Krista Childress

Krista Childress, MD, FACOG

Languages spoken: English

  • Dr. Krista Childress is an Associate Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology and a fellowship trained Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecologist. Dr. Childress completed her Bachelor of Science at University of Iowa and her MD at University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago, IL. She completed her Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL followed by her Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. After fellowship, she started the first Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology program at Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) in Atlanta, GA. During her 5 years in Atlanta, she served as Director of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology at Emory, Co-Director of the Differences of Sex Development (DSD) program at CHOA, lead of the Emory OB GYN pediatric gynecology resident rotation, and was involved in various multidisciplinary clinics including pelvic and anorectal malformations, bleeding disorders, bone marrow transplant survivorship, and DSD clinic. She serves on committees and boards for various specialty societies and pediatric gynecology special interest groups including American Society for Reproductive Medicine, AAGL, Oncofertility Consortium, Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium, and North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. In 2022, she enthusiastically joined the University of Utah and Primary Children’s Hospital faculty as one of two fellowship trained Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecologists in the state of Utah. While Dr. Childress has special academic and research interests in fertility preservation, complex anomalies of the reproductive tract and complex pelvic malformations, ovarian masses, and minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Childress enjoys caring for all pediatric and adolescent gynecology conditions including medical and surgical: abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, pediatric vulvar complaints, ovarian masses, reproductive tract anomalies, pediatric endocrine disorders (precocious puberty, delayed puberty, primary ovarian insufficiency or failure, polycystic ovary syndrome), contraceptive counseling, fertility preservation for oncologic and non-oncologic conditions, differences of sex development (DSD), and gender affirming care. Her clinical research focuses on quality improvement within the field of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology including management of ovarian masses, adnexal torsion, complex reproductive tract anomalies, and improvement in peri-operative surgical care with enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. Outside of her clinical duties she enjoys all the outdoor adventures including hiking, rock climbing, running and is a huge fan of live music.

    Specialties

  • Dr. Krista Childress is an Associate Professor in Obstetrics & Gynecology and a fellowship trained Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecologist. Dr. Childress completed her Bachelor of Science at University of Iowa and her MD at University of Illinois at Chicago in Chicago, IL. She completed her Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL followed by her Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. After fellowship, she started the first Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology program at Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) in Atlanta, GA. During her 5 years in Atlanta, she served as Director of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology at Emory, Co-Director of the Differences of Sex Development (DSD) program at CHOA, lead of the Emory OB GYN pediatric gynecology resident rotation, and was involved in various multidisciplinary clinics including pelvic and anorectal malformations, bleeding disorders, bone marrow transplant survivorship, and DSD clinic. She serves on committees and boards for various specialty societies and pediatric gynecology special interest groups including American Society for Reproductive Medicine, AAGL, Oncofertility Consortium, Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium, and North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. In 2022, she enthusiastically joined the University of Utah and Primary Children’s Hospital faculty as one of two fellowship trained Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecologists in the state of Utah. While Dr. Childress has special academic and research interests in fertility preservation, complex anomalies of the reproductive tract and complex pelvic malformations, ovarian masses, and minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Childress enjoys caring for all pediatric and adolescent gynecology conditions including medical and surgical: abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, pediatric vulvar complaints, ovarian masses, reproductive tract anomalies, pediatric endocrine disorders (precocious puberty, delayed puberty, primary ovarian insufficiency or failure, polycystic ovary syndrome), contraceptive counseling, fertility preservation for oncologic and non-oncologic conditions, differences of sex development (DSD), and gender affirming care. Her clinical research focuses on quality improvement within the field of Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology including management of ovarian masses, adnexal torsion, complex reproductive tract anomalies, and improvement in peri-operative surgical care with enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. Outside of her clinical duties she enjoys all the outdoor adventures including hiking, rock climbing, running and is a huge fan of live music.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Obstetrics & Gynecology -Primary
    Pediatrics -Adjunct

    Education history

    Fellowship Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology - Baylor College of Medicine Fellow
    Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Rotation - Washington University School of Medicine Resident
    Residency Obstetrics & Gynecology - Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Resident
    Medicine - University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago M.D.
    Undergraduate Major: Integrative Physiology; Minor: Psychology - University of Iowa B.S.

    Selected Publications

    Journal Article

    1. Brown MC, White MH, Friedberg R, Woods K, Childress K, Kulkarni M, Sidonio RF Jr (2021). Elevated von Willebrand factor levels during heavy menstrual bleeding episodes limit the diagnostic utility for von Willebrand disease. Res Pract Thromb Haemost, 5(4), e12513. (Read full article)
    2. Wu CQ, Childress KJ, Traore EJ, Smith EA (2020). A Review of Mullerian Anomalies and Their Urologic Associations. Urology, 151, 98-106. (Read full article)
    3. Mayhew AC, Bost J, Linam L, Milla S, Farahzad M, Childress KJ (2020). Compensatory Ovarian Hypertrophy after Unilateral Oophorectomy: Evaluation of Ovarian Volumes in Pediatric and Adolescent Populations. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 33(6), 631-638. (Read full article)
    4. Allen SM, Liang CS, Chesnokova AE, Childress KJ, Pascoe KF, Dietrich JE (2020). Patterns of Genital Examination and Vulvovaginal Graft-Versus-Host Disease in a Pediatric Post-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Population. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 33(6), 658-666. (Read full article)
    5. Smith AE, Heiss K, Childress KJ (2020). Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology: A Pilot Study. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 33(4), 403-409. (Read full article)
    6. Nahata L, Gomez-Lobo V, Meacham L, Appiah L, Childress K, Hoefgen H, Dwiggins M, Whiteside S, Bjornard K, Rios J, Anazodo A, Finlayson C, Frias O, Woodruff T, Moravek M (2020). 2019 Pediatric Initiative Network: Progress, Proceedings, and Plans. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol, 9(4), 457-463. (Read full article)
    7. Childress KJ, Santos XM, Perez-Milicua G, Hakim J, Adeyemi-Fowode O, Bercaw-Pratt JL, Dietrich JE (2017). Intraoperative Rupture of Ovarian Dermoid Cysts in the Pediatric and Adolescent Population: Should This Change Your Surgical Management? J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 30(6), 636-640. (Read full article)

    Review

    1. Panagiotakopoulos L, Chulani V, Koyama A, Childress K, Forcier M, Grimsby G, Greenberg K (2020). The effect of early puberty suppression on treatment options and outcomes in transgender patients. [Review]. Nat Rev Urol, 17(11), 626-636. (Read full article)
    2. Stambough K, Childress KJ (2018). Ovarian conservation in management of pediatric gynecology malignancies. [Review]. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol, 30(5), 316-325. (Read full article)
    3. Childress KJ, Patil NM, Muscal JA, Dietrich JE, Venkatramani R (2017). Borderline Ovarian Tumor in the Pediatric and Adolescent Population: A Case Series and Literature Review. [Review]. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 31(1), 48-54. (Read full article)
    4. Childress KJ, Dietrich JE (2016). Pediatric Ovarian Torsion. [Review]. Surg Clin North Am, 97(1), 209-221. (Read full article)
    5. Colindres JV, Childress KJ, Axelrad M, McCullough LB, Shao Y, Macias C, Loveless J, Gunn SK, Bercaw-Pratt J, Sutton R, Karaviti LP, Dietrich JE (2017). A Multidisciplinary Approach to Puberty and Fertility in Girls with Turner Syndrome. [Review]. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev, 14(1), 33-47. (Read full article)

    Commentary

    1. Wilkins I, Loy G, Gambala C, Alexander T, Cline A, Childress K (2010). Discussion: 'Factor V Leiden mutation' by Kjellberg et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 203(5), e1-7. (Read full article)

    Case Report

    1. Mayhew AC, Rytting H, Olson TA, Smith E, Childress KJ (2020). Vaginal Yolk Sac Tumor: A Case Series and Review of the Literature. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 34(1), 54-60.e4. (Read full article)
    2. Castellanos MI, Childress KJ, Ramirez M, Venkatramani R (2020). Fetal exposure to capecitabine and temozolomide during the first trimester: A case report. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod, 101881. (Read full article)
    3. Hakim J, Childress KJ, Hernandez AM, Bercaw-Pratt JL (2019). Tubo-Ovarian Abscesses in Nonsexually Active Adolescent Females: A Large Case Series. J Adolesc Health, 65(2), 303-305. (Read full article)
    4. Moon LM, Childress KJ, Isaac R, Adeyemi-Fowode O (2018). Medical Child Abuse: A Case Presenting as Anogenital Bleeding of Unknown Origin in an Older Child. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 31(6), 637-639. (Read full article)
    5. Childress KJ, Brown O, Bercaw-Pratt J (2018). Inguinal Hyperhidrosis: Case Report of an Uncommon Cause of Vaginitis. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 31(4), 420-421. (Read full article)
    6. Childress KJ, Hicks J, Wu H, Brandt ML, Adeyemi-Fowode OA (2016). Lipoblastoma of the Labia: A Case Report. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 29(6), e97-e99. (Read full article)
    7. Schmitt CE, Childress KJ, Feinberg JS (2011). Violaceous plaques in a collarlike distribution--quiz case. Carcinoma erysipelatoides from carcinoma of unknown primary. Arch Dermatol, 147(3), 345-50. (Read full article)

    Other

    1. Childress KJ, Lawson AK, Ghant MS, Mendoza G, Cardozo ER, Confino E, Marsh EE (2015). First contact: the intersection of demographics, knowledge, and appraisal of treatment at the initial infertility visit. Fertil Steril (104(1), pp. 180-7). United States. (Read full article)

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