Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

Yawkey Center for Outpatient Care, Suite 6C
Phone: 617-726-2909 | Fax: 617-724-0581

The Pediatric Endocrinology Unit and Diabetes Center at MassGeneral Hospital for Children is an international referral center for the management of pediatric diabetes and endocrine disorders in children and adolescents. Unlike some teaching hospitals in which patients see a different doctor at each visit, every patient of the Pediatric Endocrine Unit has his or her own physician. We work collaboratively with primary care physicians, other specialty caregivers, and–most importantly– patients and their families to deliver the highest quality of care.

Our physicians specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of all endocrine-related conditions of infants, children, and adolescents, including:

• Diabetes mellitus type 1
• Diabetes mellitus type 2
• Growth disorders
• Thyroid and adrenal problems
• Problems of puberty
• Hypoglycemia
• Pituitary disorders, including pituitary tumors, hormone deficiencies, diabetes insipidus, and care of patients following therapy of brain tumors
• Calcium and bone metabolism disorders, including rickets, osteoporosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and parathyroid disease
• Intersex disorders
• Hirsutism and menstrual disorders, including polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Endocrine tumors

Special areas of excellence within Pediatric Endocrinology include:

The Pediatric Diabetes Center: We provide comprehensive care to children and adolescents with both type 1 (juvenile-onset; insulin-dependent) and type 2 (adult-onset; non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. The hallmark of the Childhood Diabetes Center is an individualized approach to each and every child with diabetes that incorporates a team of pediatric diabetes specialists. The team includes highly educated nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians, and social workers, all with years of experience working with children and adolescents with diabetes. All of our nurses and nurse practitioners are Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs), just one indication of their commitment to high quality care. As much as possible, we provide coordinated outpatient care from diagnosis through chronic management. We are a leading center for outpatient management of newly diagnosed diabetes.

Type 1 Diabetes: Of the hundreds of adolescents and children with diabetes for whom we provide specialty care, almost a third receive their daily insulin needs via a mini-pump, which permits a high degree of flexibility but which also mandates intensive monitoring. The insulin pump is not for every patient with type 1 diabetes. However, our commitment to every family is the same: to achieve the best level of blood sugar control possible given their child’s own unique situation. Children with type 1 diabetes may have other disorders including thyroid disease and celiac disease. Our endocrinology, gastroenterology and nutrition staff work together to integrate the management of these disorders. Our commitment to diabetes care also extends to the laboratory where members of the pediatric endocrinology group are working to determine the protein factors in cells that control the development of the insulin producing Beta cell with the aim of developing a means to reproduce beta cell function. We also collaborate with the diabetes immunology laboratory on clinical and laboratory studies to understand the cause of type 1 diabetes and its treatment (click on “Other Resources” to learn more about issues in diabetes care and research).

Type 2 Diabetes: We have the same commitment to personalized, multidisciplinary care of patients with type 2 diabetes, traditionally a disorder which first arises in adults, but one that has become increasingly common among children and adolescents. We work with our Pediatric Weight Center to help children with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome achieve optimal health. One reflection of that commitment is our active involvement in a nation-wide research program designed to optimize care of young patients with this disorder (click on “Other Resources” and read about the TODAY Study).

Growth Disorders: John Crawford, MD, Chief of the Pediatric Endocrine Unit from 1963 to 1990, was among the first physicians in the world to treat children with growth failure with human growth hormone. The Unit remains dedicated to offering patients with growth disorders state-of-the-art evaluation and therapy. This includes opportunities for selected patients to participate in clinical trials.

Neuroendocrinology: The staff of the Pediatric Endocrine Unit work closely with MGH specialists in neurosurgery, neuroradiology, and pediatric oncology to assure state-of-the-art diagnostic studies and treatment for children with pituitary disorders, including Cushing’s disease, pituitary adenomas, and the consequences of childhood CNS tumors.

Reproductive Endocrinology: The Pediatric Endocrine Unit provides expert care for children and adolescents with disorders of puberty and menstrual cycle disturbances. In collaboration with other MGH investigators, physicians in the Pediatric Endocrine Unit were among the first to offer effective treatment to children with precocious puberty.

Intersex Disorders: Intersex Disorders: The Pediatric Endocrine Unit works together with colleagues in Genetics, Psychiatry, and Pediatric Surgery / Urology to offer multidisciplinary consultation and expert care for children with intersex disorders.

State-of-the-Art Care in a World-Renowned Academic Medical Center

When appropriate, the staff of the Pediatric Endocrine Unit can reach out to a host of expert specialists from across the MGH community to ensure that children and adolescents with complex endocrine disorders receive the very best care. Examples of these close, working relationships include:

• Involvement of world-class thyroid experts from medicine, surgery, and nuclear medicine in the management of children with congenital and acquired thyroid disorders.
• Collaboration with world-renowned adult endocrine specialists, neurosurgeons, and radiation oncologists from the MGH Neuroendocrine Clinical Center, in the care of children with pituitary disorders, some of whom may be candidates for treatment at the Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center, one of the few such facilities in the world.
• Access to child-centered ultrasonography and pioneering clinical and genetic research through collaborations with MGH Reproductive Endocrine Unit.
• Cooperation with the pediatric specialists of the MGH Weight Center in the management of severely overweight children and adolescents.

At MassGeneral Hospital for Children, we know that the time of your child’s diagnosis and treatment is a very stressful one and we strive to provide an open, welcoming environment. We believe that no one knows a child as well as the parent does; parents, along with primary care providers, become our partners in a child's care and have an active voice in all treatment plans.