Blog | Page 32 of 157 | Boston Children's Answers

All eyes on retinoblastoma: How Lyla and her mom are helping change lives

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: advocacy, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, retinoblastoma

Meghan Landry firmly believes that art saved her daughter Lyla’s life. Now, she hopes to leverage the power of creativity to help support other kids like Lyla, who was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at 18 months old. Meghan, who lived in Florida at the time, was waiting with Lyla for a routine pediatrician appointment when she ... Read More

Tagged: advocacy, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, retinoblastoma

Five ways to help manage your child’s asthma this school year

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

Tags: allergy, asthma, flu, pulmonology

While fall is a time of considerable change for children — a new school year with new challenges — it can also be especially difficult for those with asthma. Between viruses, allergies, and colder air, asthma triggers increase for many children in the fall. Late summer is an ideal time to ensure your child is ... Read More

Tagged: allergy, asthma, flu, pulmonology

New online peritoneal dialysis simulator gives the power of education to patients

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Veronica Giarla | Clinical Care, Transforming Tomorow

Tags: complex care, nephrology, research

For years, patients who need peritoneal dialysis, a form of home-based treatment for kidney disease, have had to educate themselves about the approach. “Many families have never heard of peritoneal dialysis prior to their child’s diagnosis,” shares Dr. Deborah Stein, a nephrologist in the Division of Nephrology at Boston Children’s Hospital. The idea of peritoneal ... Read More

Tagged: complex care, nephrology, research

Bedside tech predicts newborns’ outcomes after therapeutic hypothermia

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: brain injury, imaging, neurology, newborn medicine, nicu

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation around birth, is a common cause of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Therapeutic hypothermia is now becoming the standard treatment to minimize brain injury; cooling the newborn’s head or whole body for three days slows cellular metabolism and allows brain cells to avoid and ... Read More

Tagged: brain injury, imaging, neurology, newborn medicine, nicu

‘Life is so much better now’: Ethan finds treatment for mixed germ cell brain tumor

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: brain health, brain tumor, cancer, stem cell transplant

Ethan Winchenbach was playing with his dogs when he first noticed that something was off. “My vision changed, but only when I looked down,” he remembers. “It was really disorienting.” His mother, Becky, who is a nurse, knew immediately that something wasn’t right. When the symptoms didn’t improve, she made him an appointment with his ... Read More

Tagged: brain health, brain tumor, cancer, stem cell transplant

Could the right dietary fat help boost platelet counts?

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: blood disorder, cellular and molecular medicine, diet

Aside from transfusions, there currently is no way to boost people’s platelet counts, leaving them at risk for uncontrolled bleeding. Could something as simple as a dietary change raise platelet counts in people with low levels, such as cancer patients receiving chemotherapy? New science out of the lab suggests that the answer might be yes. ... Read More

Tagged: blood disorder, cellular and molecular medicine, diet

The key to preventing shin splints may be underfoot

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Joanne Barker | Research

Tags: injury prevention, orthopedics, running injury, sports injury, sports medicine

Medial tibial stress syndrome, also known as shin splints, is a common and often recurring injury among adolescent runners. Recovery can involve weeks of downtime and sports modifications. Even then, many athletes experience chronic pain. Despite the prevalence and impact of the condition, sports medicine experts have yet to reach consensus about the cause. Theories ... Read More

Tagged: injury prevention, orthopedics, running injury, sports injury, sports medicine

Nanobodies from alpacas could steer immune attacks on influenza

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: drug development, flu, immunotherapy, infectious diseases, vaccines

While conventional flu vaccines are designed to anticipate the influenza strains projected to dominate in the next flu season, they’re only partially effective. And while antiviral drugs are available to treat active flu cases, the body quickly clears them, requiring high, frequent doses. Coupling one existing flu drug with a special ingredient from alpacas, the ... Read More

Tagged: drug development, flu, immunotherapy, infectious diseases, vaccines

Help your child prevent myopia with two simple steps

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

Tags: ophthalmology

Myopia — also known as nearsightedness, or the inability to see things far away — is becoming more prevalent in children. Although myopia can be triggered by genetics, it can also develop because of environmental factors such as limited time spent outdoors and increased time indoors doing activities such as activities on electronics. Dr. Kimberley Chan, an optometrist ... Read More

Tagged: ophthalmology

Emmie’s journey with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Veronica Giarla | Patient Stories

Tags: advocacy, celiac disease, diabetes

Emmie knows more about her own medical history than most children her age. Her journey to finding answers started when she was just 4 years old. She woke up one day looking “like I ate a bunch of blueberries or blackberries — my lips were turning blue,” explains Emmie, now 7. Her mom, Amanda, wasted ... Read More

Tagged: advocacy, celiac disease, diabetes