Blog

Surgery beats sclerotherapy for rectal prolapse in children ages 5 and older

Posted on by | Clinical Care
Tags: , ,
Rectal prolapse — the protrusion of the lining of a child’s rectum through the anal sphincter — can occur for many reasons. In the pediatric population, it most commonly occurs in children under 4 years old but can affect older children as well. Children with colorectal and pelvic malformations tend to be at increased risk ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

Learning to speak with the help of a bone-anchored hearing system: Owen’s story

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: ,
Why does 4-year-old Owen love Ghost Spider? For one thing, her suit has purple highlights. For another, her hand forms the sign for ‘I love you’ whenever she casts a web. These reasons say a lot about Owen: a loving kid who knows American Sign Language (ASL) and whose favorite color is purple. For several ... Read More
Tagged: ,

The best decision: Triplet Jayden is thriving after CDH repair

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , ,
Jayden is barely a year old, but he’s already been through more ups and downs than some adults. Born at just 27 weeks — along with his brothers Jacob and Jamari — he’s overcome tremendous odds, not just as a triplet and preemie, but because he was born with a serious condition called congenital diaphragmatic ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

My story of bouncing back from osteochondritis dissecans

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , ,
Injuries suck — no better way of putting it. The physical pain is terrible on its own, but emotionally they can hurt even more. The frustration that comes with something that is out of your control is like nothing else. It makes you realize how much you take your health for granted until you lose ... Read More
Tagged: , , , ,

Helping aspiring clinicians understand a virtual heart before they work with a real one

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , , , , , ,
Jonathan Awori, MD, MS, MFA, isn’t embarrassed to say it took him a long time to completely understand the intricate workings of the heart. He says he isn’t alone; many aspiring doctors and nurses don’t immediately grasp the heart’s complexity from two-dimensional textbooks or even 3D-printed models.  Now that he’s a pediatric cardiology fellow at ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , , ,

Predicting brace adherence could change the game in scoliosis treatment

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , , ,
When it comes to preventing scoliosis progression, is it possible to make bracing more effective? For decades, spine specialists focused on improving the braces themselves, making them lighter, less obtrusive, and easier to put on and take off. (The Boston Brace, developed at Boston Children’s Hospital in the early 1970s, is one example.) Key takeaways ... Read More
Tagged: , , ,

New hospital discharge practices could improve health of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , ,
The chronic lung disease bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) affects a significant number of infants who were born early and have underdeveloped lungs. They typically require lengthy specialized care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before they can go home with their families. But getting home doesn’t mean health risks are behind them. Their parents are suddenly their ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

Treatment for the vision condition achromatopsia helps Aiden embrace the outdoors

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , ,
A lot of things excite 10-year-old Aiden Flaherty: drums, soccer, skiing, video games. But lately, he’s also found joy in a quieter, less active pursuit: watching leaves move on trees. He loves being outdoors during the daytime and taking in all that nature offers. It’s something he only recently could do after receiving retinal gene ... Read More
Tagged: , ,

A state policy made it harder for families to find shelter. Research helped change the policy.

Posted on by | Research
Tags: ,
Physicians and policy makers usually work in separate worlds: those of medicine and government. But when a change in Massachusetts policy led to an unprecedented increase in the number of homeless families seeking shelter in the emergency department (ED), physicians at Boston Children’s Hospital set out to reverse that policy. What happened next shows that ... Read More
Tagged: ,

Blood donations help Kit manage Diamond-Blackfan anemia — so she can dance, sing, and enjoy life

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , , , ,
Every month, Kit Murdoch needs a blood transfusion to stay alive.  The 2-year-old has Diamond-Blackfan anemia, a rare genetic blood disorder that, if untreated, prevents blood from delivering oxygen through the body. While it has been a devastating diagnosis for Kit’s parents, they’re grateful for the specialized care she receives and are constantly amazed that people ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , ,