Connecticut Children's Blog

By Donna Barnett, MA, RDN, CD Plants give us lots of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protective phytochemicals. Plant based diets can reduce your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. There are several different kinds of plant based diets. For example, someone who is vegan avoids red meat, […]

Nearly half of all sports injuries are knee injuries. They can sideline you for weeks or months at a time. The good news? Research shows a combination of strength, balance, and plyometric exercises can reduce the risk of knee injuries. Physical therapists from Connecticut Children’s identified six such exercises to try. Sophia, one of our patients, demonstrates […]

Unfortunately, we have seen a dramatic rise in pediatric hypertension over the last few years. Now, up to 10% of children have elevated blood pressure. If we apply this to the population of children in Connecticut, roughly 70,000 are affected! What are the risk factors for pediatric hypertension? The biggest risk factor is being overweight. […]

Staying well-hydrated is very important for your kidneys. Proper hydration helps your kidneys balance all of the electrolytes in your body, such as sodium and potassium, and helps your kidneys get rid of all the waste products from food you consume that your body does not use. Furthermore, your body is made up of 70% […]

By Kathleen Mayko and Tony Sabonis, Maeve’s and Rowan’s parents Our daughters, Maeve and Rowan, are typical precocious little girls. Maeve, 4, started preschool in fall 2018. She’s bubbly and vivacious, and she likes reading, dancing and animals. She lights up a room with her energy. She loves being outside, loves going to the library, […]

By Kara Satalino, Cecelia’s mom My daughter, Cecelia, looks like any normal 3-year-old, and she is definitely the sassiest little girl I’ve ever met. She’s wild and smart. She loves to run and play sports with her three older brothers, especially soccer. At the boys’ games, we have to play with her on the sidelines […]

By Nicole Schwartz, HuskyTHON Walking out of the Fieldhouse in February of 2016, after just completing my first HuskyTHON, I was inspired: by the 3,000+ UConn students who came together to prove that there is strength in numbers, by the support given by the entire state of Connecticut showing that there is so much good […]

By Lizzie Drake, Amelia’s mom My daughter Amelia is 3 years old. She has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s feisty and spunky. She’s always happy, loves life, and loves to play and sing songs. She loves to read and be outside, and she loves going to preschool. Amelia also has cystic fibrosis (CF), […]

David Alvarez III, 18, is a typical college freshman. He’s concerned about his classes at the University of Bridgeport, where he’s pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business management; studying for tests; getting his homework done; and spending time with friends. But on top of those concerns, David makes time for regular appointments at Connecticut Children’s […]