Endometriosis and the gift of motherhood
When my first period came at age 13, it involved blood clots and extreme pain. I didn’t know what to expect or what was considered “normal,” but thankfully, my mother did. She recognized that my symptoms were unusual and immediately took me to see my pediatrician. I was first prescribed birth control pills, which seemed to help initially, but when my period remained heavy and painful, I was put on a different birth control pill that enabled me to have my period only four times a year.
I thought my situation was normal – albeit uncomfortable and inconvenient. No one ever suggested that painful periods could be anyth...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 14, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Alice Hales Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Teen Health endometriosis Marc Laufer Source Type: news
Calvin ’s gift: Second opinion provides answers and hope
It’s not often that parents breathe a sigh of relief when their child is diagnosed with a chronic, potentially debilitating condition. But that sense of peace is just what Paula and Scott Hurd felt when they were told that their son, Calvin, had a rare movement disorder. “We were so happy to finally understand what was happening,” says Paula.
Slipping away
The search for answers had begun several years earlier, when Calvin started limping. At first, his family thought he had simply tripped over something and injured himself. But when he didn’t improve, they took him to the doctor. A series of appointments with spe...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 13, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jessica Cerretani Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories cerebral palsy Cerebral Palsy Program Dr. Benjamin Shore Dr. David Coulter dystonia Second opinion Source Type: news
Learning from our Lotte
Sam, Lotte and Caroline
Parenting is a messy adventure – it tests our patience, our will and our energy, but never our concern, love or passion for our children.
With three kids under 10, my wife, Caroline, and I have managed broken noses, split lips, cuts and bruises too numerous to count … even Lyme disease, skin disorders, and serious fevers – most seem to come with the territory.
But there have been rare moments when one of our kids was sick and we didn’t know what was wrong or how to ease the pain, and in those moments, we felt pretty desperate. One of those times was when our 4-year-old daughter Charlotte or ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 12, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Sam Bigelow Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Richard Yu vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) Source Type: news
Making a difference, one blood donor at a time
When Mat Jacowleff walks into the Blood Donor Center (BDC) at Boston Children’s Hospital, the room lights up. Whoever is sitting at the front desk gets up to shake his hand, and as he walks by the donation room, waves and smiles fill the space. Mat, a Connecticut native now studying business at Northeastern University, loves spending time at the BDC and they love having him.
This all started around six months ago. At a doctor’s appointment at Boston Children’s, Mat noticed a Give Pints for Half Pints sign that read, “One pint of donated blood can help up to four children.” Recently named his fraternity...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 7, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Andrea Vega Tags: blood donation Blood Donor Center Cynthia MacKinlay Source Type: news
Hope for Kevin ’s heart: Five-year-old shines after novel treatment for Ebstein’s anomaly
As the lights dimmed and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” blasted from loudspeakers, Kevin Nolan III took to the stage for his very first dance recital. Sporting striped pants, a turquoise bow tie and a black top hat, Kevin joined his class in performing two hip-hop jazz routines to a packed house. Kevin’s mood was perfectly in step with the song’s lyrics.
“He had so much fun,” says Kevin’s mom, Laura. “He said he can’t wait to get on stage again.”
While a first dance recital is a big deal for any 5-year-old, it’s especially poignant for Kevin, who was diagnosed prenatally with Ebstein’s anomaly, a rare...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 6, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Ellen Greenlaw Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Dr. Pedro del Nido Dr. Wayne Tworetsky Ebstein's anomaly Fetal Cardiology Program Source Type: news
Athletes at risk: Knowing the dangers of heat stroke
For many young athletes, fall sports practices have already started. Whether it’s football two-a-days, soccer practices on a sweltering turf field, or cross country training in the late summer sun, the threat of heat exhaustion and heat stroke is prevalent across all sports.
It’s an important time for athletes and parents to be aware of the signs of heat illnesses, especially given that children and adolescents are more susceptible to heat stroke than adults. Younger athletes produce more heat during activity, sweat less, and adjust less rapidly to changes in environmental heat.
Certain sports also carry unique risks f...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 5, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Connor Ertz Tags: Ask the Expert Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Michael Beasley football heat exposure Source Type: news
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 why it’s really, really important that parents talk to their children about what is going on in our country and our world. It’s important for two reasons:
First of all, children hear and see more than we think they do — and can be easily become upset or frightened. We may think ...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 1, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Claire McCarthy Tags: In the News Parenting Dr. Claire McCarthy Source Type: news
A parent ’s guide to clinical trials
Children with life-threatening conditions, such as cancer, are often candidates for clinical trials. What are they? Which factors should parents weigh in determining whether enrolling in one is a good option for their child? Dr. Steven DuBois, director of the Advancing Childhood Cancer Therapies Clinic at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, answers questions about clinical trials.
What are clinical trials? Why are they important?
Clinical trials are systematic, scientific investigations of new drugs or therapies for a specific disease. Through clinical trials, we have taken many fatal pediatr...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - September 1, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Irene Sege Tags: Ask the Expert Research and Innovation clinical trial Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Dr. Steven DuBois Source Type: news
Advocating for Bridget: Coping with Hirschsprung ’s disease
On June 20, Bridget Landry celebrated a very special day with a hearty steak dinner. But it wasn’t her birthday. Instead, the 10-year-old and her family were marking the sixth anniversary of the day her ostomy bag was removed. As she enjoyed her meal, her parents, Carl and Laura, marveled at just how far their daughter had come. “For her first birthday, she couldn’t even take a bite of cake,” remembers Carl.
Bridget’s first few months of life were similar to those of most infants: She had a typical birth, nursed and met all her milestones. Yet at six months, her parents began to notice something was amiss. She wo...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 31, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jessica Cerretani Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation Dr. Samuel Nurko Dr. Tom Jaksic Hirschsprung's disease Motility and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Center Source Type: news
Reducing knee injury risk in young athletes
Young athletes benefit from playing sports in a variety of ways — from better fitness and overall health to higher self-esteem and improved academic achievement. But with this participation comes the risk of injury.
While some injuries build up over time and cause pain that is often ignored, others may be random and unexpected. Dr. Dennis Kramer, orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, explains what may put an athlete at risk for an overuse injury and how to minimize the risk of traumatic injuries, such as an ACL tear.
Sports specialization and overuse injuries
As sports specialization continues to rise in...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 30, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Connor Ertz Tags: Ask the Expert ACL ACL injury ACL injury prevention athletes Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Dennis Kramer Dr. Lyle Micheli Osgood-Schlatter disease Source Type: news
Full circle: From moyamoya patient to intern
It’s the last day of Justin Doo’s research internship in the Department of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital and he’s eager to join the team for a celebratory scoop of ice cream at JP Licks. Before he leaves, he meets with his supervisor, Dr. Laura Lehman — but they both know this isn’t a final goodbye. The 18-year-old will see Dr. Lehman again within the year, because he isn’t just her intern. He’s also her patient.
Unlike most summer interns, Justin has already spent plenty of time at Boston Children’s — more than a decade, in fact. When he was 7 years old, his parents brought him to the hospita...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 29, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jessica Cerretani Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Dr. Darren Orbach Dr. Edward Smith Dr. Laura Lehman Dr. Michael Scott moyamoya Moyamoya Disease Program Pial Synangiosis Source Type: news
Making connections: Bonded by short bowel syndrome
At the top of the dual slide, 4-year-old Brayden Austin is buzzing with energy, excited to go careening down to the bottom. Yet he waits patiently until a towheaded boy joins him on the neighboring chute. Two-year-old Camden Glover is a little nervous. But Brayden grabs his hand and the pair sails to the ground together, squealing with delight.
It’s a typical playground scene, but also an apt metaphor for the boys’ special connection. The two children — one from Maine, one from Tennessee — have a close friendship. But they might never have met if not for one life-threatening event.
Parallel lives
It was March 7,...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 28, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jessica Cerretani Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation Dr. Bram Raphael Dr. Mark Puder intestinal malrotation Omegaven short bowel syndrome (SBS). TPN Source Type: news
Gene therapy trial offers hope for Harry
Harry and his father at Dana/Farber-Boston Children’s
In their Brookline home-away-from-home, 2-year-old Duy Anh “Harry” Le plays with blocks and pop-up toys on the floor with his mother, Thao Nguyen. He is lively and happy, and his skin is clear. He looks almost nothing like the sickly baby covered in eczema who arrived in Boston from his native Vietnam in November of 2016 to participate in a gene therapy clinical trial for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
Children with the potentially life-threatening, inherited immune system deficiency have difficulty producing platelets, the blood component that fosters clotting, wh...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 23, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Irene Sege Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Dr. Sung-Yun Pai gene therapy Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome Source Type: news
‘An easy decision’: Finding care for short bowel syndrome
Allie DeRienzo loves to dance, sing and play with her big brother, switching from the pink-and-purple cartoon world of Shimmer and Shine to the action-packed fantasy of Star Wars with the blink of an eye. It’s a flexibility that has served her well: In just a few years, she’s endured more ups and downs than most 3-year-olds.
Although her pregnancy was normal, it became clear as soon as Allie was born that something wasn’t right. “She was incredibly distended and was transferred almost immediately to a high-level neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in New York,” remembers her mother, Nanci.
Concern and confusion
...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 22, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Jessica Cerretani Tags: Diseases & Conditions Our Patients’ Stories Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation Danielle Stamm Dr. Bram Raphael Dr. Mark Puder G-tube short bowel syndrome (SBS). total parenteral nutrition Source Type: news
Kenny ’s story: Determined to play again
Photo credit: Keith Bedford, Boston Globe
Dear young athlete,
Don’t let anyone tell you that you’ll never be able to play sports again. Don’t let them take away what you love to do. If I had given up sports, I wouldn’t have my dream job today. Let me share my story.
When I was an adolescent growing up in Sharon, Massachusetts, I was very active. To say I was “hyper” would be an understatement. My mom used to tell me to run around the house when I was annoying my brother and sister. I played every sport including basketball, baseball, touch football, and street hockey. I played soccer year-round, includi...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - August 17, 2017 Category: Pediatrics Authors: Kenny Ames Tags: Our Patients’ Stories Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Lyle Micheli Source Type: news
