Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVE:To screen for neurodevelopmental delays in a cohort of full-term infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS:-3) at 16 to 18 months age. RESULTS:Of 51 subjects, twelve (24%) were below cutoff, and twenty-seven (53%) were either below or close to the cutoff in at least one developmental domain. Communication (29%), fine motor (31%), and problem-solving (24%) were the most affected domains. There were no differences in outcomes between infants born to asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic mothers. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:We observed increased risk of neurodevelopmental delays during screening of infants born at full-term to mothers with SARS-CoV-2 at 16 to 18 months age. These results highlight the urgent need for follow-up studies of infants born to mothers with SARS-CoV-2.

Considerable evidence demonstrates the importance of the cognitive home environment in supporting children's language, cognition, and school readiness more broadly. This is particularly important for children from low-income backgrounds, as cognitive stimulation is a key area of resilience that mediates the impact of poverty on child development. Researchers and clinicians have therefore highlighted the need to quantify cognitive stimulation; however existing methodological approaches frequently utilize home visits and/or labor-intensive observations and coding. Here, we examined the reliability and validity of the StimQ2, a parent-report measure of the cognitive home environment that can be delivered efficiently and at low cost. StimQ2 improves upon earlier versions of the instrument by removing outdated items, assessing additional domains of cognitive stimulation and providing new scoring systems. Findings suggest that the StimQ2 is a reliable and valid measure of the cognitive home environment for children from infancy through the preschool period.

INTRODUCTION: Adult racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. with COVID-19 are known to have worse outcomes. The CDC reported higher incidence of COVID-19 among minority children, but data regarding disparities in pediatric COVID-19 outcomes remains limited.
METHOD(S): A total of 837 children < 18 years of age hospitalized with COVID-19 in the U.S. were entered into the SCCM VIRUS Registry from 03/2020 to 01/2021. They were grouped into either of the following: Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, Other or Unknown. Demographic and clinical characteristics, interventions and outcomes were compared. Critical illness was defined using a composite index of in-hospital mortality and organ support requirement, including vasopressors/inotropes, ECMO and CRRT. Comparisons were made using ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis or Pearson's Chi-square. We used multivariable logistic and linear regression analysis to examine associations between race and ethnicity and critical illness, hospital and ICU length of stay and hospital mortality.
RESULT(S): Fever was reported in 67%, with no difference among the groups. MIS-C was reported with a significantly higher proportion in non-Hispanic Blacks (36%) than in non- Hispanic Whites (26%) [p=0.02]. Adjusting for age, sex, obesity, immune compromise and asthma, the non-Hispanic Asian group was significantly associated with higher odds of critical illness [OR=5.83, 95% CI=2.13-15.81]. Non-Hispanic Blacks also had higher odds of critical illness than non-Hispanic Whites, though not significant [OR=1.59, 95% CI=0.99-2.54]. With each yearly increase in age, the odds of critical illness was higher [OR=1.04, 95% CI=0.99-1.07] given all other covariates remain the same. While there was a higher proportion of obesity in the Hispanic group, this did not increase their odds of critical illness. Non- Hispanic Blacks had longer hospital length of stay compared to non-Hispanic Whites, though not significant [OR=1.76, 95% CI=-0.17-3.68]. ICU length of stay and mortality were not significantly associated with race or ethnicity.
CONCLUSION(S): Racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric COVID-19 outcomes exist that are not associated with preexisting conditions. These findings may guide the allocation of critical care resources towards minority groups at higher risk for severe disease

Introduction:Patient and family-centered rounds (PFCRs) are an important element of family-centered care often used in the inpatient pediatric setting. However, techniques and best practices vary, and faculty, trainees, nurses, and advanced care providers may not receive formal education in strategies that specifically enhance communication on PFCRs. Methods:Harnessing the use of structured communication, we developed the Patient and Family-Centered I-PASS Safer Communication on Rounds Every Time (SCORE) Program. The program uses a standardized framework for rounds communication via the I-PASS mnemonic, principles of health literacy, and techniques for patient/family engagement and bidirectional communication. The resident and advanced care provider training materials, a component of the larger SCORE Program, incorporate a flipped classroom approach as well as interactive exercises, simulations, and virtual learning options to optimize learning and retention via a 90-minute workshop. Results:Two hundred forty-six residents completed the training and were evaluated on their knowledge and confidence regarding key elements of the curriculum. Eighty-eight percent of residents agreed/strongly agreed that after training they could activate and engage families and all members of the interprofessional team to create a shared mental model; 90% agreed/strongly agreed that they could discuss the roles/responsibilities of various team members during PFCRs. Discussion:The Patient and Family-Centered I-PASS SCORE Program provides a structured framework for teaching advanced communication techniques that can improve provider knowledge of and confidence with engaging and communicating with patients/families and other members of the interprofessional team during PFCRs.

Poverty-related disparities appear early in life in cognitive, language, and social-emotional development, and in growth, especially obesity, and have long-term consequences across the life course. It is essential to develop effective strategies to promote healthy behaviors in pregnancy and the early years of parenthood that can mitigate disparities. Primary preventive interventions within the pediatric primary care setting offer universal access, high engagement, and population-level impact at low cost. While many families in poverty or with low income would benefit from preventive services related to both development and growth, most successful interventions have tended to focus on only one of these domains. In this manuscript, we suggest that it may be possible to address both development and growth simultaneously and effectively. In particular, current theoretical models suggest alignment in mechanisms by which poverty can create barriers to parent-child early relational health (i.e., parenting practices, creating structure, and parent-child relationship quality), constituting a final common pathway for both domains. Based on these models and related empirical data, we propose a strength-based, whole child approach to target common antecedents through positive parenting and prevent disparities in both development and growth; we believe this approach has the potential to transform policy and practice. Achieving these goals will require new payment systems that make scaling of primary prevention in health care feasible, research funding to assess efficacy/effectiveness and inform implementation, and collaboration among early childhood stakeholders, including clinicians across specialties, scientists across academic disciplines, and policy makers.