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Category: Dr Childs Casebook

Extra Help?

A new diagnosis can prove costly
27 Jan 2023
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Dr Child's Casebook: On the Pulse

The beat of life
12 Jan 2023
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Dr Child's Casebook: Waiting Game

What to do while awaiting a diagnosis ...
12 Dec 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: In a Snap

Often overused the knee is frequently injured
4 Dec 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Similar But Different

Letters missing from our genetic jigsaw can cause MFS or something similar
27 Nov 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Living with a Label

Is a connective tissue disorder just a label?
18 Nov 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: Declaration Dilemma

Should you divulge your health condition when completing job applications?
4 Nov 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Time to Heal?

Does a connective tissue disorder delay the healing process?
28 Oct 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Maturing with Marfan

Living better with Marfan syndrome
14 Oct 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Vices and Virtues

Quit the habit?
5 Oct 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Quest for Clarity

Obtaining diagnostic certainty
28 Sep 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Point Break?

Are Marfan folk susceptible to fractures?
14 Sep 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Process of Elimination

How to determine the root cause
8 Sep 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Weak at the Knees

Should my child's knock knees be treated surgically?
2 Sep 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Inside My Mind?

Does anxiety emanate from inside or outside?
25 Aug 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Heartfelt Measures

18 Aug 2022
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Holiday Baggage?

Holiday baggage that is mental as well as physical
11 Aug 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Diverted Focus

After seemingly successful eye surgery, a supporter is experiencing visual disturbances ...
4 Aug 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Heat in the Heart

A recent heatwave put life on hold but can it also endanger life?
27 Jul 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Parallel Connections

In the absence of an LDS support group, patients turn to us for advice
20 Jul 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Bottom Line

Is surgery appropriate?
14 Jul 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Spinal Conundrum

When to medically intervene ?
7 Jul 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: With Every Breath

World Pneumothorax Day
30 Jun 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: One a Day?

The science of supplements
22 Jun 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Cause for Concern?

Is a small but sudden leap in one's aortic reading necessarily alarming?
15 Jun 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Is There Something I Should Know?

Do I have a connective tissue disorder and if so, should I know?
9 Jun 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: What to Say?

How to approach the subject of Marfan syndrome?
1 Jun 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Centenary Celebration

100th Anniversary
25 May 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Spectrum Connection?

Is there a link between Marfan syndrome and autism?
19 May 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Primal Fear

How to manage an overwhelming anxiety about death
11 May 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: SOS From Ukraine - Part II

How to ensure continuity of care
4 May 2022

SOS from Ukraine: Part 1

Seeking sanctuary in the UK, a Ukranian with Marfan syndrome needs our help
27 Apr 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: The Noise Within

A supporter is plagued by his own private soundtrack of ringing and grinding
21 Apr 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Midlife Metamorphosis

How to manage the menopause
14 Apr 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Rollercoaster Ride

Is a theme park ride advisable for someone awaiting a heart operation?
7 Apr 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Probability of Inheritance

The odds of passing on an autosomal condition ...
30 Mar 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Unexpected and Unusual

When hopes for an unaffected baby become complicated ....
18 Mar 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Shapes and Sizes

Weighing Up the Ideal?
9 Mar 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Elective Travel

Can insurers discern the difference between elective and emergency surgery?
4 Mar 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Digestive Dilemmas

The Stomach and Connective Tissue Disorders
23 Feb 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Age of Uncertainty

Poised awkwardly between childhood and adulthood and left in physical limbo
10 Feb 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: Assisted Independence

Can The Marfan Trust write a letter of support for a Personal independence payment?
3 Feb 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: Unexpected News

With a new diagnosis of Marfan syndrome in the family come many questions
20 Jan 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Out of Focus

We view life through a lens. What if the lens disconnects?
14 Jan 2022
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Dr Child's Casebook: Timing is Everything

When to wait and when to act?
5 Jan 2022

Dr Child's Casebook: The Long Haul

With research and medicine come life and longevity in MFS
15 Dec 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Breathing Music

Are wind instruments compatible with Marfan syndrome?
8 Dec 2021
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The Mystery of Pain

Chest discomfort is a pain pathway to myriad disorders
2 Dec 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Driving Concern

What Should I Say to the DVLA?
24 Nov 2021

Dr Child's Casebook: An Uphill Struggle

Frequently feeling dizzy, a teenager was propelled to our helpline
18 Nov 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Heart in Your Mouth

Should I take antibiotics prior to my dental treatment?
11 Nov 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: In the Mood

Chronic pain and peer pressure have left a young man feeling extremely low
4 Nov 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Line of Sight

What are the signs that signal potential eye problems?
28 Oct 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Gut Response

Greeting every day with pelvic/back pain, a patient wondered as to its source
20 Oct 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Delayed Focus

Procrastination is the thief of time but it can also steal your sight
13 Oct 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Where to Go?

A new diagnosis in the family prompts a big question
29 Sep 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: One Shot

A mother seeks advice on her child's vaccine
22 Sep 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Life Through a Lens

Initially diagnosed with a virus, a patient is now anticipating eye surgery
15 Sep 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Knocked Sideways Part II

(Continuation) A patient debilitated by scoliosis
8 Sep 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: – Knocked Sideways Part 1

Inhibited by scoliosis, a patient reached an impasse with local doctors and surgeons
1 Sep 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Left Breathless

A supporter left breathless with pectus problems called our helpline when their GP insisted their chest deformity was merely cosmetic
25 Aug 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: When Your History is a Mystery

A single mother approached our helpline wondering if her adopted daughter may have Marfan syndrome
11 Aug 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: What Do I Say?

How do you explain Marfan syndrome to friends and colleagues?
4 Aug 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Step Forward

A patient with debilitating metatarsalgia is resorting to surgery
28 Jul 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Long Reach

Is there anyone in our Marfan community with a liking for rowing?
21 Jul 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Standing Tall

A parent called to discuss the merits of medical intervention to suppress her daughter’s height
14 Jul 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Anatomy of Protection - Dural Ectasia

Completing the protective encasement around the central nervous system, dura mater is Latin for "tough mother"
8 Jul 2021

Dr Child's Casebook: The Science of Stroke

Making New Connections
30 Jun 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Bruising and Bleeding

Handle With Care
23 Jun 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Growing Up Too Fast, Literally

Are stretch marks and wide armspan possible signs of Marfan syndrome?
16 Jun 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Anatomy of Fatigue

Can Marfan syndrome cause fatigue?
9 Jun 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: On Hand

Is there a connection between Marfan syndrome and Dupuytren’s?
2 Jun 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: All Ears!

Is there a link between my narrow ear canals and Marfan syndrome?
26 May 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Weighing Up

While there’s no quick fix for Marfan folk to put on pounds, Dr Child has some tips up her sleeve
19 May 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Emergency v. Elective

Early Detection is Essential
12 May 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Skip a Beat …

Dr Child discusses Arrhythmia with a patient
5 May 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Fight Back!

How to support your muscle function!
28 Apr 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Disorderly Depression?

Our helpline is approached from time to time by Marfan patients questioning a link between their connective tissue disorder and depression
21 Apr 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Who Am I?

What is Disability?
14 Apr 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Alarm Bells

Getting to the heart of chest pain
7 Apr 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Why Me?

As the first member of the family to be affected by Marfan syndrome, it's natural to ask "why me?"
31 Mar 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Ultimate Tragedy

The agony of outliving a child
24 Mar 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Teach The Teacher

To Practise What You Teach
17 Mar 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Signs and Symptoms

Making Sense of Symptoms
10 Mar 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: True Cause?

​A sudden and suspicious death in the family sparks a search for answers, something that goes beyond the ostensible cause.
3 Mar 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: InVisible Inequality

Left seriously fatigued by office systems, and with chronic eye strain and sight problems, a supporter called Dr Child for advise
17 Feb 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Bittersweet Blessings?

Anxious about potential side effects of the COVID vaccine, a Marfan supporter finds his worries dispelled by Dr Child
10 Feb 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: When Two Become Three

A couple approached Dr Child for advice on pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
3 Feb 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Forethought Spares Afterthought

Dr Child navigates Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis in her latest Casebook
27 Jan 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Engine of Life

Emerging from a 10-hour cardiac operation, a young adult developed an infection prompting his worried parent to call upon Dr Child
20 Jan 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Torn Hopes?

A young father-to-be with Marfan Syndrome has concerns that his potentially expanding aorta will tear and stop him from being father to his child
19 Jan 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Head in the Clouds

Plagued by little cloud-like particles floating around his field of vision, a 65-year-old Marfan patient immediately sought medical advice
6 Jan 2021
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Dr Child's Casebook: Raising A New Hope

Pregnant with her first baby, an Italian in London sought Dr Child’s advice on childbirth in Marfan syndrome
17 Dec 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Right of Way

Unknown Priority - SHOULD those with Marfan syndrome receive the vaccine ahead of the general population
9 Dec 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook – Mobilising the Past

A new diagnosis in the family prompts a long reflection on the past.
2 Dec 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook – Feeling Unhinged

A patient wants to know how common tibia dislocations are with Marfan syndrome.
25 Nov 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Walk Tall

A marked deterioration in his young teenage child’s gait and posture propelled a worried parent to the Trust Helpline
18 Nov 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook – Off Your Chest

A pressing sense of pressure in their chest recently prompted a member of the public to seek Dr Child’s advice.
11 Nov 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Molar Influence

A mother seeks Dr Child's advice about their long term dental care
4 Nov 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Validating Vaccines

A parent concerned about vaccinating children against the flu, contacted Dr Child for advice about the Needle versus Nasal debate
28 Oct 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Sense of Disconnect

Sensing something was partially ‘out of place’ at a critical point in her hand, a member of our community called our helpline seeking respite
21 Oct 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: A Leaking Lifeline

A member of the public in the wake of her partner’s recurrent pneumothorax asked Dr Child for help having a possible diagnosis of Marfan syndrome
14 Oct 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Measure for Measure

The standard school desk height has remained unchanged over the last 30 years which is an ergonomic nightmare for many
7 Oct 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Perceiving Pain

The brain must detect and interpret pain signals correctly. How then to diagnose the source of the pain?
30 Sep 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Chain Reaction

​Trapped in a cycle of viral infections, seemingly without cause, a Marfan patient long known to Dr Child contacted the Trust for advice
23 Sep 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Where Do We Go From Here?

​Strongly suspecting the prevalence of a connective tissue disorder running through their family, a member of the public contacted our Helpline
16 Sep 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Appearances Can Be Deceptive – A Relative Anomaly. PART II

Making itself known in the skeletal system, Marfan syndrome is usually visible for all to see in its height supremacy
9 Sep 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Appearances Can Be Deceptive – The Relative Anomaly

A study of tallness in Marfan people found their mean height was above the 95 percentile for the general population by their third birthday
2 Sep 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Heartfelt Connections - Dental Decay and Heart Disease

All roads lead to the heart, they say, including the route ferrying oral bacteria from the mouth
26 Aug 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Every Breath You Take

A multi-faceted condition, Marfan syndrome often presents different problems simultaneously
19 Aug 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Ready Or Not?

By acquiring the simple basics of first aid, parents can protect their children form cuts and bruises to asthma attacks and choking
12 Aug 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Through The Ages

Hindsight is 20/20, as the proverb goes. With a belated Marfan diagnosis in the family, everything that has gone on before can suddenly make sense
5 Aug 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Best Foot Forward

Our feet take us places, they are the platforms on which we navigate the word’s bumpy terrain
29 Jul 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Navigating a New Normal

With ‘encouragement’ from the government we are returning to life ‘almost as we know it’
22 Jul 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: What’s in a Name?

A condition with many faces, Marfan syndrome means different things to different patients
15 Jul 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: The Big Soak – Disability Funds

Increasingly perceived as a luxury, baths remain a necessity for many
8 Jul 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Practice Dilemma

Is your GP surgery imparting clinical expertise, or misinformation and misdiagnosis characterised by a general lack of support?
1 Jul 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: To Jab Or Not To Jab During Covid-19

One patient asked on behalf of her teenage son and we have shared the exchange below while protecting the family’s identity
24 Jun 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Life After 50 for a Mature Marfan

With increasingly sophisticated treatment and awareness comes longevity of life as Marfan folk grow older with their syndrome
17 Jun 2020
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Dr Child's Casebook: Gut Feelings

​The fourth instalment of Dr Child’s Casebook sees our Medical Director encounter an unusual ramification of Marfan syndrome.
10 Jun 2020
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Dr Child's (COVID) Casebook – Back To School Special

​As we gingerly ease our way back into the world, schools are leading the way, with Reception, Years 1 and 6 returning on 1 June.
3 Jun 2020
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Dr Child's Pain Management Casebook

​Our new weekly theme continues apace as Dr Child counsels from her ‘remote’ consulting room, responding to our busier-than-ever helpline
27 May 2020
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Dr Child's Covid Casebook

Every day while ensconced in the comfort of her virtual consulting room Dr Child encounters a new conundrum posed by a member of our Marfan community.
19 May 2020
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How to Access the Drug Irbesartan

Following the successful completion of the AIMS Trial the drug Irbesartan has been shown to be effective in delaying aortic root widening
6 May 2020
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Advice for Teenagers with Marfan Syndrome

We recently received the following plea for support from the anxious parent of an affected teenager
20 Nov 2019
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Fatigue and Depression in Marfan Syndrome

A 44 year old man with Marfan syndrome rang for advice as he was falling asleep at his desk
7 May 2019
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Q&A: Joint and Muscle Problems in Marfan Syndrome

Dr Anne Child and Professor Rodney Grahame explain all
29 May 2017
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The Marfan Trust is registered in England and Wales under charity number 328070 at c/o 24 Oakfield Lane, Keston, Kent, BR2 6BY. Contact us at [email protected] or by phone on + 44 (0)333 011 5256
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