Blog | Page 61 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

Can we harness intestinal cells to treat endocrine disorders?

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: diabetes, endocrinology, obesity, organoids, stem cells

Enteroendocrine cells punch above their weight. Comprising just about 1 percent of intestinal cells, they produce, as a group, around 15 different hormones. These not only regulate intestinal function and digestion, but also influence metabolic functions like insulin secretion and appetite regulation. A new technology platform developed at Boston Children’s could set the stage for ... Read More

Tagged: diabetes, endocrinology, obesity, organoids, stem cells

Can intensive early behavioral therapy help children with Down syndrome?

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Sylvia Lewinstein | Research

Tags: autism, down syndrome, research

“It’s like learning a new language. It’s a challenge, but a good challenge,” says Kristala of the new ways she has learned to connect with her 3-year-old son, Ellison, who has Down syndrome. Her favorite part of the Joint-Attention-Symbolic-Play-Engagement-Regulation (JASPER) clinical trial program at Boston Children’s Hospital came during the “Follow His Lead” week. “I ... Read More

Tagged: autism, down syndrome, research

Rethinking the origins of cerebral palsy

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: cerebral palsy, diagnostics, genetics and genomics, neurology, precision medicine

Cerebral palsy (CP) has widely been viewed as the result of perinatal oxygen deprivation or other birth-related factors like prematurity. For many children, this is true. But new work from Boston Children’s finds that up to 1 in 4 have an underlying genetic condition with the potential to change the approach to their care. Findings ... Read More

Tagged: cerebral palsy, diagnostics, genetics and genomics, neurology, precision medicine

Innovative POEM procedure gives Emma an option for achalasia

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

Tags: gastroenterology, motility

Like a lot of teenagers, Emma Reiner loves pizza — so it shouldn’t have been a surprise when she recently enjoyed four slices in one sitting. But for Emma, the meal was an accomplishment. For more than a year, she had felt nauseous after taking just a few bites of food. “It felt like the ... Read More

Tagged: gastroenterology, motility

For Echo, treatment for midaortic syndrome was ‘MAGIC’

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: hypertension, midaortic syndrome, surgery

Most 7-year-olds don’t have high blood pressure, let alone blood pressure that hovers around 180/110 mm Hg. (“Normal” blood pressure for kids that age ranges between 95/60 and 110/73 mm Hg.) At first Echo Roney’s parents thought her rising blood pressure might be linked to her diagnosis of a genetic condition called neurofibromatosis 1. But ... Read More

Tagged: hypertension, midaortic syndrome, surgery

Could concussion be monitored through urine samples?

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Research, Therapeutics/Diagnostics/Devices

Tags: biomarkers, brain injury, concussion, diagnostics, proteomics, sports medicine, vascular biology

Concussion can be frustratingly hard to diagnose and track. The injury doesn’t show up on routine brain scans, and there is no definitive diagnostic test. It’s usually diagnosed based on symptoms and, in athletes, comparison with baseline testing if it was done. But concussion symptoms are non-specific, unreliable, and easily influenced by emotions. “Athletes usually ... Read More

Tagged: biomarkers, brain injury, concussion, diagnostics, proteomics, sports medicine, vascular biology

Kira’s story: how a diagnosis of fatty liver disease nourished a lasting lifestyle change

Posted on January 18, 2022 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories, Specialty Care

Tags: liver disease, nutrition

Kira’s journey with fatty liver disease began about six years ago, when imaging for other medical reasons showed areas of concern with her liver. Fatty liver disease occurs when excess fat is stored in the liver; it can lead to progressive liver disease and is the most common pediatric liver disease in the country. The ... Read More

Tagged: liver disease, nutrition

A minimally invasive surgical option for children with flexible flatfoot

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Joanne Barker | Clinical Care

Tags: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery

Most children with flexible flatfoot, a common condition in which arches do not develop in the feet, don’t need surgery, or any medical intervention at all. The few who do need surgery typically face a complicated procedure and a long recovery. Dr. Susan Mahan Children in many parts of Europe, however, have another option. A ... Read More

Tagged: flatfoot, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery

What Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us about leadership

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Joanne Barker | Our Community

Tags: health equity

Among the individuals who have helped shape American history, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stands out. As one of the key leaders of the civil rights movement, he was instrumental in overturning racist laws that segregated public spaces and treated Black Americans as second-class citizens. After years of marches and sit-ins, after nonviolent ... Read More

Tagged: health equity

COVID-19 vaccination in 12- to 18-year-olds: What does the science say?

Posted on January 13, 2022 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: cardiac research, coronavirus, heart, mis-c, vaccines

With a third “booster” dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine now authorized for children age 12 and older, you may be wondering about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in teens. With months of experience — and recent research — to draw from, we now have more answers. Several recent studies led or co-led by ... Read More

Tagged: cardiac research, coronavirus, heart, mis-c, vaccines