Ian S. Mutchnick, M.D., is on a mission to help spina bifida patients and their families navigate this complex health condition with ease. “I feel honored to be able to help families with what is often one of the most difficult situations they can face,” said Dr. Mutchnick, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Norton Children’s Neuroscience…
If your child has seizures that aren’t helped by medication, you may be considering surgery. Epilepsy surgery’s risks and benefits for a child are complicated and are better understood with as much information as possible. To help with this task, pediatric neurosurgeon Ian S. Mutchnick, M.D. M.S., and the team at Norton Children’s Neuroscience Institute,…
When Molly Knott was 2, the toddler took a spill in the kitchen and her mother reflexively scooped her up, grasping her under her arms. That’s when she first noticed a lump under Molly’s left armpit. Molly said it hurt. A bug bite probably, right? As it got a little bigger, it still wasn’t clear…
Children with various neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), muscular dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease can be at risk for hip dislocation. What is varus derotation osteotomy (VDRO), and how does it help children with neurological disorders? Children with neurological disorders can have spastic or weak muscles. Spasticity in muscles…
Grace Hatfield seemed to be developing like a normal toddler. She was walking, talking and interacting with family. But as she approached 15 months, her development seemed to start going in reverse. “Grace began losing words,” said Kim Hatfield, Grace’s mom. “Then, while talking to her, she’d start to zone out — just staring at…
Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) symptoms can overlap some with COVID-19 symptoms in children, but while most kids can ride out an infection from the coronavirus at home, AFM can worsen quickly — often in hours or days. AFM is uncommon, and typically peaks between August and November every other year. The Centers for Disease Control…
Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a condition that progressively causes the loss of motor neurons (anterior horn cells). SMA affects about 1 in 11,000 births and is the No. 1 genetic cause of death for infants. What do you know about the condition –– and the exciting new treatments that can help stop its progression?…
Summer is the biggest time for bicycle accidents. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, injuries from wheeled sports sent 426,000 kids — more than 50 children every hour — to U.S. emergency rooms last year. During that same period, Norton Children’s Hospital treated hundreds of kids for bike-related injuries, including concussion, traumatic brain injury, also called…
Norton Children’s has created a multidisciplinary clinic for children who have experienced multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. Norton Children’s Pediatric MIS-C Multidisciplinary Clinic will give children who were hospitalized with MIS-C follow-up care with a team of pediatric specialists who can monitor the child for any short- and long-term effects of…
The first time Sadie Heath won a pageant, mom Britney Heath sat with tears in her eyes. The tears weren’t celebrating the win; she cried because Sadie was participating. It was an image Britney never thought she’d see. Sadie was born with hydrocephalus, along with multiple congenital brain malformations. Today, at age 4, she participates…
Drew Esposito, “Super Drew” to those who know him, spent almost half a year in the Addison Jo Blair Cancer Care Center at Norton Children’s Hospital. When the 5-year-old returned in January, it wasn’t as a patient. This time, he brought a $31,407 check to help the patients who will follow him. Drew gained his…
When you think of traumatic brain injury (TBI), also called acquired brain injury (ABI), you may think of car crashes or sports injuries. However, a recent study shows that common home furnishings and fixtures are also frequently associated with TBI in children. TBI is an acquired brain injury that happens when a sudden trauma causes…