Help for the most common childhood disease: Tooth decayTooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is preventable,” says Gordon Womack, DDS, medical director of Dayton Pediatric Dentistry at � e Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. � e Kohl’s A Minute for Kids campaign focuses on dental health during January and February.

“It is well known that cavities in primary teeth – or baby teeth – increase the risk of the permanent teeth also developing a disease,” he explains. Dr. Womack points out that when children are in pain from tooth problems, that pain can directly or indirectly aff ect their ability to speak, eat, sleep or pay attention.

Preventing problems starts with early dental care. When should you introduce toothbrushing to your child? When should you schedule the fi rst visit to the dentist?

“Parents should begin oral hygiene with their child when the fi rst tooth erupts,” Dr. Womack says. Shortly

Winter 2009 Vol. 33, No. 1

Sippy cup dangers

2

News for Families

A child’s steps

toward recovery

4

Booster seat helped save

Destiny

6

continued on page 3…

Winter 2009

“ after that fi rst tooth breaks through, make an appointment with a pediat-ric dentist. � e American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child’s fi rst dental visit occur shortly after the fi rst tooth erupts and no later than the child’s fi rst birthday.

Parents can begin brushing their child’s teeth and gums with a small soft-bristle brush anytime. � is helps children get used to having their mouths examined.

Pediatric dentists have special training and experience in caring for infants, children and adolescents. � eir offi ces feature child-sized equipment and furniture, which helps make children more com-fortable and facilitates treatment.

Four ways to make toothbrushing fun

Brush teeth during bath time, 1. which is usually fun for children.

Decorate an egg timer or sand 2. timer and set it for two minutes. Have children watch the timer the entire time they brush.

A Healthy Minute

Fire is just one cause of burn inju-ries – children can also be seriously injured by hot liquids, heating appli-ances, hot pots and pans, electrical currents and chemicals. Among all accidental injuries, fi re and burns are the fi fth cause of death in children ages 14 and younger – in part because young children cannot recognize heat-related hazards quickly enough to react appropriately. A child will suff er a full-thickness burn (third-degree burn) after just three seconds of exposure to 140-degree water, and will need surgery and skin grafts.

Protect your childrenSet water heaters to 120 degrees ●

Fahrenheit or

lower. Consider putting an antiscald device

(about $30) on each water tap and shower head, and check the tem-perature of a baby’s bathwater before putting the baby in.

Prevent spills. ● If possible, cook on a back burner. Don’t let pot handles stick out where they can snag loose clothing, and avoid wearing long sleeves or baggy clothes in the kitchen. Don’t place containers of hot food or liquid near the edge of a counter, and don’t pick up anything hot while holding a baby.

Keep electrical cords out of ●

reach – especially extension cords and cords connected to heating appliances. Make sure electrical cords can’t be pulled or snagged

Protecting children from burnsinto a bathtub or sink. Don’t leave a hot iron sitting on an ironing board unattended.

Childproof your home. ● Cover unused electrical outlets. Lock matches, lighters and fl ammable materials out of a child’s reach. � e basics go a long way toward preventing burns and other injuries.

Actively supervise. ● Simply being in the same room with a child is not necessarily supervising. Safety pre-cautions are important, but there is no substitute for active supervision.

Don’t let kids play with fi reworks. ● Fireworks are intended for use by adults in open spaces with plenty of active supervision for every child present.

February 1-7 is Burn Aware-ness Week. Take some time that week – or anytime – to teach your children about burns. An education curriculum on burn safety to use with young children is available on our website – childrensdayton.org – Safety Tips – Education Curriculums.

Sippy cup dangers

FREE e-news

Sign up for Dayton Children’s e-newsletter FamilyWise to receive FREE health and safety information. Join hundreds of other parents receiving this monthly news-letter by e-mail. Go to www. childrensdayton.org; click on “E-newsletter.” If you prefer, call 937-641-3620.

Growing Together is published quarterly for parents and families in the Miami Valley area by The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, One Children’s Plaza, Dayton, Ohio, 45404-1815.

Visit our web- site at www. childrensdayton.org – your online source of child health and safety information.

2 The innocent-looking sippy cup dangerous? You bet!

� e improper use of sippy cups and baby bottles is a leading cause of tooth decay in children. While many parents are aware that brush-ing and fl ossing are important, many don’t realize the dangers of bottles and sippy cups.

“Letting children sip on sugary drinks for hours or putting children to bed with a bottle of milk or juice can be harmful,” says Dr. Womack. He explains that these habits expose teeth to sugar for extended periods of time.

“� e problem is the frequency at which the sippy cup or bottle con-

tents touch the teeth, ” he says. “Each sip equals one hour of acid, which increases the risk of tooth decay.”

In 2007, Dr. Womack treated nearly 900 cases of abscessed teeth in children.

Using sippy cups correctlyUse as a training tool to move ●

your child from a bottle to a cup. Do not use sippy cups for long periods of time.

Fill the sippy cup with water only, ●

unless it is being used at mealtime. Drinking any other liquid from a sippy cup – even if it is diluted – should be avoided.

Sippy cups should not be used ●

at naptime or bedtime unless they contain water only.

Learn more about sippy cups at kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org.

healthbeat

The most common childhood disease: Tooth decaycontinued from page 1…

3

Small children can sit between 3. two parents who are knee to knee. One parent can hold the baby, while the other brushes baby’s teeth.

Have a consistent routine that 4. kids look forward to. Encourage children to brush two to three times a day. Always brush after breakfast and before bed.

“When children brush their teeth, make sure it is quality brush-ing,” says Dr. Womack. “Supervise toothbrushing until children are 8 years old. Make sure they brush the full two minutes, use fl uoridated toothpaste with a soft-bristle brush,

Are you up-to-date on immunizations?Updated immunization schedules are released in January each year by the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). � e latest schedule and information on immunizations can be found on the CDC website (www.cdc.gov).

To protect your child from many common and sometimes serious childhood diseases, make sure he or she is up-to-date on immunizations. Ask your child’s doctor about the lat-est immunization schedule to make sure your child is protected. He or she can also answer any questions you have about immunizations.

Six common immunization mythsSherman Alter, MD, director of infectious disease at Dayton Chil-dren’s, addresses these common immunization myths:

Vaccines don’t work.1. False. � e occurrences of many diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles

and whooping cough decreased since vaccines for these diseases have been used.

Vaccines aren’t necessary.2. Diseases that can be prevented by vaccines still occur in the US. High immunization levels explain this dramatic decrease.

Vaccines aren’t safe. 3. Vaccines are tested for years before they are approved and all recommended vaccines are completely safe. In addition, vaccines and their eff ects on children are studied after they are in use.

Infants are too young to be 4. immunized. Many diseases that are preventable with vaccines strike children younger than age 2.

Vaccines weaken the immune 5. system. Viruses in vaccines are diff erent from “wild” viruses that cause natural infection. Viruses in vaccines have been altered to the point where they will not weaken the immune system.

Vaccines cause autism.6. � is claim is based on studies of children who

received the MMR vaccine and were diagnosed with autism. � e studies showed no diff erence in the occurrence of autism between children born before the vaccine was introduced and those born after the MMR was introduced. Because the MMR vaccine is scheduled for children at around the same age that autism is typically diagnosed, it may appear the two events are linked, but they are not.

and brush in circles. Less than 40 percent of children follow these proper brushing techniques.”

Start early teaching your child about dental health. Many health problems have been linked to poor tooth and gum health. Make your child’s dentist a partner in starting your child on a lifetime of healthy dental habits.This information is brought to you by Dayton Children’s and Kohl’s Department Stores. Visit kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org to reprint Parenting Clips and download a podcast on key child health and safety topics.

Because of the many questions parents have about the safety of vaccines, a new website – www.vaccinateyourbaby.org – was developed to help ease fears and answer questions.

A S K A N E X P E R TIf you’ve ever thought “I wonder if that’s normal?” or just needed another opinion on a parenting dilemma, “Ask an Expert” on Dayton Children’s website can help. Here’s a recent question for Greg Ramey, PhD:

Question: My 11-year-old daughter asked if she could go on the internet and look at the Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana pho-tos that all her friends were talking about. I told my daughter she was too young to look at that junk. Am I too protective?

Answer: I suspect your daughter routinely sees much more sexually suggestive pictures in teen magazines or on the internet. You missed a great opportunity to review the pictures together and talk about some important issues.

Tell your daughter you made a mistake and look at the pictures together. This gives you an opportunity to get your daughter’s views on whether this teenage performer made a mistake, what might have motivated her and how she is now viewed by her fans.

Looking at the pictures together is not to convince your daughter that you are right, but to engage in a discussion of issues meaningful to her.

To ask your question of Dr. Ramey or one of Dayton Children’s other experts, go to childrens dayton.org – Education and Support – Ask an Expert.

4

Carson and Patricia Abboud, MD, in the

PICU room where Carson spent six weeks.

Septic shock 101

About 4,000 children in the United States die every year from uncontrolled infec-tions of the body known as septic shock. Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is one of the most deadly types with a 25-75 percent mortality rate.

Key points

• STSS can happen after a streptococcus infection, most often from a skin infection or infected wound.

• Signs of infection may include: fl u-like symptoms (fever, pain, muscle pain, chills), blotchy rash, swollen and infected wounds, low blood pressure, weak and rapid pulse. Abrupt pain is commonly one of the fi rst symptoms.

• Thorough hand washing is extremely important to prevent staph infections. Be sure to clean and bandage all skin wounds as quickly as possible and keep them bandaged until they heal.

• Call your child’s doctor if a wound becomes red, swollen or tender.

• Half of all children who get STSS have another health problem.

ultrasound of his right hip, since he still complained of leg pain. � e lab tests, x-ray and ultrasound were inconclusive, so Carson was sent home with a diagnosis of toxic syno-vitis, or swelling of the lining of the hip joint. � is is the most common cause of hip pain in children and usually gets better on its own. � e Bruners went home with instruc-tions for follow-up care.

� at evening – Friday – Carson’s leg pain worsened. He had diffi culty sleeping. At 4:00 am on Saturday, January 19, the Bruners received a call from Dayton Children’s. “� ey told us Carson’s blood culture had come back. He had gram-positive cocci or bacteria in the blood,” Carrie remembers. Carrie and John both knew how serious this was. “Everything went very fast after that. John stayed home with our daughter Gabrielle while I drove Carson to the hospital from our home south of Dayton.”

� e auditorium at Dayton Children’s was full on Novem-ber 19, 2008. � e topic: Pediatric Shock – An Update. What made this educational program special was the pres-ence of 4-year-old Carson Bruner and his parents Carrie and John. � e three were on stage to share their story with a room full of doctors, medical students, nurses and others.

They and Patricia Abboud, MD, a pediatric intensiv-ist in Dayton Children’s pediatric intensive care unit

(PICU), were presenting Carson’s story and information on septic shock. Dr. Abboud was Carson’s primary doctor during a frightening six weeks when Carson fought for his life in the PICU.

“Hopefully by telling our story, we can help prevent this from hap-pening to other children,” says John.

� e Bruners’ journey began January 17, 2008 when Carson came home from preschool with a fever of 103 degrees F.

“I thought it was just another cold with a fever, so I started him on

Tylenol,” says Carrie. � at evening Carson complained that his leg hurt, but Carrie and John couldn’t see anything wrong and thought he may have hurt it while rough-housing with his sister Gabrielle. By morning, Carson’s fever, instead of going down had gone up. It was now 104.5 degrees F and Carson couldn’t walk. Carrie called their pediatrician Robert Myers, DO, who told Carrie to take Carson to Dayton Children’s Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center. It was 8:00 am on January 18.

� e doctors in the emergency department (ED) ordered “every lab test under the sun,” Carrie remem-bers. Carson also had an x-ray and

After suffering a devastating

infection, Dayton Children’s helped

Carson with his

Steps toward recovery

5D

aytonChildren’sfo

cus

By the time he got to Dayton Children’s, Carson had a rash on his face, and his arms and legs were mottled. He was examined by Susan Henry, MD, a physician in the emergency department. Car-rie remembers the “severe concern” on Dr. Henry’s face and the ED moving rapidly to get Carson into the trauma room and begin treat-ment. According to the ED records, Carson’s right thigh was “swollen, tender and tense.” All lab tests were repeated and Carson was quickly moved to the PICU. � e diagnosis: streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). Dr. Abboud saw him for the fi rst time at 7:00 am on January 19. She and Mark Rowin, MD, another pediatric intensivist, intubated Carson to help him breathe, admin-istered antibiotics and dobutamine (a drug used to treat shock), and completed an MRI of his pelvis and right leg.

“Streptococcus can cause deep tissue infection (necrotizing fascii-tis) and bacteremia (bacteria in the blood). Carson had them both and all the complications associated with a severe bacterial infection of the blood,” says Dr. Abboud. She explains that sepsis is the fourth leading cause of death in US chil-dren, behind congenital anomalies,

prematurity and SIDS. STSS, how-ever, is a very deadly form of sepsis, especially when there are multiple organ failures. Carson had respira-tory, hemodynamic, renal and hema-tologic failure.

In the PICU, the Bruners were at Carson’s side through every step forward and two steps backward. He had numerous blood transfusions, was sedated and on a ventilator for weeks and received dialysis for acute renal failure. Carson also received medication to keep his blood pres-sure stable. Dressing changes on both legs required a tremendous amount of delicate work. When the time came for Carson to begin eating, he had problems with his gastrointestinal tract, which made it diffi cult to keep food down.

James T. Lehner, MD, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Dayton Chil-dren’s, became involved in Carson’s care soon after he arrived. “I credit Dr. Lehner with saving Carson’s legs. As soon as he walked into the room and examined Carson, he knew immediately what he had to do. He was very honest and very direct,” Carrie remembers.

“I’m not a hero,” says Dr. Lehner. “I did what needed to be done.” Dr. Lehner performed more than a dozen surgeries to debride (remove dead skin and muscle) Carson’s right

thigh, foot and ankle, and his left calf. � is was done to stop the infec-tion from spreading and damaging other parts of the body.

“While still in the PICU, Carson had multiple debridements of both legs almost daily for one week, then weekly for two months,” says Dr. Abboud. Carson left the PICU on February 13. In the general pedi-atrics unit, he continued to receive treatment for the wounds on his legs from Charles Goodwin, MD, a pedi-atric surgeon at Dayton Children’s. Dr. Goodwin performed numerous skin grafts to treat a side eff ect of septic shock called purpura fulmin-ans, a condition that is treated in the same way as a serious burn. Dead tissue must be removed and healthy skin grafted to take its place.

� ese procedures were eff ective in saving Carson’s legs, which was a concern early on. Eventually Carson lost most of the muscles in his left calf and his right foot. In July, he underwent additional reconstruc-tive surgery on his left leg at Shriners Burns Hospital in Cincinnati. He was fi tted with a prosthesis at Shri-ners Hospital for Children in Lex-ington, Kentucky and took the fi rst steps with his new foot on Novem-ber 10, 2008.

� e following excerpt from the Bruners’ CaringBridge site describes

Just a few of the people involved in Carson’s care. (LR) Andrea Scruggs, RN; Robert Myers, DO; Carrie, John and Carson Bruner; Patricia Abboud, MD; Kim Williams, RN, and Tina Adkins, RN.

continued on page 7…

They were pushed into a pole and then fl ipped over. Destiny was

asleep in her booster seat. She was in the back on the right side of the van. Because she was on the side that suf-fered the most damage, Destiny was seriously injured.

Howard and Carolyn recall that their fi rst thoughts were about the children. “It was a relief to hear them screaming,” says Howard. Carolyn, however, was trapped by her seatbelt and could not get to her screaming children. “I never want to hear scream-ing like that again. It was horrifi c.”

All the children and Howard came to Dayton Children’s. Carolyn was transported to Miami Valley Hospital where she was treated and released.

At Dayton Children’s Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center, it was determined that Destiny had numerous broken bones – one in her right knee, her ankle, and left femur. Her right arm was broken above and below the elbow, which was dislocated.

� e skin on her right forearm was severely damaged. She was admitted to the trauma service under the care of Jeff rey Christian, MD, pediatric surgeon. Around midnight, Destiny went into surgery, where Jeff rey Mikutis, DO, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, placed multiple rods in her broken bones and cleaned up a large laceration of her right arm.

From October 18-22 Destiny was cared for in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Vipul Patel, MD, was one of the pediatric intensivists involved in her care.

On October 30, David Meagher, MD, medical director of pediat-ric surgery and trauma at Dayton Children’s, began treating Destiny, who was now out of the PICU. “Her right forearm was ‘degloved’ in the

accident. � e skin on her arm was so badly damaged it eventually died, which resulted in the need for skin grafts,” he explains.

Dr. Meagher performed surgery to treat the wound on her arm. He removed all the dead tissue and put in a Wound VAC (negative pres-sure wound therapy) to promote the development of healthy tissue. A few days later, skin was removed from her left thigh and grafted onto her right forearm.

Destiny and her parents return to Dayton Children’s regularly for follow-up appointments with Dr. Meagher, Dr. Mikutis and for physi-cal therapy to build strength and improve mobility.

Destiny wears a pressure sleeve over the skin grafts on her right

6

At 7:10 pm on Saturday, October 18, 2008, How-ard and Carolyn Lee of Dayton were taking their granddaughter home after church. In the car were Carolyn, Howard, daughter Destiny, 7, son Demetrius, 10, and granddaughter Kayla, 3. A car ran a STOP sign at the intersection of Stanley and Helena streets, hitting the Lee’s van.

It’s the law: Booster seats protect kids

House Bill 320 requiring the use of booster seats in Ohio was signed into law in December 2008; ef-fective January 2009. Dayton Children’s is a proud supporter of this legislation, which will help protect children in motor vehicle crashes – the number-one killer of children older than 4 years of age.

Key points:

• Children older than 4 years and weigh-ing 40 pounds, and children younger than 8 years and less than 4’9” tall are required to be in booster seats.

• Ohio law already states that children younger than 4 years and 40 pounds are required to be in ap-propriate child safety seats.

• The driver of the vehicle is responsible for safe transportation of any child in his or her car.

Visit us on the web at childrensdayton.org – Health – Child Health Informa-tion – Car Safety. Go to Kohl’s A Minute for Kids for booster seat information – kohlsminutes.childrensdayton.org.

Dr. Meagher, director of pediatric surgery,

will be caring for Destiny for several years.

Pediatric surgery and trauma service

Destiny saved by surgical care and booster seat

forearm to help minimize scarring. Dr. Meagher will continue to see Destiny for several years because of her skin grafts. “Because she is still grow-ing, we need to watch the scars closely to make sure no further reconstructive surgery is needed as she grows.”

According to Carolyn, Destiny will see Dr. Mikutis a few more times to make sure her bones are healing properly.

“Destiny is doing well with physi-cal therapy here in orthopedics and the prognosis for bone healing is excellent,” says Dr. Mikutis. “Dr. Meagher and I are working together on her follow-up care and Ann Smith is her physical therapist.” � e goal is for Destiny to return to school in January 2009.

Despite her injuries, Destiny was lucky. “Fortunately, she was restrained in a booster seat. Her injuries could have been much worse,” Dr. Meagher says.

Carolyn is no stranger to Dayton Children’s. Over the years, she has brought all of her children here for care. “I have always been impressed by the care provided, but since Destiny’s acci-dent, I have been even more impressed. Everyone who has been involved in Destiny’s care has been wonderful.”

Destiny looks forward to returning to Patterson-Kennedy School in Dayton sometime in January. According to Carolyn “She’s a ‘little mother’ to all the kids. � e children and the teachers miss her.” Read more at www.childrensdayton.org.

In the advanced surgical center at Dayton Children’s 12,079 surgeries were performed last year.

Of those, 2,420 were performed by the pediatric sur-geons, such as Dr. Meagher, who is medical director of pediatric surgery. He is joined by Victor Nanagas, MD, Jeffrey Christian, MD, and Jeffrey Pence, MD. All the pediatric surgeons at Dayton Children’s have received special training in pediatric surgery and are board certifi ed. The trauma service staffed by pediatric surgery is certifi ed by the American College of Surgeons as a level II pediatric trauma service.

Surgeons from other specialty areas also use the ad-vanced surgical center for treating infants, children and teens. These specialties include ear, nose and throat, dental, orthopedics, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, urology, neurosurgery, pulmonary and plastic surgery.

Dayton Children’s advanced surgical center has set the standard for pediatric surgical care in the region. The area offers the following benefi ts for patients and families:

• The only surgery center in our region devoted to the care of infants, children and teens with pediatric anesthesiologists.

• Private rooms before and after surgery with DVD and PlayStation 2.

• Advanced technology, which includes capabilities for minimally invasive surgery.

• Nine operating rooms, two treatment rooms and 44 private rooms for families.

• Pet therapy Monday through Friday to help chil-dren relax.

This busy area consistently receives high customer satisfaction scores, refl ecting Dayton Children’s commitment to excellent care and customer service.

DaytonC

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s7

their joy at seeing Carson walk after nearly 10 months of immobility.

By John Bruner: “296. Why is that number important? Carson was admitted to Children’s Medical Center 296 days ago from yesterday, November 10. He was admitted on January 19, 2008. Why is the num-ber 296 no longer important and the number 1 is? Because it was one day ago that Carson took his FIRST steps with his new foot.”

Carson’s care involved specialists from many areas of the hospital including critical care, surgery, orthopedics, nephrology, gastroen-terology and nutrition. � e unwav-ering compassion and expertise of the nursing staff made a lasting impression on the Bruners. One incident in particular is typical of the dedication shown by Dayton Children’s nurses in all areas of the hospital.

On a snowy day in February, one of Carson’s nurses Karen Davis, along with Pam Baker and one of the PICU’s unit clerks, brought in a washbasin of snow so Carson could build a snowman in his PICU room.

From their CaringBridge site (by John Bruner): “� ey built a snowman and dressed it with Coban [elastic, self-adhesive dressing put

over IVs] for a scarf, medicine cup for a hat and an assortment of medi-cal odds and ends for a face and arms. He was delighted and it was a joy to see him giggling with them.”

Carson left Dayton Children’s on March 25, 2008, almost 10 weeks after he was admitted. Since leav-ing, Carson and his family have celebrated many milestones in his recovery and look forward to the future. Anyone familiar with Car-son’s situation knows that the boy who defi ed the odds will continue to overcome obstacles and remain an inspiration to all who come in contact with him.

On November 11, 2008 John wrote: “Carson is proving everyone wrong. His spirit is stronger than mine ever could be. I feed off of him and his awesome sister (Gabrielle) who has been amazing in her own way. 296 days since Carson was able to walk. It no longer matters. Carson has risen again.”

Dr. Abboud and the many other staff members who cared for Carson Bruner will never forget the harrow-ing journey they all shared. “Now when people ask me why I want to work with the very sickest kids, all I have to say is ‘Look at Carson Bruner.’”

Steps toward recoverycontinued from page 5…

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newsbriefs

Growing Together is published quar-terly for parents and families in the Miami Valley area by The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. The purpose of Growing Together is to show how Dayton Children’s and families are working together to keep all children healthy and safe. Additional copies of Growing Together are available by writing to Dayton Children’s, c/o Marketing Com-munications, One Children’s Plaza, Day-ton, Ohio, 45404-1815 or by calling 937-641-3666. Your suggestions and comments are also appreciated.

David Kinsaul, FACHEPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Vicki GiambroneVice President, Marketing and External Relations

Susan A. BrockmanEditor

Tom SuttmanPhotographer

8 New specialists join Dayton Children’s Pramodha Muniyappa, MD, has joined the department of gastroenterology at Dayton Children’s. Dr. Muniyappa joins us after completing a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She is board certifi ed in pediatrics and has special interest in feeding disorders, celiac disease and formula intolerances.

Jeffrey Pence, MD, has joined the department of pediatric surgery at Dayton Children’s. Dr. Pence com-pleted his fellowship in surgical criti-cal care at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and a fellowship in pediatric surgery at � e Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado. � e surgeons at Dayton Children’s perform more than 12,000 surgeries every year on infants, chil-dren and teens. No other facility in our region off ers that level of pediatric expertise.

Help for chronic pain Dayton Children’s neurology department now off ers a chronic pain clinic for children. � e clinic off ers consultation, evalua-tion and advanced treatment for a range of chronic pain conditions. If your child suff ers from chronic pain, talk to your pediatrician or family doctor about a referral to Dayton Children’s chronic pain clinic.

New CT scanner improves patient care Dayton Children’s medical imaging department now off ers the most advanced CT (computed tomography) scanner available. � e 64-slice CT scanner obtains precise diagnostic pictures in fi ve to 10 seconds. � at’s important when you need chil-dren to stay still for a scan. � is ability to obtain more accurate images means that in some cases there is no need for certain procedures such as angioplasties. “We are now able to see the carotid artery without doing an angioplasty – a procedure where a catheter is inserted from the groin to the heart,” says Elizabeth Ey, MD, director of medical imaging at Dayton Children’s. For more information, go to www.childrensday-

ton.org – Services – Medical Imaging.

Mark your calendars for CHA-CHA CHA-CHA 2009 will be held at Sinclair Community College Ponitz Center on May 9, 2009 to benefi t Dayton Children’s Regional Pediatric Trauma and Emergency Center reno-vation and expansion. � is fun-fi lled dinner event features dream packages with trips, jewelry and exquisite home decorating items for both silent and live auctions. CHA-CHA is a fundraiser hosted every other year by the Women’s Board, 36 women selected to raise funds for Dayton Children’s. � e Women’s Board has raised nearly $2.3 million to benefi t Dayton Children’s. For more information or to make a donation, call 937-641-3405.

Now open in your neighborhoodDayton Children’s has opened new locations in Springboro and Vandalia.

Outpatient Care Center – Springboro opened in November 2008. The center is located just off the future Austin Road exit from I-75 on West Tech near the Dayton General Airport. Urgent care, lab, medical imaging and rehabilitative services are available. The hospital is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifi cation from the U.S. Green Building Council for this building. This is one more way we are working to promote the health and well-being of children and families. Learn more – visit www.childrensdayton.org/springboro.

Outpatient Testing Center – Vandalia opened December 15, 2008 for the convenience of families north of Dayton. This center offers lab and medical imaging services and is located just off I-75 at the Northwoods Boulevard exit.