Blog | Page 58 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

Logan shows off ‘big personality’ while overcoming cleft lip and palate

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Patient Stories

Tags: cleft lip, cleft palate, dentistry

Three-year-old Logan Hatfield doesn’t simply ask to watch “The Lion King.” He lets out a loud roar and follows with a soft “king.” It’s one of the many cherished memories he has created for his parents, Jenna and Brad, and his two older siblings. It’s also a welcomed contrast to the months before and after ... Read More

Tagged: cleft lip, cleft palate, dentistry

Using genetics to glimpse newborns’ future with congenital heart disease

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Research

Tags: congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, newborn medicine, preventive cardiology

Aside from infections, congenital heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of infant mortality. Informed by babies she sees in the NICU, Sarah Morton, MD, PhD, attending physician in the Division of Newborn Medicine at Boston Children’s, has devoted her career to understanding CHD’s genetic causes. Her findings are shedding light on what parents and ... Read More

Tagged: congenital heart defect, genetics and genomics, heart, newborn medicine, preventive cardiology

Genetic risk factors for PCOS act independently of ovarian function

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Research

Tags: diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, obesity

It’s estimated that as many as 10 percent of women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that produces symptoms such as infertility, irregular menstrual periods, and excessive body hair growth. Women with PCOS are also at increased risk for cardiometabolic dysfunction, as evidenced by insulin resistance and obesity. Yet, despite extensive studies of PCOS, ... Read More

Tagged: diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, obesity

‘Worth the trip’: Aiden and his family found help for chronic pain in Boston

Posted on March 11, 2022 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: pain

Aiden Kozak loves playing volleyball — and he’s good at it. He was even recently named one of the top 50 student volleyball players on Long Island. It’s a huge change from four years ago, when walking was so painful that he relied on a wheelchair. That wasn’t always the case. Until he was 12, ... Read More

Tagged: pain

Kids with special health care needs can take small steps toward dental visits

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Clinical Care, Primary Care

Tags: autism, cerebral palsy, dentistry, down syndrome

This is the second of a two-part series offering dental advice to the parents of children with special health care needs. A visit to the dentist can be an overwhelming experience for children with special health care needs. Like many people, they might feel uncomfortable with dental picks and drills. Or, favoring the rhythm of ... Read More

Tagged: autism, cerebral palsy, dentistry, down syndrome

Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: coronavirus, critical care, genetics and genomics, icu, infectious diseases, microbes, pulmonology

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are increasingly hard to treat, causing more than a million deaths annually around the world. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, or abdominal infections are especially at risk. Like a game of Whac-A-Mole, bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance mutations within days of starting an antibiotic, only to be replaced ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, critical care, genetics and genomics, icu, infectious diseases, microbes, pulmonology

Sudden, unexplained child deaths often have a genetic cause

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: bereavement, epilepsy, genetics and genomics, heart, metabolism, neurology, second opinion, sudden infant death syndrome

When a baby or toddler dies without warning, parents often blame themselves. A study at Boston Children’s may provide some insight into sudden, unexplained child deaths and perhaps a measure of closure. It suggests that at least 10 percent of children who die suddenly have an undiagnosed genetic condition that caused or contributed to their ... Read More

Tagged: bereavement, epilepsy, genetics and genomics, heart, metabolism, neurology, second opinion, sudden infant death syndrome

Parents: Start dental care early for children with special health care needs

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Albert McKeon | Clinical Care, Primary Care

Tags: autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, dentistry, down syndrome

This is the first of a two-part series offering dental tips to the parents of children with special health care needs. The texture of a toothbrush’s bristles can be enough to make dental hygiene an uncomfortable undertaking for children with special health care needs. And because children with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other conditions are ... Read More

Tagged: autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, dentistry, down syndrome

Dr. Dennis Spencer: The world needs more diverse doctors

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Joanne Barker | Our Community, People

Tags: gastroenterology, health equity, nutrition

If you ask Dr. Dennis Spencer, he’ll tell you one of the best things about practicing medicine is the opportunity to work directly with people and communities. As a physician in Boston Children’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, he diagnoses and treats children with digestive disorders and educates patients and families about preventive measures ... Read More

Tagged: gastroenterology, health equity, nutrition

To do more for Gwyneth: One family’s journey with Rett syndrome

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Katie Paradis | Research

Tags: neurology, neuroscience, rett syndrome

When Florida couple Melissa and Nick welcomed their daughters, McKinley and Gwyneth, in October 2017, the first-time parents knew to expect the unexpected with parenthood. Nonetheless, they couldn’t help but envision their daughters’ futures: learning to walk, talk, and drive, then eventually going to college, falling in love, getting married, and having kids. And Melissa ... Read More

Tagged: neurology, neuroscience, rett syndrome