Blog | Page 21 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

Ted Williams, chocolate milkshakes, and a pioneering heart team: What Bruce remembers about his heart surgery 65 years later

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: arrhythmia, atrial septal defect, cardiac surgery, cardiology, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center, heart patient

Bruce Chansky was the star of his neighborhood after he had heart surgery at Boston Children’s. It was 1959, a time when a child having heart surgery wasn’t common — it was newsworthy. Eleven-year-old Bruce was featured in his hometown newspaper, which only furthered his celebrity in Beverly, Massachusetts. Friends, neighbors, and strangers all wanted ... Read More

Tagged: arrhythmia, atrial septal defect, cardiac surgery, cardiology, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center, heart patient

Two rising stars in kidney genetics: Nina Mann and Amar Majmundar

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | People, Research

Tags: genetics and genomics, kidney failure, nephrology, research rising stars

A healthy, functional kidney must maintain a delicate balance of water, nutrients, and electrolytes so it can properly filter the blood and produce urine. That often makes caring for patients with kidney disease an exercise in chemistry and mathematics — an aspect of nephrology that attracted two young physician-scientists. Coming from different paths, Nina Mann, ... Read More

Tagged: genetics and genomics, kidney failure, nephrology, research rising stars

For Ana Sofia: How one mom found prenatal care for fetal pleural effusion

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, nicu

Alexandra is the first to admit she asks a lot of questions and needs to know details. “I’m curious about everything, and I want to know everything,” she says. “I do my research. I’m a pretty resourceful person.” It’s something she says can be off-putting to some people, but it’s also what saved her daughter’s ... Read More

Tagged: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, nicu

Are cochlear implants an option for my child?

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Joanne Barker | Health and Parenting

Tags: cochlear implants, hearing, otolaryngology

By providing access to sound, cochlear implants have made it possible for children with severe to profound hearing loss to communicate through speech. The devices transmit signals from external processors to the brain via units implanted underneath the skin and small wires connected to the inner ear. “Cochlear implants can be life changing for a ... Read More

Tagged: cochlear implants, hearing, otolaryngology

A deeper understanding of inflammatory pain could reveal new solutions

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: cellular and molecular medicine, immunology, neuroinflammation, neurology, pain

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the main go-to for inflammatory pain caused by wounds, infection, sunburn, arthritis, and other triggers. NSAIDs work pretty well, but chronic use can cause side effects, and they aren’t equally effective for all sources of pain. Could we identify a more effective, safer analgesic that doesn’t involve ... Read More

Tagged: cellular and molecular medicine, immunology, neuroinflammation, neurology, pain

A seat at the table: One family’s story of finding advanced care for hydrocephalus

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: brain health, hydrocephalus, second opinion

To her parents, everything about 6-month-old Stella is a miracle. Rose and Vlad were ecstatic to learn they were expecting a baby after Rose was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. When Stella arrived months early, they were astounded by her ability to keep growing stronger. And when her doctors discovered a buildup of cerebral spinal fluid ... Read More

Tagged: brain health, hydrocephalus, second opinion

‘Supported and heard’: Harven gets care for an anorectal malformation

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: anorectal malformation, colorectal and pelvic malformations, surgery

Like lots of 3-year-olds, Harven Gifford has a great imagination. Lately, he’s taken to roaring loudly and pretending that he’s a lion. But it wasn’t long ago that his parents, Heather and Brian, had to be Harven’s voice, when an unexpected health concern turned them into strong advocates for their son. Although Harven’s delivery went ... Read More

Tagged: anorectal malformation, colorectal and pelvic malformations, surgery

Healing the heart, mind, and spirit

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: arrhythmia, cardiac neurodevelopment, cardiac surgery, cardiology, cardiovascular genetics, congenital heart defect, heart, heart patient, long qt syndrome, transposition of the great arteries

For most of her life, Siena Tancredi worried about her heart beating too fast. She has long QT syndrome, an inherited condition that affects the heart’s electrical rhythm and can cause fast, erratic heartbeats. From the time she was diagnosed at age 10 and into adulthood, she avoided any situation that would potentially cause her heart ... Read More

Tagged: arrhythmia, cardiac neurodevelopment, cardiac surgery, cardiology, cardiovascular genetics, congenital heart defect, heart, heart patient, long qt syndrome, transposition of the great arteries

Can we prevent seizures in Sturge-Weber syndrome?

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: epilepsy, research, seizures, sturge weber syndrome

Port wine stains — capillary malformations on the skin — are the most visible manifestation of Sturge-Weber syndrome. However, up to 60 percent of babies with birthmarks in high-risk locations (forehead and upper eyelid) also have capillary malformations in their brain. Of these, 75 to 90 percent will experience a seizure before the age of 2, ... Read More

Tagged: epilepsy, research, seizures, sturge weber syndrome

Helping Jasmine manage Sturge-Weber syndrome before symptoms start

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: research, seizures, sturge weber syndrome

Sturge-Weber syndrome is a rare neurovascular disorder that increases the risk of seizures in infants due to abnormal blood vessel development in the brain. Almost 90 percent of children with Sturge-Weber experience their first seizure before age 2, which makes proactive, seizure-preventive care important in minimizing the risk of long-term brain injury. Finding such care, ... Read More

Tagged: research, seizures, sturge weber syndrome