Johns Hopkins Children's Center

01/18/2026

It’s common that as kids get to high school and transition to adulthood, they begin to skip yearly wellness visits. And, as expected, skipping those checkups can have serious health consequences.

A new study led by Children’s Center pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist Arik V. Marcell, M.D., M.P.H., and fellow Morayo Akande, Ph.D., M.P.H., says adolescents and young adults face a critical period of vulnerability during the transition to adulthood. The findings, they say, should advance efforts by parents, pediatricians and other primary care providers to encourage annual wellness visits.

Read more about the findings. 👉 https://bit.ly/4qm9Ig6

01/17/2026

A study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center researchers shows that some preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), even without major complications of premature birth, are more likely to have high blood pressure as they grow. Read more about the findings.

Study of Babies Links Prematurity, Need for NICU Care with Childhood Hypertension 11/05/2025 Johns Hopkins Medicine investigators say babies who require neonatal intensive care unit management after birth are more likely to have high blood pressure as they grow Credit: Getty Images A study led by Jo...

01/16/2026

Congratulations to Amit Jain, MD, MBA, who was recently selected as a 2026 United States Presidential Leadership Scholar!

Dr. Jain is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Business, and Chief of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Johns Hopkins. His clinical practice focuses on adults with degenerative spinal conditions and children with scoliosis. His research focuses on improving outcomes, safety, and value in musculoskeletal care.

Dr. Jain leads international collaborative research groups, has multiple NIH grants, and over 300 scientific publications. His leadership roles include serving as the Spine Surgery Fellowship Director and on the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative executive board.

For the last 2 years, Dr. Jain has served as Medical Director of Value Based Care for the Johns Hopkins Health System, where he led the system strategy for readmission reduction and transitions of care, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to develop quality improvement pilots targeting high opportunity areas. He is an alumnus of the Johns Hopkins medical school, orthopaedic surgery residency, and Carey Business School.

01/15/2026

New year, new goals — without the pressure. ✨

While resolutions can feel daunting for kids (and adults!), family-friendly mantras may be a gentler alternative. Even children as young as 3 or 4 can benefit from simple phrases that support growth and confidence, according to Erika Chiappini, PhD, child and adolescent psychologist at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

“Unlike an intention or resolution, which typically reflects a future goal or desired outcome, a mantra is meant to focus the mind in the present moment,” Dr. Chiappini says. “A good mantra is something that is short, positive, and easy to remember." 💭

Read more about mantras vs. resolutions for kids. 👉 https://bit.ly/3LwlXHU

01/14/2026

Genetic testing is recognized as crucial for epilepsy diagnosis and management. In this video, Dr. Christa Habela discusses her presentation on the latest updates in genetic testing for epilepsy.

01/14/2026

To help parents determine fact from fiction when it comes to information about scoliosis, orthopaedic spine surgeon Amit Jain provides five facts about the condition that every parent should know.

01/13/2026

Exciting news! ✨ The Children’s Center has launched a new monthly newsletter filled with expert tips, timely health insights, and stories from families like yours.

Sign up today and you’ll start receiving the newsletter as soon as we send the next issue. 📰

👉 https://bit.ly/4jOcF6H

01/12/2026

Two Johns Hopkins Children’s Center experts were recognized for their accomplishments at the annual American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC) conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Each year, this conference brings together respiratory therapists from across the country to share research.

Children’s Center neonatal respiratory therapist Justin Garcia received the National Board for Respiratory Care–Lambda Beta Leadership Award for his leadership and academic performance at the University of Texas. The national recognition is awarded to students and early-career respiratory therapists who demonstrate exemplary leadership, academic excellence, professional involvement and service to the respiratory care community.

Children’s Center neonatal respiratory therapist Selena Takahasi also shared a poster presentation on research she conducted during her graduate studies at the University of Texas. The study examined upper muscle strength training and the impact on breathing tests among patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center has a years-long collaboration with the University of Texas-San Antonio, which brings students from the graduate respiratory care program to the Children’s Center for clinical rotations -- with many becoming permanent team members.

01/11/2026

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) revolutionized head and neck surgeries when it was approved for adults by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2009. TORS allows surgeons to avoid significantly more invasive operations that require splitting the mandible and approaching tumors through the jaw and neck.

TORS also holds significant advantages for pediatric head and neck surgery. Hear more about this cutting-edge technology from Johns Hopkins pediatric otolaryngology surgeon Carolyn Jenks.

👉 https://bit.ly/49BCKRS

01/10/2026

In an effort to make radiation therapy safer and more effective for children with brain tumors, Johns Hopkins is establishing the Johns Hopkins Pediatric Radiation Oncology Research Center and launching the first dedicated pediatric radiation oncology data platform in the United States.

Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/3LFVZl8

01/09/2026

Last September, an annual golf tournament with a big heart marked a major milestone! ⛳

Founded in 1985 by businessman Doug Miller Sr., the tournament celebrated its 40th anniversary, having raised an incredible $2 million for the Children’s Center over four decades.

In recent years, funds from the Doug Miller Family Fund have supported critical services not covered by families’ health insurance—including the work of social workers and Child Life specialists, who make a lasting difference for patients and families every day.

After Miller’s passing in 2016, Carroll Motor Fuels proudly stepped in to continue the tournament and carry on his legacy of generosity.

Read more about the Doug Miller Family Fund's impact and how you can get involved. 💙

👉 https://bit.ly/49hQ9Qc

01/08/2026

At first, Samantha Pack-Witmer thought her son’s headache was no big deal. Camden was just a few days into second grade, and prone to various ailments — colds, earaches, that sort of thing.

“We thought, ‘This is normal. [Kids] bring home all kinds of stuff,” says Pack-Witmer.

It wasn’t normal, though. Over the next three weeks, Camden became lethargic. The once energetic and happy-go-lucky kid, who loved to be outdoors, was now inside, sleeping most of the day and waking up miserable.

Once the family made it to Johns Hopkins, they finally got answers. A blood test revealed that Camden has MOGAD, or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease, a rare condition in which the central nervous system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

The diagnosis was good news, though, because he was in the right place. Read more about Camden's patient journey at the Children's Center.

👉 https://bit.ly/4swQyWd