Department of Pediatrics

Kathryn Edwards, MD, was honored for her contributions to pediatrics and vaccine research.
November 14, 2019

Edwards receives American Pediatric Society’s top award

Vanderbilt’s Kathryn Edwards, MD, is the recipient of the 2020 John Howland Award, the highest honor given by the American Pediatric Society (APS).

By Bill Snyder
November 14, 2019

RSV transmission in the Middle East

Understanding how RSV is transmitted, which strains dominate and how new strains emerge around the globe will guide better vaccine and anti-viral drug design.

By Laura Powell
November 6, 2019

Study finds acid reducers may pose risk for children

The use of acid reducers among children is on the rise and so are potential side effects, which is sparking concern according to a recent study.

By Jessica Pasley
Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, who began her career at Vanderbilt University Medical Center more than three decades ago, has been named interim president of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
October 31, 2019

Rush named interim Children’s Hospital president

Meg Rush, MD, MMHC, has been named interim president of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, effective immediately.

By Christina Echegaray
October 16, 2019

New app to help pediatricians recognize autism risk in young children

Researchers have been awarded $1 million from the National Institute of Mental Health to evaluate a new mobile app designed to help pediatricians recognize autism risk in young children.

By Kelsey Herbers
October 10, 2019

Project seeks to enhance opioid care for infants

The number of opioid-exposed infants who were connected, along with their families, to outside resources upon discharge from the hospital surged in a recent six-month pilot.

By Holly Fletcher
October 9, 2019

Vaccine study seeks to halt flu’s most severe side effects

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is leading a multicenter national study to evaluate the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine for preventing the flu’s most serious side effects — admission to an intensive care unit (ICU), organ failure and death.
By Nancy Humphrey
October 3, 2019

New test assists physicians with quicker treatment decisions for sepsis

Rapid blood culture diagnostics for patients with bacterial bloodstream infections delivered final results in 12 hours versus the two to three days required for conventional testing.
By Jessica Pasley
October 3, 2019

Study: personalized decision support affects intensive care

For patients in pediatric intensive care who are at high risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), giving clinicians automated decision support during the electronic order entry process increased the rate of blood testing for AKI by 9%.
By Paul Govern
October 2, 2019

Children’s Hospital debuts enhanced helipad

The return of the Children’s Hospital helipad, painted with the hospital’s trademark paper dolls, will shorten the transport time for patients by several minutes — essentially eliminating the need to shuttle patients along a 400-yard connector to reach the freestanding, pediatric hospital.
By Jessica Pasley
September 23, 2019

Tailoring treatment for heart defect

By defining the clinical and genetic factors that predict treatment response, Vanderbilt investigators aim to personalize therapy for a common heart complication in preterm infants.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 19, 2019

Address outlines Pediatrics’ achievements, goals

In his annual State of the Department of Pediatrics address, Steven Webber, MRCP, the department’s chair, detailed the significant growth the department has enjoyed in the past year.
By Christina Echegaray
September 4, 2019

When it comes to patients’ medical mysteries, the VUMC Undiagnosed Diseases Network team is on the case

By Nancy Humphrey