Blog | Page 20 of 157 | Boston Children's Answers

First-of-its-kind clinical trial aims to improve outcomes in pediatric transplant patients

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Veronica Giarla | Research

Tags: clinical trials, kidney failure, research, transplant

For the last 20 years, pediatric kidney transplant patients have been treated with the same immunosuppressive medication combinations and have been monitored using the same tests, without many new treatment options. Unfortunately, unlike their adult counterparts, pediatric transplant recipients have not been included in clinical trials to test newer and promising combinations of medications that ... Read More

Tagged: clinical trials, kidney failure, research, transplant

In a thriving gene therapy program, nursing leadership is the driving force

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, People

Tags: adrenoleukodystrophy, blood disorder, car t-cell therapy, gene therapy, hemophilia, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, nursing, sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy

Gene therapy was made possible by decades of technological advances. But to execute gene therapy at scale? That would not be possible without the foresight, organization, and innovation of nursing leadership at Boston Children’s Hospital. The gene therapy implementation framework they have built has become a gold standard for the field. Founded in 2010, the ... Read More

Tagged: adrenoleukodystrophy, blood disorder, car t-cell therapy, gene therapy, hemophilia, leukemia, muscular dystrophy, nursing, sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy

Simulation-based training program improves evaluation of undescended testicles

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: immersive design systems, urology

Could a lifelike manikin torso help improve pediatricians’ understanding of undescended testicles? That’s the hope of Eric Bortnick, MD, a fellow in Boston Children’s Department of Urology whose new simulation- and video-based educational tool aims to improve the diagnosis and management of this condition. Also known as cryptorchidism, undescended testicles are common congenital anomalies in ... Read More

Tagged: immersive design systems, urology

May 2024 coloring pages

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Staff Writer | Health and Parenting

Tags: coloring pages

Don’t let this month’s coloring pages “bug” you! MAC_30438_ColoringPages_May_Bugs_Flowers_Horiz-1Download MAC_30438_ColoringPages_May_Bugs_Flowers_Horiz-2Download MAC_30438_ColoringPages_May_Bugs_Flowers_Horiz-3Download Images: Adobe Stock/Illustration: David Chrisom Get more coloring pages, news, and tips for your family from our weekly newsletter. Sign up now! Share this:

Tagged: coloring pages

Guided by her own experience, one mom navigates Stickler syndrome with her children

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: cleft palate, craniofacial, Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, ophthalmology, Robin sequence

Aimee is more than just Mum to three-year-old Arwen and one-year-old Cedric; she’s their guide to navigating Stickler syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder that can cause an underdeveloped jaw and airway obstruction (collectively known as Robin sequence), as well as cleft palate, vision and hearing difficulties, and other findings. As a carrier herself, Aimee ... Read More

Tagged: cleft palate, craniofacial, Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, ophthalmology, Robin sequence

‘Part of the process’: How a second opinion helped Wynn take control of bladder function

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: second opinion, urinary tract infection, urology

Wynton “Wynn” Smith-Webb is “the most inquisitive kid you’ll ever meet,” laughs his mother, Amber. At just 3 years old, he’s intrigued by science, nature, travel, and even medicine. It’s a mindset he might have picked up from Amber, a professor who says she lives “knee-deep” in data every day. So when Wynn recently began ... Read More

Tagged: second opinion, urinary tract infection, urology

Optimal care, lower costs: Examining the benefits of out-of-network care for pediatric moyamoya

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Katie Paradis | Clinical, Research

Tags: cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, moyamoya, research

Moyamoya disease is a rare condition that affects the blood vessels in the brain, especially in children. Narrowing and blockage of vessels significantly increases the risk of stroke and requires surgical revascularization for treatment. Although research shows that outcomes of revascularization are better at high-volume centers, insurers often hesitate to approve out-of-network care. However, a ... Read More

Tagged: cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, moyamoya, research

Jumping higher, spinning faster: Max’s figure skating story

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Joanne Barker | Patient Stories

Tags: orthopedics, performing artist athletes, physical therapy, sports injury, sports medicine

Thousands of fans around the globe have watched it, but very few people can do it. The quadruple Salchow, also known as the quad, requires that a skater launch themself into the air, spin four times, and land on one leg — ideally without falling or wobbling. The best figure skaters make skills like the ... Read More

Tagged: orthopedics, performing artist athletes, physical therapy, sports injury, sports medicine

Lucas receives gene therapy for DMD and finds his super muscles

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Joanne Barker | Patient Stories

Tags: gene therapy, muscular dystrophy, neurology

Lucas Toro has a lot in common with Gekko, the cartoon character from PJ Masks. They’re both “little guys” whose strength surprises people. And they both use their muscles for good. Getting strong is a new feeling for Lucas — one he’s using to blaze new trails for other kids. In September 2023, he became ... Read More

Tagged: gene therapy, muscular dystrophy, neurology

‘The reason I became a nurse’: Maeve’s memories of laryngeal cleft repair

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Joanne Barker | Patient Stories

Tags: g tube, gastroenterology, laryngeal cleft, nursing

Being a gastroenterology nurse is more than a profession for Maeve Lee. When she cares for patients with feeding tubes, she’s also paying it forward. More than two decades ago, Maeve experienced many of the same challenges her patients face today. Medical mystery At first, Maeve seemed like a perfectly healthy newborn, but then she ... Read More

Tagged: g tube, gastroenterology, laryngeal cleft, nursing