If your children have cavities, it’s much more likely they’ll become adults with cavities. An Israeli study found that premature babies listening to Mozart were able to grow faster. Children born to mothers exposed to microbes during pregnancy may be less likely to develop allergies.
Brett Nasuti is Children’s first patient to go through a new trial that could cure him of his severe food allergy. In this final video on our series, Brett finds out if he passes the final milk challenge in the study—which culminates in him drinking a full 8-ounce glass of milk—and if he’s cured. If he passes the challenge, there’s an enormous pizza party in store for him.
Click here to read our story about Brett, Children’s milk allergy trial and experts’ latest thinking about food allergies. [click to continue…]
by Children's Hospital Boston staff on October 11, 2009
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
Canada is delaying its seasonal-flu vaccine program. Should we be worried? There are an alarmingly high number of glass-table injuries involving children. Six months after Children’s Hospital Boston’s Division of Emergency Medicine published a study on these injuries, new standards have been recommended in the production of glass-tables. A Children’s study showed that side effects or accidental overdoses of medications in children are more common than you might think. In part 7 of our milk allergy series, Robyn Nasuti shares her tips on keeping her kitchen safe. French Parliament wants to pass a law that would mandate a bold print notice when images have been digitally enhanced. Children’s Alison Field, ScD, who specializes in eating disorders, talks about what we can do to educate our children about images in the media. We follow one family’s story when they discovered their child, Ann Louise, showed signs of a congenital heart defect. Children’s David Ludwig, MD, addresses the soda-tax solution in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times. The HealthMap team gives their weekly H1N1 update. The Mediatrician weighs in on what computer games, if any, are good for a 2-year-old.
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
After suffering a severe spinal cord injury, Jason Fowler took back control of his life and has gone on to compete in a variety of physically challenging races. Should your child get the H1N1 shot? Adrienne Randolph,MD, MSc, from Children’s Medical/Surgical ICU says, YES, you should. We brought you Part 5 of our milk allergy series where celebrity chef Ming Tsai talks about the challenges of eating out with a child who has food allergies. Last week, Massachusetts lawmakers proposed a new state bill aimed at minimizing concussion injuries in youth athletes that would force coaches, trainers, parent volunteers and others affiliated with school athletic programs to be trained in recognizing potentially concussed athletes. A mother shared her story of having to put contact lenses in her two young children’s eyes. Groundbreaking new guidelines about how to treat children with Gender Identity Disorder have been issued by the Endocrine Society. And James Mandell, MD, Children’s Hospital Boston’s CEO, shares why health care workers need to get vaccinated.
If none of this tickles your fancy, let us know what pediatric health or science issue you’d like to hear about.
This week, watch the Nasutis take on their regular challenge of food shopping—no easy feat, considering that two out of the three children have life-threatening food allergies. Brett was born allergic to 15 foods, and his little brother, Nicholas, is allergic to 16. Their sister, Taylor, doesn’t have any food allergies, like her parents. In order to keep them all fed, Robyn makes three different meals every time her family eats, which requires her to drive to three different grocery stores. And the specialty foods don’t come cheap; dairy-free milk alone costs her $10 a gallon. “I spend about $850 a month on groceries,” Robyn says.
My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
My husband, Alan, and I found out about Brett’s allergies when he was 1. I started keeping a journal because every time I went to the doctor, they’d ask me questions about his skin, asthma and reactions, and I couldn’t keep it straight in my head. By writing down my thoughts, I was able to find peace — and also helped doctor’s determine how to best deal with Brett’s allergies.
This is the first in a series of videos about Brett Nasuti, an 11-year-old Children’s Hospital Boston patient who was born allergic to 15 foods. Brett is the very first Children’s patient to go through a milk exposure desensitizationtrial—the first of its kind in the country—which could cure him of his severe milk allergy. In this video, you can watch Brett and his mom, Robyn, talk about what it’s been like for their family to live with his life-threatening condition and their hopes for the trial’s outcome.
Stay tuned each week to follow Brett as he goes through the study, during which he drinks more and more milk after getting injections to ward off allergic reactions. You can see him take his first-ever sip of milk and hear him talk about what it’s like to live with a life-threatening allergy. You can also watch Robyn shop for her two kids with food allergies (she cooks three different dinners each day for her family) and hear Brett’s classmates talk about what they’ve learned from him. Plus, check back to see Lynda Schneider, MD, the director of Children’s Allergy Program, discuss the shocking rise in food allergies and how this trial represents a path to a potential cure.
Also, in October, we’ll publish a story about Brett and the study in Dream, Children’s magazine for patients and families.
Do you have food allergies or have a child with them? How have they impacted your life?
Have thoughts about why there’s been such a dramatic increase in food allergies in recent years? Share them here.
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My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
