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Research briefs

For kids with severe food allergies,
one EpiPen may not be enough

Children's researchers closer to
demystifying SIDS

A better genetic indicator of autism?

Social network for people with diabetes

For kids with severe food allergies, one EpiPen may not be enough

epipen

Children Hospital Boston’s Susan Rudders, MD, was part of a six-year study examining emergency room (ER) treatments for kids with severe food allergies. The study showed a sizable portion of food-allergic kids who visited the ER required a second dose of epinephrine, like the kind delivered in single EpiPen shot, to fully recover. The researchers now suggest parents have two EpiPens on hand at all times, instead of the previously recommended one.

Since 1997, the number of kids with food allergies has skyrocketed, but current medical recommendations for treatment haven’t changed much. It’s hoped Rudders’ study will add to the mounting data that suggests guidelines for treating severe food allergies be updated to better reflect current information.



A better genetic indicator of autism?

epipen

There’s a lot doctors don’t know about the causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. Many researchers believe there’s a strong correlation between genetics and the disorder, but current tests can link only about 15 percent of people with autism to a proven genetic cause. But the work of Children’s researchers Bai-Lin Wu, PhD, and David Miller, MD, PhD, indicates a new genetic test, which samples the whole genome, could have three times the detection rate for genetic changes related to ASDs when compared to standard tests.



Children's researchers closer to demystifying SIDS

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death for infants between 1 month and 12 months old in the United States, yet its causes have remained a mystery for years. Now, after more than 20 years of study, researchers at Children’s have linked SIDS with low production of serotonin in the brainstem.

Serotonin helps regulate some of the body’s involuntary sleep functions, like breathing, and helps maintain steady heart and blood pressure rates. Led by Children’s neuropathologist Hannah Kinney, MD, researchers now believe low serotonin levels impair an infant’s ability to regulate these activities, putting them at risk for sudden death from stresses like rebreathing carbon dioxide when sleeping face down. With this knowledge, doctors may be able to better gauge which children are at risk of dying from SIDS and improve their monitoring during sleep.



Social network for people with diabetes

epipen

TuDiabetes.org, a social network for people with diabetes, partnered with Children’s to create an online application where members can share and compare their Hemoglobin A1c levels—a health metric used to measure a person’s control over his diabetes over time—within the TuDiabetes community

Called TuAnalyze, the application lets TuDiabetes members share (publicly or anonymously) some of their health information. It’s all part of a massive data donation drive being conducted to enhance public knowledge of the disease and let TuDiabetes members easily see how their personal A1c levels compare to national and regional averages.


 
 

Watch videos on underage drinking and learn effective ways to talk with teens

Check out Children's new stem cell website, a resource for reliable and accessible information on the often misconstrued field of stem cell research

Read about how Children's researchers identified a new strategy for treating type 2 diabetes

 

 

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Bridge to a better heart

Gluten-free fallout

Different

Stretching the limits

Online overload

Seeking sight

Artificial intelligency

Fighting food allergies

Media myth-busters

Arresting autism

Staying lean in a down economy

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Let's talk about sex

A new face, a new future

Breaking the silence

Trick or treat

The pain puzzle

The teenage brain

Out of the shadows

The new normal

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