• share
• favorite_border

A new clinical trial aims to shed light on how to best treat a patent ductus arteriosus in the most fragile infants.

• share
• favorite_border

CHLA is at the forefront of research into endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV+CPC) as part of a clinical trial funded by the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN), a network of 14 pediatric neurosurgery centers that includes Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The trial, titled “Endoscopic Versus Shunt Treatment of Hydrocephalus in Infants,” is evaluating the effectiveness of shunts versus ETV-CPC in infants with hydrocephalus.

• share
• favorite_border

“A ZIP code should not determine the life expectancy nor the diseases that we get,” says Alejandro “Alex” Guerrero, Executive Director of the Macedonia Community Development Corporation.

• share
• favorite_border

Find out what special pathogens expert Erika Cheung, MSN, RN, CPN, has to say about the disease, which the WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern. Since May 18, 2022, cases of mpox have been spreading in the United States, including California. On July 23, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

• share
• favorite_border

Neuroscience graduate students at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have developed an automated method that could save time and work for laboratories around the country by streamlining the process of identifying and mapping brain cells. Scientists want to understand how brain cells develop over time because the way these cells, called neurons, develop, influences how they function, or how they malfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders.

• share
• favorite_border

Artificial intelligence could help doctors dynamically determine safe and effective medication dosing for unstable ICU patients. Predicting the right dose of medication that a critically ill child in the ICU will require in the future is a huge challenge for clinicians. FDA prescribing guidelines generally assume that patients are stable enough so that dosing for a given group is usually unchanged during treatment, but this ‘one size fits all’ approach to medication dosing does not accurately target the condition of each individual patient over time.

• share
• favorite_border

When children have a mild traumatic brain injury with intracranial hemorrhage, how long do they need to stay in the hospital? Which patients should go to the intensive care unit? What neuroimaging should physicians do—and how often do they need to repeat scans?Currently, hospitals and physicians across the country answer these questions quite differently.

• share
• favorite_border

A new study finds that patients’ mental health and quality of life change as they grow to adulthood. Research from the Division of Urology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is shedding new light on an area that traditionally has received scant attention: How do bladder exstrophy and related conditions affect an individual’s mental health and quality of life? To answer this question, a team led by Evalynn Vasquez, MD, MBA, and Michelle SooHoo, PhD, conducted an extensive scoping review of published articles on the exstrophy-epispadias complex—a group of rare congenital conditions affecting the urinary system that often result in incontinence.

• share
• favorite_border

The principal investigator in the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is being honored at WRISG—the Western Region Islet Study Group’s beta cell research meeting. Senta Georgia, PhD, first attended the Western Region Islet Study Group (WRISG) meeting as a graduate student in 2004.

• share
• favorite_border

How an intraoperative decision to do a cone procedure gave a 13-day-old neonate a normal heart

• share
• favorite_border

CHLA has received a new five-year award of $3.2 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research the underlying mechanisms that lead to kidney failure and to develop new treatments to protect kidney function.

• share
• favorite_border

As a parent, your number one goal is keeping your child safe and healthy. When is it time to head to the emergency department (ED)—and when is it best to call your child’s doctor, or go to an urgent care center?If it's not an emergency, calling your pediatrician or going to urgent care are the best ways to address a variety of medical concerns.

• share
• favorite_border

A pioneering protocol developed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is reducing overall opioid use, speeding rehabilitation and shortening intensive care unit (ICU) stays for pediatric liver transplant patients—including infants as young as 5 months old.

• share
• favorite_border

The Infant Chronic Lung Disease Program takes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to support each baby’s overall development. For Manvi Bansal, MD, one of the biggest challenges of caring for babies with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is dealing with “the elephant in the room.”

• share
• favorite_border

Nearly two decades ago, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles was among a handful of centers that pioneered mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) for infants with airway obstructions due to micrognathia (undersized jaw).

• share
• favorite_border

New study is the first of its kind to focus on Hispanic children, who often have more severe disease. A novel clinical trial at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is investigating whether butyrate—a short-chain fatty acid typically produced by gut bacteria—can be a potential therapy for children with ulcerative colitis.

• share
• favorite_border

Shafali Spurling Jeste, MD, shares early findings—and a critical challenge—from the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. How do you know if a treatment for autism is effective? That’s a question that has no easy answer—due in large part to the heterogeneous nature of autism spectrum disorder.

• share
• favorite_border

Mitchell Geffner, MD, was recognized by the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology for his lifetime contributions to the field. Mitchell Geffner, MD—a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Ron Burkle Chair in the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism—has received the 2022 International Outstanding Clinician Award from the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE).

• share
• favorite_border

Keeping your child safe and healthy is a multifaceted priority for families, starting with the ride home from the hospital in a properly installed car seat.

• share
• favorite_border

A team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles recently became the first in the world to use a novel, basket-shaped retrieval device to successfully remove a large right atrial thrombus (blood clot).

• share
• favorite_border

Hamstring lengthening is one of the most common surgeries to address crouch gait, but indications for this procedure have changed in recent years, Dr. Kay says.

• share
• favorite_border

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye that occurs in infants and toddlers and can lead to loss of vision, loss of one or both eyes, and even death. Unlike most tumors, these cannot be biopsied because of the risk of spreading cancer to the rest of the body. In 2017, Jesse Berry, MD, surgeon and ocular oncologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, discovered that fluid removed from the eye during treatment of retinoblastoma contained tumor DNA and functioned as a liquid biopsy—providing information about the tumor and opening the door to earlier diagnosis and treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

A new service at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is providing comprehensive care for children with a debilitating post-COVID condition. Some teens can’t get back to the sports they love. Other children can no longer get through a school day—or even walk up a flight of stairs. Still others feel “off”—and anxious and depressed, too.

• share
• favorite_border

Children's Hospital Los Angeles is hosting the 26th annual meeting of the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation, a multidisciplinary, multicenter consortium focused on optimizing outcomes in pediatric liver transplantation through research, advocacy and dissemination of best practices in the field.

• share
• favorite_border

Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) completed the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), part of the hospital’s continual commitment to better understand the health of its primary “neighborhood” – Los Angeles County – and the people who live there. The CHNA takes a deep dive into the community’s health and social needs enabling the hospital to implement strategies to address the key areas of the report’s findings.

• share
• favorite_border

Twenty-six Children's Hospital Los Angeles physicians, nurses and leaders will serve as presenters at the 25th Annual Cardiology 2022 Conference, themed “The New Normal: Transformation in Pediatric & Congenital Heart Disease.”

• share
• favorite_border

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has received a gift of $1.92 million from the Carl F. Braun Trust to support a three-year research study to measure the impact of using integrative medicine practices to treat children suffering from acute/chronic pain, as well as children who need palliative care.

• share
• favorite_border

A recent study reveals differences in how in symptom toxicity is reported for children receiving cancer treatment in clinical trials. Doctors often underestimate or miss a child’s symptoms, while caregivers tend to overestimate symptoms.

• share
• favorite_border

The West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP), centered at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), presented its 2022 Symposium entitled “Patient Impact, Patient Voice,” bringing innovators, clinicians and patient families together virtually to discuss the importance of better integrating patients and their perspectives into the design, development and research of pediatric medical devices.

• share
• favorite_border

For patients in the Hematology-Adolescent Medicine Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the menstrual care products they take home after each visit are a source of comfort and relief—mentally, physically and financially. Every month in the United States, approximately 1 in 5 menstruating individuals leave school early or miss school entirely because they do not have access to menstrual care products.

• share
• favorite_border

Children's Hospital Los Angeles Child Life Specialist Emily Glarum explains how to overcome your kid’s aversion to taking medicine. 

• share
• favorite_border

For decades, the treatment for a young child with a broken femur has been the same: a surgically placed spica cast, commonly known as a body cast. But now, thanks to a new study led by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the days of casting these injuries may soon be over. The study, led by Lindsay Andras, MD, Vice Chief of the Jackie and Gene Autry Orthopedic Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, found that a pre-made functional brace provides equal healing to the cumbersome spica cast for young children with femur (thighbone) fractures. The braces also eliminate the need for anesthesia and are easier for parents to clean and care for.

• share
• favorite_border

Children with high-risk neuroblastoma can now access a specialized, targeted radiation treatment called MIBG therapy at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—one of the largest neuroblastoma programs in the country and the only pediatric facility in Southern California and the Southwestern United States to offer this treatment.

• share
• favorite_border

Ashish Buttan, BDS, MBA, has been promoted to Vice President, Physician Partnerships at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

• share
• favorite_border

Follow these tips to make sure your child’s helmet is safe. A bike helmet can literally be a lifesaver for a child—dramatically reducing the chances of a head or brain injury from a bike, scooter or skateboard accident. But did you know that a helmet has to fit right to do its job? If it’s too small, too loose, or not positioned correctly, it may not protect your child.

• share
• favorite_border

As you’re enjoying the early fall weather and outdoor adventures, like hiking, don’t forget to make safety a priority to help keep illness and injuries from spoiling family fun time. Jeffrey M. Bender, MD, attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and former ranger in the Sierra Mountains, points out tips on how to prevent bug bites, proper animal interaction and empowering kids to explore the outdoors in a safe and smart way.

• share
• favorite_border

How to choose the best—and safest—sunscreen for your child. Fun in the sun is a year-round activity in Southern California. But all that sunshine means it’s critical to protect your child (and yourself) from the sun’s harmful rays. “One or more blistering sunburns in childhood can more than double your chances of developing melanoma later on,” says Minnelly Luu, MD, a pediatric dermatologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

• share
• favorite_border

Summer means fun in the sun, beach outings, swimming pools, and outdoor adventures like camping, hiking, bicycling and skateboarding. What also comes is an increased risk for injuries—and an increased need for awareness. Experts at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Safety and Injury Prevention Program have compiled a list of helpful guidelines to ensure that you and your family have an enjoyable and safe summer.

• share
• favorite_border

Fireworks can be fun, festive—and very dangerous. Here’s are tips on howto keep your family safe. Fireworks have long been a popular part of the Fourth of July. But while fireworks are bright and festive, they can also be dangerous—for children, teens and even adults. According to SafeKids Worldwide, more than 3,000 children under the age of 15 are sent to emergency departments each year in the U.

• share
• favorite_border

With the vaccine for children ages 6 months and older approved, the experts at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provide guidance for families. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone approved to receive a COVID-19 vaccine get one—including children ages 6 months and older.

• share
• favorite_border

U.S. News has again ranked CHLA as the top children’s hospital in California and in the survey’s Pacific U.S. region—which encompasses Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. CHLA also made the publication’s annual Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals for the 14th consecutive year—every year since its inception—finishing No. 8 in the United States in this showcase of the nation’s leading destinations for pediatric medical care.

• share
• favorite_border

U.S. News ha clasificado de nuevo al CHLA como el mejor hospital pediátrico en el estado de California y en el Pacífico de los Estados Unidos, una región que abarca los estados de Alaska, California, Hawái, Oregón y Washington. El CHLA también se encuentra en el cuadro de honor anual de la publicación de los mejores hospitales para niños por decimocuarto año consecutivo, todos los años desde el inicio de la clasificación, en donde obtuvo el puesto n. 8 en los Estados Unidos en esta muestra de los principales destinos del país para la atención médica pediátrica.

• share
• favorite_border

《美国新闻与世界报道》再次将 CHLA 评为其本州加利福尼亚州和美国太平洋地区（包括阿拉斯加州、加利福尼亚州、夏威夷州、俄勒冈州和华盛顿州）的最佳儿童医院。CHLA 还连续 14 年（自该排名诞生以来从未缺席）入选该刊年度“最佳儿童医院榜”——美国领先儿科机构权威榜单——最终名列第 8 位。

• share
• favorite_border

CHLA researchers received the grant to study the long-term influence of opioids, a class of powerful painkillers, on hospitalized, critically ill infants. Extended opioid use may cause health and developmental issues and the $3 million grant will help identify the long-term effects of opioid pain relief for newborns.

• share
• favorite_border

Each year, nearly 4,000 children undergo a tracheostomy, the surgical placement of a breathing tube, and many experience bacterial respiratory infections. Despite the frequency of infections, there are no guidelines for how to prevent, diagnose or treat patients.

• share
• favorite_border

Tips from a clinical dietitian for keeping babies healthy when formula is in short supply. It’s no secret the COVID pandemic has brought with it a spate of supply chain challenges. The latest product in crisis: infant and child formula.The shortage has affected nearly all types of formulas, hitting those who require special formulas the hardest: children with milk allergies, developmental disabilities and special needs, among other conditions.

• share
• favorite_border

Lucas, shares his story about joining a Long COVID study at CHLA, one of 10 pediatric centers across the country participating in a study called RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) to delve into the mystery surrounding the aftereffects of a COVID-19 infection in the pediatric population.

• share
• favorite_border

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles partners with youth-serving organizations to empower young people from across L.A. County to identify the unique strengths and needs of their communities through photography. You might think kids today are more interested in selfies than in the world around them.