Blog | Page 73 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

From ECMO to star athlete: Kobe’s story

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Ellen Greenlaw | Patient Stories

Tags: heart, heart center, heart patient

Kobe Perry is fast. This year, the 12-year-old from New Hampshire placed #2 in the United States in the indoor 60-meter sprint and at #10 in the 200-meter for boys in his age group. “Watching Kobe run now, you would never know that he had a heart condition when he was a toddler and had ... Read More

Tagged: heart, heart center, heart patient

Limb-lengthening surgery: A look at the pros and cons

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Joanne Barker | Clinical Care, Specialty Care

Tags: hand and upper extremity, leg lengthening, limb lengthening and reconstruction, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery

Limb length discrepancies, a leg or arm that’s shorter than the other, can occur for a number of reasons. A child may be born with a condition that causes one limb to grow more slowly than the other. An arm or leg may stop growing after a complex fracture or a fracture that heals incorrectly. ... Read More

Tagged: hand and upper extremity, leg lengthening, limb lengthening and reconstruction, lower extremity, orthopedics, surgery

ADHD drug class leads to fewer side effects in preschool children

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Alice McCarthy | Clinical, Research

Tags: ADHD, clinical trials

About 2.4 percent of preschool-age children have an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. For these children, behavioral interventions intended to redirect a child or otherwise replace negative behaviors with positive ones are the first line of treatment. But what if symptoms linger, or are so severe that they interfere with a child’s social, emotional, and educational ... Read More

Tagged: ADHD, clinical trials

Amazing Grace: Toddler receives life-changing care for cloacal anomaly

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

Tags: cancer, colorectal and pelvic malformations, surgery

Grace Brown loves playing with her six brothers and sisters, watching educational TV shows, and just being an average toddler. But by some accounts, she shouldn’t be here at all. “We were told before she was even born that she wasn’t likely to survive,” says her mother, K’Shayla. After Grace — and her twin sister, ... Read More

Tagged: cancer, colorectal and pelvic malformations, surgery

SMART: A new approach to asthma management

Posted on July 13, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care, Primary Care

Tags: asthma, primary care, pulmonology

Until recently, the typical approach to asthma involved two inhalers. In its first update since 2007, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program now recommends the use of Single Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (SMART) for selected patients. Rather than an inhaled corticosteroid for daily maintenance and an inhaled bronchodilator for exacerbations, SMART uses the same ... Read More

Tagged: asthma, primary care, pulmonology

Taking treatment of long-gap esophageal atresia to the next level: Refining innovative techniques

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, research, surgery

The surgeons in the Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center at Boston Children’s Hospital are pioneers in developing and refining innovative surgical approaches to long-gap esophageal atresia, a condition in which a child’s esophagus develops in two separate segments that can’t be easily connected with surgery. Among these techniques are jejunal interposition and the Foker process. ... Read More

Tagged: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, research, surgery

Practice positivity: Navigating body image with your child

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Emily Rizzitano | Health and Parenting

Tags: mental health, primary care, primary care alliance

Children receive thousands of messages every day about ‘how the world works’ and the role of kids and adolescents in it. Sometimes they learn things explicitly, but they also receive cues from mass and social media, family and peers. Body image is no exception. In young people, negative messages about bodies and appearances can contribute ... Read More

Tagged: mental health, primary care, primary care alliance

Another shot for Conner: Getting back in the game after brain surgery

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Katie Paradis | Patient Stories

Tags: cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, moyamoya, neurosurgery

Watch Conner Hicks coach basketball at Midlakes Middle School in Clifton Springs, New York, and you’ll see a young man with a passion for the game. Talk to the players on his team and you’ll hear about a dedicated and enthusiastic role model. What you probably won’t notice is the 19-year-old’s fight with a brain ... Read More

Tagged: cerebrovascular surgery and interventions center, moyamoya, neurosurgery

Finding a nutrition plan that works for your family

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Katie Paradis | Health and Parenting

Tags: nutrition, primary care alliance

Every day, millions of people follow specialized diets for myriad reasons. These can include religious or ethical beliefs, allergies or sensitivities, or meeting individual health goals. Be it vegetarianism, veganism, gluten-free, paleo, or “clean eating,” nutritional lifestyles can be different everywhere. While diets like these and countless others do provide health and wellness benefits, most ... Read More

Tagged: nutrition, primary care alliance

Beating the odds with biliary atresia: Sarah’s story

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: liver disease, surgery

Five-year-old Sarah Sirpenski loves watching TV shows about baking and is eager to try her hand at it herself. She likes to spend time in her family’s kitchen, measuring out imaginary cups of sugar and other ingredients, say her parents, Kate and Dan. One of her doctors even calls her “corn muffin” — although that ... Read More

Tagged: liver disease, surgery