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Knowledge is empowerment: The 2019 Female Athlete Conference
School was out for the summer at Babson College, but on June 4, Sorenson Auditorium was filled with over 400 people as Dr. Kathryn Ackerman kicked off the fourth biennial Female Athlete Conference. The one-of-a-kind conference, hosted by the Female Athlete Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, drew attendees from as close as Boston and as ... Read More about Knowledge is empowerment: The 2019 Female Athlete Conference
Research
PET imaging shows if PD-1 cancer immunotherapy is working
PD-1 is a protein on our T cells that normally keeps these immune cells from running amok. A growing number of cancer drugs are designed to inhibit PD-1, enabling patients’ T-cells to attack and kill cancerous cells. PD-1 blockers such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) have been helpful in treating several cancers including melanoma, non-small cell lung ... Read More about PET imaging shows if PD-1 cancer immunotherapy is working
Research
Existing anti-parasitic drug could offer a treatment for Ebola
Amid the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Congo, now threatening to spill into Rwanda, a new study suggests that an existing, FDA-approved drug called nitazoxanide could potentially help contain this deadly, highly contagious infection. In meticulous experiments in human cells, described today in iScience, the drug significantly amplified immune responses to the virus and inhibited ... Read More about Existing anti-parasitic drug could offer a treatment for Ebola
Patient Stories
Jack: My AVM story
Last spring, during my junior year of high school, I had a head collision during rugby practice. My coach recommended that I go to the emergency room for x-rays because I had a history of concussions. My parents took me to the hospital and the doctor there confirmed I had a concussion, and recommended that ... Read More about Jack: My AVM story
Research
A vaccine to prevent opioid overdose?
Sharon Levy, MD, MPH, who directs the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program (ASAP) at Boston Children’s Hospital, was getting her youngest son ready for school, when her husband Ofer, an infectious disease physician at the same hospital, came to her with an offer. The NIH was soliciting proposals to develop an opioid vaccine. Would ... Read More about A vaccine to prevent opioid overdose?
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