Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s faculty showcased their leadership and expertise at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference in Denver.

Gene Liu, MD, MMM, director of Otolaryngology, presented an in-depth review on mouth breathing in children and its potential effects on craniofacial development. His session also addressed the growing interest—and ongoing controversy—surrounding emerging management approaches, such as jaw splints, palate expansion, myofunctional therapy and mouth taping.

Cesar Ochoa-Lubinoff, MD, MPH, director of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, presented on how to diagnose and treat ADHD in a busy practice. This is a critical topic considering ADHD affects nearly 1 in 10 children in the United States but many pediatricians feel they don’t have enough training to diagnose and manage this chronic condition.

Speaking to Contemporary Pediatrics, Ochoa-Lubinoff emphasized key aspects of AAP’s ADHD clinical practice guidelines, including the importance of developing an office system to plan for diagnostic visits, using teacher and parent ADHD rating scales for diagnosis and follow up, and scheduling regular follow-ups to manage this chronic condition.  

In interviews with Medscape, pulmonologist Irina Dralyuk, MD, and adolescent health specialist Michelle Escovedo, MD, provided commentary on breaking news from the conference. Dralyuk spoke on the benefits of a new three-question universal asthma screening tool, noting it is a practical way to identify undiagnosed cases without overburdening providers. Escovedo discussed the Period Prepared menstruation-education program for schools, stressing the importance of normalizing menstruation and teaching youth when to seek medical care.

The conference also served as a powerful networking platform, with our exhibit hall presence drawing significant interest in Guerin Children’s latest research, medical education programs and clinical innovations. The strong interest in our residency program—with more than 100 information packets distributed—speaks to the power and reach of the Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s brand.