Parenthood comes with loads of joy — and plenty of worries. From the first ultrasound until the child is grown (and, even beyond), we as parents are constantly monitoring every cough, cry, and bruise.
Fortunately, our village includes providers who help keep our children healthy from head to toe. With locations throughout central Pennsylvania, UPMC Children’s in Central Pa. provides everything from routine check-ups to complex specialty care to surgical procedures – all while providing high-quality, child-friendly care.
“One of the cool things we have here is a pipeline to the highest-level, most highly trained pediatric experts in the world,” says Shawn Safford, MD, pediatric surgeon for UPMC Children’s in Central Pa. “Here, you’re not limited because of expertise. It’s like the chutes and ladders of where you need to be for care. Essentially, 98% of your child’s problems can be taken care of in your backyard; and for the other 2%, we can send them to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh. It doesn’t matter what happens to your child, they will be taken care of.”
Here’s just a sample of procedures that UPMC Children’s can provide right here in our backyard.
- (Head) Tongue Tie: This is a common condition where the tongue looks notched or heart-shaped when a newborn tries to extend it past their lower lip or touch their upper teeth. Lactation nurses can notice this when a newborn has trouble latching on during breastfeeding. “It may or may not eventually cause a problem,” says Dr. Safford. “It impacts Spanish speakers more because they may not be able to trill their ‘r’s. It’s a quick and simple procedure we can do, without anesthesia, in our clinic or in the hospital before the baby goes home.”
- (Neck) Swollen Lymph Node: There are few things more alarming to a parent than a strange lump or mass, especially near the neck or head. It could be a thyroid problem (which UPMC’s pediatric endourologists can also address), but it’s more likely a swollen lymph node, which is common. “It’s not infrequent that we see a lymph node enlarged because of infections,” says Dr. Safford. “We look at other symptoms, such as night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and loss of appetite. If it’s persistent after taking antibiotics, we’ll remove the lump, a benign operation, and have a look at it under the microscope. If it is cancerous, UPMC has a pipeline to pediatric oncology.”
- (Chest) Pectus: There are two types of pectus. Pectus excavatum is when the sternum sinks into the chest, and pectus carinatum is when the breastbone and ribs stick out. While it’s identified at an early age, it’s generally not treated until the teen years — if at all. For pectus excavatum, there is surgery that can correct the sternum; for carinatum, doctors gradually push the protrusion back with a brace. Dr. Safford traditionally waits until the patient is older in both cases because the conditions rarely cause a physiological threat, such as compressing the heart and lungs. He also prefers waiting until the child decides if they want their pectus corrected. “Some kids are socially terrified of taking their shirts off or embarrassed and withdrawn because of it, and my heart goes out to those kids,” says Dr. Safford. “But I had one patient who loved his excavatum because the girls got a kick out of it.”
- (Belly/Groin) Hernia: Hernias, the hole between two cavities, are completely different in pediatrics than in the adult world. With kids, it’s a congenital problem; things fail to separate. Umbilical (belly button) hernias occur when part of the bowel pokes through a small opening in the belly button. Inguinal hernias, the most common, is when the bowel bulges through an opening into the groin. The belly button hernias usually go away with time but if still present when the child is 4 years old, surgery is recommended. Groin hernias are very different. They do not get better with time and need to be fixed urgently and should not wait. “In children, particularly babies, the intestine can get caught and that area of the bowel can die,” says Dr. Safford. “Since you can’t tell whether a baby is crying because of this pain or because they are hungry or tired, we’ll schedule the surgery as soon as possible.”
- (Foot) Clubfoot: Clubfoot occurs when the muscles and bones in the feet point down and turn in, instead of being straight. Babies may be born with it in one or both feet. It’s the most common musculoskeletal deformity in children. Children are often diagnosed in utero, and treatment begins as early as one week. Generally, kids avoid larger surgery by undergoing a casting process in which a new cast is put on from the top of the leg to the toes each week to slowly stretch the foot closer to a normal positioning. After four to six weeks of casting, the child generally undergoes a small procedure to cut the heel cord. Afterward, the child transitions to orthotics, boots, and bars, that hold the feet and legs in place. The entire treatment generally goes until the child is age 4. “We get them to where only their mom or grandma can tell,” says Melissa Meyer, DO, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with UPMC in Central Pa. “A vast majority of these kids have no other medical issues. They do well. We get them standing flat, able to walk, run, play, and do it all without pain.”
To learn more about UPMC Children’s in Central Pa., including its new York location, and to sign up for the pediatric e-newsletter, please visit UPMC.com/CentralPaPediatrics.
