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COVID-19 and surgery: Lessons in safety

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Primary Care
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When Massachusetts recorded its first COVID-19-positive test result in early March 2020, health officials knew little about the virus. They didn’t know, for instance, how it was transmitted or how to protect patients and clinicians during surgical procedures. In the weeks that followed, Boston Children’s Hospital made several difficult but necessary decisions. We cancelled elective ... Read More
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Facing up to masks: Six reasons to stay the course

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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It’s now been almost a year since many businesses shuttered, schools closed, and Zoom calls became a way of life for many of us. Among the changes: face masks, designed to help prevent the spread the virus that causes COVID-19. If you’re experiencing so-called mask exhaustion, you’re not alone. One recent survey found that half ... Read More
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Innovative new shunt delivery system holds promise for treatment of fetal urinary tract obstruction

Posted on by | Therapeutics/Diagnostics/Devices
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Urinary tract obstruction that occurs in utero can have serious consequences for the fetus. Such obstructions can block the flow of fetal urine, which makes up amniotic fluid. Without adequate levels of amniotic fluid, a fetus may not develop properly, especially in terms of the fetal lungs. Fetal urinary tract obstructions can range from mild ... Read More
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Finally heard: How finding a doctor who listened helped change Carter’s life

Posted on by | Patient Stories
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In some ways, Carter Sousa is like any other 13-year-old: He’s obsessed with videos, loves animals, and enjoys hanging out with his friends. But for much of his childhood, Carter and his parents found themselves struggling with a frustrating and embarrassing problem that seemed to have no clear solution. Soon after he was born, Carter ... Read More
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Eight tips to help you make it through the winter

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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It’s officially 2021 and we have two approved vaccines for COVID-19 that are rolling out across the country. While this is great news, the reality is that we’re still facing a few more months of social distancing before we’re able to return to any type of  “normal” lifestyle. And in the chill and darkness of ... Read More
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The COVID-19 vaccine for kids: When will children be vaccinated?

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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In late 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave emergency use authorization to two COVID-19 vaccines — one from Pfizer/BioNTech, the other from Moderna. Other vaccines are expected to be authorized soon. Currently the Pfizer vaccine can be given to people ages 16 years and older; Moderna’s is for use in those 18 ... Read More
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‘Mosaic’ gene mutations could explain some cases of autism

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
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The causes of autism remain mysterious. Scientists have linked autism spectrum disorder to a long list of genes, but most children with autism have no known explanation. Two new studies add to the picture, implicating mutations that affect only a fraction of a child’s cells. Called mosaic mutations, they open a new avenue for research ... Read More
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Answers to your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

Posted on by | Health and Parenting
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Update: On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency authorization for use of the Pfizer vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in teens between the ages of 12 and 15. This broadens the group of people eligible for the Pfizer vaccine to those ages 12 and older. To help answer the most ... Read More
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Therapy developed at Boston Children’s stops preeclampsia before it starts

Posted on by | Basic/Translational, Research
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Preeclampsia occurs in about 3 to 5 percent of all pregnancies. Characterized by very high maternal blood pressure, it can lead to serious, sometimes fatal, complications in both mother and baby. In severe cases, early delivery is often the only effective treatment, usually before the baby’s lungs are fully developed. Researchers within the Division of ... Read More
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Arthritis drug reduces rates of acute graft-vs-host disease after bone marrow transplant

Posted on by | Clinical Care, Specialty Care
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The immune-suppressing drug abatacept, currently used for rheumatoid arthritis, could make bone marrow transplant safer, report researchers at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The phase 2 randomized, multi-center clinical trial, the largest to date, appears in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Abatacept (brand name ORENCIA) reduced rates of severe, acute graft-versus-host disease ... Read More
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