Social Rundown: $20K BK Foundation scholarship, talks beyond the skies, new Fruity Pebbles cereal
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Welcome back to the Social Rundown, where you can learn about the online trends happening globally and in Texoma, too!
Want to get the latest tea or news on what's trending on social media? Tune in daily!
Burger King Foundation Scholarship
On Thursday, April 17, Cameron Whitaker, a student and a shift lead at a Burger King in Arkansas, received a gift that changed her life. Whitaker became the first recipient of a $20,000 scholarship through the Burger King Foundation. Through hard work, dedication, and support, dreams can become a reality. She now plans to continue pursuing her dreams of being a NICU nurse.
Some lucky Florida students got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to astronauts live in space. Magnet Innovation has been trying to connect students here on Earth with astronauts in space in the International Space Station. Although there were connectivity issues, the students were grateful for the eye-opening experience and the motivation it provided for their futures.
New Fruity Pebbles cereal
Hitting the shelves this month, Pebbles has their new Strawberries and Cream cereal that is deeeeeelicious! Run to your nearest supermarket for this limited-time box of flavor.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
5 days ago
- CNN
Texas girl thriving after fish skin helped heal her wound as a preemie: ‘I call her my little mermaid'
When Krystal DeVos watches her young daughter, Eliana, play with an Ariel doll, her eyes fill with emotion. 'I call her my little mermaid,' DeVos said of her daughter. Shortly after Eliana was born, it was the healing power of fish skin that helped her recover from a deep wound on her neck. 'Eliana actually has no idea,' said DeVos, who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas. 'Of course, as she gets older, we do want to go back and show her pictures and explain to her what has happened, because it is a part of her story and it's so unique.' Eliana's story began about three years ago, when she was born at 23 weeks gestation, weighing a single pound. She spent 131 days in neonatal intensive care units, during which she developed a life-threatening infection on her neck that caused a severe wound. 'It was almost like a flesh-eating disease, where her body was targeting something there in her neck,' DeVos said. As the infection grew, Eliana developed sepsis, the body's extreme response to an infection, causing some of her organs to shut down. Day after day, DeVos and her family consistently prayed for Eliana to recover. Then the medical team told her about a surprising treatment option. On day 86 of her NICU stay, Eliana was transferred from her local general hospital to Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi. She received several medications to treat the infection at both hospitals, including antibiotic therapy. But it was at Driscoll that fish skin became a novel part of her wound care. 'It's microscopically so close to human skin that it helps the wound start to heal,' said Dr. Vanessa Dimas, a pediatric plastic surgeon at Driscoll who treated Eliana. When Dimas first met Eliana, she knew that she would need to do two things: remove the buildup of dead skin tissue from the wound and cover it with some type of treatment to help healthy tissue grow back. But the more traditional approaches – like surgery or a human skin graft – were either too risky or not feasible for a preterm infant like Eliana. Her condition was too fragile. 'She was a premature baby, the wound was very extensive, and she was pretty sick, so I did not feel like it was safe to do a surgical procedure on her,' Dimas said. Instead, Dimas and her colleague Roxana Reyna, a wound ostomy nurse practitioner at Driscoll, used a medical-grade honey solution to clean out the wound. Then they applied a mixture of that honey with fish skin to cover the area. The fish skin – a medical product made from wild North Atlantic cod and manufactured by the Icelandic company Kerecis – provided a scaffold, or a type of platform, for new skin tissue to grow. Some of the omega oils and other natural elements from the fish skin helped contribute to the healing process, Dimas said, adding that 'once it basically does its job, helping the wound heal, then it sort of just melts away.' Potential risks of this fish skin treatment include reactions in children with fish allergies; for infants, it may not be known whether they have an allergy at all. 'That would be the biggest risk: an unknown allergy that could potentially cause some problems,' Dimas said. 'Other than that, there's still a chance that the kid may need surgery, because we don't know how much this is going to help us heal the child.' But for Eliana, the fish skin treatment was well-tolerated and appeared to promote healing. Fish skin has been used for wound care in people around the world, but its use in children – let alone infants – remains rare. In March, Dimas and Reyna presented data about their approach for preterm infants at the European Wound Management Association Conference in Barcelona, Spain. They talked about two case studies: Eliana and a critically ill preterm baby with an abdominal wound. 'Eliana weighed 3 pounds on the day we applied the fish skin graft,' Reyna said. The other patient weighed 1 pound during their treatment. 'Since Eliana, now we have been able to feel confident enough to use it in even smaller babies,' Reyna said. Driscoll Children's Hospital says Eliana's care team appears to be the first to implement Kerecis fish skin in wound care for a single-pound preterm baby. Reyna and Dimas have been recognized for their work, and because of their innovative use of the product, Kerecis has invited them to share their clinical insights in public forums. The concept of using fish skin to help heal damaged tissue in humans has been around for years, but it's still not a very common practice, said Dr. Arun Gosain, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Plastic Surgery and division head of plastic surgery at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. 'There are so many different options' for wound treatment, depending on the depth and severity of the wound, he said. Some approaches involve tissue from other types of animals. 'There are other forms of what we call xenografts, or taking tissue from another species and using it for wound healing,' said Gosain, who was not involved in Eliana's case. For instance, skin from pigs has been commonly used in wound care, as well as collagen from cattle. 'Xenografts may have potential in the future, but they're not used for skin replacement. It's only used for a biologic dressing currently,' he said. Biologic dressings help to temporarily cover wounds and support the natural healing process, essentially aiding in either the wound healing on its own or preparing it for a surgical treatment to close it. For example, someone who has a 'full-thickness wound' – meaning it extends through all three layers of the skin – that isn't healing on its own could benefit from some type of temporary biologic dressing, Gosain said. In that scenario, 'I could use pig skin,' he said. 'We would put that on there as a biologic dressing, realizing that it won't regenerate skin, but it will keep the wound clean until we're ready to transfer the patient's own skin, in some form, to close the wound, whether it be a skin graft or other such thing.' In their case study, Reyna and Dimas described Eliana as having a 'full-thickness wound,' but after three days of the fish skin treatment, they noted 'dramatic results.' They continued to change her dressing every three days, and after the wound was cleaned and dead skin tissue had been removed, it healed in 10 days after the first fish skin mixture was applied, with minimal scarring, according to the study. 'There were no adverse reactions, and additional surgical interventions were unnecessary,' they wrote. Three years later, Eliana's scar is so faint, it's barely noticeable. DeVos said she was inspired by watching fish skin promote the healing of her daughter's wound, and she hopes Eliana's story can help contribute to the world's understanding of fish skin as a medical tool. 'What I hope people take away is that we can be grateful for modern medicine and the power of faith,' she said. 'Never be fearful to try something new. Always be open-minded and just have faith,' she said. 'If something sounds different or you've never been exposed to it before, just take a chance and have a little faith. And in our case, it worked out really great.'
Medscape
28-05-2025
- Medscape
NICU Admissions Higher in Pregestational Diabetes
Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates were significantly higher among infants born to mothers with pregestational diabetes than among those born to mothers with gestational diabetes (GD). METHODOLOGY: This Irish study compared risks for NICU admission across maternal diabetes subtypes (type 1 diabetes [T1D], type 2 diabetes [T2D], and GD) to refine counselling and neonatal care. Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 25,238 births (January 2018 to December 2020) and identified 3905 neonates born ≥ 34 weeks to mothers with diabetes, including those with T1D (n = 67), T2D (n = 60), and GD (n = 3712). Data on gestational age, birth weight, mode of delivery, and maternal age were extracted from the registry. NICU admission details (indications, hypoglycaemia, and respiratory support) and maternal characteristics (body mass index [BMI] > 30 and preeclampsia) were obtained via electronic records. The analysis was performed using quasi-Poisson regression for assessing NICU admission risk ratios (RRs), analysis of variance for comparing gestational age/birth weight, and chi-square tests for comparing categorical variables. The primary outcome was the NICU admission rate; secondary outcomes included respiratory distress, severe hypoglycaemia, and maternal discharge timing. TAKEAWAY: Neonates born to mothers with T1D and T2D had a admission rate of 41.8% (RR, 3.32) and 31.1% (RR, 3.89), respectively, with both significantly higher than that in those born to mothers with GD (12.5%; RR, 0.133; P ≤ .001); the hospital baseline admission rate was 11.5%. ≤ .001); the hospital baseline admission rate was 11.5%. Neonates of mothers with T1D were born earlier (mean, 37 + 1 weeks) than those of mothers with T2D (mean, 38 + 1 weeks; P = .0019) and GD (mean, 39 weeks; P ≤ .001). = .0019) and GD (mean, 39 weeks; ≤ .001). Moreover, they showed significantly higher birth weight centiles than those of mothers with T2D and GD at 25th (T1D vs T2D, P = .0042; T1D vs GD, P ≤ .001), median ( P ≤ .0001 for both), and 75th centiles (T1D vs T2D, P ≤ .0001; T1D vs GD, P = .0009). = .0042; T1D vs GD, ≤ .001), median ( ≤ .0001 for both), and 75th centiles (T1D vs T2D, ≤ .0001; T1D vs GD, = .0009). Respiratory distress dominated T1D admissions (36.7%), while hypoglycaemia was primary in T2D (73.7%). Mothers with pregestational diabetes were more frequently discharged before their infants (T1D, 42.9%; T2D, 31.5%) than those with GD (21.2%). IN PRACTICE: "It is important to counsel mothers on risks and expectations for the newborn period," the authors of the study wrote. "The aim of our study is to describe how the type of maternal diabetes impacts admission to NICU and to provide up-to-date, local data to support healthcare professionals when counselling patients with diabetes in pregnancy," they added. SOURCE: This study was led by Dearbhla Hillick, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. It was published online on May 22, 2025, in the European Journal of Pediatrics . LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by the dataset being unbalanced, with most neonates born to mothers with GD. Neonates of mothers without diabetes requiring NICU admission were not included. Factors such as maternal smoking, raised BMI, or preeclampsia possibly confounded the NICU admission risk. DISCLOSURES: Open access funding was provided by the IReL Consortium. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
New Device Measures How Much Breast Milk a Baby Is Getting
Fact checked by Sarah ScottA team of engineers, neonatologists, and pediatricians at Northwestern University developed a wearable device that can help parents gauge how much breastmilk their baby is getting. The device could help ease any stress or concern about whether their baby is eating enough. Until the device is on the market, there are several other ways to make sure your baby is getting enough and chestfeeding offers countless benefits for mom and baby, but one aspect of nursing causes many parents intense stress. I mean, who among us hasn't worried that our baby isn't getting enough breast milk? While there are ways to determine if your baby is being properly nourished, like counting diaper output, researchers at Northwestern University felt there must be an easier and more updated method. So, they developed a device that uses sensors to measure exactly how much breast milk a baby is drinking. It's important to note that the sensors are not available at the moment, but the hope is that the technology will be at new parents' disposal in a few years. Lead researcher Daniel Robinson, MD MSc, an associate professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, explains to Parents that the device was designed to help health care professionals manage the nutritional needs of preterm and sick infants in the NICU. Their goal is also to reduce stress for breastfeeding parents and avoid the cumbersome use of pre- and post-feed weighing of infants. 'A mother would place a wireless sensor on the breast,' Robinson explains about how the device functions. 'Technically, the sensor is measuring a change in bioimpedance as the infant pulls milk out of the breast. The signal changes as the milk is expressed and breast tissue changes.' Then, that information would be sent via Bluetooth to a smartphone, so parents can keep track of their baby's breastmilk intake. Until the device is operational, if you are not a technophile, or if you can be technically challenged (timidly raises hand), Abrie McCoy, an IBCLC with SimpliFed, wants new parents to remember their bodies were made to breastfeed efficiently! That said, McCoy emphasizes, 'It's completely normal to wonder if your baby is getting enough to eat.' 'While these concerns are valid, take a deep breath and trust in your body and your ability to nourish your baby,' she advises new parents. McCoy says instead of focusing on finding an exact measurement of breast milk intake, parents should look for the signs of a successful feed. Signs of a successful feeding routine include: Your newborn is nursing often. McCoy says a new baby will nurse at least 8 to 10 times in a 24-hour period. Baby is making wet and dirty diapers. 'From day 3 to 1 month old, your baby should have at least six wet diapers and three dirty diapers per day,' McCoy says. 'These numbers tell us your baby is well-hydrated and getting the nourishment they need.' Baby continues to grow and thrive. This is a key indication that your baby is receiving the nourishment required. Baby is experiencing a steady increase in head circumference, length, and weight. These trends are measured at your baby's well visits. McCoy encourages new parents to support their bodies in providing nourishment to their babies, and following the baby's lead when it comes to showing hunger cues. Don't forget to relax and reach out for help from a lactation specialist or your child's pediatrician if you have concerns. Read the original article on Parents
