Blog | Page 63 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

Gift-wrapping kindness: Helping others can offer children a unique kind of joy

The holidays are a time for not just receiving gifts but also giving back. It’s the ideal time to teach young children about the importance of helping others and to guide older children toward opportunities that allow them to volunteer and make a difference. “Volunteerism and giving are important traits to learn,” says Miranda Day, ... Read More

Tagged: advocacy

Emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines could be game-changing

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: bioengineering, coronavirus, drug development, vaccines

Current messenger RNA vaccines appear to offer at least some protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, especially for people who have received boosters. But manufacturing costs and the need for ultra-cold refrigeration have limited availability of these vaccines in low-and middle-income countries. That’s where emerging protein-based COVID-19 vaccines — including two candidates developed at ... Read More

Tagged: bioengineering, coronavirus, drug development, vaccines

‘Never stop looking for answers’: Andrea’s journey with dysmotility

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Health and Parenting

Tags: motility, short bowel syndrome

As a volunteer at Caritas Internationalis, Andrea Hernandez loves helping feed the hungry. Yet, until recently, Andrea herself was unable to eat by mouth, instead relying on a feeding tube for nutrition. Nevertheless, she says that when it comes to her health, “We are fed with hope.” Andrea, now 23, has experienced severe dysmotility problems, ... Read More

Tagged: motility, short bowel syndrome

Surviving stem cell transplant: New hope when the donor isn’t a full match

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Specialty Care

Tags: blood disorder, cancer, leukemia, research, stem cell transplant

To see Tara Daniels today, with a corporate job in marketing and about to close on a house, you’d never know what she’s been through, how thrilled she is to be alive. This month marks five years since she received a high-risk bone marrow transplant for a life-threatening blood cancer. Tara woke up feeling sick ... Read More

Tagged: blood disorder, cancer, leukemia, research, stem cell transplant

Unwrapping myths for children: How to prepare them for the truth about Santa Claus and other legends

Posted on December 15, 2021 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

Tags: child life, developmental milestones

Virginia might have been told, “Yes, there is a Santa Claus” — but someday your child will expect an honest answer about the legitimacy of a bearded, centuries-old deliverer of gifts. This holiday season isn’t just a time for families to come together and celebrate traditions. It’s also a time for children of a certain ... Read More

Tagged: child life, developmental milestones

Making food fun: Jacob’s journey with feeding difficulties

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: autism spectrum disorder, diet, feeding therapy, gastroenterology, nutrition

Most parents might discourage their child from playing with their food. But for Lorraine Scanlon, getting her son Jacob to have fun at the table is all part of taking the pressure out of eating. In fact, it’s an approach recommended by his health care team. Jacob, now 8, has had feeding challenges since he ... Read More

Tagged: autism spectrum disorder, diet, feeding therapy, gastroenterology, nutrition

Addressing inequities in asthma by focusing on children’s environments

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Our Community

Tags: allergy, asthma, community health, health equity, poverty, research

Asthma strikes children in low-income urban areas especially hard, more often sending them to the hospital. For more than 20 years, Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul at Boston Children’s Hospital has been investigating why — and seeking ways to level the playing field. “Children in low-income areas and children of color often aren’t diagnosed early enough with ... Read More

Tagged: allergy, asthma, community health, health equity, poverty, research

Generations of excellence in caring for childhood bone cancers: Dr. Gebhardt and Dr. Anderson

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Joanne Barker | Clinical Care, Specialty Care

Tags: bone tumors, cancer, ewing sarcoma, oncology, orthopedics, osteosarcoma

When Dr. Mark Gebhardt was a surgical resident at Boston Children’s Hospital in the early ’80s, doctors were just starting to use chemotherapy to treat bone cancers like osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. Boston Children’s and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute were among the first places to offer this treatment. They were also among the first to ... Read More

Tagged: bone tumors, cancer, ewing sarcoma, oncology, orthopedics, osteosarcoma

It takes a village: Creating best practices for personalized treatments

Posted on December 8, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Specialty Care

Tags: drug development, drug safety, genetics and genomics, personalized medicine, precision medicine, rare disease, research

In 2019, doctors and scientists at Boston Children’s Hospital announced a medical landmark. In the space of one year, a team led by Timothy Yu, MD, PhD, pinpointed a one-of-a-kind genetic mutation in a girl named Mila with Batten disease, developed a custom drug called milasen to repair the mutation, and treated Mila with it. ... Read More

Tagged: drug development, drug safety, genetics and genomics, personalized medicine, precision medicine, rare disease, research

Solving neurodevelopmental mysteries, one gene, one child at a time

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Research, Specialty Care

Tags: genetics and genomics, neurology, neuroscience, newborn medicine, rare disease, research

Suheil Day was born early, at 37 weeks. Aside from a slight head lag and mild muscle weakness, nothing seemed terribly amiss. But as the months progressed, he began having seizures. “At the age of 4 to 5 months, he started waking up screaming and crying excessively, his eyes rolling up into his head,” says ... Read More

Tagged: genetics and genomics, neurology, neuroscience, newborn medicine, rare disease, research