Blog | Page 80 of 159 | Boston Children's Answers

Freak accident leads to Dylan’s passion for neurosurgery

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Ellen Greenlaw | Patient Stories

It was the summer of 2019. Dylan Keusch had just graduated from prep school and was planning to major in Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell University in the fall. His life felt pretty perfect. “Everything was going great — I was a national club team swimmer at the peak of my career, I was headed ... Read More

Tagged: brain injury, neurosurgery

Meghan’s journey with UESL: Finding treatment for a rare form of liver cancer

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: cancer, chemotherapy, liver disease, surgery

In the spring of 2017, Meghan Tompkins and her parents, Danni and Michael, arrived at the Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center. They were there for an appointment after Meghan’s doctors identified a suspicious spot on her liver. Meghan, then 13, only knew that she was having gastrointestinal symptoms — no one had uttered ... Read More

Tagged: cancer, chemotherapy, liver disease, surgery

Behavioral health: What parents should know

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Katie Paradis | Health and Parenting

Tags: primary care alliance

Even before a worldwide pandemic uprooted life as we knew it, our children have been grappling with an unprecedented health crisis. In the span of 10 years, emergency rooms have seen a 60 percent increase in mental-health-related visits in patients under age 18. COVID-19’s disruption of routines and social outlets has only worsened this problem. ... Read More

Tagged: primary care alliance

Diversifying therapeutic antibodies: From one, come many with potential different uses

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Alice McCarthy | Basic/Translational, Research

Tags: cellular and molecular medicine, immunology, immunotherapy

A new method for producing antibodies against disease could result in a wider variety of drugs for infectious diseases, immune disease, and even cancer. The immune system naturally produces enormous varieties of antibodies to fight diseases. Therapeutic antibodies — antibodies created against specific therapeutic targets — have been used for decades to either rev up ... Read More

Tagged: cellular and molecular medicine, immunology, immunotherapy

Game-changing surgical procedure results in zero-percent TEF re-recurrence rate

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Research

Tags: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, surgery, tracheoesophageal fistula

A tracheaesophageal fistula (TEF) is a congenital defect in which an abnormal connection forms between a child’s esophagus and trachea. It often occurs with esophageal atresia. Even after surgical repair, TEFs recur in about 10 to 15 percent of infants and children. They rarely close spontaneously and typically require surgical or endoscopic intervention. Key takeaways: ... Read More

Tagged: Esophageal and Airway Treatment Center, esophageal atresia, surgery, tracheoesophageal fistula

Maisie’s story: Our journey with Apert syndrome

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Tiffany Hubbard | Patient Stories

Tags: apert syndrome, craniofacial, neurosurgery

Our daughter Maisie is 4 years old. She loves riding her bike, baking, jumping on the trampoline, and keeping up with her older sister, Eliza. She’s also especially skilled at peeling hard boiled eggs. We learned prenatally at 18 weeks that something was going on with Maisie’s development. My doctors suspected craniosynostosis, a condition where the ... Read More

Tagged: apert syndrome, craniofacial, neurosurgery

COVID-19 vaccines for kids: What has to happen first

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Alice McCarthy | Health and Parenting

Tags: clinical trials, coronavirus, vaccines

Now that adults and older teens are receiving COVID-19 vaccines, some younger kids are wondering why they can’t get vaccinated too. While testing has begun in children 6 months to age 12, we aren’t ready to begin vaccinating most kids yet. But we do know the steps the companies are taking to be sure their ... Read More

Tagged: clinical trials, coronavirus, vaccines

Boston Children’s Simulator Program steps up during COVID-19

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Nancy Fliesler | Clinical Care

Tags: coronavirus, immersive design systems, medical devices, medical training, safety

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals scrambled to adapt and prepare. Amid the chaos, the Boston Children’s Hospital Simulator Program, SIMPeds, sprang into action. SIMPeds is a world leader in running live simulations of care scenarios, allowing health care providers to rehearse tough or unanticipated situations in advance. Its SIMEngineering division is ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, immersive design systems, medical devices, medical training, safety

Interventional techniques help Molly thrive with chronic pain

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Jessica Cerretani | Patient Stories

Tags: interventional pain, pain

Molly McGowan loves baking, sewing, and taking daily walks in the woods with her goldendoodle, Cooper. But Cooper isn’t just any pet. He’s her service dog and a significant source of support. “I credit him with helping me get up and move every day,” she says. It isn’t always easy. For Molly, pain has been ... Read More

Tagged: interventional pain, pain

You’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine. What now?

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Ellen Greenlaw | Health and Parenting

Tags: coronavirus, vaccines

As more and more people across the country get vaccinated for COVID-19, the rules for social distancing are also slowly shifting. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rolled out new guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated. But these rules can still be a bit confusing for families, especially when some family ... Read More

Tagged: coronavirus, vaccines