A talented giant: a tribute to the memory of John M. Opitz.

BACKGROUND: John M. Opitz, a towering figure in both stature and scientific achievement, left an indelible mark on the fields of genetics, pediatrics, and embryology. Born in 1935 in Hamburg to a Jewish family, Opitz's early life was marked by adversities. Despite these challenges, he pursued a remarkable career, immigrating to the United States at 15 years and becoming a renowned scientist in institutions like Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin, where he made groundbreaking contributions to clinical genetics. MAIN BODY: A testament to his compassionate nature, Opitz dedicated himself to understanding and treating rare genetic disorders, earning him eponymous recognition in several medical conditions. His impact extended beyond academia, as evidenced by his collaborative efforts with Sicilian universities to advance clinical genetics in Italy. Opitz's teaching style emphasized simplicity, empathy, and meticulous clinical examination, leaving an indelible mark on students and colleagues. CONCLUSION: John M. Opitz's towering intellect, compassionate demeanor, and profound impact on medicine and genetics made him a figure of enduring significance. His legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched, the knowledge he transmitted, and the enduring friendships he forged. In remembering John Opitz, we honor not only a man, but also a myth-a symbol of resilience, humanity, and scientific excellence.

Body Mass Index in the Pediatric Population: Understanding Its History and Current Applications.

Body mass index (BMI) is a tool that is commonly used to screen for obesity. There are advantages and limitations of the use of BMI in the pediatric population. It is an inexpensive and easily implemented tool that can provide insight for clinicians, patients, and caregivers. It may help guide the discussion of the potential health impacts of weight, although there are both practical and philosophical limitations to its use. Clinicians should be aware of the nuances of the use of BMI in practice. This article covers a brief history of the BMI, how it is used in pediatrics, its advantages and limitations, as well as strategies for using BMI to facilitate discussions with patients and families. [Pediatr Ann. 2024;53(8):e275-e277.].

The past 25 years in paediatric rheumatology: insights from monogenic diseases.

The past 25 years have seen major novel developments in the field of paediatric rheumatology. The concept of autoinflammation was introduced to this field, and medicine more broadly, with studies of familial Mediterranean fever, the most common autoinflammatory disease globally. New data on the positive evolutionary selection of familial Mediterranean fever-associated genetic variants might be pertinent to mild gain-of-function variants reported in other disease-associated genes. Genetic studies have unveiled the complexity of human heritability to inflammation and flourishing data from rare monogenic disorders have contributed to a better understanding of general disease mechanisms in paediatric rheumatic conditions. Beyond genomics, the application of other 'omics' technologies, including transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, has generated an enormous dataset that can be applied to the development of new therapies and in the practice of precision medicine. Novel biomarkers for monitoring disease activity and progression have also emerged. A surge in the development of targeted biologic therapies has led to durable remission and improved prognosis for many diseases that in the past caused major complications. Last but not least, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected paediatric rheumatology practice and has sparked new investigations into the link between viral infections and unregulated inflammatory responses in children.

[The first translation on pediatrics: Er Ke Cuo Yao].

Er Ke Cuo Yao(The Pediatric Summary) is the first monograph on pediatrics of Western medicine translated and introduced in the late Qing Dynasty. It occupies an important position in the history of the development of modern pediatrics and modern Western medicine in China. Edited by American missionary Mary Hannah Fulton and translated by Chinese Western medicine scholar Yin Duanmo, the book consists of 2 volumes and 14 books, including general discussion of pediatrics, diagnosis of pediatric diseases, and discussion on teething, throat diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, worms, liver diseases, abdominal epimesis, and new infectious diseases, etc. covering the diagnosis, treatment, maintenance and other knowledge of Western medical pediatrics. The source of Er Ke Cuo Yao is not yet available, but it may be a synthesis of various materials, and the translation uses paraphrasing, transliteration, and traditional Chinese medicine terminology, and the language is easy to understand. Er Ke Cuo Yao reflects the level of development of pediatrics in Western medicine in the early modern period, makes up for the lack of pediatrics knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, and plays an active role in the diagnosis and treatment of common pediatric diseases, epidemiological diseases, surgical diseases, and malnutrition prevention.

The birth of pediatric urology in the United States: From pioneers to subcertification.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric urology is a subspecialty of urology that emerged from a culture in which children with urological disorders were cared for by general urologists and general pediatric surgeons. The development of pediatric urology as a subspecialty was years in the making, highlighted by individuals who recognized that children with urological conditions were not just "small adults," but required special experience and training. Subspecialization was initiated by persistent visionaries who recognized the need for a trained cadre of experts to provide better care for children. It took the coordinated effort of all subgroups and leaderships in pediatric urology to push these efforts over the goal line. The focus of this review is to highlight certain individuals who played major roles in this vision and to document the efforts of many to coordinate the pathways to sub-specialization. METHODS: The careers of Meredith F. Campbell and Frank B. Bicknell were researched to identify their rationale and roles in developing pediatric urology as a distinct medical specialty in the United States. In addition, the minutes of the meetings of the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) with the American Board of Urology (ABU) were reviewed. The origins of the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) and the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Urology (AAP-SOU) were researched. The contributions of each to the certification of pediatric urology as a distinct subspecialty was delineated. RESULTS: Campbell was Chair of Urology at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and wrote prolifically about pediatric urology. He published one of the first practical textbooks in pediatric urology, almost completely self-written, in 1937. Bicknell, a general urologist in Michigan on the faculty at Wayne State University School of Medicine, led the initiative to create the Society for Pediatric Urology (SPU) that first met at the 1951 annual American Urological Association (AUA) meeting in Chicago and included nine attendees. Subsequently, John Lattimer (College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University) organized a well-attended meeting of urologists interested in pediatrics at the 1964 annual AAP meeting in New York City. This led to the formation of the AAP Section on Urology. Integral to the justification for the development of a subspecialty was evidence of a published corpus of content. In addition to published textbooks devoted exclusively to pediatric urology, this was further fulfilled by the AAP Section on Urology Pediatric Supplement to the Journal of Urology, first published in 1986, and later with the Journal of Pediatric Urology in 2005. The SPU and the AAP Section on Urology came together to form the Pediatric Urology Advisory Council (PUAC) in 2000, which worked with the ABU to create subspecialty certification in pediatric urology with an independent exam, first administered in 2008 to 176 applicants. CONCLUSION: The metaphor "We have stood on the shoulders of giants" is apt for pediatric urology: Meredith Campbell, Frank Bicknell, David Innes Williams (Hospital for Sick Children, London), and J. Herbert Johnston (Alder Hay Hospital, Liverpool) come to mind among the first generation of pediatric urology pioneers, and others among their colleagues also had significant impact. Clearly this is a story of persistence and attention to detail on the part of those giants and those who followed. Pediatric urology became a distinct discipline after the SPU and AAP-SOU came together to create a robust cohort of pediatric urologists who through education and negotiation were able to help the ABU and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) recognize that subspecialization would lead to better care for children with urologic disorders. This benchmark set a high bar for future subspecialization in urology and other fields.

Pediatrics, Pediatricians and Child Care : Based on 16th Dr. K. C. Chaudhuri and Dr. Amala Chaudhuri Oration, on 15th October 2023.

Medical problems of children and their differences from adults have been mentioned in the ancient texts. Important contributions to medicine, including treatment of diseases of children were made by Greek and many scholars from middle East countries in 10th century. Pediatrics became widely recognized in Europe and USA during early 19th century and a number of children's hospitals were established in major cities. With technological advances, pediatric subspecialties also developed. In India, pediatrics was recognized around 1950s and thereafter, gradually progressed. Pediatric specialties came up in 1970s and became well established during 2020s. Pediatricians are regarded as doctors treating sick children. Pediatric specialists have the responsibility of providing tertiary care to patients with complex systemic diseases and critical care. In our country having a huge underprivileged population, pediatricians need to play a wider role and aim to provide comprehensive care that would lead to optimum development for every child. They should be aware of child rights, widely prevalent child abuse and exploitation and legal protective mechanisms, and attempt to tackle these issues in association with other agencies and organizations working for child welfare.

History of the Section on Surgery, The American Academy of Pediatrics: The Third 25 Years (1998-2023).

The Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2023. To continue the tradition begun 25 years ago with analyses of the first two 25 years timespans of the organization, this examination focuses on the most recent quarter century. To frame this review, we begin with the seminal beginnings with the work of the section's founder, Herbert E Coe and reflect upon the twenty charter members of the organization. Then we explore the important accomplishments and challenges of the organization to the current time. Finally, we conclude with a glimpse of what the future holds for the first home of pediatric surgeons. TYPE OF STUDY: Review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.