Understanding Childhood Epilepsy

With nearly three decades of experience in pediatric medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida as senior vice president and chief clinical officer. In his previous role, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva served as the associate executive director for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), where he worked on several important projects, including as project director for a study titled ‘Awareness and Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy.’

Childhood epilepsy is the single most common brain disorder in the United States, with more than three million diagnosed with this condition. Almost two-thirds of children diagnosed with epilepsy will eventually outgrow their seizures upon reaching their teenage years. Despite this, it is still essential that parents monitor their child’s health, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking their child in for regular doctor’s visits.

Though each child will experience epilepsy differently, improvements in treatment options have made it so that most can manage seizures effectively by using anti-seizure medications. Even for those who still experience seizures even while taking medications, there are alternative treatment options available that can be effective. In these cases, dietary treatment options (following a ketogenic diet), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), or brain surgery may be alternative considerations.

Even in children that do not only have one seizure or don not quickly outgrow their seizures and need treatment with medication, but the long-term effects also are typically small and do not warrant too much worry.

NCHA Names New President to Run Hospital

A recognized leader in pediatric medicine for three decades, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva holds a juris doctor degree in addition to his medical degree. Formerly an associate director with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva currently serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida.

In February 2020, Nicklaus Children’s Health System (NCHS) announced the appointment of Perry Ann Reed as its new chief operating officer. She will also serve as president of the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, where she will be in charge of the facility’s day-to-day operations. Ms. Reed has been working in health care administration for more than two decades. In her most recent position, she served as executive director of North Carolina’s WakeMed Children’s Hospital & Women’s Services.

In his comments on the hire, NCHS president and CEO Matthew A. Love pointed to Perry’s experience as one of the major assets she brings to the table. He also praised her ability to work with key stakeholders on both the staff and administrative levels as an example of the health and growth the hospital will experience under her leadership.

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s New President and CEO

Holding a Juris doctor in addition to his medical degree, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has been a leading voice in pediatric medicine for more than two decades. He currently serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida.

In January 2020, the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital announced the appointment of Matthew A. Love to serve as the facility’s new president and chief executive officer. Mr. Love holds an MBA from Cleveland State University and began with the hospital as its chief financial officer in October 2018. He had most recently served as the interim president and CEO for 6 months. He brings over two decades of both adult and pediatric health care management experience to the table in his permanent role as head of the facility.

Speaking about the appointment, Mr. Love said he looks forward to working very closely with all of the hospital’s devoted health care staff. High levels of trust and cooperation are what he believes will continue to set Nicklaus apart as a leading provider of pediatric health care in the region.

Common Causes of Sleeplessness in Children

 

Sleeplessness
Image: webmd.com

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva functions as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also serves as a professor of pediatrics, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Children can experience sleeplessness or insomnia for several reasons, ranging from unhealthy lifestyles to more complex medical issues. In certain cases, insomnia in children may be caused by something as simple as poor sleep habits that are upheld by parents or guardians. A child who does not exercise regularly and drinks soda or other caffeinated beverages shortly before bedtime will likely experience a myriad of sleep-related health issues. Similarly, children should have a fixed sleep schedule, as opposed to being able to go to bed and wake up at their discretion.

At the other end of the spectrum, a healthy, well-raised child can still experience difficulty sleeping due to underlying medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, also known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Children with severe SDB will develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where most or all of the child’s airway becomes blocked, resulting in loud snoring, unrestful sleep, and constant waking up throughout the night.

Typical symptoms of insomnia in children include sudden mood swings, difficulty with memory, and a decreased attention span. If an adult believes a child is struggling with sleeplessness, he or she should discuss the situation with a trusted pediatrician.

The AAP’s Child Safety Seat Recommendations

 

Child Safety Seat
Image: aap.org

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva earned a bachelor’s in medicine from the Armed Forces Medical College in India and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Now with more than 30 years of experience in medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva serves as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Child safety seat recommendations have evolved over the years with the improvement of safety technology and insights gained from crash data. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its list of recommendations for parents. Among these recommendations, the organization urges parents to place their infants and toddlers in rear-facing seats until they reach the maximum height and weight, rather than turning them around to front-facing when they reach a certain age.

When children grow enough to switch to front-facing seats, they should be secured by harnesses for as long as possible. Children can still be harnessed in most seats until they reach around 65 pounds. After that, parents should put them in booster seats that allow the normal seat belt to fit properly.

Once children are able to use the seat belt normally, without assistance from a booster, they should remain in the backseat until they are at least 13 years old.

AAP Warns of Golf Cart Dangers

 

Golf Cart Dangers
Image: aappublications.org

A graduate of the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, India, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also holds numerous postgraduate degrees, including an MBA from the University of Houston, a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas, and a juris doctor from Marquette University. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva now serves as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

According to research from the AAP, there has been a rise in injuries among children using golf carts. The researchers examined data from Pennsylvania in their findings, which showed 108 kids under 18 over a 10-year period who suffered golf cart-related injuries.

Of those patients, one died, and 36 percent were required to be admitted to the ICU because of their injuries. Additionally, 76 percent of those injured suffered at least one bone break, with skull fractures the most common.

Although golf carts move slower than cars, they are still dangerous. The AAP now recommends that children under 16 not drive golf carts at all, while those 16 to 18 should drive carts no faster than 10 miles per hour.

Study Researches Relationship Between Fruit Juice and Weight Gain

 

Fruit Juice
Image: healthychildren.org

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva brings more than three decades of experience as a physician and public health executive to his current role as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. In his time with the AAP, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has been responsible for the creation of a number of new divisions within the organization.

A recent report published in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ journal Pediatrics examined the relationship between 100 percent fruit juice consumption and weight gain in children. Researchers compared data collected from more than 34,000 children across eight different studies in order to determine if 100 percent fruit juice consumption led to weight gain in the age 1-18 population.

Researchers found that children six years of age and younger did gain a small amount of weight when they consumed a single serving of 100 percent juice daily, but the weight gain was negligible. Older children age 7-18 experienced no significant weight gain when consuming a single serving each day.

In light of this research, AAP continues to recommend that children six years of age and under only consume 4-5 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice per day. For the population age 7-18, the limit increases to 8-12 ounces each day.

#VoteKids Campaign Advocates Children’s Needs for 2016 Election

#VoteKids Campaign
Image: aap.org

A practicing pediatrician in pediatric critical care and sleep medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva possesses over two decades of medical experience and providing instruction to medical students and trainees. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also serves as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which engages in advocacy efforts for children’s health such as the #VoteKids Get Out the Vote campaign.

The campaign encourages voters to prioritize children’s needs during the 2016 election and become a voice for the promotion of children’s welfare issues. It addresses the stakes at hand for the upcoming election period and focuses on urging elected leaders to invest in programs and policies that offer solutions for issues such as poverty, gun violence, and food scarcity. In the days leading up to the election, the campaign will also continue to highlight key issues that impact children and families and emphasize the need for awareness.

Voters who wish to advocate for children’s needs and health issues can join the campaign by participating in social media activities that include updating their social media picture and sharing the message using the hashtag #VoteKids. Furthermore, the #VoteKids Social Media Toolkit provides a list of facts and statistics for use on Facebook and Twitter. A #VoteKids banner is available on the AAP’s website.

For more details on the #VoteKids Get Out the Vote campaign, visit www.aap.org/en-us/Vote.