Newswise — NEW YORK (May 4, 2017) – Almost 50 studies examining various conditions that impact child health and wellbeing, including asthma, childhood obesity, literacy and education, will be presented by investigators from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS), May 6 – 9, in San Francisco. 

“Our gifted faculty at Montefiore and Einstein are conducting innovative research across the spectrum; from basic laboratory investigations, to clinical trials, to implementation and quality science, and health services research, to develop better treatments and improve health outcomes for all children,” said Judy Aschner, M.D., physician-in-chief, the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, professor and Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University Chair of Pediatrics at Einstein. “Our presence at the PAS meeting reflects the commitment, passion and creativity of our physician-scientists as they pursue novel ways to advance child health.” 

Studies presented at PAS by Montefiore-Einstein researchers will include: 

A Randomized Trial of a Pest Control Intervention for Asthma: Preliminary Findings
Carolyn Olson, MPH, Assistant Commissioner at NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Marina Reznik, M.D., M.S.
Sunday, May 7 - 1:45pm. Platform Presentation, Room: SFC 3003-Moscone Center West

  • The majority of urban low-income housing is poorly-maintained, frequently with pest infestations that contribute to disparities in asthma outcomes. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) uses multiple strategies proven to eliminate pests and associated allergens and prevent re-infestation. This study – a partnership between the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Montefiore – was designed to evaluate the effects of a one-time IPM intervention on asthma symptom days among children with persistent asthma living in pest-infested homes. We found that a one-time, in-home IPM intervention resulted in a larger decrease in the proportion of intervention-group children with severe asthma symptoms, compared with controls at six months.

Pediatric Hospitalizations due to Firearm Injuries in the US in 2012
Alyssa Silver, M.D., Sunday, May 7 - 4:15pm. Poster Session #646 - Moscone Center West

  • There is limited US data on firearm-related hospitalizations in pediatrics. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) is the only all-payer inpatient care database, including rural and non-teaching hospitals, for children in the US. This study intended to describe pediatric firearm-related hospitalizations and determine relative risk of cause of injury by age using the 2012 KID dataset. Researchers found that pediatric firearm-related injuries in 2012 remained a substantial problem in the US, leading to over 5,800 hospitalizations, averaging 16 per day. This data confirms prior studies finding socioeconomic and racial disparities in pediatric firearm-related hospitalizations, the majority being those with Medicaid, from the lowest median household incomes and being Black. The majority of firearm-injuries are reported as unintentional in children under 15 years old, while for 15-19 year olds, the majority are reported as due to assault.

Prenatal Material Hardships and Infant Temperament at 10 Months Old in Low-Income Hispanic Mother-Infant Dyads
Anne E. Fuller, M.D. Monday, May 8, 10:45am. Platform presentation. Room: SFC-2006 - Moscone Center West

  • Prenatal maternal stressors, such as depression, have been associated with infant temperament patterns that have been linked to later behavioral difficulties. Material hardships, defined as a family’s inability to meet basic needs, are an important contributor to maternal stress. There has been limited study of the role of material hardships during the prenatal period in relation to these outcomes. This study investigated the associations between individual and cumulative prenatal material hardships and infant temperament at 10 months old and found that prenatal material hardships were associated with lower infant self-regulation.

Engagement And Interest Of Children And Their Parents In A Gaming Device To Assess Lung Function
Karen Warman, M.D. Monday, May 8, 4:15pm. Poster Session #3802.7 - Moscone Center West

  • Despite national guideline recommendations for lung function testing of all children 5 years and older with asthma, most have not had spirometry testing. Evidence supports the use of interactive respiratory games with computer graphics to facilitate spirometry in young children as well as the gamification of asthma monitoring to improve health outcomes. This study assessed engagement and interest of children and their caretakers in using a breath-controlled gaming device to assess lung function and found that the majority of children were interested in playing the games again and almost all of the parents were interested in using the games to assess lung function. The authors believe making lung function testing accessible and fun could increase use of testing to improve asthma management.

Read with Baby: Text Messages Increase Parent-Infant Reading Frequency
Anne Durstenfeld, M.D, Monday, May 8, 4:15pm. Poster Session #3806.7 - Moscone Center West

  • Children benefit from reading with caregivers as early as infancy. Children from underserved populations experience lower rates of caregiver reading. Text messages have been used successfully in underserved populations to provide parenting advice. However, no studies have examined the use of text messages specifically to promote parent-infant reading. Researchers aimed to measure parent-infant reading frequency before, and after an 8-week text message and book intervention, and determine the possible perceived barriers to and facilitators of reading. They found that a simple intervention of motivational text messages and a free book increased parent-infant reading frequency from two, to six times per week in an underserved community.

Asthma Management in NYC Schools: A Physical Education Teacher Perspective
Qi Ying Li, M.D. Monday, May 8, 4:15pm. Poster Session #3802.8 - Moscone Center West

  • Exercise is a known trigger of asthma. In schools, physical education (PE) teachers may be the first to assist a student having asthma symptoms during PE class. To date, no study has explored the perspective of PE teachers on asthma management in elementary schools. This study sought to explore the PE teachers’ perspectives on in-school asthma management and revealed several problems, including lack of PE teacher awareness about written school procedures for acute asthma management, lack of staff asthma training and heavy reliance on school nurse for asthma management.

Filling Rates and Accessibility of Self-Injectable Epinephrine Prescribed from a Pediatric Emergency Department
Daniel Fein, M.D. Monday, May 8, 4:15pm. Poster Session #3817 - Moscone Center West

  • Intramuscular epinephrine is the only proven treatment for anaphylaxis and is available to the general public as a self-injectable epinephrine (SIE) device. However, despite its life-saving potential, SIE is frequently not administered prior to arrival in the emergency department (ED), potentially due, at least in part, to inadequate accessibility. Investigators sought to determine the percentage of children prescribed SIE from the pediatric ED who currently have an SIE device and the proportion of which are unexpired and readily accessible. They found a majority of patients prescribed SIE from the ED fill their prescription, however less than half have an unexpired SIE readily available.

Researchers for each of the above studies, as well as other Montefiore and Einstein faculty, are available to speak with media. 

Faculty from Montefiore-Einstein also will be participating in panels, moderating symposiums, running workshops and leading business meetings during the conference. Additionally, Anne Fuller, M.D., will receive the Academic Pediatric Association Research Award for Best Abstract by a Fellow for the Prenatal Material Hardships and Infant Temperament at 10 Months Old in Low-Income Hispanic Mother-Infant Dyad platform presentation.

The PAS Meeting is produced through a partnership of four organizations leading the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy: Academic Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Society, and Society for Pediatric Research.

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About Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System is one of New York’s premier academic health systems and is a recognized leader in providing exceptional quality and personalized, accountable care to approximately three million people in communities across the Bronx, Westchester and the Hudson Valley. It is comprised of 10 hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital and close to 200 outpatient care sites. The advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes. From the Montefiore-Einstein Centers of Excellence in cancer, cardiology and vascular care, pediatrics, and transplantation, to its preeminent school-based health program, Montefiore is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system providing coordinated, comprehensive care to patients and their families. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org. Follow us on Twitter and view us on Facebook and YouTube.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2015-2016 academic year, Einstein is home to 731 M.D. students, 193 Ph.D.students, 106 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 278 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 1,900 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2015, Einstein received $148 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center—Einstein’s founding hospital, and three other hospital systems in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.