Connecticut Children's Blog

Connecticut Children’s Sleep Center works with many families each year to improve their child’s insomnia. Insomnia refers to trouble falling asleep or trouble staying asleep. Here are three quick facts about childhood insomnia that may help improve your child’s ability to fall and stay asleep. 1.) Not every child with insomnia requires a sleep study […]

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 […]

Having a child with Autism can pose unique day to day challenges, one of them being feeding. Being able to feed your child is a top priority of all parents, and when feeding becomes difficult a seemingly simple activity can suddenly feel daunting. In an effort to help families feel more equipped to address feeding […]

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, […]

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sonia Chaudhry is the only pediatric hand surgeon in Connecticut and she’s here at Connecticut Children’s.  Ashley Denison remembers the worry that washed over her when doctors told her that her son had no thumb on his left hand just moments after he was delivered in April 2017. How would he hold […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]