Division of Developmental Medicine
Who we are
The Division of Developmental Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital seeks to enhance the lives of children and families by:
Clinical Practice: Advance care through early diagnosis and evidence-based protocols geared to specific disorders in order to maximize the quality of children's lives.
Conducting Research: Advance research in the causes, diagnosis and ultimately, treatment of developmental disorders through multi-disciplinary collaborations and a focus on translational research.
Training: Through a program that combines cutting edge clinical and research components train future leaders and clinicians in the field of developmental medicine.
Community Outreach: Leveraging the resources of the division to expand the capacity of pediatricians, teachers, and parents as they serve developmentally challenged children within the community.
In the spotlight
New Autism Test Available at Children's
A new test for Chromosome 16 deletion/duplication abnormality in children with autism is now available through the Boston Children's Hospital Division of Developmental Medicine, Division of Genetics and Department of Neurology.
Featured research: Functional MRI
Learn about Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Nadine Gaab, PhD
One research method used in the Division of Developmental Medicine's Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a non-invasive research tools that allows the investigation of brain correlates of behavior in children with and without developmental disorders.
We are currently investigating whether this technique may be useful for the early detection of children at risk for developmental dyslexia.
Learn more about this work.
Learn more about Developmental Medicine research at Children's.
Down Syndrome Program Speaker Series
Looking for answers on autism
Charles Nelson, PhD, research director of Children's Developmental Medicine Center, discusses early intervention and autism on NBC's THE TODAY SHOW.
Chance to dance
Children with Down syndrome have been laughed at, discriminated against and discounted by society. Now it's their time to shine. [read more]
Discover: Developmental Medicine
Your baby's brain on drugs (and alcohol and tobacco)
Although behavioral studies clearly indicate that exposure to drugs, alcohol and tobacco in utero is bad for a baby's developing brain, specific anatomic brain effects have been hard to tease out in humans. Often users don't limit themselves to one substance, and demographic factors like poverty can also influence brain development.
Jermaine Joynes, administrative associate at Children’s Hospital Boston’s Program for Patient Safety & Quality, was 15 when he took his first puff on a cigarette. His brand of choice was Newport Light 100s, the same brand his mother smoked. As a teenager, Joynes smoked sporadically in social situations, and having a cigarette perched between his fingers lent him an air of confidence and helped him feel cool. By 19, Joynes was smoking every day.
#1 ranked pediatric hospital in the nation. Learn more
Heroes Among Us
