Child Health
Using Machine Learning to Make Ventilator Support Safer for Children
Last Updated on September 6, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Robinder Khemani, MD, MsCI, Attending Physician in Pediatric Intensive Care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has received a $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Health to examine to improve outcomes of children put on ventilators.
« Using Machine Learning to Make Ventilator Support Safer for Children
Newswise — LOS ANGELES — Critically ill children on ventilator support can experience a mismatch between their breathing efforts and) the rhythm delivered by the ventilator. This mismatch, called patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA), is difficult to detect and can worsen patient outcomes. PVA is commonly associated with longer stays on a ventilator for adults and can raise the risks of infection, lung injury and brain damage. However, little is known about PVA in children, where it could be just as, if not more, common. Robinder Khemani, MD, MsCI, Attending Physician in Pediatric Intensive Care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is using machine learning to improve the outcomes of children put on ventilators.
A CHLA research team led by Dr. Khemani has received a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to examine the frequency and risk factors for common types of PVA in critically ill children. Working with hospitals in Canada and the Netherlands, the researchers will investigate whether PVA is independently associated with poor clinical outcomes and determine the effects on the body when breathing doesn’t match the flow of air provided by the ventilator.
Children can need ventilator support for multiple reasons, including severe pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), when infection or trauma causes swelling, inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs. The body’s response to the initial injury can harm the lungs even more than the infection or trauma itself.
“Many of these very sick patients can develop unexpected complications from the very procedures that we use to help them,” says Dr. Khemani. Ventilator-induced lung injury can lead to heart and kidney damage, or can increase vulnerability to future lung disease, asthma or sleep-disordered breathing.
“Brain function can also be impaired by all the medications, anesthetics and sedation patients receive to help them to tolerate the ventilator,” says Dr. Khemani. “We weigh the risks and benefits to minimize potential harms and hopefully get them off the ventilator as soon as they are ready.”
Measuring patient-ventilator mismatch
“There are many types of PVA, but we still don’t know which PVA subtypes are most harmful or are the most frequent,” says Dr. Khemani. “We need to develop a common set of definitions and measurements, especially for pediatric patients.”
Mismatches between patient breathing and the rhythm the ventilator provides can occur in different ways, as children’s breathing varies according to their weight, size and age. Respiration patterns can also change during the course of a child’s stay in the pediatric intensive care unit. But existing studies use different definitions for PVA subtypes and no study so far has been large enough to evaluate the relationship between different types of PVA and patient outcomes, or has yet focused on the highest-risk patients.
Automating ventilator-patient breathing
“It takes a very highly trained human to recognize PVA,” says Dr. Khemani. “But computers can do this very well. Our colleagues at the Virtual Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (vPICU) here at CHLA have been working with us on this project for a few years and have developed machine-learning algorithms that can identify different types of breathing asynchronies in children on ventilators.”
The study team will collect measurements from 200 children and combine this data with the analysis of 350 children in other studies, including a clinical trial that is testing a novel ventilator strategy. “By the end of this project, we hope to have developed these algorithms and validate that they work in three different hospitals using data from many different children,” says Dr. Khemani. “Simultaneously we will build a tool to automatically detect PVA by analyzing ventilator data through machine-learning algorithms. We will test how well the tool helps providers to identify the minute-to-minute changes in patients and potentially alert the bedside team that an adjustment to the ventilator may be needed.”
To minimize the risks of ventilator support, medical teams want to keep patients participating in breathing for themselves as much as possible. “So that’s where this study really comes into play, by constantly tracking the interaction between the child and the ventilator to ask if the ventilator is supplying just the right amount of help, precisely when needed,” says Dr. Khemani.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is the largest provider of hospital care for children in California. Renowned pediatric experts work together across disciplines to deliver inclusive and compassionate health care to one of the world’s most diverse populations, driving advances that set child health standards across the nation and around the globe. With a mission to create hope and build healthier futures for children, the hospital consistently ranks in the top 10 in the nation, No. 1 in California and No. 1 in the Pacific U.S. region on U.S. News & World Report’s Honor Roll of Best Children’s Hospitals. The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles supports the full continuum of child health research and is among the top 10 pediatric academic medical centers for National Institutes of Health funding, meaning physicians and scientists translate discoveries into treatments and bring answers to families faster. Home to one of the largest pediatric training programs in the United States, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles graduates a new class of physicians each year who have learned world-class children’s health care at the forefront of medicine. And as an anchor institution, the hospital strengthens the economic health of surrounding communities by fighting food insecurity, enhancing health education and literacy, and introducing early careerists to health care. To learn more, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, and visit our blog at CHLA.org/blog.
Source: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Women's Health
From Pregnancy to Parenthood: How Medicaid Supports Women Across the Maternal Health Journey
When women are planning, expanding or raising families, access to healthcare is a vital source of physical and mental support. For millions of women and families across the U.S., Medicaid provides that support, enabling parents and children to access the reproductive, maternal and pediatric healthcare they need to thrive.
(Feature Impact) When women are planning, expanding or raising families, access to healthcare is a vital source of physical and mental support. For millions of women and families across the U.S., Medicaid provides that support, enabling parents and children to access the reproductive, maternal and pediatric healthcare they need to thrive. It’s there for anyone who needs it, from working adults to families navigating unemployment or disability.
To learn about how Medicaid supports growing families through every stage of the parenthood journey, consider this information from the maternal health experts at Community Catalyst.
Making Family Planning Possible
When people are able to plan and prepare to welcome children into the world, it can remove a lot of stress, uncertainty and complication from their journeys. Medicaid family-planning coverage may include reproductive health counseling, pre-pregnancy screenings, many forms of FDA-approved contraception and other preventive services. Comprehensive access to birth control allows women and couples to make their own decisions about pregnancy timing or spacing between siblings.
Supporting Healthy Pregnancies
Pregnancy is no small endeavor, and a woman with a healthcare team at her side is better prepared to face whatever challenges may arise. Pregnancy often requires frequent appointments for ultrasounds, laboratory testing and monitoring – all of which are made possible and affordable through Medicaid. Since 1 in 4 Medicaid recipients are women ages 15-49, this care can make a difference during their childbearing years.
Covering Labor and Delivery Costs
Labor and birth can be unpredictable, but being able to afford them shouldn’t be. Without Medicaid, which finances approximately 41% of U.S. births, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the cost of hospitalization and delivery could be financially devastating to young families. Coverage for labor, delivery and NICU care, if needed, gives parents the ability to focus on their new babies instead of overwhelming medical bills.
Providing Postpartum Care
The need for maternal healthcare doesn’t end when mother and child are discharged from the hospital. Physical recovery takes time, especially if there were any complications during the pregnancy or delivery. Beyond that, postpartum women may need mental health support, treatment for chronic conditions, contraception renewals and other health services that Medicaid can provide. Currently, 49 states plus Washington, D.C. have extended postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months, which helps new mothers get continuous care without worrying about insurance lapses.
Caring for Growing Kids
Nearly half of all Medicaid recipients in the U.S. are children ages 0-18 – and sometimes kids qualify for Medicaid even when their parents don’t. The program can help new parents stay up to date with well-child visits for infants, immunizations and ongoing preventive care throughout childhood.
To learn more about access to essential services at every stage of life, visit communitycatalyst.org/maternalhealth.
Filling Gaps in Pregnancy and Postpartum Care: Kayla and Tru’s Story
When Kayla found out she was pregnant at 24 years old, she had no idea how she was going to afford all the costs that were coming. Despite having part-time employment and primary insurance through her mother, she faced gaps in coverage for pregnancy care.
Qualifying for Medicaid changed everything. Not only did it cover Kayla’s prenatal visits, labs, ultrasounds and delivery, but once her son Tru was born, both mother and baby required an extended hospital stay. Medicaid made it possible for Tru to get the care he needed in the NICU while Kayla recovered from birth complications.
Afterward, the program continued to cover Kayla and Tru for follow-up appointments and well-child visits. She’s grateful it was there during her time of need and has one simple message to share: If you qualify for Medicaid, apply.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I didn’t expect to be in the hospital as long. I didn’t expect for him to be where he was. But it was definitely needed and helpful.”
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (mother leaning over hospital bassinet)
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Lifestyle
P.F. Chang’s Partners With Starlight Children’s Foundation for New “Spirit of the Zodiac” Giving Campaign
P.F. Chang’s launches Spirit of the Zodiac, a giving campaign supporting Starlight Children’s Foundation with Bao plush purchases and in-restaurant donations.
P.F. Chang’s Launches Spirit of the Zodiac Campaign to Support Starlight Children’s Foundation
P.F. Chang’s is launching a new annual charitable initiative designed to bring comfort to children during hospital stays. The Scottsdale-based restaurant brand announced Spirit of the Zodiac, a giving program inspired by the Chinese zodiac, with its inaugural campaign—Year of the Fire Horse: Spirit of Strength—benefiting Starlight Children’s Foundation.
What the campaign supports
Starlight Children’s Foundation serves more than 800 children’s hospitals nationwide, providing programs such as toy deliveries, hospital gowns, gaming stations, and other experiences intended to help kids feel more comfortable, connected, and supported during medical care.
How guests can participate (Sept. 2–Sept. 30)
From September 2 through September 30, 2026, guests can purchase Bao, a limited-edition horse plushie, for $10 through dine-in transactions at participating P.F. Chang’s restaurants (while supplies last). For each Bao purchased, P.F. Chang’s will donate an identical Bao plushie to Starlight for distribution through its hospital network—up to 20,000 donated plushies.
Guests can also support the campaign by rounding up their checks or making a direct donation in restaurant. The overall effort aims to raise $500,000 to support Starlight’s work with children and families.
Bonus offer for donors
P.F. Chang’s says guests who purchase Bao or make an in-restaurant donation of $10 or more to Starlight will receive an offer for a complimentary appetizer with the purchase of an entrée on a future dine-in visit, valid through October 31, 2026 (restrictions apply; participating locations only).
A story component for families
The campaign also includes a storytelling element: Bao’s journey will be featured in a digital story and an original children’s book by author Jenny Liao and illustrator Adriane Tsai, expected to publish later this month.
What to watch for
P.F. Chang’s and Starlight plan to continue the partnership beyond September, including in-hospital catering and plush deliveries in early October.
For more information, visit www.pfchangs.com/offers/spirit-of-the-zodiac. To learn more about the partnership, visit starlight.org/pfchangs.
💪 Your health journey starts here! Explore the latest health news, fitness tips, wellness trends, and healthy living advice. Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter to stay informed and inspired every day.
Child Health
Pediatric Cancer Goes Beyond a Victory Bell: How Research and Innovation Improve Survivorship Rates
(Feature Impact) For every tear-jerking video found online of a child ringing a bell that signifies a cancer journey victory, there are dozens, if not more, people working behind the scenes. From leading minds in cancer research to doctors, nurses and support staff, a vast network of people and decades of medical advancements make those moments possible.
In fact, in the last 10 years, the FDA approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Those breakthroughs – and the children they impact – come with a cost, which is why Hyundai Hope on Wheels has served as a pioneer in increasing survival rates by investing $303 million in pediatric cancer research over nearly three decades.
Those funds have supported more than 1,600 grants to 210 institutions, leading to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials and new drug development while bringing hope at all stages of a child’s cancer journey.
However, there remains work to be accomplished. According to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that. In fact, more than one-third of respondents said they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard the term but don’t fully understand what it means.
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment, including planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy.
Survival rates continue increasing with scientific and technological breakthroughs, up from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing roughly 40,000 more children surviving their diagnoses. More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by that progress.
For survivors, treatment is just the beginning. Research, follow-up care and long-term funding determine what comes next, and every grant funded and every survivorship program backed means more children reaching adulthood.
According to the survey, more than 80% of adults said they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, creating opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer. Collaboration among leading minds, made possible by funding from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels, has led to the development of comprehensive approaches to help children thrive during life after cancer, including enhanced medical records, AI integration, socioemotional support and combatting long-term side effects.
Find more information and ways you can join the fight by visiting HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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