VUMC News and Communications

Pediatricians can help prevent future violent behaviors in their patients with a brief, one-time office intervention during a routine exam, according to a new study published in the July issue of Pediatrics.

U.S. News & World Report is listing Vanderbilt Medical Center on its "Honor Roll" of hospitals – an honor reserved for a select group of institutions labeled by the magazine as the "best of the best."

National statistics show 10 percent of firework injuries are sustained by toddlers, and injuries are most likely to occur when children have fireworks without adequate supervision.

Joseline Elizabeth Vasquez Santay will undergo preliminary procedures to help doctors at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children\'s Hospital at Vanderbilt determine how to safely remove a neck tumor which is as large as the toddler\'s head.

Fifteen percent to 20 percent of people worldwide suffer from migraines – excruciating headaches often presaged by dramatic sensations, or "auras." By studying a rare, inherited form of migraine, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have found clues to the biological basis of the painful, debilitating disorder. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Alfred George Jr., M.D., and colleagues report that genetic mutations linked to this rare form of familial migraine alter the function of sodium channels – protein "tunnels" through brain cell membranes involved in the electrical conduction of nerve impulses.

Vanderbilt University is making it easy for families and professionals to find autism services by introducing the Vanderbilt Autism Clinic – a single helpline staffed by an autism expert who can make referrals for what\'s needed. Vanderbilt recruited Sarah Zombek to serve as family services coordinator. She held a similar position at Massachusetts General Hospital in an autism clinic with a national reputation for family-centered care.