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Staff Spotlight: Meet Dr. Bartley Cilento, Jr.
Pediatric urologist Bartley Cilento, Jr., MD, MPH, is co-director of the Kidney Stone Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, which cares for children and adolescents who have or are at risk for developing kidney stones. He also serves as director of the hospital’s Pediatric Urology Fellowship Program. What does your job involve? My job involves treating ... Read More about Staff Spotlight: Meet Dr. Bartley Cilento, Jr.
Research
New research sheds light on risk of gluten exposure in the kitchen and classroom
Parents and teachers typically go to great lengths in the kitchen and in the classroom to ensure children with Celiac disease avoid gluten contact. But up until recently, little data has existed to quantify the risk that exists in a variety of scenarios. Now, new research suggests that while vigilance is key, people may be ... Read More about New research sheds light on risk of gluten exposure in the kitchen and classroom
Research
Diving deep: Understanding skeletal conditions with fish models
From fragile ice fish deep in the Antarctic Ocean to flying fish gliding above the Caribbean sea, fish have evolved a fascinating variety of skeletal traits. These traits not only help them adapt to their environments, they are also providing genetic insights into rare human skeletal disorders. Fish are not as genetically different from us ... Read More about Diving deep: Understanding skeletal conditions with fish models
Research
Good early results with gene therapy for rare immune deficiency
Brenden Whittaker, a college student in Ohio, has been caught off guard by his good health. Since he was young, a rare immune deficiency known as chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) had left him vulnerable to life-threatening infections. He was used to going in and out of the hospital, and then hooking up to an IV ... Read More about Good early results with gene therapy for rare immune deficiency
Research
Evidence-based guideline reduces G-tube placement in young patients
Gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are commonly used to deliver nutrition directly to the stomach in patients who cannot eat by mouth, require supplemental nutrients, or have swallowing difficulties, including oropharyngeal dysphagia with aspiration. While the placement of G-tubes is on the rise nationally, data suggests that children with G-tubes have two to three times the number ... Read More about Evidence-based guideline reduces G-tube placement in young patients
Research
100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Each year, more than 100 million newborns around the world receive vaccinations against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or TB, which infects about one-quarter of the world’s population. Facilities across the world produce several different formulations of these vaccines, known as Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccines. These are given interchangeably, yet new research from the Precision Vaccines Program at ... Read More about 100 years after the advent of TB vaccines, formulations vary widely
Research
Bone marrow-on-a-chip provides new research directions for Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
A new research tool that mimics the behavior of diseased bone marrow provides a new strategy for understanding the bone marrow disease, Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), and hopefully, developing new treatments. With SDS, bone marrow fails to produce blood cells normally, leading to bone marrow failure and an increased risk of leukemia. In a research paper ... Read More about Bone marrow-on-a-chip provides new research directions for Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
Research
Poverty associated with suicide risk in children and adolescents
Suicide in children under age 20 has been increasing in the U.S., with rates almost doubling over the last decade. Between 2007 to 2016, nearly 21,000 children ages 5-19 years old died by suicide. While the reasons for the increase are not well understood, new research from Boston Children’s Hospital shows a link between poverty ... Read More about Poverty associated with suicide risk in children and adolescents
Patient Stories
Stetson travels from Texas for bladder exstrophy care
As first-time parents, Rachael and Leroy Calk expected to have questions after their son, Stetson, was born. What they didn’t expect was to find themselves faced with a surprising diagnosis when their baby was just a few hours old — and to begin a journey for answers about his care. Although Rachael’s pregnancy had been ... Read More about Stetson travels from Texas for bladder exstrophy care
Research
Dysmotility may play a major role in respiratory symptoms
Clinicians whose patients exhibit respiratory symptoms frequently assume that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is responsible. However, esophageal and gastric dysmotility may be more significant factors in respiratory disease than GERD alone, according to a recent review by Rachel Rosen, MD, MPH, and Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH. The paper, published in Current Treatment Options in Pediatrics, ... Read More about Dysmotility may play a major role in respiratory symptoms