Duke Health Blog
Children's Health
Learn about the ways Duke pediatric specialists use medical and surgical advances to treat children of all ages. Read the stories of brave children being treated for a range of conditions from common injuries to rare diseases.
World’s First Heart Transplant, Cultured Thymus Implantation Performed at Duke
Duke pediatric heart and immunology experts performed the world’s first combined heart transplant and cultured thymus tissue implantation in a child born with ...
Duke Performing Arts Health Program Helps Injured Young Dancer Return to Competition
Kayla Montgomery was 14 years old when a hamstring injury nearly sidelined her from a 2021 dance competition. Her mom, Kristen, took her to the Duke Performing ...
A Stem Cell Transplant at Duke Changes Future for Baby with Life-Threatening Genetic Disease
When Everett McNaughton was born, he loved to eat and cuddle, said his mother, Morgan McNaughton. No one suspected that he had a rare genetic disorder called s ...
Duke Heart Surgeons Perform First Pediatric Heart Transplant of its Kind in the U.S.
Duke surgeons successfully performed the first "donation after circulatory death” (DCD) heart transplant in a pediatric patient in the U.S. The transplant team ...
Child with a Rare Genetic Disorder Is Full of Spunk After a Kidney Transplant at Duke
A few weeks before Gunner Hart was born, his parents learned that he had a rare genetic disease that could cause irreparable damage to his kidneys, liver, and ...
Treating Sports Injuries in Children: What Parents Need to Know
Duke orthopaedic surgeon Kendall Bradley, MD, treats sports injuries in children and adolescents. In this Q&A she offers helpful information for parents lookin ...
Kidney Transplant Gives Child with Chronic Kidney Disease a Normal Childhood
Born with just one, poorly functioning kidney, Abrielle Barber faced significant challenges in her first five years of life, including getting nutrition from a ...
A Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Cures Boy with Rare Genetic Disease
Sebastian Sancho seemed perfectly healthy when he was born in the spring of 2012. Within two months, however, he was diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disea ...
Liver Transplant Saves Baby with a Rare Disorder
Children younger than age one rarely have liver transplant surgery, which can be especially complex and risky in infants. But the parents of four-month-old Noa ...
Partial Artificial Heart Helps Young Boy Thrive While Waiting for Heart Transplant
Ja’Kye Mason was born with a heart defect that put his life at risk. Medications and several surgeries weren’t enough to keep Ja’Kye’s heart healthy. At only 9 ...
When Is Puberty too Early?
Parents may wonder whether their child is moving into puberty too early. Many factors can cause your child’s body to mature faster than others, but Dr. Robert ...
Nasoalveolar Molding Corrects Cleft Lip and Palate with Fewer Surgeries
If your child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate, a customized orthopaedic device called nasoalveolar molding (NAM) can help correct your child’s cleft. ...