Steven Hardy presents sickle cell findings at ASPHO annual meeting

Steven Hardy, Ph.D. recently joined medical leaders in Montréal for the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology’s 30^th Annual Meeting, where he and his team presented key findings from their cognitive and psychosocial research program involving youth with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
The first presentation, “Processing Speed and Academic Fluency in Youth With Sickle Cell Disease,” showed that, on average, children with SCD are less able to quickly and efficiently process information than their healthy counterparts. This weakness negatively impacted their academic performance, particularly in math fluency, and increased the children’s odds of having to repeat a grade in school.

A second presentation, “Quality of Life and School Absences in Children With Sickle Cell Disease With and Without Asthma,” explored the differences in quality of life between children with SCD only and children with both SCD and asthma (a common comorbidity). Dr. Hardy and his team found that children with both diseases tend to experience a greater impact on quality of life. Other factors – such as the child’s IQ and the family’s financial, material and social resources – moderated this risk.

The presentations were met with enthusiasm from renowned medical professionals from around the world, all of whom came together for collaborative and constructive sessions to move the needle on pediatric care.