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Pediatrics

Making meaning from the loss of a child
woman sitting cross-legged on sofa using breast milk pumps

Pumping and donating milk to a nonprofit milk bank offers a way to channel grief for some bereaved parents whose child died at birth, according to research by Diane Spatz of the School of Nursing and colleagues. 

nocred

Making meaning from the loss of a child

Research by Diane Spatz of the School of Nursing and colleagues reveals how donating milk served as an important part of the grieving process for some parents who had lost a baby before or at birth.

Katherine Unger Baillie, Michele W. Berger

COVID-19 vaccines for young children
Preschool children work on art with a teacher

COVID-19 vaccines for young children

As the pandemic enters its third year, kids under five can’t get vaccinated. Researchers explain what’s been unfolding with the vaccine authorization process.

Katherine Unger Baillie

The effects of pediatric critical illness on absenteeism
Empty desks in elementary school classroom.

The effects of pediatric critical illness on absenteeism

Penn Nursing research found children who survive critical illness and their parents commonly experience physical, emotional, and cognitive conditions as a result. These effects can also include prolonged absences from school and/or work.

From Penn Nursing News

Early discharge of healthy newborns during the pandemic
Parent at home with newborn in their arms.

Early discharge of healthy newborns during the pandemic

In a new study, Sara Handley and colleagues find that a shorter stay did not increase infant readmissions in the first week, suggesting that earlier discharge can be done safely.

From Penn LDI

Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic
A mostly eaten apple in front of a mirror showing a whole, uneaten apple.

Hospitalizations for eating disorder increased during pandemic

Researchers can’t yet pinpoint definitive reasons, though they surmise it was a combination of factors, including stress, an outsized focus on weight gain and personal appearance, and maybe even symptoms of COVID-19 itself.

Michele W. Berger

Gun violence exposure increases mental health-related ED visits by children
Adolescent wearing a mask seated in a waiting room with an adult in a mask holding their hand.

Gun violence exposure increases mental health-related ED visits by children

A proximity to violence and multiple exposures increase the risk of pediatric mental health distress, according to research from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

From Penn Medicine News

100 years of insulin
insulin lab

Homepage image: Laboratory on the University of Toronto campus where Banting and Best carried out some of their research on insulin. (Image: Courtesy of Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto)

100 years of insulin

On July 27, 1921, Canadian doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully isolated the hormone insulin, one of the most important breakthroughs in treating diabetes. Experts from around the University share their thoughts on the medical triumph on the 100th anniversary.

Kristen de Groot