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Old vaccine, new tricks? Unlocking the BCG vaccine’s potential

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
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Could a century-old vaccine offer clues for designing the vaccines of tomorrow? Ofer Levy, MD, PhD, director of the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, wants to find out. One of the world’s oldest and most widely used vaccines, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine may at first seem like an unlikely source of ... Read More
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Undescended testicles: Why prompt referral is key

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Primary Care
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An estimated 3 percent of boys have undescended testicles at birth, making it a common problem encountered by pediatricians and urologists alike. Also known as cryptorchidism, an undescended testicle is one that hasn’t moved into its proper position in the scrotum before birth. Typically, only one testicle is affected, but in some cases, both may ... Read More
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Contributing to every level of care: Our Asian American and Pacific Islander community

Posted on by | Our Community, People
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People come to Boston Children’s Hospital to receive care from some of the best clinicians in the world. Yet the safe, nurturing environment that greets patients and families is the work of an extensive team. The Environmental Services team, for instance, works tirelessly to ensure every area of the hospital remains clean and welcoming. The ... Read More
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COVID-19’s devastating toll: An increase in adolescent suicides and mental health crises

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
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The past decade has seen worrisome increases in self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among adolescents. Two new studies from Boston Children’s Hospital show that the situation became even more acute with the onset of COVID-19. Epidemiologist Maimuna Majumder, PhD, and colleagues at the Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) at Boston Children’s partnered with public health ... Read More
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Fetal brain imaging predicts neurodevelopment of babies with congenital heart disease

Posted on by | Clinical, Research
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Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) often have neurodevelopmental impairment. Until fairly recently, this was thought to stem from complications of cardiac surgery or reduced oxygen supply to the brain due to the heart defect. Now we know that some babies with CHD have impaired brain development in utero because of low oxygen supply to ... Read More
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When athletes have bad days: Tips for athletes and parents

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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No matter how hard they work, every athlete has bad days. Whether it’s a stumble, fumble, or outright loss, disappointment is a reality of sports.  “No one likes the feeling of failing,” says Kelsey Griffith, mental skills specialist at The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention. “But experiencing those emotions is part of the athletic ... Read More
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Shining a light on the SPF gap: Why sun protection is so important for children of color

Posted on by | Health and Parenting, Specialty Care
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With summer just around the corner, it’s important to understand the risks that come along with those long, hot days in the sun. It’s also important to recognize some pretty dangerous misconceptions about sun protection — namely that Black children and other children of color don’t need to worry about skin protection and skin cancers. ... Read More
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The infant formula shortage: Your questions, answered

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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By now, you’ve likely heard about the current shortage of commercial infant formula: As of today, more than 40 percent of formulas are out of stock across the U.S. The situation has left families scrambling for solutions — and struggling to make sense of a barrage of misinformation online. To get answers, we spoke with ... Read More
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United in diversity: Our Asian American and Pacific Islander community

Posted on by | Our Community, People
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Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders contribute to patient care at Boston Children’s Hospital in virtually every way. Many work directly with patients as doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. Many contribute to care as researchers, lab technicians, and food service workers. Some work behind the scenes in human resources and administration, and some help maintain a safe, ... Read More
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Preventing another infant formula crisis: What needs to happen now

Posted on by | Clinical Care
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The current national shortage of commercial infant formula might seem like it came out of nowhere, but today’s scarcity is an exacerbation of a longer-standing problem. Triggered by supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation worsened recently. This February, a major manufacturer voluntarily recalled and then ceased production of its powder formula, ... Read More
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