by Melissa Jeltsen on November 17, 2010
What would it be like to live your whole life, unable to eat food? Read about Gwen Lorimier, a patient who couldn’t eat until an intestinal transplant offered her a chance at a normal childhood.
For as long as she can remember, Gwen Lorimier, now 8, wanted nothing more intensely than the ability to eat. To chomp down on a steaming hotdog. To lick vanilla ice cream as it melted down a cone. To snack on cereal while watching cartoons with her big sister, Abby. But eating was merely a fantasy for Gwen. Since the age of 1, her body had mysteriously refused to digest food. To stay alive, Gwen received all her calories and nutrition through an IV. Nothing could pass through her mouth without causing excruciating pain—not even water. Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on November 11, 2010
It’s time to get dressed for school and your daughter is giving you that sad face—again. “I don’t feel well,” she moans, although she was perfectly fine last night. When you try and convince her to get up, a look of sheer terror crosses her face. You’d let her stay home but this is the fifth time this month—and aside from her complaints, she’s not displaying any other symptoms. So what’s going on?
“School refusal, which affects around 4 percent of school-aged children, refers to a child who refuses to attend school and who identifies home as safer and more secure place,” says Jayne Singer, PhD, clinical psychologist in Children’s Hospital Boston’s Developmental Medicine Center. While it’s not unusual for children to make excuses to avoid going to school, when it becomes commonplace or even chronic, children risk falling behind in academics and social development. Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on October 1, 2010
Three years ago, scientists developed a technique to reprogram adult human cells into stem cells, which could then be studied like embryonic stem cells. Hailed as one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of the decade, it gave researchers access to embryo-like cells while avoiding the sticky ethical issues that accompany the use of cells from human embryos. However, the method for making iPS cells is not only highly inefficient, but poses a risk for cancer.
But now, in a game-changing scientific breakthrough, Children’s Hospital Boston researchers have discovered a new way to reprogram cells into stem cells, using RNAs, which appears safer and much more efficient than current methods—and can much more readily transform stem cells into specialized cells to treat disease. What does this mean for patients and families who might benefit from stem cell research? Check out Children’s new science and innovation blog, Vector, for a more detailed discussion. For a primer on stem cell science, take a peek at Children’s stem cell website.
by Melissa Jeltsen on September 14, 2010
If you or your kids take multiple medications, it can be hard enough to just get the dosing and timing straight, let alone keep up-to-date on new information about drug recalls and side effects. The web—with all its infinite knowledge—can be a confusing place. But now, a new online application makes it a snap for patients to stay educated about the drugs they’re taking—and report any problems in real time. The application, called Medwatcher, lets users track the latest safety updates from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) on specific drugs of interest, as well as read relevant media stories about the drugs. Importantly, it also makes it easier to report adverse events—negative effects from a medication or treatment.
“It’s well-known that the current framework for finding bad drugs—the next Avandia, for example—is problematic,” says John Brownstein, PhD, of Children’s Hospital Informatics Program (CHIP), who helped develop the application. “The goal is to put information directly into the hands of patients and physicians who are on the go, so they can be educated and able to report events quickly.” Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on August 16, 2010
You go to the doctor complaining of severe heartburn or depression or another common ailment. Your physician listens as you list your symptoms and then prescribes a medication that he trusts will work—based, in part, on the scientific literature published in peer-reviewed journals that espouses the drug’s safety and efficacy. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are prescribed popular medications in just this manner every day. But what if the evidence doctors rely on to make these decisions isn’t as objective as it appears? What if the results are influenced by who bankrolled the trial? Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on August 3, 2010
While there’s currently no cure for autism spectrum disorders, experts agree that intensive behavioral therapies, like applied behavioral therapy (ABA), can make a huge difference. Research shows it needs to be intensive to be effective, to the tune of 20 hours a week. But in Massachusetts, insurance companies often don’t cover ABA and families must pay out of pocket for expensive therapies.
Now, the new autism insurance bill, signed by Governor Deval Patrick today, hopes to remedy that. “I really see this as a civil rights issue,” says Carolyn Bridgemohan, MD, of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Developmental Medicine Center. “This bill validates the rights of people with special needs to have fair and equal access to the health care that they need.” Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on August 2, 2010
What’s it like to raise a transgender child? In this Thrive exclusive, a father reflects on his experience. Click here to read more about his daughter and a new medical treatment at Children’s that offers hope to transgender teens.
My 12 year old transgender daughter is my mentor. It’s tough to put into words what a profound impact this small person has had in changing my core values, but since the young age of five, she has unknowingly encouraged me to open my eyes and heart to new ideas. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve watched her experience severe emotional pain and physical frustration, but thanks to support and guidance, I’ve watched as she’s become a confident, happy and healthy child. And as she changed, I changed too.
For a lot of men, change is hard. Over the last 25 years, my body has aged. I can no longer run a six minute mile, touch the rim of a basketball hoop or bench press 200 pounds. But my emotional change has been more shocking. Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on July 30, 2010
The new regulations for public schools prohibit fryolators in the preparation of competitive foods. This line, from Massachusetts’ new school nutrition bill, is enough to make nutrition activists jump with joy. Fried foods will be just one of the unhealthy items stricken from Mass. schools after Governor Deval Patrick signs the bill today (full text of the bill here).
“This bill is certainly not a panacea for the childhood obesity epidemic, but it is an important step in creating healthier environments for children,” says Lisa Mannix, manager of State Government Relations at Children’s Hospital Boston, who points out that, on average, children consume two-thirds of their total daily calories while at school. Mannix, along with a number of Children’s clinicians and child health advocates, played crucial roles in advocating for and shaping the legislation. Full story »
What would it be like to live your whole life, unable to eat food? Read about Gwen Lorimier, a patient who couldn’t eat until an intestinal transplant offered her a chance at a normal childhood. 
