The Pediatric News offers up a wide variety of articles covering various topics that have to do with health and wellness. These topics include the shortage of hospital beds caused by the global pandemic, a discussion of the disparities between the pediatric age group and pregnant women, and a look at the latest research on autism and asthma.
Autism & Asthma
Autism and asthma are often found together in children. However, the relationship between the two is not always clear. This study sought to quantify the association between the two conditions.
The authors of this study utilized a number of techniques to investigate the relationship between the two disorders. First, they compared the symptom severity of asthma and autism. Next, they looked at the relative contributions of genetic and environ
mental factors.
Although the association between asthma and ASD is not new, this study presents preliminary data on their associations. It also raises awareness of the relationship in the health care field.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy is used to treat various diseases in children. It involves introducing a new gene or a healthy copy of the original. The disease can be prevented or even permanently cured.
One example of a child’s illness that could benefit from gene therapy is spinal muscular atrophy. In this condition, the immune system is unable to fight off infection. Without treatment, it is possible for a child to die within a year. However, gene therapy can help the immune system build up a strong immune response.
There are many different types of gene and cell therapies. These include somatic and ex vivo gene therapies. For the latter, a genetically engineered vector is injected into the patient’s blood. This vector contains the gene.
Rare pediatric diseases
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has a policy to encourage the development of drugs for rare pediatric diseases. This is done through the Priority Review Voucher program. Designed to reduce the length of FDA’s review process, the voucher grants sponsors a ten-month review for a drug of their choosing.
Rare pediatric diseases include congenital heart defects, neurological disorders, and immune deficiency diseases. They can be life-threatening or serious. Some are caused by genetic mutations, while others are the result of infection or other pathological processes.
In the United States, approximately 10 million children are affected by rare pediatric diseases. These conditions are difficult to treat, but research into them is increasing.
Hospital beds shortages due to pandemic
The pandemic in pediatrics has wreaked havoc on hospitals and the healthcare system as a whole. Hospital beds shortages are a major contributor to this problem.
The CDC is reporting that more than seven out of every ten hospital beds are now full. That number has increased by about 10% in the last few weeks.
Experts and physicians believe the newest hospital beds shortage is the result of a combination of factors. First, the financial decisions of the hospitals themselves. In the past decade, many have expanded their facilities for more profitable endeavors.
Richard A. Helms Award of Excellence in Pediatric Pharmacy
The Helms Award of Excellence in Pediatric Pharmacy Practice is presented annually to pediatric pharmacists for sustained contributions to the field of pediatric pharmacy practice. It is a prize sponsored by the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG), an international nonprofit professional association dedicated to promoting effective medication use in children.
For more than 30 years, David Hoff has been a pediatric pharmacy practitioner. He is a Board-Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist and has been recognized as a Fellow of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association. In addition to his clinical practice, he has worked as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Children’s HeartLink. During his career, he has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers, including several book chapters, and has presented lectures both locally and worldwide.
Disparities in the pediatric age group and in the pregnant women group
There are many factors that affect pregnancy and childbirth. Poor heart health, for example, is a major contributor to one in four pregnancy-related deaths. This is a serious matter, especially since women of color are at higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease.
One of the best ways to combat the disease is to ensure the health of women before, during, and after childbirth. The American Heart Association has a $20 million initiative to help do just that. A network of experts at various universities will lead the charge in the quest to improve the odds of a happy and healthy birth.
Synergy Grants
Synergy Grants are a program to support collaborative teams of investigators to discover, test and translate new ideas. This program supports scientists, clinicians and other professionals from diverse backgrounds and provides a fixed budget of $5 million.
These grants aim to address major problems in human health by fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. They provide funding for new, highly innovative projects. The funding can be used for overseas grant activities as well as for research costs in Australia.
ERC Synergy Grants are intended to support cross-disciplinary investigations at the interface of disciplines, enabling two to four Principal Investigators to work together. Applicants must demonstrate synergies, complementarities and a track record of early achievement.
