University of Virginia Health System

U.VA. HEALTH SYSTEM PEDIATRIC PHYSICIANS TO PRESENT 21 OUT OF 23 SUBMITTED RESEARCH PROJECTS AT NATIONAL MEETING

The University of Virginia Health System pediatrics department will present twenty-one out of twenty-three submitted research projects at the annual Pediatric Academic Societies meeting. The national meeting will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland beginning Saturday, May 4 and lasting through Tuesday, May 7. The Pediatric Academic Societies represent pediatricians from academic research centers who see patients, teach and conduct research with the goal of improving children's health.

The work described in these abstracts illustrates the breadth and depth of our research programs and is a testimony to the hard work and success of our people, said Dr. Robert Chevalier, chairman of the pediatrics department.

Among the presenters will be Dr. John Kattwinkel, neonatologist at U.Va. Health System and pioneer of the Back To Sleep campaign to prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The research he will present shows that administering surfactant to premature babies orally, during the birthing process, appears safe and is ready to be tested. Surfactant is usually administered through a tube into the windpipe after a baby is born. Surfactant is a foamy substance that keeps a newborn's lungs from collapsing when they exhale. Immature lungs are a primary concern for babies who are born too soon.

Other research presentations cover a broad spectrum of newborn, infant and childhood diseases. These include blood, gastrointestinal tract, heart and kidney disorders as well as infectious diseases and rehabilitation.

May 6, 2002