Cora Anne is bright-eyed and all smiles during her pulmonology appointment at Norton Children’s. Only 4 months old, she’s already spent a good deal of her life in hospital rooms. “As sick as she is, it’s crazy how happy she still is. She doesn’t let things bother her; she just smiles away,” said Alisha Sizemore,…
You’re in line for day care pickup and discover that your child’s classmate has respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis. What does this mean for your child? With RSV season underway, it’s a good time to understand RSV, as knowledge and preparedness are key to keeping children healthy. RSV bronchiolitis symptoms RSV is a common virus…
Electronic cigarette use puts young people at risk of bronchitis, shortness of breath and other significant respiratory symptoms after just 30 days, according to a new study from the Center for Tobacco Research. The study found these teens were twice as likely to have bronchitis and 78% more likely to have shortness of breath. A…
Norton Children’s is treating more than twice as many patients with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) compared with the same period last year — fueling an unseasonal spike in respiratory illnesses typically seen in winter months. Norton Children’s Hospital has admitted 66 patients for RSV this week, compared with 32 at the same point in 2021. RSV…
When Nemr S. Eid, M.D., arrived in Louisville in 1988, he was the city’s only pediatric pulmonologist. For 10 years, he was on call around the clock, every day of the week, for children with asthma, cystic fibrosis or other lung conditions. His motto was “The patient remains first, always,” which meant his days started…
Children who use biologics for asthma can limit the disruptions in their daily life, including fewer missed days of school, due to their severe asthma. For children with severe asthma who continue to have symptoms despite using daily controller inhalers, a newer type of therapy called biologics could be able to offer them some much-needed…
There is no cure for cystic fibrosis (CF), but breakthrough new drugs recently have been approved for children as young as 4 months, with more in the research stages that target the genetic mutations responsible for the disease. “This is a major development for our young cystic fibrosis patients,” said Ronald L. Morton, M.D., pulmonologist with Norton Children’s…
Bronchiolitis is a common lower respiratory tract infection that often appears in children younger than 2 years old. Bronchiolitis develops when the tiny airways in the lungs, called bronchioles, become infected by a virus, swell and fill with mucus, making it more difficult for a baby to breathe. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most…
A new study by Norton Children’s Pulmonology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, will examine whether more trees and other plants in a neighborhood affects children’s asthma. The team, led by pediatric pulmonologist Scott Bickel, M.D., will evaluate changes in children’s asthma as thousands of new trees, shrubs and grasses are planted in a…
Are there foods that help asthma? There are indications that foods laden with vitamin D, such as oily fish like salmon, egg yolks, and fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants may help asthma, but there’s a shortage of solid evidence. Obesity is a major risk factor for asthma, so eating well and maintaining a healthy…
There is increasing evidence that severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in young children can have long-term effects such as wheezing and asthma, according to Ronald L. Morton, M.D., pediatric pulmonologist with Norton Children’s Pulmonology, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. A recent review of research into long-term effects of asthma found wheezing can…
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) outbreak of 2021 brought unprecedented summertime levels of the infection to states like Kentucky, raising some concerns about the traditional cold-weather season for RSV. At Norton Children’s, health care providers are seeing some children infected with both RSV and COVID-19, said Kristina A. Bryant, M.D., physician with Norton Children’s Infectious…