Connecticut Children's Blog

By Missy Kelly When my daughter Eva was a baby, someone called her “Eva the Diva.” At the time, we didn’t realize how much she was going to really grow into that name. She’s strong-willed and does what she wants when she wants, but she lives a very happy life. She loves swimming, shopping, visiting […]

When Amanda and Derek Williams learned they were expecting twins, they knew they would be introducing their two year old son to a doubly fun big brother experience. But stockpiling on diapers, wipes and onesies took an immediate backseat when one of their little boys was diagnosed in-utero with aortic coarctation – a congenital condition […]

“The nurses and doctors were kind and told me what to expect after my son was born. But nothing can prepare you for the moment when you first realize you will not be able to hold your newborn,” Marisol Castano, a self-assured and intelligent woman with bright eyes and cascading curls shared while sitting in […]

It was December in paradise – a week before Christmas 2015, in fact – when Elizabeth and Cesar Lopez knew they had no choice but to pack up their family, travel over 1500 miles from Puerto Rico to Connecticut and leave the only home they had ever known. It was a move they never planned […]

Do you have some lawnmower parenting tendencies? You’ve heard of helicopter parenting, but there’s a new phrase making the rounds now: lawnmower parenting. Lawnmower parenting refers to a parenting style that strives to “mow down” all obstacles, challenges or difficulties in a child’s path. Of course, no one really wants to be a lawnmower parent, […]

By Jenn Long My younger son, James, is 5 years old, and he has two settings: off and on. When he’s on, he goes full speed. He keeps me on my toes, but he’s always happy. He loves to play video games with his older brother, Nathan, who’s 10. James doesn’t sit down much. He’s […]

By Melissa Santos, PhD, Tim LaVigne, PhD, and Michael Reiss, PsyD Parenting teenagers can be hard, especially as they become more independent (or as they like to call it: I can’t wait to live on my own!). Teenage years are also the time when many children first experience mental health struggles. Research from the CDC […]

Anthony had been in remission for more than three years when a routine MRI scan revealed another ependymoma, his third brain tumor. “It was devastating,” says Jennifer, Anthony’s mom. “Things had been going so well for so long.” To make matters worse, Anthony had already received the maximum amount of radiation during treatment for the […]

by Sasha Dagnall I can’t imagine having a better daughter than my little girl, Rylie. She’s 16 and a sophomore at Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut. Rylie’s an honor-roll student and plays on the school tennis team, among other activities. I know the teenage years often involve drama, but Rylie understands better than […]

By: Kelsey Otero My daughter, Leilani, is a lively little 6-year-old. She loves coloring and making arts and crafts projects. She’s so happy, and she’s a lot of fun. There isn’t much in life that fazes Leilani, which I find amazing. Early in her life, Leilani was diagnosed with a rare disease called Langerhans cell […]

Depending on which day you ask her, 6-year-old Lily will tell you that she wants to be a ballerina or a firefighter when she grows up. But those professions require standing up straight, and until two years ago, Lily couldn’t. She was born with a spine so severely curved to the side that it looked […]

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, CDN 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 […]