Clinical trials in children: Is there racial equity?
The treatments and interventions used in medicine are often based on the results of clinical trials. But trials involving adults haven’t always represented the population as a whole, tending to recruit mostly white middle-class people. As a result, it’s not clear how well the findings apply to people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Do ... Read More about Clinical trials in children: Is there racial equity?
COVID vaccination in 5- to 11-year-olds: What does the science say?
The Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for children ages 5 to 11 in October, but many parents have been hesitant to get them vaccinated. A national study in The New England Journal of Medicine provides reassuring data, showing that the vaccine strongly protected this age group against severe COVID-19. Dr. Adrienne Randolph at Boston Children’s ... Read More about COVID vaccination in 5- to 11-year-olds: What does the science say?
Building a bladder-specific Botox
Botulinum toxins are bacterial neurotoxins that also have a range of therapeutic uses. In urology, injections of these potent substances can relax the bladder muscle, helping treat conditions such as overactive bladder and neurogenic bladder. Of the seven types of botulinum toxin, two have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): botulinum ... Read More about Building a bladder-specific Botox
Targeting treatments for vascular anomalies, courtesy of cancer genetics
Vascular anomalies — overgrowths or malformations of the capillaries, veins, arteries, and/or lymphatic vessels — often confound physicians, especially in acute settings. They encompass a diverse group of conditions, all of them rare, and can affect multiple body systems. Many physicians have never encountered vascular anomalies and may be unaware of the risks they sometimes ... Read More about Targeting treatments for vascular anomalies, courtesy of cancer genetics
A new symptom of COVID-19 in young children: Croup
During the Omicron surge, pediatricians and emergency departments (EDs) began noticing something new: a surge in croup among infants and young children. Marked by a distinctive “barking” cough and sometimes noisy, high-pitched intakes of breath, croup can happen when colds and other viral infections cause the voice box, windpipe, and bronchial tubes to become inflamed ... Read More about A new symptom of COVID-19 in young children: Croup
Using genetics to glimpse newborns’ future with congenital heart disease
Aside from infections, congenital heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of infant mortality. Informed by babies she sees in the NICU, Sarah Morton, MD, PhD, attending physician in the Division of Newborn Medicine at Boston Children’s, has devoted her career to understanding CHD’s genetic causes. Her findings are shedding light on what parents and ... Read More about Using genetics to glimpse newborns’ future with congenital heart disease
Genetic risk factors for PCOS act independently of ovarian function
It’s estimated that as many as 10 percent of women have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal condition that produces symptoms such as infertility, irregular menstrual periods, and excessive body hair growth. Women with PCOS are also at increased risk for cardiometabolic dysfunction, as evidenced by insulin resistance and obesity. Yet, despite extensive studies of PCOS, ... Read More about Genetic risk factors for PCOS act independently of ovarian function
Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections are increasingly hard to treat, causing more than a million deaths annually around the world. Hospitalized patients with pneumonia, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, or abdominal infections are especially at risk. Like a game of Whac-A-Mole, bacteria can develop antibiotic resistance mutations within days of starting an antibiotic, only to be replaced ... Read More about Real-time genomic surveillance of bacteria could improve antibiotic therapy
Sudden, unexplained child deaths often have a genetic cause
When a baby or toddler dies without warning, parents often blame themselves. A study at Boston Children’s may provide some insight into sudden, unexplained child deaths and perhaps a measure of closure. It suggests that at least 10 percent of children who die suddenly have an undiagnosed genetic condition that caused or contributed to their ... Read More about Sudden, unexplained child deaths often have a genetic cause
To do more for Gwyneth: One family’s journey with Rett syndrome
When Florida couple Melissa and Nick welcomed their daughters, McKinley and Gwyneth, in October 2017, the first-time parents knew to expect the unexpected with parenthood. Nonetheless, they couldn’t help but envision their daughters’ futures: learning to walk, talk, and drive, then eventually going to college, falling in love, getting married, and having kids. And Melissa ... Read More about To do more for Gwyneth: One family’s journey with Rett syndrome