UTMB

Help children to identify, manage stress problems
Galveston Daily News, July 11, 2012
In this week’s Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly describe symptoms and sources of stress for children and ways to help them cope with it.

Battle against smoking is to keep kids healthy
Galveston Daily News, June 27, 2012
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly note that tobacco addiction is a pediatric disease, one that is “caught” as a child or adolescent. Though more adults stop smoking each year, at least 6,000 children start to smoke each day in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 90 percent of adult regular smokers started smoking by age 18 and almost 40 percent of those by age 14.

Teach your children good sun safety habits
Galveston Daily News, June 20, 2012
In Keeping Kids Healthy, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly discuss the increase in melanoma and children’s susceptibility to the sun. They provide some guidelines and safety tips for protection.

Youths encouraged to play
Houston Chronicle, June 5, 2012
The city of Alvin is partnering with elementary schools to motivate pupils to get outside and play. The health program recently helped the city garner national recognition by being named a Playful City USA. “Diabetes and heart disease is a major issue,” said UTMB’s Dr. Syed Kazmi, a pediatrics professor and medical director of UTMB’s Alvin pediatric clinic who also volunteers as the city of Alvin's health officer. “As kids, if we train them early to do regular exercise and understand what food is all about, these will reduce the trending of these diseases.”

Renovated Primary Care Pavilion reopens
The newly renovated Primary Care Pavilion, 400 Harborside Drive, in Galveston has reopened. Island Pediatrics - East is located in the pavilion in Suite 103.

Protect your child from heat stroke

Published June 6, 2012

Most people know the average normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the temperature at which the body is comfortable and wants to stay.

It is never OK to leave children alone in the car

A child left in a hot car can suffer from heat stress, dehydration and shock.

Pool safety: Tips for a safe summer

A swimming pool in the backyard can be bliss for your family during the summer if all the correct safety measures are in place.

UTMB, Moody Gardens present student exhibit
Galveston Daily News, June 4, 2012
A new exhibit from the University of Texas Medical Branch featuring seaside-themed art by Galveston schoolchildren is on display at Moody Gardens.
The exhibit’s oversized display panels offer a wide range of information and illustrations focusing on child and family health and contain enlarged artwork by local children, reproduced on banners that hang from the vaulted ceiling in the gallery adjacent to the IMAX Theater in the Moody Gardens Visitors Center.

Mental health as important as physical health

Many services are available to help diagnose emotional, behavioral and developmental problems in children.

Baby girl defies the odds at UTMB
Daily News, May 1, 2012
Newborn Lola Grace Blackwell is recovering at UTMB after a high-risk delivery that involved surgery to treat a massive neck malformation. On April 25, UTMB’s chief of pediatric surgery, Dr. Ravi Radhakrishnan, successfully removed the neck mass. [Note: This article was written by Molly Dannenmaier of UTMB’s Office of Public Affairs. Send your story ideas to public.affairs@utmb.edu.]

Harold Pine, M.D.

Smart teachers, good docs, clever school worker help disabled boy
KHOU-TV (Ch. 11, Houston), April 26, 2012
A 5-year-old special needs student in Santa Fe recently received a special gift, with the help of his ear doctor, UTMB’s Harold Pine. “A lot of my residents, a lot of the faculty here, even nurses in the operating room, anywhere I told this story, people stopped and they said, ‘I want to help.’”

Chickenpox parties a risk to children's health
Daily News, April 24, 2012
In this week’s Medical Discovery News with UTMB’s Norbert Herzog and David Niesel: According to public health experts, so-called "chickenpox parties" can lead to serious life-threatening bacterial infections. The article also appears in the Abilene Reporter-News.

Shaken baby syndrome: A problem of growing concern
Daily News, April 26, 2012
Last year, more than 2,000 infants and children were hospitalized as the result of being shaken by their caregivers, write UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in this week’s Keeping Kids Healthy column.

UTMB's Children's Hospital has now re-opened!

UTMB's Children's Hospital makes its debut
Daily News, April 17, 2012
Today, UTMB reaches another milestone in its history at the forefront of pediatric care. The medical branch will open the doors of a new Children’s Hospital on the 10th floor of John Sealy Hospital. “What sets our Children’s Hospital apart from other larger children’s hospitals in our area is the intimate, family-centered, personal experience our patients and families have when they are here,” said Dr. Christine Turley, vice chairwoman for pediatric clinical services.

UTMB: A history of caring for children
Daily News, April 17, 2012
In this guest column, UTMB’s Dr. Joan Richardson writes about the opening of the new UTMB Health Children’s Hospital and the institution’s long history of caring for children “This facility represents UTMB’s most recent resource dedicated to the care of children. Long before pediatrics was recognized as a medical specialty, UTMB provided care to children.”

Chloe Perez a former pediatric patient at UTMB and her sister Lexie Perez came up with an idea to put together a toy drive to donate to the Children’s Unit Childlife play area. Chloe joined forces with the help of school counselors, her parents and their co-workers and friends. The toy drive was a great success. Chloe plans on putting together this toy drive 2 or more times a year to help replenish items in the Child Life play room. 

See More Photos here ...

Hits you shouldn’t cheer for
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 22, 2011
There is no such thing as a “minor” concussion. Most people don’t realize the brain is quite soft and floats inside the skull, cushioned by the surrounding spinal fluid and that a hit on the football field can be dangerous. This is the inaugural Medical Discovery News column by UTMB professors Norbert Herzog and David Niesel, whose weekly radio program by the same name already is broadcast on 100 stations.

Don't let the bedbugs bite
KUHF-FM (88.7, Houston), Nov. 19, 2011
On this week’s Medical Discovery News with David Niesel and Norbert Herzog: Over the past three years, the number of homes, hotels and businesses being treated for bedbugs is up more than 10-fold. Every part of the nation has reported infestations, with most from the northeast. While bedbug bites can cause allergic skin reactions, they have not been known to transmit infectious disease. However, researchers have discovered that bedbugs can carry disease. Luckily, there’s no evidence they can transmit disease through their bites, yet.

Preventing, treating common illnesses in children
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 16, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly provide information on the common illnesses school children get and some advice on what parents can do to prevent and treat these ailments. School-aged youths have six to eight colds per year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Caused by viruses, not by damp weather, colds spread through the air (via cough and sneeze droplets) and by direct contact (touching people and contaminated objects such as doorknobs, toys and telephone receivers).

Family welcomes surprise on 11-11-11
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 12, 2011
Marieli Montserrat Ortiz arrived three weeks early Friday, just in time to lay claim to a unique birth statistic — born 11-11-11 at 11 minutes past 11 a.m. The 6-pound, 11-ounce girl sporting a head of black hair also debuted on her father’s birthday. Parents Jose and Miriam Ortiz, of Houston, up since 3 a.m., were tired, but happy celebrants in their room, which was, of course, No. 11 at UTMB’s labor and delivery.

Experts offer tips to help nip the nits
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 13, 2011
Nip the nits and get back in class the next day. With school in full swing, UTMB’s Dr. Julie McKee offers tips to get rid of head lice. “We think of them as being kind of gross or yucky or dirty or whatever,” said McKee, a mother of four, who has conducted teacher in-services on lice detection. “But they aren’t. They are not a disease. They are just a nuisance.”

Children don’t always need antibiotics
Galveston County Daily News, Nov. 9, 2011
This week’s Keeping Kids Healthy column with UTMB’s Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly: Despite a growing concern in the medical community about antibiotic resistance, parents still request pediatricians prescribe such medications for their children even when the antibiotics are unnecessary, according to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. While antibiotics have hardly outlived their usefulness, using them more judiciously will help preserve their power to heal your child.

Make sure kids get enough Zs

We all have spent evenings with families whose children have taken the occasion to act out in the worst possible ways. With dad, and often mom as well, working during the day, parenting is limited to a short period in the morning, dinner and a stretch of the evening. Sometimes, keeping the children up results in children not getting enough sleep and developing bad sleep habits.

Everyday magic on Pediatrics

By Lila Muzik, MSN (CAP-C Committee Member)

Jessica Oliveira, RN, CPN,on unit 6 C/D at UTMB has
worked in Pediatrics for the past two years. This writer was brought to tears by the "Everyday Magic" of this wonderful nurse as she told a patient's story.

Read more here ...

Hospice Care Team donates to UTMB

The Hospice Care Team in Texas City donated a $2000 check to the Perinatal Hospice Program here at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

Pictured (L-R) – Eva Blight NNP, Dr. Christine Turley, Dr. Cara Geary, Dr. Joan Richardson, Deborah
Perryman and Dr. Susan Gerik.

Read more here ...

Protect entire family by getting flu vaccination
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 19, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly urge parents to protect their families against the flu with vaccination. “The 2011 flu vaccine protects against the most likely strains to be spread this winter. The flu vaccine is recommended for all children older than 6 months of age. A nasal spray version of the vaccine is available for healthy older children and adults. You can’t get flu from the flu vaccine. It can give you a sore shoulder, body aches and a slight fever, but not the flu. The more of us who are protected, the fewer people there are to give you the flu.”

Listen up: Tips to protect hearing
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 20, 2011
In this guest column, UTMB audiologist Leslie Rolph encourages readers to protect their hearing. “In response to the growing number of Americans suffering from hearing loss, the American Academy of Audiology, in conjunction with UTMB’s Center for Audiology and Speech Pathology, has launched National Protect Your Hearing Month.”

Our own Dr. Susan Gerik coming to the rescue!!

A woman and her husband drove from Conroe to have her baby here. They had just pulled up in front of John Sealy Hospital when their little boy was born.  The husband started honking the car’s horn. Dr. Susan Gerik heard the horn and ran over to their car. Gerik wrapped up the baby in her white coat, called L&D and the nursery and tended to the mom and baby until more help arrrived. The mom and baby are doing well!  

Click here to see the interview ...

Click here to see the happy family ...

Galveston Daily News article ...

Pediatric Specialty Center at Bay Colony and Academic Pediatrics receives design award!

Bennett Design Group and Heitkampt Swift Architects recently announced that the design for the UTMB Pediatric Specialty Center at Bay Colony and Academic Pediatrics has been recognized for outstanding design excellence by the ASID Texas Gulf Coast Chapter. This competition included over 260 entries from Houston's top architectural and design firms. This award winning project required an institution with a different vision of what a healing environment should exemplify and the willingness to make a difference in the community it serves.

This project has been published in Houston Design Resources, Issue II, 2011 (October) magazine. 

Dr. Janak Patel presents a laptop computer to Viola Simpson in celebration of her entry into college. Miss Simpson has been a patient in the Infectious Disease clinic at UTMB since birth. She is now attending Galveston Community College taking basics courses and will transfer to either University of Houston or Rice University in spring 2012. She has received scholarships to both universities. We wish her the best in all her future educational endeavors. Pictured with Dr. Patel and Miss Simpson are her mother, Audrey Allen, Miss Simpson’s son, Allen Thibodeaux, and the clinic coordinator, Myra Rafi. The donation of the computer was made possible by contributions from Drs. Aigbivbalu, Casola and Patel.

Leukemia is most common childhood cancer
Galveston County Daily News, Oct. 5, 2011

In this week’s Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly discuss leukemias, the most common type of childhood cancers. Leukemia is a type of cancer that originates from white blood cells, which normally help fight infection, and accounts for one-third of all childhood cancers. “However, more than 80 percent of children diagnosed with cancer will survive five years past their diagnosis, quite different from even 25 years ago when the survival rate was less than 50 percent.”

How cancer is formed in bodies
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 28, 2011
This week’s Keeping Kids Healthy column by UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly: The word cancer certainly strikes a scary and emotional note in our hearts, and when attached to the word childhood it can be especially frightening. However, as with many things we fear, we can be empowered by understanding. This week, we explain just exactly what cancer really is.

The problem with raw milk
KUHF-FM (88.7, Houston), Sept. 24, 2011
This week’s Medical Discovery News with UTMB’s Norbert Herzog and David Niesel: Many people assume “natural” is better. But when it comes to milk, raw can make you pretty sick. Raw milk can harbor parasites, viruses and a long list of bacteria. One bacterium, Salmonella, can cause severe diarrhea. Others, like Listeria, can spread to the central nervous system and, in pregnant women, can lead to miscarriage, or even stillbirth.

Be proactive in dealing with cellphones, kids
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 21, 2011
One of the biggest problems parents are facing with their children is cellphone issues, write UTMB’s Dr. Sally Robinson and Dr. Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. “What age should a child have a cellphone in our complicated life? Most experts agree that age 10 is about right as they are becoming more social and can understand what you are saying. It is a big responsibility to have a cellphone. It should be a very basic phone with emergency numbers placed in it.”

Teachers, experts stress importance of cursive
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 18, 2011
Teens might shun script, but cursive still holds an important place for the younger student, occupational therapists said. “Children who have a hard time with printing very often have beautiful cursive. It allows them to move their eyes and hands together in a way that is natural for them” said Pam Christiansen, a veteran occupational therapist who works in the pediatric specialty clinics at UTMB. Karen Kunz, UTMB rehabilitation services program manager, often teaches cursive to children referred to rehabilitation services because of struggles in school.

Exploring health care careers while in high school
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 17, 2011
In this guest column, Amanda Scarbrough writes about the ECHO program offered by the Texas Area Health Education Center East, based at UTMB. The Encouraging the College-Bound into Healthcare Careers program is offered to students throughout East Texas. This year, coordinators are encouraging Galveston students especially to participate in the extracurricular program. One of Texas AHEC East’s primary goals is to expose, attract and encourage families and students from all ethnic and economic backgrounds to consider careers in health care. A similar article appears in YourHoustonNews.com.

Pack a school lunch filled with healthy food
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 13, 2011
It is important to make sure your children are getting nutritious lunches instead of refined and processed foods, like chips, cookies and roll ups, write UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in the their Keeping Kids Healthy column. “Processed foods keep well, but the process of making them stable strips the nutrients away, and all that remains are sugars and artificial flavors. The [American Academy of Pediatrics] recommends children consume a good balance of foods from the five major groups — vegetables, fruits, grains, protein and dairy.”

Brad and Melonie Smith Family

Family celebrates third BOI baby
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 12, 2011
Native Galvestonians Brad and Melonie Smith, now living in Austin, had their third child, Paxton, “born on the island” last week. The parents come from a long line of BOIs. Melonie had her first BOI baby Harlyn Rose Smith at John Sealy Hospital in December 2008, just months after Hurricane Ike. [Note: This article was written by Molly Dannenmaier of UTMB’s Office of Public Affairs.]

Are we ready to face the consequences?
Galveston County Daily News, Sept. 2, 2011
In this guest column, UTMB’s Lynn Maarouf asks, “What’s the future for today’s children? Some believe this might the first generation of children that will not outlive their parents. Children are getting adult diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even Type 2 diabetes, in their teens and earlier. … When children are overweight, don’t wait until they are diagnosed with a health problem before you do something about it.”

David McCormick, M.D.

Breastfeeding tied to kids’ brainpower
Reuters, Sept. 2, 2011
In a new study from the United Kingdom, kids who were breastfed as babies had higher scores on tests of vocabulary and reasoning at age five than those who weren't breastfed. Dr. David McCormick, a pediatrician at UTMB, said that breastfeeding may benefit the immune system, development and brain function. “There are so many advantages other than just the IQ advantage," said McCormick, who was not involved in the new study. While the current study could not look at differences between babies who were only fed breast milk and those who got a mix of breast milk and formula, "the evidence has always been exclusive breastfeeding is best,” he said. The news also appears on Yahoo! News and Medline Plus.

Jeff Temple, Ph.D.

Galveston teens suffering post-Ike
Galveston County Daily News, Aug. 31, 2011
Galveston teenagers who weathered Hurricane Ike without evacuating the island reported higher rates of substance abuse and physical and sexual dating violence after the storm compared with peers who evacuated, according to new research from UTMB. “Disaster exposure is associated with negative health outcomes,” said Jeff Temple, assistant professor and clinical psychologist and lead author of the UTMB study. “Youth exposed to traumatic experiences are at a heightened risk of developing risky health behaviors. Facing a life-threatening situation is very traumatic, and it’s something that can stick with you.” The news also appears on KHOU.com and yourHoustonnews.com.

Don’t let your child’s backpack be a pain
Galveston County Daily News, Aug. 31, 2011
Backpacks that weigh more than 15 percent of your child’s body weight might cause health problems for your child, write UTMB’s Dr. Sally Robinson and Dr. Keith Bly, in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. “When choosing a backpack, check to make sure it has two wide, padded straps that fit over your child’s shoulders, a padded waist or chest belt that will distribute weight more evenly across the body, multiple compartments to distribute weight, and does not have a width greater than the child’s chest.”

Tobacco smoke footprints mar the placental landscape
Cherokeean Herald, Aug. 24, 2011
As many as 20 percent of pregnant women continue to smoke, despite warnings that it can harm their developing fetuses. Their placentas reflect those dangers with markers of metabolic stress and oxidative damage caused by highly reactive molecules called free radicals, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and UTMB in a report in the current issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Read more here ...

More back-to-school safety tips for parents
By Sally Robinson and Keith Bly
Galveston Daily news

A new school year has begun. As you prepare your child for his or her time in the classroom, remember, there is more to getting ready for school than just buying supplies.

David McCormick, M.D.

School days
KTRH-AM (740, Houston), Aug. 23, 2011
UTMB pediatrician Dr. David McCormick says it takes some time for children to adjust to their new school schedules. “A lot of things are happening in the house after dinner, especially for younger children who have to go to bed early. Everyone has to say, ‘okay, it’s bedtime.’” He adds children need to avoid those after school naps too. “Keep them up so they're really sleepy by the time seven, or eight, or nine o'clock rolls around; then they'll be sleepy and then you'll get them back into a schedule.”

Applause: Guild donates to UTMB
Galveston County Daily News, Aug. 22, 2011
The Galveston SewSew Group of the American Sewing Guild recently gave 274 brightly colored pillowcases, mostly handmade by ASG members, to the pediatric unit at UTMB.

Children have phobias too
Galveston County Daily News, August 10, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly note that common phobias include fear of animals (snakes) or insects (spiders or roaches), blood, heights, closed spaces or flying. In children and adolescents, the identified fear must last at least six months to be considered a phobia rather than a transient fear. Types of phobias seen in children and adolescents include the following: specific phobia, panic, social phobia and selective mutism. Research suggests phobias are caused by both genetic and environmental factors.

Read more here ...

Back to school health tips

Although it may feel like the summer break just started, it won't be long before the yellow buses will be rolling again, and colorful lunch boxes and school supplies sprout in stores. All parents want their kids to get a great and healthy start to the new school year. It's not too early to start making it happen; here are a few health-related tips for your back-to-school checklist.

Read more in Impact ...

My life with hurricanes
Pediatrics, August 1, 2011
UTMB’s Dr. O. W. “Skip” Brown writes about how his personal history has always contained an attachment to those who have been devastated from time to time by hurricanes. Born in New Orleans, graduating from Louisiana State University Medical School and completing his general pediatrics residency at UTMB, Brown currently works in the division of general pediatrics at UTMB. He remembers the personal impact Hurricanes Audrey, Betsy, Carla and Camille had on his own family. He writes about his experience as a physician during Hurricanes Katrina and Ike. “We realized how poorly we plan for natural disasters and how poorly we address the needs of children caught up by them.”

Read more here ...

David McCormick, M.D.

As they grow: 0-12 month Q & A: My 3-month-old sticks his tongue out a lot. Should I be concerned?
Parents, August 2011
As long as he’s gaining weight and otherwise developing normally, there’s probably nothing to worry about, says Dr. David McCormick, clinical professor of pediatrics at UTMB. While children with Down syndrome, Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome (a growth disorder), or congenital hypothyroidism (an improperly functioning thyroid gland) sometimes have a protruding tongue, these conditions are typically accompanied by a host of other signs and are almost always diagnosed at or soon after birth.

Read more here ...

Molluscum contagiosum a common infection
Galveston County Daily News, July 20, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly address a contagious skin infection that causes raised, pearl-like papules or nodules on the skin. Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin infection that can spread through contact with contaminated objects, such as towels, clothing or toys.

Read more here ...

Children and the Media

Screen time has become a major part of our culture. Studies show that children and teens spend an average of seven hours each day using screens and consuming media. The AAP offers resources to help educate parents about how media affects their children and ideas for maintaining a healthy media diet. (Article from the AAP website.)
View More 

Do adolescents mimic psychiatric symptoms of their virtual friends?
Psychiatric Times, June 30, 2011
While many youth may experience symptoms that mimic a mental disorder, only a minority meets full diagnostic criteria, and even a smaller percentage typically receive a professional diagnosis and treatment, writes UTMB’s Dr. Sarghi Sharma.

Keep kids cool this summer and avoid heat stroke
Galveston County Daily News, June 22, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly write about the physical symptoms of heat stroke and what to do if you are with a child who exhibits the symptoms. If body temperature rises to 106 degrees, heat stroke can occur. Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation and medical treatment is required to prevent brain damage or even death. Read more here ...

Patricia Beach, M.D.

Tasnee Chonmaitree, M.D.

Faculty Accomplishments

Two pediatric professors, Patricia Beach, M.D. and Tasnee Chonmaitree, M.D., who are members of the Academy of Master Teachers (AMT) have been awarded the honorific title of Distinguished Teaching Professor, a distinction given to recognize faculty members who have made significant contributions to education. Read more here ...

Universal flu vaccine clinical trials show promise
Science Daily, June 7, 2011
Continuing coverage: A new universal flu vaccine candidate developed at UTMB could eliminate the practice of creating a new flu vaccine annually to match predicted strains. The results of the clinical trials, led by UTMB’s Dr. Christine Turley, in collaboration with biotechnology company VaxInnate and funded by a $9.5 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, were published online in the journal Vaccine. Coverage also appears in Bio-Medicine, Mangalorean.com, MedicalXpress.com and e! Science News.

Proper skin care can aid, protect kids for life
Galveston County Daily News, June 1, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly explain ways to decrease the chance of skin irritation when cleaning and moisturizing young children’s skin and when laundering their clothes and bedding. Read more here ...

Isle Rotary Club awards grant
Galveston County Daily News, May 15, 2011
The Galveston Rotary Foundation recently awarded a grant to the UTMB police department to purchase and distribute 60 child safety car seats to needy families. First priority will be given to parents of newborns and then to patients whose families are considered low income. Read more here ...

Make sure your child is getting enough vitamin D
Galveston County Daily News, May 11, 2011
In their weekly column, Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly report that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently changed its recommendations about the amount of vitamin D to be taken daily by infants. It now is recommended that infants, children and adolescents take 400 IU daily. The doctors offer a list of ways parents can include the newly recommended amount of vitamin D in their children’s daily diet.
Read more here ...

11 smart ways to prevent allergies
Parents.com, May 6, 2011
As much as you (or your kids) want to sleep with the family cat or dog, the experts say skip it. It’s a good bet your child is allergic to your pet if he or she sneezes and has a runny nose for three weeks or more, says UTMB’s Dr. William Calhoun. Read more here ...

Protect your children from household poisons

Galveston County Daily News, May 5, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly write that because small children are both curious and fast, it is important for parents to assess their kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, living room, basement and garage for lye products, medications, toxic plants, fertilizers and other dangerous items that could poison their children.

Life without mosquitoes
KUHF-FM (88.7, Houston), April 30, 2011
In this week’s installment of Medical Discovery News, UTMB’s Norbert Herzog and David Niesel ponder what life would be like if there were no mosquitoes. Herzog talks about the litany of mosquito-borne diseases that plague the world: yellow fever, West Nile encephalitis and malaria, to name a few. But Niesel reminds us that mosquitoes also pollinate certain plants and are a food source for many birds, fish, bats and other insects.

Garland Anderson, M.D.

Patricia Rogers, M.D.

A Message from the Executive Vice President 
and Provost; Dean, School of Medicine

Garland Anderson, M.D.

The University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education (UTAHSE) recently conducted its annual peer review and selection of new members. The Academy receives applications from all six UT System health components. I am very pleased to announce that three of the twelve new members of the Academy are from UTMB.  The mission of the Academy is to foster excellence in education in the health sciences by recognition of outstanding educators and advancement of knowledge and innovation in the field of education. In addition to this recognition, the Academy sponsors an annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference in Austin, gives Innovations Awards to UT System faculty for outstanding education projects, and provides grants for health science education research and development.

Please join me in congratulating the following faculty members on this outstanding accomplishment:

Dr. Norbert Herzog, Professor in the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology; Dr. Ronald Levy, Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Neuroscience and Cell Biology; and Dr. Patricia Rogers, Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Family Medicine.

Read more about Dr. Rogers here ...

“Imaging of the Acute Abdomen
 (Clinical Research with Mother Nature)”

8 a.m. – February 25, 2011
Room 2.312 Children’s Hospital

Leonard E. Swischuk, M.D.
Professor of Radiology and Pediatrics
Director, Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology
Section of Pedatric Radiology
University of Texas Medical Branch

Read more here ...

Parents who smoke should quit for their kids
Galveston County Daily News, Feb. 16, 2011

Parents who smoke should quit for the welfare of their children, write UTMB’s Dr. Sally Robinson and Dr. Keith Bly. “Environmental tobacco smoke hits kids harder because their higher metabolism causes them to take it into their bodies faster where it can affect developing lungs and other organs.”  Read more here ...

UTMB doctors named among nation’s best
Galveston County Daily News, Feb. 17, 2011
An extensive peer review has identified 80 doctors from UTMB Health as among the Best Doctors in America. The annual peer-to-peer survey identifies specialists who are considered by fellow physicians to be the most skilled in their fields and most qualified for reviewing and treating complex medical conditions. View the list here, with Pediatrics well represented!

1 in 5 kids with cold develops middle ear infection
U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 17, 2011

About one in five children with a cold or other respiratory viral infection develops a middle ear infection that may range from mild to severe, says a new study by UTMB Health researchers. The study appears in the February issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The findings suggest that many children with mild middle ear infections can be managed without antibiotics. The news appears widely throughout the nation, appearing in Bio-Medicine, Medical News Today, BabyCenter, Yahoo! Newsand healthfinder.gov, among other outlets.

Read more here ...

Too much energy
KTRH-AM (740, Houston), Feb. 14, 2011
Energy drinks are all the rage among young people, but they may also be a health hazard. UTMB pediatrician Dr. Patricia Beach says young people should be limited to a single “sweet” drink per day, like chocolate milk, soda or an energy drink. “The main problems have to do with the very high caffeine content; and then many of the energy drinks also contain a lot of sugar. And the number one leading health problem we have right now with kids is obesity.”

Read more here ...

Starting solid foods earlier linked to obesity risk
Reuters Health, Feb. 7, 2011

Babies raised on formula who start eating solid foods before they are four-months old may be more likely to become obese than those who start later, suggests a new study from Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr. David McCormick, a pediatrician at UTMB Health, said that the most common problem he sees is parents adding cereal to formula without thinking about the extra calories they are feeding their baby. “I think that’s what a lot of people are doing unknowingly, thinking that the baby will be healthier or grow faster,” said McCormick. Read more here ...

Canned energy … NOT!
KUHF-FM (88.7, Houston), Jan. 22, 2011
In last week’s installment of Medical Discovery News, UTMB’s Norbert Herzog and David Niesel discuss energy drinks. “Energy drinks are popular with young people because they claim to give you extra pep. They contain ingredients such as tuarine, guarana, ginseng, B-vitamins and, most of all, lots of caffeine.” MDN airs locally at 10 a.m. every Saturday on KUHF-FM.

Read more here ...

Mental health important for children
Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 26, 2011

According to the Surgeon General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “in the United States, one in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment.” Many services are available to help diagnosis emotional, behavioral and developmental problems in children, wrote UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Health column.

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Yngve honored
Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 19, 2011
This week’s Inside UTMB column recognizes Dr. David Yngve. Yngve is nationally recognized as a pediatric orthopaedic surgery specialist and has been honored as one of the Best Doctors in America.
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Evolving primary care
Boston Globe, Jan. 11, 2011
An evolving conception of primary care requires doctors and other primary health care providers to work in teams and to be creative about how they deliver care. Lawmakers have come to realize that it is critical for improving the nation’s health. Now medical training needs to change in kind. As an example, medical students at UTMB Health partner with physical therapy and nursing students in anatomy lab, early in their training. Read more here ...

Parents should keep close eye on kids' iron levels

Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 12, 2011

Young children and pregnant women are at higher risk of iron deficiency because of rapid growth and higher iron needs, wrote UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly in their Keeping Kids Healthy column. “Among children, iron deficiency is seen most often between 6 months and 3 years of age because of rapid growth and inadequate intake of dietary iron. How do you prevent iron deficiency? Eat iron-rich foods. For babies, if possible, breast-feed your baby for at least 12 months, and starting at 4 to 6 months, give your baby iron-fortified cereal and/or puréed meat.” Read more here ...

What’s new in fighting the flu?
Healthymagination.com, Dec. 28, 2010
This year, the CDC has issued its first ever universal advisory, recommending that all adults and children over the age of six months to be vaccinated for influenza. “Recommendations have been expanding annually, particularly in the pediatric population because influenza is spread most widely through children,” says Dr. Christine Turley, Director for the Office of Pediatric Clinical Trials at the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at UTMB Health. “When we do a more targeted approach to the vaccine, say people with asthma, diabetes or over 65, we miss a wide number of people who have those problems because they’re not going to get the shot.” Turley says this new directive is just one of many significant changes in treating and/or avoiding the flu. Read more here ...

New study: Exercise helps children think
Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 5, 2011
In their Keeping Kids Healthy column, UTMB Drs. Sally Robinson and Keith Bly wrote about a new study that showed physical fitness improved brain function in children. It was found that children who were more physically fit had a larger hippocampus — the part of the brain involved with learning and memory.

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Newborn girl 1st baby born in county in 2011
Galveston County Daily News, Jan. 2, 2011

Newborn Layna Cheng, the county’s first baby of 2011, was born at UTMB Health at 12:23 a.m. Saturday, weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Read more here ...

A third of 9-month-olds already obese or overweight
Live Science, Jan. 1, 2011
The path toward obesity starts at a young age — even before babies transition to a solid diet. “Studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding — breastfeeding alone, not breastfeeding combined with bottle-feeding — prevents obesity,” said UTMB’s Dr. David McCormick, senior author of a study published in April 2010 in the Journal of Pediatrics that found that heavy 6-month-olds are more likely to be obese as 2-year-olds. The story also appears in The Atlantic Wire and the San Francisco Examiner. Read more here ...

Holiday Hangover: Alcohol Linked to SIDS Deaths
ABC News, Dec. 29, 2010
More than 2,500 babies a year die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome , and researchers  say there may be an association between those deaths and alcohol.
A University of California study published  in the journal "Addiction," found a 33 percent spike in SIDS deaths on Jan. 1. "It's logical that when women are inebriated the attentiveness to the child is going to be reduced and the likelihood of getting a child in the situation where a parent puts them at risk would be there," said Dr. Michael Malloy, a neonatologist at UTMB. But he cautioned that the study was "ecologic," or population-based, and therefore does not necessarily show a one-to-one relationship between alcohol use and SIDS deaths. Still, he said the findings were not "unreasonable," given what doctors understand about SIDS and its association with other behaviors like smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy. Read more here ...