Blog

The clot thickens: Kellie Machlus, PhD

Posted on by | People, Research
Tags: , , , , ,
Part of an ongoing series profiling researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital. Platelets are the bandages of our blood, forming clots when we sustain an injury. Yet little is known about how they’re made, and there are no drugs that can immediately and directly trigger their production. Boston Children’s Hospital researcher Kellie Machlus, PhD, (@theclotthickens) couldn’t ... Read More
Tagged: , , , , ,

MIS-C’s long-term effects on mental and neurologic health

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , , , ,
Children and adolescents who have had multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) after exposure to COVID-19 are recommended to have follow-up heart function testing. A new study from Boston Children’s Hospital suggests they should also be monitored for long-term neurologic and psychosocial complications. “If parents are noticing changes in their child’s behavior or functioning, it ... Read More
Tagged: , , , ,

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

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , ,
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: , , ,

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

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
Tags: , , ,
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: , , ,

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

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Transforming Tomorow
Tags: , ,
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: , ,

Bedside tech predicts newborns’ outcomes after therapeutic hypothermia

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
Tags: , , , ,
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: , , , ,

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

Posted on by | Patient Stories
Tags: , , ,
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: , , ,

Could the right dietary fat help boost platelet counts?

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
Tags: , ,
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: , ,

The key to preventing shin splints may be underfoot

Posted on by | Research
Tags: , , , ,
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: , , , ,

Nanobodies from alpacas could steer immune attacks on influenza

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
Tags: , , , ,
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: , , , ,