‘On fire’ with sJIA: When arthritis is much more than joint pain
Georgia is finally living her best life. Her toddler years were challenging: At 15 months old, a series of high fevers landed her at Boston Children’s Hospital for two weeks. After many rounds of tests looking for infection and a bone marrow biopsy to rule out cancer, she was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis ... Read More about ‘On fire’ with sJIA: When arthritis is much more than joint pain
Obesity is increasing people’s risk of cancer. Why?
Obesity is now a global epidemic, and it is increasing people’s risk for cancer. The National Cancer Institute lists more than a dozen cancers that are associated with overweight and obesity. But how obesity increases cancer risk hasn’t been clear. The lab of Marsha A. Moses, PhD, at Boston Children’s Hospital, now draws a direct ... Read More about Obesity is increasing people’s risk of cancer. Why?
Predicting feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia: A proactive approach
Children with esophageal atresia are at risk for developing anastomotic strictures, or areas of esophageal narrowing, following surgical repair. Clinicians have long assumed that such strictures can cause dysphagia and feeding difficulties, but it isn’t clear whether the severity of feeding difficulties is related to the severity of a stricture. Now, findings of a recent ... Read More about Predicting feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia: A proactive approach
Chromosomal testing expands options for exploring causes of SIDS
When an infant or young child dies without explanation, it is not uncommon for parents to blame themselves. In some cases, unfortunately, they may be wrongly investigated by the authorities, even as they yearn for answers themselves. Most often, these answers never come. But research is slowly starting to change that. Increasing evidence suggests that ... Read More about Chromosomal testing expands options for exploring causes of SIDS
Genetic sequencing may open doors for newborns with hypotonia
When a baby is born with low muscle tone (hypotonia), the future is hard to predict, and families have a lot of questions. How should neonatologists care for these infants? Findings from a recent review could help provide some answers, guide appropriate interventions, and in some cases open the way to custom treatments. Diagnosing a ... Read More about Genetic sequencing may open doors for newborns with hypotonia
The genetics of height: Coming close to cracking the code
More than 20 years ago, as a pediatric endocrinology fellow at Boston Children’s, Joel Hirschhorn, MD, PhD, saw many children with unusually short stature, and would often tell parents that their child was growing slowly because of genetic factors. But no height-related genes had yet been identified — in fact, scientists believed there were so ... Read More about The genetics of height: Coming close to cracking the code
The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique
Of the many features in the recently-opened Hale Family Building at Boston Children’s, maybe one of the most impactful for patients and clinicians is an innovation that puts a new spin on an old way of conducting perfusion in open-heart surgery. Used in cardiac operating rooms (ORs) until only a few decades ago, wall water systems had ... Read More about The secret to safer heart surgery lies in modernizing an old technique
New insight into dietary approaches for epilepsy
Fasting has been believed since ancient times to curb seizures in epilepsy, and small patient studies in the early 1900s have revived the idea. But the reasons have remained mysterious. New research from Boston Children’s helps explain how fasting affects the brain at the molecular level. The findings could lead the way to new approaches ... Read More about New insight into dietary approaches for epilepsy
Tim Springer: Scientist, entrepreneur, and mentor
As an undergraduate in 1966, immunologist, biochemist, and biophysicist Timothy A. Springer, PhD, looked askance at science. The Vietnam War was going on, and he saw science as a means of making Agent Orange and napalm. Questioning his own Ivy League education, he left Yale to spend a year as a VISTA volunteer on a ... Read More about Tim Springer: Scientist, entrepreneur, and mentor
Preventing ‘chemo brain’ with antioxidants targeting the spinal fluid
Up to three-quarters of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy suffer from “chemo brain” — a side effect that makes it harder to remember things, maintain attention, and learn new information. When it strikes children, whose brains are still developing, effects are sometimes long lasting, affecting their schoolwork and self-esteem. “One of the most distressing potential side ... Read More about Preventing ‘chemo brain’ with antioxidants targeting the spinal fluid