Health and Parenting
Sticking it to needle pain
Ask any kid what they dread most about a visit to the doctor and you’ll likely hear the same answer: “Needles!” Whether in the form of vaccinations or blood draws, the pain associated with needlesticks isn’t “just a small poke” to many children. It’s a major source of fear and distress — and not just ... Read More about Sticking it to needle pain
Health and Parenting
Vegan diets for adolescent athletes: A sports dietitian’s perspective
Vegan diets are a hit on social media, but is a 100 percent plant-based diet a good idea for athletes? A sports nutritionist looks at the pros and cons.
Patient Stories
Ready for the next step: Innovative care for Chase
Chase Essex loves pizza and has even prepared shrimp scampi for his family. So it might come as a surprise that, until recently, the 14-year-old hadn’t eaten by mouth for much of his life. “Now,” says his mother, Antoinette, “he eats everything in sight.” More than a decade ago, Chase was like any other curious ... Read More about Ready for the next step: Innovative care for Chase
Clinical Care
Beyond limits: A staged approach to jejunal interposition
By the time Chase Essex arrived at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2016, he had reached what most clinicians would consider the limits of modern medicine. Surgeons at his home hospital had performed nearly three dozen procedures to address damage to his trachea caused by his accidental ingestion of lye years earlier. Yet when it came ... Read More about Beyond limits: A staged approach to jejunal interposition
Health and Parenting
Developmental milestone checklists don’t always agree, finds study
Developmental milestones, such as sitting unsupported or babbling, are a cornerstone for tracking a child’s development and spotting potential delays. Yet fewer than half of pediatricians actually use formal developmental assessments. Hoping to make the process easier, Carol Wilkinson, MD, PhD, in the Boston Children’s Hospital Division of Developmental Medicine, set out to incorporate a ... Read More about Developmental milestone checklists don’t always agree, finds study
Patient Stories
Breaking gender biases: What is it like to be a girl with severe hemophilia?
In human biology class this past semester, Morgan DiPrima viewed a PowerPoint presentation that made her head spin. It included a hemophilia slide solely focused on men. “So, I asked the professor if I could do a class presentation on hemophilia for extra credit.” Very few college students “request” extra work, but this 19-year-old Dean ... Read More about Breaking gender biases: What is it like to be a girl with severe hemophilia?
Research
Presidential awardee explores epigenetics via slime molds, worms, and more
Pretty much all of your cells have the same DNA code. Yet they come in an astonishing number of forms. Some cells contract so that your heart can beat or your muscles flex. Others have jobs in your immune system, tuned to recognize different threats. And cells can change their behavior, altering their metabolism for ... Read More about Presidential awardee explores epigenetics via slime molds, worms, and more
Patient Stories
Ryker’s comeback from osteochondritis dissecans
When Ryker Casey takes the field, everything comes down to the strength of his legs and precision of his kick. As a football kicker, he sends the ball deep into the opponent’s end zone at kickoff and earns extra points for his team by sending the ball through the field goal, sometimes from 50 yards ... Read More about Ryker’s comeback from osteochondritis dissecans
Research
Single-cell sequencing reveals glioblastoma’s shape-shifting nature
Glioblastoma, a cancer that arises in the brain’s supporting glial cells, is one of the worst diagnoses a child can receive. The grade IV, highly malignant tumor aggressively infiltrates healthy brain tissue, and most children die of the disease within one to two years of diagnosis, similar to adults. “The current approach is surgical removal, ... Read More about Single-cell sequencing reveals glioblastoma’s shape-shifting nature
Patient Stories
Mia’s team: Working together to address aspiration
Seven-month-old Mia Petrelli sits in a chair in the darkened room. As Kara Larson, a speech language pathologist in the Aerodigestive Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, spoons different foods mixed with liquid barium into the little girl’s mouth, a nearby video screen displays real-time images of her anatomy. It’s part of a modified barium swallow ... Read More about Mia’s team: Working together to address aspiration