Blog

Helping your child understand puberty

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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We all remember the changes — and awkwardness — of puberty. But helping your child navigate puberty is a whole different matter. For answers, we turned to Boston Children’s Primary Care Alliance physician Caitlyn Hark, MD, at Framingham Pediatrics, and Frances Grimstad, MD, a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist in the Division of Gynecology at Boston ... Read More
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Three ways to ensure your child has the proper asthma medication

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Specialty Care
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Children who have asthma should always have access to medication. But a manufacturer’s decision to stop producing a popular asthma drug has many families scrambling to find alternative medications that are covered by health insurance. Prescriptions sometimes change for families because a medication is discontinued or there are coverage changes by health insurers and pharmacies, ... Read More
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Celebrating the unexpected, Miley’s family navigates Apert syndrome

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Miley is the first girl born into her family in almost a generation. Hearing the delivery team announce, “It’s a girl,” is a moment her mom, Nicole, and her dad, Mike, will always remember.  “We just cried,” says Nicole. “I’ll never forget that moment.” But what they also discovered at delivery was something else they ... Read More
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How Boston Children’s physicians have teamed up to tackle obesity and food insecurity

Posted on by | Clinical Care
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When nutritious, high-quality food is not easily accessible, families are often left to purchase what is available — usually, highly processed, nutrient-poor food. Children in these households — who also have food insecurity and various socio-economic stressors — face additional barriers and are at risk for developing chronic diseases, such as obesity.  To address such ... Read More
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‘Empowered to be there for Teagan’: New parents learn about hearing loss

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Teagan O’Brien is a bright, spunky 4-year-old who loves reading, dancing, and playing outdoors. Her parents, Kim and Donnie, are firefighters who throw themselves into any new situation. Since they adopted Teagan three-and-a-half years ago, they’ve thrown themselves into supporting her with help from her team at Boston Children’s Hospital. Teagan was already a patient ... Read More
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Mending injured hearts: Lessons from newborns?

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
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When the heart is injured, as in a myocardial infarction, the damaged heart muscle cannot regenerate — instead, scar tissue forms. Cardiomyocytes, the heart muscle cells that generate contractile force, are lost for good. Yet, in mouse models, the hearts of newborns regenerate readily after injury. How are newborn hearts able to recover? What are ... Read More
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Finding comfort and answers for twin-twin transfusion syndrome: Shannon’s story

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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Shannon’s journey through a challenging pregnancy with TTTS (twin-twin transfusion syndrome) was, as she puts it, an emotional rollercoaster. In addition to the usual first-time parent jitters and the unexpected news of twins, Shannon and Mike navigated the emotional ups and downs of the rare pregnancy complication. TTTS put their twins at severe risk of ... Read More
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Medical care for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities: A call for change

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Ethics/Policy
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According to national data, one in six children has a neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) such as autism, intellectual disability, or ADHD. Their medical care is often inadequate, sometimes leaving conditions untreated and neglecting preventive care — with poorer outcomes as the result. Clinicians may not take time to communicate with children, teens, and young adults with ... Read More
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Questions to ask about your child’s orthopedic care

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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Maybe your child has an orthopedic injury and needs surgery, or maybe they need to be treated with a different method. Either way, asking questions can help you understand their doctor’s recommendations and how to prepare for whatever comes next. “Families often find themselves unprepared for their child’s mobility limitations as they heal from surgery ... Read More
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Building better antibodies, curbing autoimmunity: New insights on B cells

Posted on by | Research
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When we’re vaccinated or exposed to an infection, our B cells spring into action, churning out antibodies that are increasingly potent, specific, and protective. This happens through an iterative process known as affinity maturation. Two labs at Boston Children’s Hospital have come up with different ways to enhance affinity maturation and help B cells make ... Read More
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A surgeon’s last-minute trip to Sri Lanka reduces children’s wait for needed heart repair

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Specialty Care
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Last year, Dr. Christopher Baird got an offer he couldn’t refuse — something that happens often as he travels the world to demonstrate the heart surgery techniques he has learned and developed at Boston Children’s Hospital. At a heart surgery symposium in India, Dr. Baird had just performed a complex type of aortic valve reconstruction ... Read More
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