Fulfilling our promise to make the world a better place for kids
One of our promises as a medical community is to make the world a better place for kids. We set a high bar for improving patient outcomes and doing research that leads to new treatments, especially for children in our community who face significant health disparities on a daily basis.
A recent study led by pediatric gastroenterologist Hilary Jericho, MD, shows that most children with celiac disease who strictly follow a gluten-free diet (GFD) can expect to have their symptoms gone within 24 months. This is good news for kids who suffer needlessly from this disease.
The study’s results give care providers and parents a time frame for symptom improvement after a child begins a GFD. “Some kids’ symptoms will disappear in weeks, but many need a longer period on a gluten-free diet, especially if they have long-standing symptoms or extra-intestinal manifestations,” says Jericho. The study also provides a benchmark for clinicians to conduct additional diagnostic tests if a child isn’t improving.
Read more about how we're helping to make the world a better place for kids:
- Endocrinologist Rochelle Naylor, MD, works to make sure children with diabetes get the right diagnosis so they can be treated appropriately.
- Chicago's South Side kids have the highest risk of asthma and the highest hospitalization rates due to asthma in the country. Our new South Side Pediatric Asthma Center provides a comprehensive and collaborative approach to treating these children.
- To better care for these underserved children with asthma, the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes in Chicago (ECHO-Chicago) trains primary care providers in the management of complex pediatric asthma.
- UChicago Medicine medical ethicists tackle thorny issues such as whether pediatricians should counsel parents about letting their children play full contact sports.