Sugar tends to be a hot topic in the world of nutrition. It’s important to realize sugar can be a natural part of the food we eat. For example, lactose in milk and fructose in fruit are considered natural sugars. But sugar also implies added sources that tend to be in most of our packaged foods and beverages, with the key word here being “added.” One challenge with our current food label is there is no way to distinguish natural sugar from added sugar unless you review the ingredient list. It’s hard to believe, but there are over 60 terms for added sugar that are approved for use by the FDA. Some common labels for added sugars (besides sugar) include honey, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, and glucose. Other labels for sugar you might see and not recognize include barley malt, maltose, and buttered syrup. Where do most sources […]

Back-to-school is approaching fast. If you’re like many parents, that means back-to-school physicals and possibly vaccines or blood draws for your kids too. For some families, this topic makes kids and parents alike cringe. We know the critical importance of vaccinations, but it doesn’t make it easier on a child who is frightened of needles, or on parents as they watch their kids squirm, scream, and cry in anticipation of the shot or needle. Thankfully, research doesn’t stop at the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Christine Chambers and Anna Taddio are well-known pediatric psychologists who study pain and have worked to get the message out publicly that pain management in kids is important and accessible, especially in the case of vaccine! The campaign, “It Doesn’t Have to Hurt” is an excellent resource for parents. Currently, fewer than 5% of kids receive any pain management during vaccines. It’s reassuring to […]

Let’s play a game. When I say “organic,” you say the first words that come to mind. Ready…Organic! Okay, let’s check your answers. Did you say something like healthy, nutritious, clean, natural, expensive, and/or safe? These are common words used when we talk about organic versus non-organic foods. But is this always the case? Is all organic food healthier, cleaner, more expensive and safe? Before we fully answer this question (spoiler alert: the short answer is no), let’s breakdown what it means when food is “organic.” What is Organic Food? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certifies and labels certain foods as organic if they are produced “using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics.” Pesticides and antibiotics are used to extend shelf life in the grocery store, reduce plant spoilage and mutation, and prevent illness in livestock. They are GRAS, or […]

When one-year-old Piper’s body began to swell one afternoon, her parents thought she was having an allergic reaction. They had no idea that they were about to embark on a journey of rare illness, complex treatments, and advocacy for children’s health. Piper’s parents, Erin and Chris Lee, took their daughter to her pediatrician, expecting a quick diagnosis and an easy solution. But Piper wasn’t allergic to anything. Instead, they learned her kidneys were failing; Piper would have to be admitted to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children immediately. There, pediatric nephrologists proposed genetic testing for Piper. That’s because, although it was clear that Piper’s kidney function was declining, the cause of her decline wasn’t so obvious. In order to proceed with the best treatment for Piper, her doctors needed to know just what kind of kidney disease they were dealing with. They needed the help of precision medicine, a newer […]

For many years, Dr. Stephen Dunn, Chair, Department of Surgery and Chief, Division of Solid Organ Transplant at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, has volunteered his time and expertise to assist colleagues in Bolivia with life-saving liver transplantation for their pediatric patients. In early May, Dr. Dunn and fellow Nemours team members traveled to Bolivia as volunteers to continue this important work. On this particular trip, interventional radiologist Dr. Deborah Rabinowitz performed a radiologic procedure for a child who had complications after a liver transplant at Clinica Incor in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. It was the first time a pediatric invasive radiology procedure of this type had ever been performed in Bolivia. Dr. Rabinowitz joined the team of physicians for this project specifically to assist this child. In this case, an obstructed bile duct had caused a serious infection that threatened the child’s life. In the past, treatment in Bolivia would have required […]

Better health outcomes for all of us, at a lower cost and with fewer side effects. It’s no secret that each of us is different – we’re born with different genetic backgrounds, grow up in different environments, and lead different lifestyles. But until now, much of the medical care we receive has been delivered in a one-size-fits-all way. Precision medicine, a newer approach for disease treatment and prevention, takes into account all the things that make us different – and uses those factors to create more effective treatments with fewer side effects. In the same way that a doctor might take your child’s medical history (think allergies, blood type, past surgeries or illnesses) into consideration before recommending a course of treatment, precision medicine can guide health care professionals in the same way. But precision medicine is more than a fancy technique. Instead, it’s a movement for understanding, diagnosing, managing and […]