Health and Parenting
‘Feeling empowered’: How vaccination helped me care for my family when one son got COVID-19
In mid-November, I awoke to an email from my children’s school stating that my second grader, Kyle, had been a close contact of someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I wasn’t overly concerned. While this was the first “close contact” email we had received, we had previously been notified that both our children were in ... Read More about ‘Feeling empowered’: How vaccination helped me care for my family when one son got COVID-19
Health and Parenting
Pass the pie and a mask: COVID-19 safety tips for the holidays
This holiday season will seem different than the last one — but it’s still not the season to blissfully ignore health and safety measures that combat COVID-19. Thanks to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, families shouldn’t feel obligated to repeat last year’s unprecedented public health guidance to hunker down at home for the holidays. This ... Read More about Pass the pie and a mask: COVID-19 safety tips for the holidays
Clinical Care
A new option for teens with painful bunions
Bunions, bumps at the base of the big toes, are probably not at the top of most kids’ list of concerns. Adults, particularly adult women, are far more likely to develop bunions, possibly after years of wearing tight shoes that squeeze their toes. In children and teens who have them, bunions are almost always an ... Read More about A new option for teens with painful bunions
Health and Parenting
Returning to holiday chaos: Preventing anxiety in kids
After taking last year “off,” many families are preparing to dive back into holiday busyness, and with it, holiday stress. But what has the time away from crowds, travel, and extended family done to kids’ abilities to enjoy the yuletide cheer? Here, psychologist Dr. Lauren DiLullo with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, answers ... Read More about Returning to holiday chaos: Preventing anxiety in kids
Research
Sound sleep, sound mind: The importance of sleep for preteens’ developing brains
When your preteen doesn’t get enough sound sleep, some of the signs, like crankiness, are obvious. But some of the effects are more subtle. A large, first-of-its-kind study from Boston Children’s Hospital now shows that too little or poor-quality sleep may prevent the brain from developing strong, efficient connections. “Early adolescence is a critical time ... Read More about Sound sleep, sound mind: The importance of sleep for preteens’ developing brains
Health and Parenting
Sweet dreams: A guide to infant sleep
While sleep should be peaceful, ensuring your baby is sleeping safely — and soundly — can be stressful. We spoke with Shana Zandman, MD, a pediatrician at Brookline Pediatrics in the Boston Children’s Primary Care Alliance, and Jennifer Gingrasfield, RN, MSN, a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Sleep Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, about creating ... Read More about Sweet dreams: A guide to infant sleep
Health and Parenting
Help kids fight the “Selfie Effect” and build self-esteem instead
It may be hard to imagine now, but there was a time not too long ago when social media didn’t exist and we didn’t have cameras on our phones. But today, some of the most widely used social media platforms influence not only how we communicate with the world, but how we think the world ... Read More about Help kids fight the “Selfie Effect” and build self-esteem instead
Research
With a dose of health equity, brachial plexus study enrolls more patients
What drives a parent to say yes or no to enrolling their child in research? When a surprisingly high percent of patient families said no to participating in a study of brachial plexus birth injury, orthopedic surgeon Andrea Bauer, MD, and her team decided to find out why. Along the way, they became versed in ... Read More about With a dose of health equity, brachial plexus study enrolls more patients
Clinical Care
Improving treatment process so kids can return to sports after COVID-19
Children can’t wait for the next game, the next tournament. Sports means many things to them, including an escape from the uncertainty and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring that kids can return to sports and resume other types of competitive activities after recovering from COVID-19 has become a priority for parents, coaches, and physicians ... Read More about Improving treatment process so kids can return to sports after COVID-19
Health and Parenting
COVID vaccines are here for kids ages 5 to 11. Here’s what families should know.
On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to help prevent COVID-19 in children ages 5 to 11. What does this mean for your child? We’ve got answers. Why is it important to vaccinate kids against COVID-19? Although most children have ... Read More about COVID vaccines are here for kids ages 5 to 11. Here’s what families should know.