Archive for research
Studying tools to improve the quality of life for people with cystic fibrosis
Thanks to advances in treatments in recent years, people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are living longer than ever before. Along with this increasing longevity comes some ongoing challenges for patients — from adhering to their treatment plans to managing symptoms to optimize their quality of life. The Cystic Fibrosis Center, through the Division of Pulmonary ... Read More
Evidence-based guideline reduces G-tube placement in young patients
Gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes) are commonly used to deliver nutrition directly to the stomach in patients who cannot eat by mouth, require supplemental nutrients, or have swallowing difficulties, including oropharyngeal dysphagia with aspiration. While the placement of G-tubes is on the rise nationally, data suggests that children with G-tubes have two to three times the number ... Read More
Dysmotility may play a major role in respiratory symptoms
Clinicians whose patients exhibit respiratory symptoms frequently assume that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is responsible. However, esophageal and gastric dysmotility may be more significant factors in respiratory disease than GERD alone, according to a recent review by Rachel Rosen, MD, MPH, and Samuel Nurko, MD, MPH. The paper, published in Current Treatment Options in Pediatrics, ... Read More
Decoding sickle cell disease offers new outlook for Lamarcus
When Lamarcus Jean visits the Hematology Clinic at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, he makes himself right at home. The 6-year-old, whom his mom, Stephanie, describes as “wise beyond his years,” has been a patient here since he was born. Lamarcus has sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder caused by a mutation ... Read More
The Beauty of the Brain
Every year, the Harvard Brain Science Initiative sponsors its Beauty of the Brain contest. This year, two Boston Children’s Hospital images are among the six winners drawn from a pool of forty submissions. Above, Mary Whitman, MD, PhD, and Jess Bell, from the laboratory of Elizabeth Engle, MD, developed this image of a developing mouse ... Read More
New clinical trial hopes to improve long-term outcomes for heart transplant patients
If your child or teenager has had a heart transplant in the last six months, they may be eligible to participate in a clinical trial developed to test a new anti-rejection therapy. In the process, they can play an important part in building a base of evidence that will help advance care for future generations. ... Read More
A big step toward curbing graft-vs.-host disease after bone marrow transplant
A drug used for rheumatoid arthritis has moved a step closer to FDA approval for a desperately needed new use. The drug, abatacept, has gained FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for preventing acute, severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients receiving bone marrow transplants. That could help fast-track the drug to the clinic. “If we are lucky ... Read More
Identifying specific markers in blood may improve diagnosis of IBD in children
New research may lead to improved methods to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children. This could be especially beneficial for those experiencing malnutrition and impaired growth as a result of this condition, since it could shorten their wait time to access needed treatments. Identifying a common gene in blood and colon tissue samples Scientists from Boston ... Read More
Healing hearts under a watchful eye
Cardiac surgery is performed using visual landmarks inside the heart. There are specialized conduction tissues that run underneath the surface, which are important for the heart’s rhythmic beating. Cardiac surgeons operate with these landmarks in mind to avoid injury to conduction tissue, but locating these tissues can be challenging. Fiberoptic confocal microscopy technology inside the ... Read More
Staff spotlight: Meet genetic counselor Beth Rosen Sheidley
In honor of Genetic Counselor Awareness Day, we sat down with Beth Rosen Sheidley, MS, CGC, co-director of the Epilepsy Genetics Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, to learn about the field and practice of genetic counseling. What is the role of a genetic counselor? There are about 30 genetic counselors at Boston Children’s across many different departments and ... Read More