Author:

Where to Turn When Preparing for Your Child’s Hospital Stay

June 3, 2015  |  Craniofacial, Patient Care 2 Comments

New experiences can be scary for children, and a hospital stay is probably one of the scariest new experiences for any child and their family. When a child or teen is scheduled for an overnight or extended hospital stay, parents can be confronted with not only the needs of their child, but also the anxiety it may create for the entire family.

Social workers can help families with many aspects of a hospital stay, from providing emotional support to more tangible needs like insurance and financial assistance. Ashley Peter, a social worker in Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, has found that many parents come in with similar questions, but are unsure of where to turn to first.

“As social workers, our goal is to make sure families know there is support available for a variety of needs, regardless of their situation,” said Peter. “We realize that being in the hospital is a lot for families to adjust to, which is why we are here to guide them through every step of the way.” Read full post »

Child Protection Experts Respond to Abusive Head Trauma Critics: Would You Shake Your Baby?

May 6, 2015  |  Health and Safety, Patient Care Post Comment

ThinkstockPhotos-510903253In recent years, the diagnosis of abusive head trauma (AHT), historically referred to as shaken baby syndrome, has been the focus of great debate in court rooms and media headlines across the country. The debate has focused on a few key questions: Does AHT really exist? Can shaking really cause brain injury or death in infants?

“Having people believe that abusive head trauma doesn’t exist and that shaking an infant is harmless is a public health danger,” said Dr. Carole Jenny, a child abuse physician in Seattle Children’s Protection Program and at Harborview Medical Center, who has more than 30 years of child protection experience. “Parents and caregivers need to be aware that abusive head trauma as a result of shaking is a real thing that can happen – it does happen – and it has devastating, lifelong or fatal consequences.”

Dr. Christopher Greeley, who is a child abuse expert and associate professor at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, said that it comes down to this: “Would you shake your newborn baby?” Read full post »

Seattle Children’s Takes Cleft Training Program to Africa

February 12, 2015  |  Craniofacial, Patient Care Post Comment

The first thing Dr. Michael Cunningham noticed was the crowding. Hundreds of African mothers and their young children, pressed shoulder to shoulder in a time-worn hospital’s hallway, waiting patiently for hours — if not days — to receive cleft lip and palate care for their child. It was then when he fully understood the importance of his goals in Africa and how much work lay ahead.

Cunningham, who is medical director of Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center, and the Center’s surgical director Dr. Richard Hopper, had traveled to Africa as part of a specialized cleft training program they co-founded in 2007 now called Partners in African Cleft Training (PACT). Read full post »

Act Now to Protect Your Family From the Seasonal Flu

December 5, 2014  |  Health and Safety Post Comment

Child with fluIf you haven’t already, it’s time to start thinking about seasonal influenza, or the flu, and the important steps you should take to protect your child. Flu season can range from October through May, but most cases of the flu in the U.S. occur between December and February.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of flu complications. And there is not only the threat of hospitalization; in some rare cases the flu can become fatal. During the 2013-2014 flu season, the CDC reported more than 100 flu-related deaths in children.

With this in mind, it’s time to consider a very important safety measure: vaccination. Read full post »

Patient Chef Works to Change Perception of Hospital Food

November 13, 2014  |  Patient Care 3 Comments

In January, Seattle Children’s brought on Ryan Garcia to serve as the hospital’s first chef focused exclusively on patient meals. With more than 25 years of experience in the food service industry, Garcia’s goal is to change the perception of hospital food by working with patients and their families to create natural, healthy dishes based on familiar, home-cooked meals. He also plans to focus on using organic, locally-sourced foods that come from the hospital’s organic garden and broader community.

“The meals we create are about so much more than the recipe — it’s about making food part of the patients’ overall healing experience,” Garcia said. “If our patients are happy and enjoying what they eat, that’s also one less thing parents have to worry about.” Read full post »

A Family Approach: The Unique Stories of Two Craniofacial Patients

October 10, 2014  |  Craniofacial, Patient Stories 1 Comment
Baby Genesis before her surgeries

Baby Genesis before her surgeries

Discovering your child has a craniofacial condition can be a stressful time filled with questions and uncertainties. Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center aims to not only keep the patient’s needs in mind, but also the needs of the entire family. Below are the stories of two unique craniofacial journeys and how the patients and their families received support throughout the process.

Genesis and family find comfort after early diagnosis

Genesis Murillo is a fun-loving, 4-year-old who was born with bilateral cleft lip and palate – a birth defect that occurs when parts of the lip and roof of the mouth don’t fuse together during pregnancy. Cleft lip and palate affects one in 700 infants worldwide, and is one of the most common birth defects. It can be caused by several factors, including genetic abnormalities, but there is no single cause.

Read full post »

Transplant Saves First ‘Bubble Boy’ in Wash. State Detected with Newborn Screening

August 12, 2014  |  Cancer and Blood Disorders, Patient Care, Patient Stories, Research 1 Comment

This is a special guest post from JoNel Aleccia, staff writer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. See the original article and photos here.

Rachel Dixon holds her son Ezra, who was born with severe combined immunodeficiency. SCID affects about 1 in every 50,000 babies born in the U.S. Nearly two months after having a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother, Judah, he's doing well. Photo courtesy of Bo Jungmayer / Fred Hutch News Service

Rachel Dixon holds her son Ezra, who was born with SCID. Nearly two months after having a life-saving bone marrow transplant from his brother, he’s doing well. Photo courtesy of Bo Jungmayer / Fred Hutch News Service

Ezra Dixon was born April 7, four months after the state of Washington first starting screening newborns for the disorder commonly known as “bubble boy disease,” which leaves its patients at the mercy of common germs.

Some 22,610 babies were tested before him and more than 28,000 have been tested since, all negative, health records show. But Ezra is different.

The bald, blue-eyed boy is the only child in the state so far diagnosed with severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, detected through the program.

When staff at the Washington State Department of Health Newborn Screening Lab analyzed the drop of blood pricked from his heel shortly after birth, they found none of the T-cells that protect the body from infection, a certain sign of the rare disorder.

Read full post »

Boy gets smile for his 12th birthday

April 21, 2014  |  Craniofacial 9 Comments
Christian smiling at soccer practice right before his birthday.

Christian at soccer practice before his birthday.

Christian Roberts was as excited for his 12th birthday as any child would be. But this April marked a very special occasion. It was the first time he could express that excitement with a smile.

Twelve years ago, Christian was born deaf and with bilateral facial paralysis due to a rare genetic anomaly called CHARGE Syndrome. For his entire life, the happy, playful Dallas boy who loved video games and LEGO bricks couldn’t move his facial muscles to smile. Christian wanted nothing more than to better communicate with his family, and with others who don’t know sign language.

Read full post »

How to keep kids safe with the legalization of marijuana

February 24, 2014  |  Health and Safety Post Comment

The legalization of marijuana in the state of Washington, along with the impending legalization of marijuana sales this spring, has sparked concern among many parents who have questions on what this means for their children.

Leslie Walker, MD, division chief of Adolescent Medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital, recently co-authored a guide for parents about preventing underage marijuana use. Walker says that it’s important for parents to know the facts, learn how to talk about marijuana and be aware of the messages that their children may see.

Read full post »

Fecal transplant research generates interest from around the world

February 20, 2014  |  Gastroenterology, Research Post Comment
Dr. David Suskind

Dr. David Suskind

Late last year, David Suskind, MD, shared the good news with The Seattle Times that he saw positive results in the first FDA-approved studies of fecal transplants in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and, more specifically, in those with Crohn’s disease.

Our blog post on the research, published last June, has generated interest from families as far away as Japan.

Fecal transplants — a hot topic? Actually, it is. The research has been widely covered by the media and is even more important to the patients with IBD and families who clamor for new treatments and information that can make daily living easier and more “normal.” On the Pulse sat down with Suskind to follow up on his research, and to find out what’s next.

Read full post »