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Open Hearts Beyond Imagination: Ayla, Naomi & Daniel’s Story In September 2019, Ellen and Jon Lindblom traveled to China to bring home the newest member of their family — Ayla, then a shy 6-year-old. They carried a letter from Connecticut Children’s Felice Heller, MD, urging the agency to expedite the adoption so Ayla could get immediate

Is My Child Experiencing Weight Stigma? By Vanessa R. Laurent, PhD: Kids come in different shapes, sizes and personalities! It is important to recognize, however, that there is an ongoing childhood obesity problem in this country—for many reasons. This means, unfortunately, children and adolescents with obesity struggle with teasing, bullying and

6 Ways to Teach Your Teen Financial Independence By Lauren K. Ayr-Volta, PhD: When your teen is nearing the end of high school, they’ll suddenly need to take control of lots of aspects of their lives, from meal planning to healthcare. That includes finances. As adults, we sometimes assume that once a teen is a certain age, they’ll naturally know how to

What to Do If Your Child Swallows or Ingests a Button Battery By Christopher Grindle, MD: Last updated in December 2023. Do you have button batteries in your home? The answer is almost certainly yes. These tiny batteries are used in all kinds of electronic devices, from key fobs to your child’s favorite toys. Unfortunately, they’re also the sort of small, shiny object

How to Talk to Kids About Their Own Cancer Diagnosis By Kelly Muccino, Connecticut Children’s Child Life Specialist When it comes to teaching children about their own cancer diagnosis, a step-by-step approach can be helpful. Talk to your child about each step of the treatment process as it’s happening. Connecticut Children’s Child

Is the Tripledemic Causing a Medicine Shortage? By Joanna Young, Pharm.D., Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Respiratory viral infections continue to spread across Connecticut and the rest of the country. With RSV slowing down, and flu and COVID-19 surging in its place, many parents are having trouble finding children’s

Ask a Pediatrician: Can Kids Get the COVID-19 Vaccine and Flu Shot at the Same Time? By Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, FAAP: Many parents wonder if their child can get both immunizations at once. Connecticut Children’s Physician-in-Chief Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, FAAP, answers.

8 Common Questions About Asthma in Kids By Jessica P. Hollenbach, PhD, AE-C, Co-Director, Asthma Center, Melanie Sue Collins, MD , and Caleb D. Wasser, DO, FAAP According to the Connecticut State Department of Public Health, an astonishing 370,000 people in Connecticut have asthma—71,900 of which are children. That’s 1

9 Nutritionist-Approved Healthy Holiday Tips By Jennifer Zarrilli, MS, RD How can you encourage kids to enjoy themselves to the fullest this season, but also stay healthy? It doesn’t have to be a challenge! Connecticut Children’s nutrition experts have ideas.

Helping Kids Through a Sibling's Cancer Diagnosis By Kelly Muccino, Connecticut Children’s Child Life Specialist When a child learns their sibling has cancer, they may have many questions, or want to know how to help. Connecticut Children's Child Life Specialist, Kelly Muccino, tackles challenges you might encounter, and ways to

Emergency Room or Urgent Care? When Your Child Needs Care, Here's Where to Go It’s stressful enough when you or your child is sick or injured. It’s even more stressful if you’re not sure where to go – the emergency room, urgent care center or your doctor. Here’s a list to break it down.

Returning to Sports After a Break? Here's What to Know This article was last updated in December 2023. Getting back on the field (or rink, track, court or wherever) after months off comes with a risk of injury. Overuse injuries can occur in any sport – from “Little League Elbow” to back issues to ACL tears and ankle sprains. "

Don’t Delay Your Child’s Vaccines – They’re More Important Than Ever By Catherine Wiley, MD: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, Connecticut Children’s and its partner pediatric practices have worked around the clock to provide a safe environment for patient care – including making sure that kids are getting the vaccines they need. To share an important reminder

Are Your Child’s Symptoms From RSV or Something Else? What to Know About This Common Illness By Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, FAAP: Did you know it’s peak season for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV? On one hand, RSV is nothing new. If your child is over the age of 2, they’ve probably had it at least once. As an adult, you might get sick with it every few years. On the other hand, RSV can be serious for

No Holding Back: Tyler’s Story There’s never a good time for your child to need urgent care. But it’s really, really not a good time when you’re about to leave for vacation. Two days before his family’s big trip to Marco Island, Florida, 7-year-old Tyler Grad fell off a slide at his school playground. He and