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The case against separating breastfeeding mothers and infants during the pandemic
Person in a black dress standing on stairs for a portrait.

Diane Spatz is a professor of perinatal nursing and the Helen M. Shearer Professor of Nutrition at the School of Nursing, and a nurse scientist for the lactation program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (Image: Eric Sucar)

The case against separating breastfeeding mothers and infants during the pandemic

In a Q&A, Diane Spatz of Penn Nursing and CHOP discusses why it’s safe and beneficial to keep them together, even when the mother tests positive for COVID-19.

Michele W. Berger

The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually
A person standing in front of a lab bench full of bones. On the wall hangs a poster that reads: "Dougal Dixon's Dinosaurs."

Aja Carter (seen here in May 2018) recently earned her doctorate from the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the School of Arts & Sciences. In the lab of Peter Dodson, she studied how the structure of the vertebrae in the spinal column changed over time and how that affected the way animals move. As most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so did her thesis defense and that of so many others.

The joys and trials of defending a dissertation virtually

When most aspects of university life moved online because of COVID-19, so, too, did the thesis defense for Ph.D. candidates. Despite some challenges, the shift had unexpected benefits.

Michele W. Berger

To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics
Child standing with a hand in an open cabinet in what appears to be a kitchen. A clock on the stove nearby reads 3:26.

To keep firearms safe from children, look to behavioral economics

Mental shortcuts and cognitive biases may factor into whether a gun gets locked up, separate from ammunition. New findings suggest several ways to positively influence this behavior.

Michele W. Berger

Nurses go beyond the caregiving
The entrance to a hospital. People in personal protective equipment swab others as they enter the building.

Nurses at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, seen here in personal protective equipment, use thermal scanners to check the temperature of every person who enters the facility. (Image: Daniel Burke)

Nurses go beyond the caregiving

In the face of a disease that requires physical separation from other human beings, these care providers have extended their role, taking on tasks usually relegated to others and sitting in as family and friends to the ill.

Michele W. Berger

How tweets may influence substance abuse in youth
A teenager looks critically at a smartphone in their hand

How tweets may influence substance abuse in youth

While social media provides youth the opportunity to discuss and display substance use-related beliefs and behaviors, little is known about how posting or viewing drug-related content influences the beliefs and behaviors of youth relative to substance use.

From Penn Nursing News

With support from parents, teens forge a path to handle social distancing
A teenager stands outside and puts a mask on their face while a group of friends wearing masks stands behind them on the grass.

With support from parents, teens forge a path to handle social distancing

Adolescents need and value their friends, relationships challenged by COVID-19 restrictions. By having explicit conversations and facilitating remote access to peers, the adults in their lives can help.

Michele W. Berger

Health care education in a virtual world
Screenshot of veterinary online course with picture of a cat

Health care education in a virtual world

For future health care providers, moving education online has proved especially challenging. With ingenuity and creativity, faculty are helping them continue gaining the skills they’ll need.

Katherine Unger Baillie