Blog | Page 31 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

What your family should know about orthodontic care

Posted on October 20, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Primary Care

Tags: cleft lip, cleft palate, dentistry

By now, your family might know what to expect at a dentist’s office. It’s a familiar routine that includes an examination, a cleaning, and (just maybe) treatment for a cavity. An orthodontic appointment is much like a trip to the dentist, according to Dr. Megan McDougall, a Boston Children’s orthodontist. If your child’s first orthodontist appointment is ... Read More

Tagged: cleft lip, cleft palate, dentistry

Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Molly Hester | Patient Stories

Tags: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, Fetal Care and Surgery Center, surgery

When I recently brought my son, Eoin, to Boston Children’s for an appointment, we ran into Dr. Farokh Demehri on the bridge from the parking garage. We smiled, laughed, and talked about how nice it was to see each other. It was a simple meeting, but one I had dreamed about for so long: I ... Read More

Tagged: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, Fetal Care and Surgery Center, surgery

Could we intervene in Huntington’s disease before symptoms appear?

Posted on October 17, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: alzheimers disease, biomarkers, immunology, neurology, neuroscience, schizophrenia

Huntington’s disease is the most common single-gene neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by motor and cognitive deficits and psychiatric symptoms. Work led by Beth Stevens, PhD, and Dan Wilton, PhD, in the Department of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital, now shows that the disease process begins well before symptoms appear. That raises the possibility of ... Read More

Tagged: alzheimers disease, biomarkers, immunology, neurology, neuroscience, schizophrenia

A model patient: Alexia’s triumph over moyamoya disease

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: brain health, cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, down syndrome, moyamoya, seizures, stroke

If you’re lucky enough to get time on Alexia’s packed schedule, you’re in the company of a motivated and ambitious young woman who — in the face of a scary diagnosis — shows others they can do anything they put their mind to. From subtle symptoms to diagnosis Alexia’s fight against moyamoya disease, a rare ... Read More

Tagged: brain health, cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, down syndrome, moyamoya, seizures, stroke

Why parents really need to talk to their children about the news

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Claire McCarthy | Health and Parenting

Tags: coronavirus, culture, racism

These are strange, anxiety-provoking times. That’s true no matter where one lives or where one sits on the political spectrum — for all of us, it’s upsetting and confusing. If it feels that way for adults, just imagine what it’s like for children who catch snatches of information and conversations they don’t really understand. That’s ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, culture, racism

Toddlers diagnosed with autism should be reevaluated over time

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: autism, autism research, autism spectrum disorder, developmental medicine

Parents whose child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may feel it’s a lifelong label. But a new study offers hope: It found that 37 percent of children diagnosed as toddlers no longer met criteria for autism when they reached early school age. Findings were published October 2 in JAMA Pediatrics. Study leader ... Read More

Tagged: autism, autism research, autism spectrum disorder, developmental medicine

Unraveling the secret to attention, one brain cell at a time: Brielle Ferguson, PhD

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Gina Mantica | People, Research

Tags: ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, neuroscience, research rising stars, schizophrenia

In college, Dr. Brielle Ferguson was initially drawn to psychology. Witnessing the impact of schizophrenia on a family member, she was surprised how little was known about the condition. She majored in cognitive science, but she wanted to go deeper and understand what happens in the brain. Taking a required course in neuroscience, she thought, ... Read More

Tagged: ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, neuroscience, research rising stars, schizophrenia

From Florida to Boston and back again: Reagan’s liver transplant journey

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Veronica Giarla | Patient Stories

Tags: complex care, liver disease, transplant

Reagan, 18, is gearing up for her freshman year of college this fall, and she has a solid idea about her future career. “I hope to become a transplant nurse or a child life specialist,” she shares with a smile. Her inspiration to enter this field of medicine comes from her experiences with the care ... Read More

Tagged: complex care, liver disease, transplant

Research aims to pinpoint genetic connection between autism and heart disease

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: autism, autism research, autism spectrum disorder, cardiac neurodevelopment, cardiac research, congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, neurology, research

Cardiology and neurodevelopmental researchers have more questions than answers about the possible genetic links between congenital heart disease (CHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A study that’s underway at Boston Children’s aims to pin down those elusive answers by taking a close look at the genetics of children with neurodevelopment and cardiovascular conditions. The researchers want to see ... Read More

Tagged: autism, autism research, autism spectrum disorder, cardiac neurodevelopment, cardiac research, congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, neurology, research

Bringing equity to genomic sequencing in newborns: BabySeq 2.0

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Research

Tags: genetics and genomics, health equity, newborn medicine, well child care

Today, nearly 900 disorders caused by a single gene are known to be treatable. Yet the recommended “heel stick” testing for newborns only covers about 60 inherited, treatable disorders, and many individual states screen for fewer. What if newborns could instead have their entire genome sequenced at birth, with the results shared and acted on ... Read More

Tagged: genetics and genomics, health equity, newborn medicine, well child care