Blog | Page 67 of 158 | Boston Children's Answers

The adolescent mental health crisis: Bolstering primary care capabilities

Tags: advocacy, mental health, primary care, primary care alliance, psychiatry

The mental health crisis among children and teens shows no sign of abating, and COVID-19 has clearly made matters worse. A recent study found that suicide attempts and self-harm were among the few indications for hospitalization that didn’t drop during the first waves of the pandemic. On the contrary, the past year has seen a ... Read More

Tagged: advocacy, mental health, primary care, primary care alliance, psychiatry

Covid variants 101: What parents should know

Posted on October 4, 2021 by Albert McKeon | Health and Parenting

Tags: coronavirus

First came Alpha, then Beta. It’s all about Delta right now, but Mu is already making headlines. You almost can’t keep track of COVID-19 variants without a scorecard. And as a parent striving to protect your family, this seemingly endless parade of variants may have you concerned about what’s next. We asked three infectious disease ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus

How growing up with sickle cell disease is shaping Nancy’s future

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Emily Williams | Patient Stories

Tags: blood disorder, sickle cell disease

Imagine appearing completely healthy while managing a life-threatening condition. Most people who meet Nancy Blankson would never know she has sickle cell disease (SCD). Her symptoms are not easily visible. It’s a challenge she lives with every day along with periodic pain crises, which at times, she says, can be virtually unbearable. Nevertheless, the 20-year-old ... Read More

Tagged: blood disorder, sickle cell disease

Low-carb or low-fat? Study pinpoints better diet

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: clinical trials, diabetes, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, preventive cardiology, public health

Despite the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets, health experts have pushed low-fat diets for the past 50 years, citing saturated fat as the main health risk. As a result, grocery shelves are stocked with low-fat and fat-free foods, many of which are high in processed carbs. Drs. David Ludwig and Cara Ebbeling, who co-direct the New ... Read More

Tagged: clinical trials, diabetes, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, preventive cardiology, public health

Teething: Which remedies are safe for babies?

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Emily Rizzitano | Health and Parenting

Tags: primary care, primary care alliance

The arrival of your infant’s first tooth is a milestone. But it can also signal the beginning of a trying phase for both of you: teething. Your baby was born with 20 teeth below their gumline. “The timing of teething varies from child to child. “Teeth may begin to erupt anywhere between 4 and 12 ... Read More

Tagged: primary care, primary care alliance

Lead exposure remains a problem for some children

Posted on September 27, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: autism spectrum disorder, environmental health, health equity, safety, toxins

Lead poisoning has been with us since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. But it wasn’t until the late 1970s that strong laws were passed to reduce lead in the environment. And 40+ years later, a large national study still finds evidence of possibly harmful lead exposure in young children, especially those living in low-income ... Read More

Tagged: autism spectrum disorder, environmental health, health equity, safety, toxins

Teens, anxiety, and depression: How worried should parents be?

Posted on September 24, 2021 by Joanne Barker | Health and Parenting

Tags: adolescent medicine, mental health, psychiatry

Part of the work of being a teenager is making connections outside of the family and becoming attuned to world issues. But add social media, an ongoing pandemic, and academic and extracurricular pressures to the mix, and teens can become vulnerable to mental health issues. “Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health concerns ... Read More

Tagged: adolescent medicine, mental health, psychiatry

Navigating friendships and vaccines

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Katie Paradis | Health and Parenting

Tags: coronavirus, physiatry, vaccines

With kids finally back at school and other activities after more than a year, many families now find themselves facing yet another chapter of the COVID-19 pandemic: contending with those who don’t share their views on getting vaccinated. We spoke with Erica Lee, a psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital, about navigating ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, physiatry, vaccines

Pleuropulmonary blastoma: Caring for Cal

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Emily Williams | Patient Stories

Tags: cancer, oncology, pulmonology, rare disease, surgery

Each time the UPS truck makes its way up Becky Baker’s driveway in Lyons, New York, her 3-year-old grandson, Cal, is certain there’s a package for him. Today, the delivery is in fact for Cal — but not exactly the drivable mini Jeep he was hoping for. “Those are your diapers, buddy,” his grandmother says, ... Read More

Tagged: cancer, oncology, pulmonology, rare disease, surgery

A promising new antiseizure drug tailored to newborns

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical, Research

Tags: clinical trials, drug development, epilepsy, neurology, newborn medicine, research, seizures

Neonatal seizures can lead to serious consequences, including significant cognitive and motor disabilities, lifelong epilepsy, and death. They are often highly resistant to treatment, in part because seizures in newborns are fundamentally different from seizures in older children and adults. Yet they are treated in much the same way as older patients, with little change over the decades. Better treatment is ... Read More

Tagged: clinical trials, drug development, epilepsy, neurology, newborn medicine, research, seizures