Genetic Counselor Training Program At Home in Pediatrics

For the UW-Madison Genetic Counselor Training Program, there’s no place like home—in Pediatrics.

The program, which had been part of the Department of Medical Genetics for 35 years, joined the Department of Pediatrics in the spring of 2010.

Now, with improved clinician access, administrative stability, and School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) backing, the program can better support its students, teachers, and staff—and remain at the forefront of an evolving profession. Read more...

Pediatrics Residency Graduate, Researcher Improve Health Care in Rural Uganda

Implementing sustainable health care models in the developing world has become a way of life for Lisa Umphrey, MD, a 2010 graduate of the Pediatrics residency program, and her husband and former department research scientist Douglas DaSilva.

The two recently spent over a year managing and staffing a clinic in rural Uganda—at one point with help from Pediatrics faculty Francois Luyet, MD—and are now taking the model they developed there to other locations throughout the country. Read more...

UW Pediatrics Hosts Midwest SPR Meeting

On October 6-7, 2011, the UW Department of Pediatrics welcomed more than 120 academic pediatricians to Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center for the 52nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Midwest Society for Pediatric Research (MWSPR).

Kicking off the event was a special Pediatrics Grand Rounds presentation by Michael Ackerman, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine, pediatrics, and pharmacology at Mayo School of Medicine. Dr. Ackerman spoke about the genetic determinants of Long QT syndrome, a rare heart rhythm disorder that can trigger fainting spells or seizures. Read more...

Volunteers Fit Bike Helmets at ‘Ride the Drive’ Events

For the second year, a team of more than 15 volunteers, including Department of Pediatrics faculty and residents, donated their Sunday afternoons to help fit bike helmets during Madison’s Ride the Drive bike events, held June 5 and September 25, 2011.

The volunteers staffed two helmet fitting stations along the route, each of which were marked by large banners provided by the American Family Children’s Hospital’s (AFCH) Child Health Advocacy Program. Read more...

CDC-Recognized School Asthma Clinic Ensures Care for At-Risk Children

Pediatric nurse practitioner Kathleen Shanovich, RN, MS, was a school nurse in Madison for six years. She remembers firsthand the struggles of families who have children with asthma and allergies, and the problems associated with asthma-related absenteeism.

That’s why, after she joined the UW Health clinical team, she continued working closely with the Madison Metropolitan School District and American Family Children’s Hospital to create a School Asthma Clinic. Read more...

PICU Team Prevents Central Line Bloodstream Infections

A team led by Associate Professor and Vice President of Quality Improvement Tom Brazelton, MD, MPH, is participating in a national collaborative quality project to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections at the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH) Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Central line-associated bloodstream infections can result in significant medical costs and complications. As many as one in four people who get them will die. Read more...

Endocrinology Fellow Wins SPR’s Clinical Research Award

The Society for Pediatric Research (SPR) considers the research of Endocrinology and Diabetes fellow Jennifer Rehm, MD, among the best in the nation.

On May 2, 2011, Dr. Rehm was one of three fellows who received the SPR's 2011 Fellow Clinical Research Award at the group's annual meeting in Denver. She was honored for her research on early detection of fatty liver disease in overweight adolescent girls. Read more...

Including Families at Bedside Rounds

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Cox, MD, PhD, is helping families participate more fully in the care of their children while hospitalized at American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH).

Through recent grants from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the National Patient Safety Foundation, Dr. Cox is working with colleagues from several inpatient services to develop, implement, and evaluate ways to enhance family-centered rounds (FCRs) for hospitalized children. Read more...

Recognized for Clinical Excellence

"It's wonderful when folks catch you doing something right," says Associate Professor Carol Diamond, MD, medical director of the UW Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Clinic.

She certainly would know. Last spring, Dr. Diamond was one of four physicians—and the only pediatrician among them—to receive one of UW Health's first Physician Leadership awards. First created in 2010, the awards honor physicians for excellence in clinical practice or clinical education. Read more...

The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Behavior

Social networking Web sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, can have a tremendous impact on adolescents’ health.

Previous research with traditional media has shown that exposure to substance use and sexual content is linked to initiation of those behaviors. The difference is that with social media, adolescents not only consume information, they also produce it.

That’s why the Adolescent Health Research team, led by Assistant Professor Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, is investigating the health implications of social media use among adolescents. Read more...

Lifecourse Initiative Improves Birth Outcomes in Wisconsin

Last year, Department of Pediatrics Professor Philip Farrell, MD, PhD, became steering committee co-chair of the Lifecourse Initiative for Healthy Families (LIHF), a $10 million initiative to improve birth outcomes in Wisconsin.

Why? Because the infant mortality rate for African Americans in Wisconsin is the worst in the nation. Babies born to African American mothers were three to four times more likely to die in the first year than their white counterparts. It's considered by many to be the most serious health problem facing the state. Read more...

Immunotherapy for Children with High-Risk Neuroblastoma

Research from the laboratory of Professor Paul Sondel, MD, PhD, has played a key role in the development and testing of an effective new treatment for some children with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system most commonly found in children under the age of five. Nearly half of neuroblastoma cases are considered “high-risk,” meaning that the disease is likely to spread aggressively—and the child is likely to die—if only standard chemotherapy treatment is given. Read more...

A Year in the Life of Rylee

Rylee's story began on January 8, 2009, at the emergency department at American Family Children's Hospital (AFCH). She was brought there with bloody diarrhea and dehydration, which was found to be caused by two types of foodborne bacteria: Shigella and E. coli.

Three days later, Rylee developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, a disease that can occur in children with these types of bacterial infections). It caused Rylee's kidneys to shut down. Read more...

Resident/Fellow Scholarship Flourishes

UW Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education John Frohna, MD, MPH, believes that residency education programs must prepare physicians for whatever career path they want—whether it be academic medicine or general private practice.

But regardless of the path chosen, Dr. Frohna also believes "there is always value in understanding the process of asking and answering a research question."

That's why, in 2009, the department created a formal research requirement for all its residents. Read more...

New Formula, Drug Research Helps Patients Manage PKU

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a rare genetic disorder in which the body is unable to metabolize phenylalanine, an amino acid found in almost every source of natural protein.

Patients with PKU must follow a strict diet that is low in phenylalanine—and consequently, low in protein—for their whole lives. In order to keep growth on track during childhood, they also must drink a special phenylalanine-free protein formula. Read more...

Advanced Treatment and Neonatal Screening Save a Newborn’s Life

Tyler was the 8 1/2-pound, first-born child of a Baraboo, Wisconsin couple. His mother had a normal pregnancy and routine delivery, and after a standard hospital stay, the new family returned home. But on the third day of Tyler’s life, his mother became concerned. Tyler was not breastfeeding well and was difficult to arouse. His parents took him to a local hospital, where physicians thought he might have an infection or a metabolic problem. Read more...

Infants Exposed to Dogs Less Likely to Develop Allergic Diseases

For many children, a beloved cat or dog is as much a part of the family as Mom, Dad, brother, or sister. But for others, a furry pet means wheezing, eczema, rhinitis, or other allergic reactions. At first, it would seem logical to keep children at risk for allergies away from household pets. But research conducted at the UW Department of Pediatrics found the opposite to be true. Exposure to dogs in infancy—especially around the time of birth—can actually influence children’s immune development and reduce the likelihood of certain allergic diseases. Read more...

Education Helps Grow Fit Kids

Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor Aaron Carrel, MD, has a big mission: to prevent obesity and diabetes, and promote fitness, in children. As a physician, researcher, and ultimately an educator, he has found innovative ways to help children throughout Wisconsin lead healthier lives. Read more...