Listen now: Talking Pediatrics podcast with fetal cardiology expert |
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In the Talking Pediatrics episode, “Specialty Spotlight with Siva: Straight from the Heart,” Lisa Howley, MD, a fetal cardiologist with The Children’s Heart Clinic and the director of fetal cardiology at Children’s Minnesota, shares insights about in-utero detection and intervention, new treatments and other advances in pediatric heart care.
Dr. Howley discusses congenital heart disease (CHD), the most common birth defect that occurs in about one in 100 babies that are live born. Some babies diagnosed with CHD have other organ system anomalies or genetic differences. For these cases and many others, Dr. Howley underscores the importance of multidisciplinary care at Children’s Minnesota, which brings together pediatric subspecialists from the cardiovascular program and other pediatric experts from more than 100 specialty areas to ensure comprehensive care for every young patient’s unique needs.
Listen to the podcast or read the transcript here.
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New perinatal palliative care program |
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A first-of-its-kind perinatal palliative care program to support families experiencing a guarded or life-limiting pregnancy diagnosis was recently launched at Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC) and Minnesota Perinatal Physicians (MPP). The collaborative care model of this program brings together a specialized team of health experts to fit each family’s unique needs. The program also provides decision-making support to ensure parents have the best information while they navigate the path that best fits their family’s beliefs and values.
The program team is led by Kris Catrine, MD, FAAP, HMDC, medical director of the pain, palliative care and integrative medicine department at Children’s Minnesota and Rachel Pilliod, MD, maternal fetal medicine specialist at MPP.
“Our program is unique in that we can provide continuity to smoothly transition a newborn with a challenging medical situation to pediatric surgical care, neonatal intensive care, pediatric cardiac intensive care, inpatient or home hospice care, depending upon the family's chosen plan of care. We have direct involvement with the only exclusively pediatric home palliative and hospice programs in the state to offer continuity of support during the most difficult of times,” said Dr. Catrine.
Often referring providers have long-standing relationships with their patients and they will continue to be included in care discussions and updates. “We try to ease the burden for both referring teams and patients by being a single point of access for accurate diagnoses, counseling and plans,” said Dr. Pilliod. “Our goal is to schedule patients within a week of referral. Families are often scared and want as much information as possible as quickly as possible. We seek to make that happen.”
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| Kris Catrine, MD, FAAP, HMDC |
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MWFCC and MPP are the first in the region to have a dedicated perinatal palliative program. Read more about the program here. To refer a patient to MWFCC please call 855-693-3825. To refer a patient to MPP, please complete the referral form and fax it to 612-863-5697.
MWFCC is a collaboration between Children’s Minnesota and Allina Health. MPP is part of Allina Health.
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Children’s Minnesota researchers make big strides in DICER1-related cancer findings |
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Two registries led by Children’s Minnesota researchers with the mission to improve outcomes for children and adults with rare tumors – including pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (SLCT) and other DICER1-related cancers – had a record-breaking number of patient enrollments in 2024. The International PPB/DICER1 and OTST Registries added more than 150 individuals last year, bringing total enrollment in the registries to exceed 1,400 patients from 62 countries.
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In 2024, the Registry published key recommendations related to testing and surveillance guidelines for DICER1-related tumor predisposition in Clinical Cancer Research. These updates were made after Registry researchers analyzed data from more than 700 individuals with germline DICER1 variants, differences in the DICER1 gene. DICER1 is a gene which encodes the Dicer protein which impacts cell proliferation. Variants in this gene, which may be inherited from a parent or arise during conception, increase risk for a spectrum of benign and malignant tumors including lung, ovarian, kidney, thyroid and brain tumors.
The PBB/DICER1 and OTST team at Children’s Minnesota had 14 original manuscripts accepted for publication in 2024, including an analysis of early tumor detection and surveillance for individuals at risk for DICER1-related conditions, summary recommendations for surveillance for individuals with PTEN, DICER1 or TSC-related tumor predisposition and analysis of the largest longitudinal cohort of individuals with Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor. The team is led by Kris Ann Schultz, MD, scientific director of cancer and blood disorders research at Children's Minnesota, and the PPB/DICER1 and OTST Registries principal investigator. Read more about their work here.
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Need to connect with a kid expert? Call Children’s Minnesota Physician Access. |
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The Children’s Minnesota Physician Access team is available to assist health care providers with medical questions and make connections to one of our board-certified physicians from more than 100 pediatric specialty areas. Reach us 24/7 for patient referrals, consults, admissions and neonatal transport. Call 866-755-2121.
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Share the knowledge
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| Talking Pediatrics podcast
Join us as we bring intriguing stories and relevant pediatric health care information and partner with you in the care of your patients.
Listen to previously recorded Talking Pediatrics: Crack the Case: Fever in a Returning Traveler
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Hear from a kid expert
Health care organizations and other allied health professionals can hear directly from Children’s Minnesota’s physicians and other providers about the latest in pediatric research, clinical procedures and innovations, and more through our Kid Experts On Demand program. To get started, submit a request.
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Children's Minnesota Physician Access |
24/7 access to referrals, consults and admissions.
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