Boston Children's Hospital

Boston Children’s cardiology researchers have developed a gas microbubble that appears to safely and effectively deliver oxygen into the bloodstream during cardiac arrest and other emergencies. Read how their invention could improve survival by preventing catastrophic oxygen damage. ??

The challenge to gene therapy for Diamond-Blackfan anemia, life-threatening condition in which people cannot make functioning red blood cells, has been the fact that at least 30 separate mutations are known to cause it. But a new, universal gene therapy does an end run around the problem and is poised for clinical testing. It increases expression of a downstream protein, GATA1, that’s essential for red cell development. More this work, more than a decade in the making, on our blog. ??

We had a blast at the 2024 NASPGHAN Conference! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth to chat with us and learn more about the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. We’re so proud of our team members who lead talks and presented posters throughout the weekend — we can’t wait for next year! ??

This skin organoid — complete with hair, hair follicles, and blood vessels — is revealing what’s needed to grow healthy skin. Created in the lab of Dr. Karl Koehler, it could have many applications — from wound healing to regenerating hair after hair loss. Most immediately, it could help in finding treatments for genetic hair and skin disorders, particularly epidermolysis bullosa, a painful condition that makes skin fragile and prone to blistering and tearing. ??

Do you know the signs of retinoblastoma? This childhood cancer is rare but highly treatable, especially when found early. To learn more about how to identify it in your pediatric patients — and how we work with referring providers to treat it — don’t miss our webinar, “Retinoblastoma: A Comprehensive Overview.” Tune in on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, at 3 p.m. EST to get expert insight from Efren Gonzalez, MD, one of the directors of our Ocular Oncology Center. Register now ?????

Many in the running world train under the assumption that “lighter is faster.” But is it? A study of more than 1,000 runners in the Boston Marathon found that body mass index (BMI) had no significant impact on race performance. What this could mean for endurance athletes. ??

Dr. Phillip Pearl, MD, FAES receives the American Epilepsy Society’s 2024 Fritz E. Dreifuss Award and will present during the Presidential Symposium in December. ?? Dr. Pearl will present “Imaging in the Inherited Metabolic Epilepsies.” "The Dreifuss award means a lot to me, as Dr. Fritz Dreifuss was considered the “Dean of Epilepsy” for the latter part of the 20th Century, and amazingly fled Nazi Germany at age 11 or his family would have been murdered at Auschwitz. Well, the link is below, and he was indeed a very special mentor to me and countless others, with this award being in his memory." -Dr. Pearl ??

While most children dodged serious complications from COVID-19, some have developed Long COVID and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), especially during the height of the pandemic. In this review in Science Translational Medicine, Adrienne Randolph and her colleagues recap the symptoms and outcomes and highlight the need to understand why some children have these complications so better interventions can be developed. ??

Custom-made to fit every patient, our experts continue to find innovative and safe ways to care for every child — especially with complex procedures like ventricular repairs. Through the use of 3D modeling, conduction tissue mapping, and more, we take unique approaches to every patient to visualize their hearts before surgery, and better inform us of what their care post-procedure may look like. Find out more about the latest in research and innovation from the Complex Biventricular Repair Program:?https://lnkd.in/e85u-2Sb

Champions for Children’s is the one night where all of Boston’s pro sports teams come together to raise funds for lifesaving patient care and research. Every year, we choose a special recipient for our Champion Award, which recognizes an athlete who has gone the extra mile off the field and made a significant contribution to the patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. This year’s recipient is Nick Pivetta! He’s been a regular visitor at the hospital, hosted patients and their families at Red Sox games and gone out of his way to brighten the lives of kids at Boston Children’s. Join us in congratulating Nick!