As summer starts to cool down, parents are all too familiar with the return of back to school prep and fun fall activities.
While families are busy checking off school supply lists and spending more time indoors through the chillier months, it might be easy to overlook the preventive care to help keep children safe from illnesses in the community and the upcoming annual flu season.
Last year brought an unprecedented tripledemic– with hospitals, including Seattle Children’s, facing a tremendous number of patients diagnosed with the flu, COVID-19 and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that largely affects young children.
In October 2022 alone, Seattle Children’s emergency department saw twice as many patients than usual, sometimes running at 200% capacity.
To shed some light on current public health and safety, On The Pulse spoke with infectious disease experts Dr. Janet Englund and Dr. Sara Vora from Seattle Children’s Research Institute to learn how families can best protect themselves through the upcoming months.
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Seattle Children’s providers are leaders in brain tumor care and research, offering some of the most advanced treatments, neurosurgeries and clinical trials of any children’s hospital.
Its Brain Tumor Program is the largest in the Northwest and one of the largest in the world.
In this edition of On the Pulse, one Seattle Children’s patient shares their personal experience traveling across the world for medical care, navigating language and education barriers, and finding strength in transition.
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This story is part two of an On the Pulse series. Read part one here.
Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) is one of the nation’s leading pediatric research facilities, with talented investigators who have made stunning breakthroughs in their ongoing efforts to help every child live a full, healthy life.
Working to inspire and develop the next generation of talent in research and medicine, Seattle Children’s has introduced innovative programs like the SCRI Summer Scholars Program (SSSP), offered by the Science Education team in partnership with Seattle Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity.
In 2023, SSSP welcomed 49 new students, out of more than 500 program applicants. Over nine weeks, the Summer Scholars are assisting with 44 lab and clinical research projects involving 39 principal investigators.
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This story is part one of an On the Pulse series. Read more in part two.
In the downtown labs of Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI) this summer, 49 capable and curious college students are working side by side with scientists they might join as peers one day, demonstrating a summer job can not only help pay for expenses, it can cultivate a career.
“It’s part of the investment Seattle Children’s makes in aspiring scientists, beginning in kindergarten and throughout a researcher’s career, with programs at every level specifically for those historically underrepresented in biomedical research and science,” said Dr. Amanda Jones, senior director of Education Initiatives, who oversees science education efforts at Seattle Children’s.
From the Science Adventure Lab to Invent at Seattle Children’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program, Seattle Children’s works to inspire and develop the next generation of talent in research and medicine.
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Childhood is a dynamic time of discovery and exploration. It’s important however, for parents and caregivers to ensure that children are exploring in healthy and safe ways.
When it comes to establishing positive nutrition habits for youth and teens in particular, parents often have many questions about caffeine intake, and more specifically about energy drinks.
On the Pulse spoke with Dr. Suzan Mazor, an emergency attending physician and the medical director of toxicology at Seattle Children’s, to help separate fact from fiction.
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As a part of the festivities leading up to the MLB All-Star game, hosted in Seattle on July 11, two Seattle Children’s patients, Isaac Williams and Tiago Viernes, got once-in-a-lifetime experiences thanks to MLB and MLB All-Star partners Dairy Queen (DQ) and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN).
Each year, MLB invites a guest that has demonstrated incredible courage in overcoming a challenge to announce an MLB Draft pick.
This year, the Seattle Mariners recommended they select Tiago to read out the name of the first-round pick for the Seattle Mariners, on stage in front of a live audience, and nationally televised.
Additionally, MLB All-Star Game sponsor Dairy Queen hosted the DQ All-Star Experience for Seattle Children’s patient, Isaac Williams, in partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In addition to attending the All Star-Game, Isaac and his family got to experience on-field batting practice, meet and greets with MLB players and more before the game.
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Founded in 2022, the Invent at Seattle Children’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program is a first-in-the nation postdoctoral training program that aspires to develop novel therapeutics at Seattle Children’s.
The program is an investment in training talented early career scientists historically underrepresented in biotech in the development of therapeutics for childhood diseases.
It seeks to improve the lives of pediatric patients while educating the next generation of scientists in therapeutic discovery. Few therapeutics are developed specifically for children, yet “hand-me-down” drugs often fail to address pediatric diseases.
The program was created in partnership with Benaroya Research Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the University of Washington. Now a year in, the program is growing quickly with many scholars now having a chance to dive deep into the initial stages of research projects.
Dr. Edward Song joined the program in January and spoke with On the Pulse about what drew him to the program, his current research project, why it was a unique career opportunity, and what he hopes to accomplish during his time in the program.
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Eight cases of locally acquired malaria have been confirmed in Florida and Texas this summer, marking the first time in 20 years locally transmitted cases have been seen, and decades since malaria was officially eradicated in the United States.
Although about 2,000 Americans are diagnosed with malaria each year, those cases are linked with travel outside the U.S.
While no one enjoys the itchy annoyance of a mosquito bite, is there a reason to be concerned? On the Pulse asked Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Dr. Alexis Kaushansky, a malaria expert in the Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, to weigh in.
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Warm weather provides opportunities for summer fun for families, but it also brings some safety risks that many parents and caregivers may have never considered.
On the Pulse shares reminders to help keep young children safe from window falls and illness or death from being left in a hot car.
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With temperatures on the rise, many families have begun planning for some fun, outdoor adventures.
If camping is on the agenda, it’s important to be informed and prepared before heading off to any campgrounds, especially when camping with small children.
Dr. Michelle Terry, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s, shares some key advice and tips with On the Pulse on what parents and caregivers should know to ensure kids and the whole family are healthy and safe while camping.
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