In 1991-1993, the SEC designed and conducted an unusually large, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of the safety of ibuprofen for children known as The Boston University Fever Study (BUFS). For this study, the SEC recruited more than 1700 physicians from the 48 continental United States. Those physicians in turn enrolled over 83,000 febrile children who were broadly representative of the U.S. population. The results of this study demonstrated the safety of short-term ibuprofen use in children and led to over-the-counter approval of pediatric ibuprofen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Following the experience of BUFS, SEC researchers have utilized the nation-wide network of physicians to conduct other pediatric clinical studies including a case-control study of group A streptococcal disease complicating varicella infections, a cohort study of pediatric diarrheal disease, and, currently, a pilot clinical trial of xylitol to prevent acute otitis media.

Due to the great success of these efforts the SEC has formalized this approach to pediatric clinical research as the Slone Center Office-based Research Network— the SCOR Network . The goal of this network is to conduct studies of practical importance to the health of children, particularly in areas most relevant to primary-care physicians. There are currently over 500 active physician members in the network. The patients of these physicians represent a large and diverse population of children from throughout the United States. SCOR Network research efforts can be tailored to recruit subjects broadly representative of the U.S. population or specifically targeted to certain high-risk groups.

Links to SCOR Affiliated Studies:

Boston University Fever Study
Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infection and NSAID Use in Children
with Varicella
National Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Study
Xylitol for the Prevention of Acute Otitis Media
2004 - SCOR Survey on Acute Otitis Media and Obesity
2006 - SCOR Survey on Acute Otitis Media and Type 2 Diabetes
Mellitus

Investigators:

Allen A. Mitchell, M.D.
Director

Louis Vernacchio, M.D., M.Sc.
Epidemiologist

Study Staff:

Sandra Hatfield
Program Coordinator

Richard M. Vezina, M.P.H.
Administrator

Publications:

Link to SCOR Network Affiliated Publications

Contact Information:

Tel: (617) 734-6006
Fax: (617) 738-5119