Blog

Lessons from Emma: Mom shares how RNS has changed their lives

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , , ,
Emma’s journey with the Epilepsy Center at Boston Children’s Hospital began three years ago when she came to Boston Children’s with her parents for help managing her seizures. In Boston, Emma, Lynda, and Danny found answers to their questions, a (temporary) new home, and hope for Emma’s future as she embarked on responsive neurostimulation (RNS) ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , ,

From ECMO to an active childhood: Nolan’s journey with congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , ,
Nolan Griffin knows how to use a stethoscope and rarely enters Boston Children’s Hospital without his medical kit. But Nolan isn’t a doctor ­— at least not yet. For now, the busy 2-year-old is a patient in the hospital’s Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Center, where he’s been receiving care since before he was born. Although Nolan’s ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

Timing is everything: How circadian rhythms influence our brains

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
Tags: ,
Why are we mentally sharper at certain times of day? A study led by Jonathan Lipton MD, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital spells out the relationship between circadian rhythms — the body’s natural day/night cycles — and the brain connections known as synapses. The work is the first to provide a cellular and molecular explanation ... Read More
Tagged: ,

What you should know about hemangiomas, according to a pediatric dermatologist

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
Tags: ,
When parents discover that their infant has a hemangioma, a lot of questions usually follow. To find answers for the most common questions and share some important facts about the condition, we spoke with Dr. Marilyn Liang, co-director of the Vascular Anomalies Center (VAC) and an attending physician in the Dermatology Program at Boston Children’s ... Read More
Tagged: ,

Don’t forget the cheese, please! Rachel’s EoE journey

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , ,
Like many teens, Rachel loves cheese and other dairy foods. “Cheese sticks, yogurt, and especially pizza,” Chellie, her mom, shares. Rachel agrees: She would eat cheese every day if she could. Up until this past spring, Rachel, who also has autism spectrum disorder, was unable to enjoy her favorite foods due to incredible pain in ... Read More
Tagged: , , , ,

Naloxone on demand: Shining a light to reverse opioid overdose

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
Tags: , , ,
Overdose deaths from fentanyl and other opioids are at record highs in the U.S. Naloxone, if delivered soon after an overdose, is proven to be life-saving. It binds to the same brain receptors that opioids use, thereby blocking opioids’ effects. A naloxone nasal spray (Narcan) is now available over the counter, but there are still problems ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

How genetic testing helped Wilson help other infants with epilepsy

Posted on by | Patient Stories, Research
Tags: , ,
In August 2021, after months of anticipating their son’s arrival, Emily and Nick felt as ready as they’d ever be to become parents. Happy and excited to finally have Wilson in their arms, they brought him home a few days after delivery. Just over 24 hours later, though, they found themselves back in a hospital ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

Finding a treatment option for tear duct obstruction that works for children

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , ,
Congenital tear duct obstruction (a blocked tear duct) is the most common cause of excessive tearing in infants and young children. Fortunately, most children require minimal treatment, but those with persistent symptoms can have a procedure to clear the blockage either in a clinician’s office without anesthesia or in a surgical setting with anesthesia.  Few ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

How one diagnosis brought together three best friends: Allyson, Maddy, and Caiya’s journey with pancreatitis

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: ,
Allyson, Maddy, and Caiya are your typical tween best friends — sharing inside jokes and constantly chatting about everything and anything. “They’re always on FaceTime talking and laughing,” shares Kim, Maddy’s mom. “They just love each other.” You’d never guess that these three girls didn’t meet at recess, but rather through Dr. Amit Grover, director ... Read More
Tagged: ,

Chloe navigates Marfan syndrome with a positive attitude — and a responsive care team

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Chloe Burian has always defied expectations. Despite surgeries and other treatments for several conditions that stem from the genetic disorder Marfan syndrome, the 12-year-old remains upbeat. “Nothing bothers her,” says Chloe’s mom, Audrey. “She goes through life with a smile.” Still, there were moments of doubt along the way, especially when Audrey and her husband, Rudy, ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,