Patient Stories
Getting a little help from a game show host: How Steve Harvey became Panos’ personal tooth fairy
11-year-old Panos loves to smile and sing — but getting him to show his teeth to a dentist hasn’t always been easy. When he visited a dentist near his home for his first cleaning, the experience was a tough one. “He was overwhelmed by the new environment and refused to open his mouth,” explains his ... Read More
Research
A new approach to C. diff? Targeting the inflammation, not the bacteria
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) intestinal infections can cause severe, debilitating diarrhea in patients who are hospitalized or on immunosuppressive therapies. The infections can be very hard to eradicate, roaring back when patients try to taper their antibiotics. Many people wind up on antibiotics for months and can become resistant to three or more of them. ... Read More
Patient Stories
Keeping pace: ‘Superhero’ Zachary hasn’t let a brain tumor break his stride
Zachary Sonnek, 11, loves being active, whether that means running or playing baseball, golf, or hockey. “He’s always been ‘go, go, go,’” says his mother, Nicole. So two years ago, when he told his parents he occasionally had trouble breathing, they initially thought he just needed to pace himself. Although he had a clean bill ... Read More
What your family should know about orthodontic care
By now, your family might know what to expect at a dentist’s office. It’s a familiar routine that includes an examination, a cleaning, and (just maybe) treatment for a cavity. An orthodontic appointment is much like a trip to the dentist, according to Dr. Megan McDougall, a Boston Children’s orthodontist. If your child’s first orthodontist appointment is ... Read More
Patient Stories
Pushing the envelope for Eoin: Our family’s experience with esophageal atresia
When I recently brought my son, Eoin, to Boston Children’s for an appointment, we ran into Dr. Farokh Demehri on the bridge from the parking garage. We smiled, laughed, and talked about how nice it was to see each other. It was a simple meeting, but one I had dreamed about for so long: I ... Read More
Research
Could we intervene in Huntington’s disease before symptoms appear?
Huntington’s disease is the most common single-gene neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by motor and cognitive deficits and psychiatric symptoms. Work led by Beth Stevens, PhD, and Dan Wilton, PhD, in the Department of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital, now shows that the disease process begins well before symptoms appear. That raises the possibility of ... Read More
Patient Stories
A model patient: Alexia’s triumph over moyamoya disease
If you’re lucky enough to get time on Alexia’s packed schedule, you’re in the company of a motivated and ambitious young woman who — in the face of a scary diagnosis — shows others they can do anything they put their mind to. From subtle symptoms to diagnosis Alexia’s fight against moyamoya disease, a rare ... Read More
Health and Parenting
Why parents really need to talk to their children about the news
These are strange, anxiety-provoking times. That’s true no matter where one lives or where one sits on the political spectrum — for all of us, it’s upsetting and confusing. If it feels that way for adults, just imagine what it’s like for children who catch snatches of information and conversations they don’t really understand. That’s ... Read More
Research
Toddlers diagnosed with autism should be reevaluated over time
Parents whose child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may feel it’s a lifelong label. But a new study offers hope: It found that 37 percent of children diagnosed as toddlers no longer met criteria for autism when they reached early school age. Findings were published October 2 in JAMA Pediatrics. Study leader ... Read More
Research
Unraveling the secret to attention, one brain cell at a time: Brielle Ferguson, PhD
In college, Dr. Brielle Ferguson was initially drawn to psychology. Witnessing the impact of schizophrenia on a family member, she was surprised how little was known about the condition. She majored in cognitive science, but she wanted to go deeper and understand what happens in the brain. Taking a required course in neuroscience, she thought, ... Read More