Department of Pediatrics

January 9, 2014

Brain-gut connection in autism

An association between rigid-compulsive behaviors and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may point to a common biological pathway that impacts both the brain and the gut.

By Leigh MacMillan
boy in profile
January 7, 2014

Vanderbilt study shows suicide risk doesn’t differ in children taking two types of commonly prescribed antidepressants

A new Vanderbilt University Medical Center study shows there is no evidence that the risk of suicide differs with two commonly prescribed antidepressants prescribed to children and adolescents.

By Nancy Humphrey
November 27, 2013

Autism narrows brain’s reward response

MRI brain scans reveal that children with autism spectrum disorders respond to a narrower range of familiar rewards.

By VUMC News and Communications
November 21, 2013

Ess named to take reins of Division of Pediatric Neurology

Kevin C. Ess, M.D., Ph.D., has been named chief of the Division of Pediatric Neurology within the Department of Pediatrics at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

By Doug Campbell
November 7, 2013

Guttentag named to direct Neonatology

Susan H. Guttentag, M.D., is joining Vanderbilt University on Feb. 1, 2014, as the new director of the Division of Neonatology within the Department of Pediatrics at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

By John Howser
October 28, 2013

Tool predicts risk for developmental delays in early childhood

A non-invasive measure of electrical brain activity in preterm infants predicts cognitive and communication functioning during early childhood, according to a new Vanderbilt University study.

By Leigh MacMillan
September 12, 2013

Federal grant bolsters pulmonary fibrosis research

Lisa Young, M.D., associate professor of Pediatrics and Medicine and Cell Biology, has been awarded a five-year, $1.9 million National Institutes of Health grant to study what causes cellular dysfunction and pulmonary fibrosis in patients with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS).
By Christina Echegaray
September 5, 2013

Webber delivers first State of Pediatrics address

By Christina Echegaray
August 23, 2013

Pregnancy promoter and protector

Alkaline phosphatase enzymes appear to play roles in promoting pregnancy and in protecting the uterus from bacterial infection.
By Leigh MacMillan
August 22, 2013

Initiative makes cesarean births a family affair

Robert and Michele McClellan expected the experience of their infant son’s birth via cesarean section to be like that of other women who had had the procedure — unable to witness their son’s exit from the womb and for him to be immediately whisked away.
By Christina Echegaray
August 14, 2013

Oxidative stress in autism

A biomarker for oxidative stress is elevated in patients with both autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal dysfunction, suggesting opportunities for individualized approaches to clinical care.
By Bill Snyder
June 12, 2013

Antacids: risky for premature babies

Antacids that block a certain enzyme pose a risk for a common cardiac problem in premature infants.
By Leigh MacMillan
May 10, 2013

Profiling heart cells

A “profile” of the genes and regulatory networks that govern early heart valve development lay the groundwork for generating valves from a patient’s own cells.
By Leigh MacMillan