Connecticut Children's Blog

It was a pneumonia diagnosis that revealed a 30-degree curve in young Sabella’s spine at the age of 6. She was referred to Connecticut Children’s Orthopedics division where she was followed closely by Jeff Thomson, MD, for years before she underwent spinal fusion surgery to correct her debilitating scoliosis. Now a teenager, Sabella’s love for […]

By: Nicole Roscoe As parents of three young children, my husband and I make it a priority to teach them the difference between healthy and not-so-healthy eating choices. We also take steps to ensure our children learn the importance of exercise. Exciting Wellness Opportunities We look out for new and different opportunities for them to […]

It started like every other family dinner. Kelly sat around the table with her parents, grandparents, and two older siblings. They each talked about their days. Kelly, who was 10 at the time, mentioned that she felt an odd pain in her left leg. Her parents assumed it was growing pains—both of her older siblings […]

Olivia Belfonti wasn’t even born yet when her parents, Tricia and Arnold, knew there was trouble—serious trouble—with their baby. Tricia was 19 weeks pregnant when an ultrasound showed that Olivia’s heart had only one ventricle. Instead of the normal arrangement, where one side of the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the rest […]

By Shannin Burns, Patrick’s mom On the outside, my son, Patrick, appears to be a typical 12-year-old boy. He likes hanging out with his friends. He’s a good student. He’s in the ski club at his middle school, and he’s excited to start playing baseball in the spring. He loves video games, robotics and technology. […]

By Jennifer Twachtman-Bassett, M.S. CCC-SLP, CCRP  A hospital visit can be scary for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), even if the visit is a quick doctor’s appointment. Since a hospital visit is almost never routine, it disrupts the child’s entire day, not just for the time that they spend in their visit. Plus, […]

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 […]

When Rose Robison first glanced at her daughter Brianna’s Christmas list, she was expecting to find all the trappings of a 15-year-old’s desires: clothes, jewelry, accessories, and so on. What she didn’t anticipate, however, was a written request to meet the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s NICU staff at UConn Health in Farmington that saved her […]

For Siaana’s family, every day is a day of thanksgiving. Siaana, a sweet little girl who just turned 5, was diagnosed with a rare heart defect in November 2014, just days before the Thanksgiving holiday. Her parents, Annie and Ajay of Wethersfield, were shocked to learn that their 10-month-old daughter had a congenital heart condition […]

It was October 21, 1996, and Shari Cantor had just given birth to her fourth son, Jacob, at Hartford Hospital. At first Jacob seemed to be perfectly healthy. “I was sitting there with this beautiful baby with a perfect Apgar score,” Shari says. “But then one of the nurses came to look at him and […]

It’s been more than six years since Marina Tribuzio and her brother, Pete, were born, weighing just over 1 pound apiece. Both babies, who were born three months early on August 11, 2012, faced a host of challenges that premature newborns often face, but Marina was also diagnosed with a rare congenital heart defect known […]