Patient Stories
Pieces at work: Luca’s experience with Apert syndrome
Luca Paolacci, 24, is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. It’s a serendipitous major given that it studies how pieces come together to create specific force and movement, and Luca’s personal story is a study of the opposite: how creating separation can build strength, movement, and dexterity. “It has always fascinated me how tiny ... Read More about Pieces at work: Luca’s experience with Apert syndrome
Research
Researchers look for ways to start puberty ‘on time’
Children who experience early puberty or delayed puberty may be at risk of having shortened height as adults. They may also feel emotionally unprepared for the changes of puberty, and may feel self-conscious or experience social anxieties as a result. To address this challenge, Boston Children’s researchers are trying to further the study of an important genetic player in ... Read More about Researchers look for ways to start puberty ‘on time’
Patient Stories
Jenna’s comeback from PAO surgery
By the time Jenna was 14, her off-and-on hip pain had become an always-on issue. The accomplished soccer player and runner from Southern California had experienced intermittent pain since she was 12. She tried physical therapy to ease the hip pain, but it only got worse as she competed at higher levels. Over time, her ... Read More about Jenna’s comeback from PAO surgery
Research
Healthy behaviors may counteract the long-term effects of concussions
When it comes to football, concussion, and long-term health, many people have already made up their minds: They believe that repeat concussions condemn athletes to a future of mental illness and cognitive decline. Such beliefs instill fear and helplessness in many professional athletes and their families. “There’s a thought that former NFL players are all ... Read More about Healthy behaviors may counteract the long-term effects of concussions
Patient Stories
All together: Siblings both overcome retinoblastoma
In some ways, PJ and Jovi Fisher couldn’t be more different. PJ, 9, is quiet, laidback, and loves playing Minecraft and other video games. Younger sister Jovi, 8, is outgoing and obsessed with all things Harry Potter. But there are similarities, too: Both are tall, both enjoy playing soccer — and both were diagnosed with ... Read More about All together: Siblings both overcome retinoblastoma
Research
Babies and screen time: New research calls for caution
If you’re a parent, you’ve probably been there. You have a baby howling for attention, but you need to cook dinner or get a sibling to take a much-needed nap. Baby TV shows, touch tablets, and digital phone toys can feel like lifesavers in keeping an active infant calm and contained while juggling what life ... Read More about Babies and screen time: New research calls for caution
Patient Stories
Personalized care for optic nerve gliomas helps Addison feel like ‘the star of the show’
Addison Gould loves visiting with her friend Tom. Every time her family makes the drive to Boston from their home on Cape Cod, the 5-year-old can’t wait to see him. “She runs across the bridge from the parking garage to clinic,” laughs her mother, Jillian. “I’ve never seen a kid so excited to go to ... Read More about Personalized care for optic nerve gliomas helps Addison feel like ‘the star of the show’
Patient Stories
After vascular ring surgery, playing and eating are a breeze for Louis
You can’t blame 10-year-old Louis McFaye for eating three hot dogs really fast. Until last summer, he struggled to eat even a single hot dog cut into tiny pieces. That’s because he had a vascular ring, an abnormal formation of the aorta — the body’s largest blood vessel — that compressed his esophagus and trachea. Throughout ... Read More about After vascular ring surgery, playing and eating are a breeze for Louis
Research
New research discovery could shorten ICU stays for children with diabetic ketoacidosis
When a child with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) requires intensive care, clinicians often monitor blood ketone levels to determine whether treatment has successfully reversed the abnormal ketone production. Yet, the utility of blood ketone levels to diagnose DKA or determine whether a child’s DKA has resolved have not been rigorously studied. But now, research by Elise Tremblay, ... Read More about New research discovery could shorten ICU stays for children with diabetic ketoacidosis
Research
Teens aren’t small adults: Rethinking surgical treatment of adolescent clavicle fracture
Until about 15 years ago, most clavicle fractures were allowed to heal with minimal medical intervention. That changed after a 2007 study reported better shoulder function after plate-fixation surgery. Although the study participants were adults, the rate of surgical treatment subsequently increased across all age groups. Now, a landmark study at Boston Children’s Hospital demonstrates ... Read More about Teens aren’t small adults: Rethinking surgical treatment of adolescent clavicle fracture