Blog | Page 28 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

The best decision: Triplet Jayden is thriving after CDH repair

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: congenital diaphragmatic hernia, MFCC, prematurity, surgery

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: congenital diaphragmatic hernia, MFCC, prematurity, surgery

My story of bouncing back from osteochondritis dissecans

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Jace Davis | Patient Stories

Tags: hand and upper extremity, orthopedics, sports injury, sports medicine, surgery

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: hand and upper extremity, orthopedics, sports injury, sports medicine, surgery

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

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Clinical, Research

Tags: cardiac research, cardiology, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center, medical training, research

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: cardiac research, cardiology, congenital heart defect, heart, heart center, medical training, research

Predicting brace adherence could change the game in scoliosis treatment

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Joanne Barker | Clinical, Research

Tags: idiopathic scoliosis, orthopedics, scoliosis, spine division

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: idiopathic scoliosis, orthopedics, scoliosis, spine division

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

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Clinical, Research

Tags: bronchopulmonary dysplasia, pulmonology, research

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: bronchopulmonary dysplasia, pulmonology, research

Treatment for the vision condition achromatopsia helps Aiden embrace the outdoors

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: gene therapy, genetics and genomics, ophthalmology

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: gene therapy, genetics and genomics, ophthalmology

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

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Joanne Barker | Research

Tags: emergency medicine, health equity

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: emergency medicine, health equity

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

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: anemia, blood disorder, blood donor center, heart, rare disease, ventricular septal defect

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: anemia, blood disorder, blood donor center, heart, rare disease, ventricular septal defect

Sickle cell gene therapy and boosting fetal hemoglobin: A 75-year history

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Research

Tags: blood, blood disorder, gene editing, gene therapy, hematology, sickle cell disease

Ed. Note: This post updates an earlier post from 2018. In a landmark decision today, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two gene therapies for sickle cell disease. One of them, Casgevy, has deep scientific roots at Boston Children’s Hospital — and is also the first therapy using CRISPR gene editing to gain FDA ... Read More

Tagged: blood, blood disorder, gene editing, gene therapy, hematology, sickle cell disease

An off-the-shelf tamponade kit provides surgeons with ‘the luxury of time’ during a life-threatening emergency

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Jessica Cerretani | Clinical Care

Tags: emergency medicine, Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, gastroenterology, medical devices, safety, surgery

It was a late Friday afternoon in April when the call came: A young boy was being transferred to Boston Children’s emergency department after swallowing a button battery. Although his mother had previously taken him to another local hospital when she noticed he wasn’t eating or drinking much, the battery ingestion had been missed until ... Read More

Tagged: emergency medicine, Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, gastroenterology, medical devices, safety, surgery