March 2010 Archives

When Misty and Matt Motzko’s son, Logan, was born unexpectedly at 24 weeks, weighing only a pound and a half, the whole family needed expert care. Nothing could have prepared the Motzkos for their baby’s harrowing entry into the world—but under the circumstances, Misty says, they couldn't have landed in a better place. That place was University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

While teams at the University already work together closely when it comes to pediatric and maternal health care, the new home for University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital will unite the two areas in one family-friendly physical space.

Department of Pediatrics faculty members got a lift in medical research funding over the past year, thanks in part to more than $4.3 million they've received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).They've been awarded 16 grants for projects in hematology, oncology, and blood and marrow transplantation; epidemiology and clinical research; infectious disease; and neonatology.

For the first time, University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital was the beneficiary of Dave Lee’s Gutter Bowl, presented by WCCO Radio. The main event, held January 22 at Brunswick Zone XL in Brooklyn Park, attracted 46 teams of bowlers and raised more than $60,000.

Acute leukemia patients who receive a transplant of two units of umbilical cord blood (UCB) instead of one have a significantly reduced risk of the disease returning, according to research led by two Department of Pediatrics faculty members. Michael Verneris, M.D., and John Wagner, M.D., found that 19 percent of patients transplanted with two units of UCB had recurrent cancer compared with 34 percent of patients receiving one unit.

Surgery to treat congenital heart disease in children has dramatically improved over the past 20 years. Still, some challenges remain. While most congenital heart disease patients live beyond the surgery,many experience shortterm challenges such as inflammation and longlasting effects such as neurological problems.

A hospital stay can be a tough time for children and their families. But for kids at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, community partners are helping to make that time a little better.