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Babies whose mothers took kale or carrot capsules when pregnant responded more favourably to these smells The research shows that the process of developing food preferences begins in the womb, much earlier than previously thought The research follows up on an earlier study Babies show positive responses to the smell of foods they were exposed to in the womb after they are born, according to a new study. The findings, led by Durham University, UK, could have implications for understanding how healthy eating habits might be established in babies during pregnancy. The research included scientists from Aston University, UK, and the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and University of Burgundy, France. It is published in the journal Appetite. Researchers analysed the facial expressions of babies who had been repeatedly exposed to either kale or carrot in the womb after birth. Newborns whose mothers had taken carrot powder capsules when pregnant were more likely to react favourably to the smell of carrot. Likewise, babies whose mothers had taken kale powder capsules while pregnant reacted more positively to the kale scent. Research co-lead author and supervisor Professor Nadja Reissland, of the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, said: “Our analysis of the babies’ facial expressions suggests that they appear to react more favourably towards the smell of foods their mothers ate during the last months of pregnancy. Potentially this means we could encourage babies to react more positively towards green vegetables, for example, by exposing them to these foods during pregnancy. “In that respect, the memory of food the mother consumes during pregnancy appears to establish a preference for those smells and potentially could help to establish healthy eating habits at a young age.” This study is a follow-up to a 2022 research paper where the researchers used 4D ultrasound scans at 32 and 36 gestational weeks to study foetal facial expressions after their pregnant mothers had ingested a single dose of either 400mg of carrot or kale capsules. Foetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” responses. For the latest study, the researchers followed up 32 babies from the original research paper – 16 males and 16 females – from 36 weeks gestation until approximately three weeks after birth. Mothers consumed either carrot or kale capsules every day for three consecutive weeks until birth. When the babies were about three weeks old, the research team tested newborns’ reactions to kale, carrot, and a control odour. Separate wet cotton swabs dipped in either carrot or kale powders, or water as the control, were held under each infant’s nose and their reaction to the different smells was captured on video. The babies did not taste the swabs. Scientists then analysed the footage to see how the newborns reacted and compared these reactions with those seen before the babies were born to understand the effects of repeated flavour exposure in the last trimester of pregnancy. The research team found that, from the foetal to newborn period, there was an increased frequency in “laughter-face” responses and a decreased frequency in “cry-face” responses to the smell the babies had experienced before birth. Humans experience flavour through a combination of taste and smell. In foetuses, this happens through inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the womb. Research co-lead author Dr Beyza Ustun-Elayan carried out the research while doing her PhD at Durham University. Dr Ustun-Elayan, who is now based at the University of Cambridge, said: “Our research showed that foetuses can not only sense and distinguish different flavours in the womb but also start learning and establish memory for certain flavours if exposed to them repeatedly. This shows that the process of developing food preferences begins much earlier than we thought, right from the womb. By introducing these flavours early on, we might be able to shape healthier eating habits in children from the start.” The researchers stress that their findings are a baseline study only. They say that longer follow-up studies are needed to understand long-term impacts on child eating behaviour. They add that further research would also need to be carried out on a larger group of infants, at different points in time. They say that the absence of a control group not exposed to specific flavours makes it challenging to fully disentangle developmental changes in the babies from the effects of repeated flavour exposure. Future research should also factor in post-birth flavour experiences, such as some milk formulas known to have a bitter taste, which could impact babies’ responses to the smell of bitter and non-bitter vegetables. The research involved the children of white British mothers, and the researchers say that future studies should be widened to explore how different cultural dietary practices might influence foetal receptivity to a broader array of flavours. Research co-author Professor Jackie Blissett, at Aston University’s School of Psychology, said: “These findings add to the weight of evidence that suggests that flavours of foods eaten by mothers during late pregnancy are learnt by the foetus, preparing them for the flavours they are likely to experience in postnatal life.” Research co-author Professor Benoist Schaal, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)-University of Burgundy, France said: “Foetuses not only detect minute amounts of all types of flavours the mothers ingest, but they overtly react to them and remember them while in the womb and then after birth for quite long times. In this way, mothers have an earlier than early teaching role, as the providers of the infant’s first odour or flavour memories.” Visit https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107891 to read the full research paper in Appetite.
ChristianaCare Will Establish New Health Care Campus in Aston, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
ChristianaCare has announced that Aston, PA will be the location for its next health care campus that will feature a neighborhood hospital and a health center. This is one of two facilities that ChristianaCare plans to open in Delaware County, as announced in February 2024. The hospital will be built in partnership with Emerus Holdings, Inc., the nation’s leading developer of neighborhood hospitals. The ChristianaCare Aston Campus, located at 700 Turner Industrial Way, is expected to open in the second half of 2026. The site was chosen based on a market assessment of historical and projected demographic data and health care service availability as well as a consumer survey, community input and feedback from elected officials and business leaders. The study identified gaps in health care accessibility, concluding that Aston would be an ideal location for a health campus. “We are thrilled to be bringing high quality health care services to our neighbors in Aston in Delaware County,” said Jennifer Schwartz, chief strategy officer at ChristianaCare. “Our goal is to make access to health care easy, convenient and close to home in a way that is sustainable and right-sized to meet the needs of the local community.” The neighborhood hospital will operate 24/7 with approximately 10 inpatient beds and an emergency department. The emergency department will treat common emergency care needs such as falls, injuries, heart attacks and strokes. The hospital will also provide diagnostic capabilities, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services. In addition to on-site staff, the hospital will benefit from access to virtual consults — such as neurology and cardiology — to support safe and effective care. ChristianaCare will add a health center on the second floor of the hospital offering outpatient services. These services will be developed based on community needs and are expected to include primary and specialty care practices plus an array of other clinical services. The announcement comes as construction is already under way on ChristianaCare’s first Pennsylvania neighborhood hospital, in West Grove, nearby in southern Chester County, which is projected to open mid-2025. Together, these three new campuses represent a new layer of care coming to southeastern Pennsylvania. ChristianaCare has been providing health care services to the residents of southeastern Pennsylvania for many years. Today, ChristianaCare offers primary care in three Chester County practices that are located in Jennersville, West Grove and Kennett Square. In addition, Concord Health Center in Chadds Ford, Delaware County, provides a wide array of services, including primary care, women’s health, sports medicine, behavioral health and more. Combined, ChristianaCare is now the medical home for 25,000 residents in these communities.
First in Delaware to Offer MR-Guided Ultrasound for Treatment of Essential and Parkinson’s Tremor
Revolutionary technology gives patients immediate relief from debilitating tremors without the need for invasive surgery. ChristianaCare is the first health care provider in Delaware to offer FDA-approved focused ultrasound treatment for people suffering from essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. The new option – called MR-guided focused ultrasound – uses sound wave energy to destroy precise areas of brain tissue that is the source of the tremor. No surgical incision or anesthesia is necessary, and many patients experience immediate and significant reduction in tremors, which can make daily activities challenging. Dr. Martello explains that the procedure involves the use of high-frequency sound waves directed with pinpoint precision by magnetic resonance imaging to ablate, or burn, the focal point deep within the brain that is causing tremors. “This minimally invasive technology dramatically improves the lives of patients with essential tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson’s who haven’t fully responded to traditional treatments,’’ said Justin Martello, M.D., director of the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Programs, and Focused Ultrasound Program at ChristianaCare. What is tremor? Tremor is a neurological condition that includes involuntary shaking or trembling movements in one or more parts of the body. It most commonly affects the hands and can make daily tasks such as writing, eating and using a computer or phone extremely difficult. Tremor affects approximately 1% of the population overall and 5% of adults age 60+. It is expected to increasingly impact Delawareans as the state’s population ages. Essential tremor is the most common type of tremor. It can occur at any age but is most common in older adults. Tremor is also the most well-known symptom of Parkinson’s disease. An estimated 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects movement and can also affect speech, balance and cognitive function. A newer, better option for patients who don’t respond to medications The procedure of MR-guided focused ultrasound involves the use of high-frequency sound waves directed with pinpoint precision by magnetic resonance imaging to ablate, or burn, the focal point deep within the brain that is causing tremors. Patients are fitted with a frame affixed to a specialized helmet that combines the focused energy of more than 1,000 high-frequency sonic beams directed through the skull. The treatment does not require cutting through the skull, or radiation, as in gamma knife technology. “Today, there are basically three options for managing tremor,” said Pulak Ray, M.D., of Delaware Neurosurgical Group and associate director of the Focused Ultrasound program. “The first is medication, which is effective and affordable for many patients, but its effectiveness tends to diminish over time. The second is deep-brain stimulation, which is the most invasive and costly treatment option. The newest is MR-guided ultrasound, which tends to be the preferable option for most patients who do not respond well to medication, because it is a simple, non-invasive outpatient procedure that is highly effective, safe and produces instant results.” Benefits of MR-guided Focused Ultrasound MR-guided focused ultrasound reduces tremor immediately, with shorter recovery time, lower risk of side effects and lower associated health care expenses compared to surgical alternatives. This treatment dramatically improves patient experience and quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor. For many patients, MR-guided ultrasound reduces their dependence on caregivers to assist with activities of daily living. Candidates must first undergo a CT scan to ensure a skull density sufficiently thick to accommodate the procedure. The patient is awake during the procedure and situated within an MRI machine for real-time imaging of the brain. The physician tests the precise location by heating the area, then ensuring the patient is able to control tremors by tracing lines on a spirograph. At that point, the physician then permanently ablates the focal point, usually a sphere a few millimeters in length. “Our team is very excited to bring this technology to Delaware and to open up access to potentially life-changing treatment that until now has required long wait times and significant travel for patients,” said Kim Gannon, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the comprehensive stroke program and physician executive of Neuroscience Service Line at ChristianaCare. “Many tremor patients have suffered for years or even decades with this debilitating and progressive condition and helping them live a more active and independent lifestyle is extremely rewarding.” MR-guided focused ultrasound is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans.
Hospital at Home: Understanding How It Works
As the ChristianaCare Hospital Care at Home program grows, we see the benefits of improving the way we deliver care to our patients. With each patient we care for, we are reminded that a big part of recuperating and getting better is not just physical but mental and emotional. Being home allows patient to visit with loved ones, cuddle with pets and sleep in their own bed. It also helps our health care providers better understand a patient’s living environment, making it possible for us to provide the individual services they need. Q. What is hospital care at home? A. I think of a virtual hospital as three components: a command center, technology and in-home care. The command center is a 24/7, 365-day- a-week center staffed by physicians, nurses, advanced practice clinicians and patient digital ambassadors. This team of health care providers is tethered to patients in the home by way of our technology. We give our patients a tablet that lists their daily schedule so they know who to expect in their home and the time our health care providers will arrive. It also allows them to contact the command center at any time by pressing a button. When they do that, a nurse appears on the screen right away. Edwin Bryson Sr. said ChristianaCare made it easy to treat his diabetes complications from the privacy and comfort of his own home. With hospital care at home, he said, “all I do is hit the button and a nurse comes on to assist me with anything I need. It was 24-hour service here, just like I was in the hospital.” Technology also allows us to monitor patients’ vital signs at home as we would in the traditional hospital setting. We use Bluetooth technology to upload that information into the electronic medical record. In-home care is made up of a team that goes into the home to deliver the services that a particular patient needs. This includes radiology (X-rays and ultrasound), blood tests, intravenous medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy and more. A licensed professional, such as a nurse, also visits the patient at home at least twice a day. Q. Who is eligible for hospital care at home? A. There are requirements for participation. Patients need to live within 25 miles from our Delaware hospital campuses which are in Newark and Wilmington. We also are looking for patients that meet our acute, inpatient level of care. So if they’re in observation status, for example, they wouldn’t be a good candidate. We also need patients who don’t require continuous monitoring: If a patient has telemetry monitoring or if they’re in the intensive care unit or a step-down unit, they would not be a good candidate. Our team works every day with caregivers at both Delaware hospitals to identify patients who would benefit from hospital care at home. Q. What are common sicknesses that can be treated at home? The first 20 patients we admitted into this program had 20 different diagnoses. But after treating more than 500 patients, the most common diagnoses that we see are cellulitis, sepsis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation and congestive heart failure. Hospital at home may not be the solution for all patients, but in many cases it can help patients get better quicker and in a place where they most feel comfortable. As ChristianaCare strives for greater access to care, home may be where the health is.
#Expert Research: Biodegradable ultrasound implant could improve brain tumour treatments
One of the challenges in treating certain types of brain cancer is the way that the blood-brain barrier prevents chemotherapy drugs from reaching the tumors they're meant to target. UConn's Thanh Nguyen, a biomedical and mechanical engineer, is developing new technology that could improve how we are able to treat brain tumors. He recently spoke with Physics World about this groundbreaking research: A new type of biodegradable ultrasound implant based on piezoelectric nanofibres could improve outcomes for patients with brain cancer. Researchers led by Thanh Nguyen from the the University of Connecticut’s department of mechanical engineering fabricated the devices from crystals of glycine, an amino acid found in the human body. Glycine is not only non-toxic and biodegradable, it is also highly piezoelectric, enabling the creation of a powerful ultrasound transducer that could help treat brain tumours. Brain tumours are particularly difficult to treat because the chemotherapy drugs that would be effective in tackling them are blocked from entering the brain by the blood–brain barrier (BBB). This barrier is a very tight junction of cells lining the blood vessel walls that prevents particles and large molecules from making their way through and damaging the brain. However, ultrasound can be safely used to temporarily alter the shape of the barrier cells such that chemotherapy drugs circulating in the bloodstream can pass through to the brain tissues. Currently, to achieve such BBB opening requires the use of multiple ultrasound transducers located outside the body, together with very high intensity ultrasound to enable penetration through the thick human skull bone. “That strong ultrasound can easily damage brain tissues and is not practical for multiple-time applications which are required to repeatedly deliver chemotherapeutics,” Nguyen tells Physics World. By contrast, the team’s new device would be implanted during the tumour removal surgery, and “can generate a powerful acoustic wave deep inside the brain tissues under a small supplied voltage to open the BBB”. The ultrasound would be triggered repeatedly as required to deliver the chemotherapy that kills off the residual cancer cells at tumour sites. After a set period of time following treatment the implant biodegrades, thereby eliminating the need for surgery to remove it. The research, reported in Science Advances, demonstrated that the team’s device used in conjunction with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel significantly extended the lifetime of mice with glioblastomas (the most aggressive form of brain tumour) compared with mice receiving the drugs but no ultrasound treatment. This is fascinating research and if you are interesting in covering this topic, then let us help. Professor Nguyen focuses on biointegrated materials and devices at nano- and micro-scales for applications in biomedicine, and he's available to speak to media about his research. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
ChristianaCare Will Open Neighborhood Hospital at Its West Grove Campus
Plans for emergency and inpatient care follow extensive planning and community listening sessions ChristianaCare today provided new details about its plans to restore needed health care services to the southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, community at its West Grove campus, formerly Jennersville Hospital. ChristianaCare will open a neighborhood hospital that includes 10 emergency department beds and 10 inpatient beds. The neighborhood hospital will offer emergency care and behavioral health emergency care and provide diagnostic capabilities including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), X-ray and laboratory services. The emergency department will treat common emergency care needs such as falls, injuries, heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, the hospital will benefit from access to ChristianaCare’s large network of specialists and support services — such as neurology and cardiology — through virtual consults. “We are excited to share our plans to restore important local health care resources to the southern Chester County community,” said Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO. “We are committed to our neighbors in southern Chester County for the long-term, serving them as expert, caring partners in their health.” ChristianaCare’s plans for a neighborhood hospital meet the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s requirements for a micro-hospital, which must have a minimum of 10 inpatient beds and 10 emergency department treatment rooms and offer imaging services on-site. “After listening to the needs of the community and an extensive review of historical and projected demographic data, we believe this neighborhood hospital model will provide the right mix of health care services for the West Grove campus in a way that is sustainable and meets the community’s most immediate needs today,” said Heather Farley, M.D., chief wellness officer for ChristianaCare and the clinical leader for the West Grove planning. “It also sets us up to grow in meeting more of the community’s needs in the future.” ChristianaCare anticipates an opening date in late 2024, although the date is subject to change due to the significant work that will be required to renovate the facility to bring it up to current standards, including the build-out of an entirely new information technology infrastructure. Last year, ChristianaCare received funding from Chester County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania totaling $5 million to assist in facility upgrades. ChristianaCare already serves residents of southern Chester County. Since 2020, ChristianaCare has provided primary care in three practices that are located in Jennersville, West Grove and Kennett Square. The West Grove practice has recently brought on additional providers and will soon begin offering virtual visits with ChristianaCare specialists. Combined, these three practices are now the “medical home” for 22,000 residents in these communities. ChristianaCare finalized the purchase of its West Grove campus from Tower Health in June 2022. The hospital has been closed since Dec. 31, 2021.
ChristianaCare Names Its Breast Center: The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center
ChristianaCare has named its Breast Center The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute in recognition of Gerret and Tatiana Copeland’s generous financial support. The Copelands, local philanthropists and business entrepreneurs, provided a $1.2 million gift to the Graham Cancer Center in 2019 for breast cancer prevention and research for underrepresented women. Tatiana Copeland previously provided $800,000 to fund the purchase of two 3D mammography units. As a result of their philanthropic leadership, the Graham Cancer Center was one of the first facilities in the nation to offer 3D mammography. “ChristianaCare is deeply grateful to the Copelands for their generous support of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute,” said Janice Nevin, M.D., MPH, ChristianaCare president and CEO. “They have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many women in and around Delaware. We are deeply honored to name the Breast Center after Tatiana.” In a private event celebrating the naming, Dr. Nevin read a personal letter from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden that was sent to Tatiana about her support of the Breast Center. “Tatiana is a woman with extraordinary vision and a compassionate heart,” wrote President Biden. “As a breast cancer survivor, she has taken her pain and turned it into purpose, ensuring that all those who come in for testing at the Breast Center will receive extraordinary care. She has put lifesaving and life-altering care within the reach of those who need it most. And through it all, she has pushed for progress, fought for patients and kept hope alive.” “The Copelands share our commitment to providing our patients with the very best breast care, diagnosis and treatment,” said Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Their generous gifts have enabled women from Delaware and surrounding communities to receive expert, compassionate care right here at the Breast Center without ever having to leave the state. The Copelands have a way of discovering a need and then making the impossible possible.” “As longtime Graham Cancer Center supporters and as a breast cancer survivor myself who received wonderful treatment here, we are confident our investment in the Breast Center will continue to enable women to receive the same care that I did,” Tatiana Copeland said. “The atmosphere of the Breast Center is very comforting — like a nurturing hospital,” she said. “Everybody is very caring and attentive. Dr. Petrelli has created a team effort that is truly admirable. We hope our support inspires others to join us in the fight against cancer.” At The Tatiana Copeland Breast Center, patients are supported by an exceptional care team that includes radiologists, surgeons, radiation oncologists, genetic counselors and support staff. On-site capabilities include: 3D mammography. Digital mammography. Dedicated breast MRI. Breast ultrasound. Minimally invasive breast biopsies. Financial resources. Delaware’s first Center for Breast Reconstruction. According to the Delaware Division of Public Health, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in Delaware and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the state after lung cancer. The Graham Cancer Center conducts community outreach to educate women about the importance of breast cancer detection and early prevention, including specially designed programs for underrepresented communities, including Black, Latinx and Asian women. “The Copelands’ ongoing generosity and support have helped us elevate the level of care at the Breast Center,” said Dia Williams, vice president of Philanthropy at ChristianaCare. “This gift will have an impact for generations to come.” To learn more about ChristianaCare’s philanthropy opportunities, visit https://christianacare.org/donors.
Babies react to taste and smell in the womb – new research
Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb Study took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, scanned some mothers to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Scientists have recorded the first direct evidence that babies react differently to various smells and tastes while in the womb by looking at their facial expressions. A study led by Durham University’s Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, UK, took 4D ultrasound scans of 100 pregnant women to see how their unborn babies responded after being exposed to flavours from foods eaten by their mothers. Researchers looked at how the fetuses reacted to either carrot or kale flavours just a short time after the flavours had been ingested by the mothers. Fetuses exposed to carrot showed more “laughter-face” responses while those exposed to kale showed more “cry-face” responses. Their findings could further our understanding of the development of human taste and smell receptors. The researchers also believe that what pregnant women eat might influence babies’ taste preferences after birth and potentially have implications for establishing healthy eating habits. The study is published in the journal Psychological Science. Humans experience flavour through a combination of taste and smell. In fetuses it is thought that this might happen through inhaling and swallowing the amniotic fluid in the womb. Lead researcher Beyza Ustun, a postgraduate researcher in the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, said: “A number of studies have suggested that babies can taste and smell in the womb, but they are based on post-birth outcomes while our study is the first to see these reactions prior to birth. “As a result, we think that this repeated exposure to flavours before birth could help to establish food preferences post-birth, which could be important when thinking about messaging around healthy eating and the potential for avoiding ‘food-fussiness’ when weaning. “It was really amazing to see unborn babies’ reaction to kale or carrot flavours during the scans and share those moments with their parents.” The research team, which also included scientists from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, and the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, scanned the mothers, aged 18 to 40, at both 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy to see fetal facial reactions to the kale and carrot flavours. Mothers were given a single capsule containing approximately 400mg of carrot or 400mg kale powder around 20 minutes before each scan. They were asked not to consume any food or flavoured drinks one hour before their scans. The mothers also did not eat or drink anything containing carrot or kale on the day of their scans to control for factors that could affect fetal reactions. Facial reactions seen in both flavour groups, compared with fetuses in a control group who were not exposed to either flavour, showed that exposure to just a small amount of carrot or kale flavour was enough to stimulate a reaction. Co-author Professor Nadja Reissland, head of the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab, Department of Psychology, Durham University, supervised Beyza Ustun’s research. She said: “Previous research conducted in my lab has suggested that 4D ultrasound scans are a way of monitoring fetal reactions to understand how they respond to maternal health behaviours such as smoking, and their mental health including stress, depression, and anxiety. “This latest study could have important implications for understanding the earliest evidence for fetal abilities to sense and discriminate different flavours and smells from the foods ingested by their mothers.” Co-author Professor Benoist Schaal, of the National Centre for Scientific Research-University of Burgundy, France, said: “Looking at fetuses’ facial reactions we can assume that a range of chemical stimuli pass through maternal diet into the fetal environment. “This could have important implications for our understanding of the development of our taste and smell receptors, and related perception and memory.” The researchers say their findings might also help with information given to mothers about the importance of taste and healthy diets during pregnancy. They have now begun a follow-up study with the same babies post-birth to see if the influence of flavours they experienced in the womb affects their acceptance of different foods. Research co-author Professor Jackie Blissett, of Aston University, said: “It could be argued that repeated prenatal flavour exposures may lead to preferences for those flavours experienced postnatally. In other words, exposing the fetus to less ‘liked’ flavours, such as kale, might mean they get used to those flavours in utero. “The next step is to examine whether fetuses show less ‘negative’ responses to these flavours over time, resulting in greater acceptance of those flavours when babies first taste them outside of the womb.”
New center helps meet growing need for pediatric care in our community Families in northern Delaware and surrounding areas have a new option for pediatric care. Today ChristianaCare opened a new 14-bed Pediatric Care Center that provides 24/7 combined short-stay inpatient and emergency care for children and teens. The new center is located on the first floor of the Center for Women’s & Children’s Health on ChristianaCare’s Newark Campus. “This new facility is an exciting step in our continued journey to create the absolute best care for children and families in our community,” said David Paul, M.D., chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “The Pediatric Care Center will significantly improve access to care for children, enhance the patient experience and address the needs of families who want high-quality care in a child-friendly environment.” The 24-hour Pediatric Care Center will be able to evaluate and manage 90% of the pediatric cases currently seen in the Christiana Hospital Emergency Department. The center expects to care for an estimated 6,300 patients the first year, with volume projected to grow 5% each year. The Pediatric Care Center also provides expert care to children and adolescents with behavioral health emergency needs and appropriate referral sources for follow-up care. “Our new Pediatric Care Center makes it easier than ever for families and children to receive excellent care when they need it, in a special space designed just for them,” said Sharon Kurfuerst, Ed.D., OTR/L, FACHE, system chief operating officer at ChristianaCare and President, Union Hospital. “The center will care for the special needs of pediatric patients, making it convenient for them to receive dedicated, expert resources for hospital-based, non-trauma emergency and inpatient care all in one location.” The 8,400 square-foot facility provides 14 beds for emergency and short-stay inpatient and observation care. “We offer 24/7 pediatric emergency care 365 days a year,” said Megan Mickley, M.D., MBA, FAAP, FACEP, medical director, who is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine and fellowship-trained in Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Emergency Ultrasound. “The Pediatric Care Center team is a diverse, multidisciplinary group led by pediatric physicians trained in a variety of backgrounds, including emergency medicine and hospital medicine,” she said. “Our goals are not only to provide exceptional quality of care for children, but also to improve access to and expand pediatric care services for our neighbors. We look forward to being a trusted partner for pediatric care in our community.” About the Center for Women’s & Children’s Health The Center for Women’s & Children’s Health, which opened in a state-of-the-art facility in 2020 on ChristianaCare’s Newark campus, represents a new standard of care for our community. It is the region’s only National Community Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and offers innovative, patient-centered care for mothers, babies and families. The center provides private rooms for mothers and families after delivery and is one of the only hospitals in the United States to provide couplet care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, keeping mother and baby together even if they both require medical care.
IMPROVING PATIENT CARE, ONE COMMUNITY AT THE TIME
The Deep River and District Hospital shared updates in the November 2021 Newsletter The Zinger. RealTime Medical’s platform now supports their radiology department. “On Tuesday, November 9, 2021, the organization transitioned our Diagnostic Imaging Radiology services to a third-party service provider, RealTime Medical (RTM) to support our X-ray and Ultrasound reading. Thank you to everyone who helped make the transition go smoothly. The turnaround time for reports has significantly improved from previous services. At times, patients are still in the Emergency Department when reports are received, which is a significant improvement and benefit to patient care! RTM provides 24-hours a day/ 7 days a week remote Radiology coverage, and a Radiologist is available 24/7. Posters with contact information for RTM have been posted on the Medical and Emergency Department nursing stations, as well as in the Physician room on medical.” Link to the original source.
