Blog | Page 47 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

Your child’s imaginary friend is more than a good buddy

Posted on October 26, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

You can’t hear stuffed toys talking. You can’t see pretend companions coming to life. But your child probably wouldn’t imagine spending a day without them — and that’s perfectly normal behavior. Boston Children’s child psychologist Keneisha Sinclair-McBride, PhD, offers insight on how imaginary “friends” help your child develop emotionally. Lots of children have imaginary friends Children usually ... Read More

Tagged: child life, psychiatry

Bladder surgery after Ewing sarcoma helps Paralympian get back on the slopes

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: cancer, ewing sarcoma, surgery, urology

Thomas Walsh’s email signature includes the phrase, “No struggle, no progress.” It’s a motto that Thomas, 27, has lived by since he was a teenager. An avid skier who has been competing since he was just 5 years old, he faced a different kind of opponent when he was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age ... Read More

Tagged: cancer, ewing sarcoma, surgery, urology

Diversity and inclusion: Lessons from the field

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Joanne Barker | Our Community, People

Tags: health equity

Having led workplace diversity and inclusion work for more than a decade, Rich Robles witnessed a dramatic shift in the conversations he was having about the topic two years ago. After the events of 2020 brought national attention to health and justice inequities, questions about why an organization would need a diversity and inclusion strategy ... Read More

Tagged: health equity

The genetics of height: Coming close to cracking the code

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Research

Tags: endocrinology, genetics and genomics, informatics, personalized medicine, precision medicine

More than 20 years ago, as a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Boston Children’s, Joel Hirschhorn, MD, PhD, saw many children with unusually short stature, and would often tell parents that their child was growing slowly because of genetic factors. But no height-related genes had yet been identified — in fact, scientists believed there were so ... Read More

Tagged: endocrinology, genetics and genomics, informatics, personalized medicine, precision medicine

Back from the bench: How my AVM was a new beginning

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Davidson Jump | Patient Stories

Tags: arteriovenous malformation, cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, occupational therapy, seizures

It’s crazy how something you once thought was the worst thing that could ever happen to you turns out to be one of the best. My AVM is one of those things. My name is Davidson Jump. I’m from a small town in Ohio where football — high school football especially — is a big ... Read More

Tagged: arteriovenous malformation, cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, occupational therapy, seizures

The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Research

Tags: cardiac surgery, heart, heart center, safety, surgery

Of the many features in the recently-opened Hale Family Building at Boston Children’s, maybe one of the most impactful for patients and clinicians is an innovation that puts a new spin on an old way of conducting perfusion in open-heart surgery. Used in cardiac operating rooms (ORs) until only a few decades ago, wall water systems had ... Read More

Tagged: cardiac surgery, heart, heart center, safety, surgery

Tips for teething: How to enjoy your child’s big moment

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

Tags: dentistry

The emergence of a baby’s primary teeth (their baby teeth) is a joyful milestone for parents but it can also be an uncomfortable time for the infant. Their gums can swell and feel tender, possibly making them feel irritable and causing them to lose sleep. Boston Children’s Department of Dentistry shared advice on what you should expect ... Read More

Tagged: dentistry

Maternal-fetal care helps ‘All Smiles Myles’ beat a CPAM

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, surgery

Myles Gifford is “fearless and defiant,” says his mother, Katy. “We’ll be in big trouble when he’s a teenager,” she laughs. “But it’s benefited him so far.” In fact, Myles, now more than 18 months old, needed to draw on his perseverant personality almost as soon as he was born. Katy, her husband, Mike, and ... Read More

Tagged: Fetal Care and Surgery Center, MFCC, surgery

New insight into dietary approaches for epilepsy

Posted on October 6, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: diet, epilepsy, neurology, neuroscience, seizures

Fasting has been believed since ancient times to curb seizures in epilepsy, and small patient studies in the early 1900s have revived the idea. But the reasons have remained mysterious. New research from Boston Children’s helps explain how fasting affects the brain at the molecular level. The findings could lead the way to new approaches ... Read More

Tagged: diet, epilepsy, neurology, neuroscience, seizures

With support for genetic condition trisomy 18, Brooklyn ‘tells her own story’

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: aerodigestive, congenital heart defect, gastroenterology, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, heart patient, pulmonology, sleep, ventricular septal defect, wilms tumor

Erin and Tim Haggan quickly realized they would always be seeking answers after learning the child they were expecting had trisomy 18. It is a life-threatening chromosomal condition, and only about 10 percent of children live beyond their first year. Those who survive grow slowly and often have congenital heart defects (CHD) and other organ anomalies. The couple ... Read More

Tagged: aerodigestive, congenital heart defect, gastroenterology, genetics and genomics, heart, heart center, heart patient, pulmonology, sleep, ventricular septal defect, wilms tumor