Children’s of Alabama PedsCast

For decades, doctors have relied heavily on ultrasound scans to monitor kidney health in children with spina bifida. Now, a new study from Children’s of Alabama urologists Stacy Tanaka, M.D., David Joseph, M.D., and other national experts, shows that ultrasound alone is not sufficient. The findings challenge current practice and suggest that blood tests measuring kidney function should be routinely performed alongside ultraso...

In recent years, endocrinologists at Children’s of Alabama have seen a drastic increase in the number of young patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia—extremely elevated triglyceride levels that can pose serious health risks if left untreated. To address this, Ambika Ashraf, M.D., was selected to join a group of leading national experts in developing a new framework and tool for managing the condition. In this episode...

The independent risk for neurodevelopmental impairments attributed to chorioamnionitis (inflammation of the fetal membranes) in premature infants remains controversial. Children’s of Alabama neonatologist Viral Jain, M.D., has done extensive research on the effects this infection can have on these babies. In this episode he discusses his work and explains what his research shows.

For a closer look at Dr. Jain's work o...

Last year, Curtis J. Rozzelle, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), performed the first deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedure for epilepsy at Children’s of Alabama, offering a new treatment option for pediatric patients who experience drug-resistant seizures. During the procedure, he also implanted the first NeuroPace responsive neurostimulation (RNS) epilepsy treatment device at C...

Testicular torsion is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate surgical intervention. If not treated promptly, the condition can lead to permanent damage or loss of the affected testicle. Prompt diagnosis is crucial, but challenging. To improve diagnosis, a team at Children’s of Alabama created a testicular torsion model that provides hands-on training for residents to help them determine if the patient is sufferin...

Childhood and adolescence can be challenging times, especially when children have problems with mood, paying attention or if they face difficulties at home or school. If problems are not treated, children can develop low self-esteem, perform poorly in school, have trouble with relationships or struggle to reach their potential. Children’s of Alabama offers comprehensive behavioral health care that address the specific needs o...

As an endocrinologist who cares for both children and adults at Children's of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Sajal Patel, M.D., understands the needs of both populations. She uses that expertise to help children transition from pediatric care to adult care through the Children's of Alabama Staging Transition for Every Patient (STEP) Clinic at Children's. In this episode, she talks about the care she prov...

Lung injury is a common complication in children following cardiac surgery. Mechanical ventilation is often required to support patients for hours to days in the intensive care unit. The severity of lung injury can vary by patient. Being able to predict which patient are at a higher risk of requiring respiratory support due to worse lung injury is crucial. Our heart center is the first in the nation to report the discovery of a nov...

Carmen Tong, D.O., is the director of robotic surgery at Children's of Alabama and Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). On this episode of PedsCast, Dr. Tong discusses a quality improvement (QI) project on adherence to follow-up after kidney stone surgery in children. This QI project investigates the association between demographic factors and stone presentation characteristics to see if certain pop...

Traci Jester, M.D. is the director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Children’s of Alabama and is an Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Dr. Jester serves as the Co-Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic Chair of Pediatric Affairs Committee for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Recently, the Foundation received a grant from the CDC to support a comprehensive 5-year project partnering with...