoveries, along with advances in pharmacogenomics are the foundation of precision medicine.   This...

The Headache Action Plan was developed as a simple tool to guide primary care providers in migraine management, including prevention and abortive therapy as well as recommendations for school and lifestyle. Jennifer L. Bickel, MD is here to discuss how the Headache Action Plan web application takes medical providers through four sections to help guide the management of migraines and to provide han...

In 2015, Children’s Mercy created the Children’s Research Institute to coordinate the work of its scientists and physicians and to expand its research portfolio.   This institute was designed to bridge science and medicine to benefit the pediatric community.   In February of 2016, Children’s Mercy welcomed Tom Curran, PhD to lead the new institute.   Hear from Dr. Curran as he shares the role the...

In 2012, Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) patients were automatically slotted for PICU beds on the first night post-op. Due to PICU access, 22 AIS surgeries had to be rescheduled. In alignment with hospital-wide lean six-sigma management strategies, an AIS project team was tasked with development of AIS to floor guidelines, resulting in a 15% improvement in length of stay, a 100% increase in...

Medication adherence is critical to the long-term health of liver transplant patients. Yet, adjusting to the demands of a complex regimen and coping with the psychosocial issues commonly associated with transplantation can negatively impact disease management, with average rates of nonadherence among pediatric liver transplant recipients exceeding 50% and accounting for nearly half of acute reject...

Accurate weight estimates are important because they are used to determine appropriate medication dosage, fluid volumes for resuscitation, breathing tube sizes, and more. But what do you do in situations when you are unable to weigh the child? The Mercy TAPE was developed by Children’s Mercy researchers led by Susan Abdel-Rahman, Pharm. D, Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Toxicology, (TAPE stands...

At Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Shao Jiang, MD coordinates an international adoption program with China for cleft lip/palate surgeries. The experienced cleft palate/lip and craniofacial team provides comprehensive medical services, with pre-adoption counseling and social workers available for ongoing parental support. Dr. Jiang is uniquely positioned to not only provide palate/lip and craniofacia...

About 60% to 80% of newborn Infants in the United States are jaundiced, that is they look yellow. Kernicterus is a form of brain damage caused by excessive jaundice. The substance which causes jaundice, bilirubin, is so high that it can move out of the blood into brain tissue. Join Dr. Shapiro as he speaks with Transformational Pediatrics about the diagnosis, treatment and research supporting the...