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Programs & Services

The Division of Endocrinology at Boston Children’s Hospital is home to specialized programs designed to offer expert, compassionate care and support to children with endocrinology disorders and their families.

Innovative programs within the Division of Endocrinology include:

  • The Skeletal Health Center: Our experts provide comprehensive evaluation of children and adolescents with frequent fractures, low bone density, disorders of calcium and vitamin D metabolism, and genetic disorders of the skeleton. Diagnostic testing includes bone density testing, X-rays, and laboratory evaluation.
  • The Diabetes Program: Children receive diagnosis, diabetes education, and self-management training, and long-term multidisciplinary, comprehensive follow-up care through this program, which serves patients with diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2), as well as other forms of diabetes — such as cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus, steroid-induced diabetes, and other disorders of carbohydrate metabolism.
  • DXA Bone Density Program: This program measures the bone mineral density, body composition, and fat distribution of children and adolescents to best understand their fracture risk. DXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) is a safe, fast, and precise method for measuring bone density. With these measurements, our team helps colleagues who specialize in bone health to create an individualized treatment plan for a child.
  • The EMPOWER Program uses modern tools and evidence to approach weight management. Our team can help identify and incorporate the right combination of exercise, healthy nutrition, counseling, and medication into your child’s treatment plan. And we’ll work together with you to improve their health and quality of life.
  • Gender Management Service: This innovative offering performs psychological evaluation, including testing, and discusses medical options for transgender and gender-diverse children, adolescents, and young adults. Our multidisciplinary team includes endocrinologists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other specialists as needed. An in-depth assessment is provided to help patients and families make decisions about hormonal therapy and/or surgery.
  • The Neuroendocrinology Program: This program offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disorders related to hypothalamus and pituitary region tumors, as well as the endocrine effects of treatments for malignancies and hematologic disorders. Our care is coordinated with that of oncologists, hematologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, and geneticists
  • The Optimal Wellness for Life (OWL) Program: Care is delivered through a multidisciplinary team approach for children who are overweight or obese. The OWL experience includes a comprehensive medical evaluation, dietary guidance from a nutritionist focused on a “low glycemic load” eating plan to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels, and behavior modification strategies from a psychologist to support lifestyle changes. OWL exercise programming and resource coordination is also available.
  • The Thyroid Center: This center provides diagnosis, treatment, and management of children with all types of thyroid disease, including thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism. Our center is distinguished by its expertise in thyroid imaging, thyroid surgery, radioiodine therapy, and the long-term care of children with thyroid cancer. Our multidisciplinary team includes specially trained pediatric endocrinologists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists.

A multi-faceted approach

While many of our patients have diagnoses that can be addressed within one single program area at Boston Children’s, some children have complex endocrine disorders that require a coordinated approach involving specialists from several different programs within the Division of Endocrinology. Regardless of your child’s needs, we will create the most appropriate customized treatment plan.