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5 Heart-Healthy Choices for the Whole Family By Shailendra Upadhyay, MD, CEPS, FHRS: At Connecticut Children’s we focus on heart health and nutrition every day! Dr. Shailendra Upadhyay, pediatric cardiologist and Jennifer Zarrilli, pediatric nutritionist, share five fun and educational ideas to engage the whole family in making excellent, heart-healthy choices.
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5 Healthy Habits to Prevent Childhood Obesity By Christine Finck, MD, FACS: This blog was originally published in September 2022 and last updated in March 2024. Date has been changed. One in five kids in the U.S. is obese and childhood obesity can put kids at risk for conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. These
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Diaper Connections Provides Crucial Support to Families By Luis Rivera: By: Luis Rivera, MSW Diapers are an incredible expense for families and many have a tough time affording the amount needed to keep their children clean and dry. An important new initiative addresses diaper insecurity and Connecticut Children’s is excited to be a partner in it to
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Time to Rethink Our Sugary Drinks By Nancy Trout, MD: By: Nancy Trout, MD, MPH Sugar sweetened beverages, including sodas, fruit drinks, sport drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened coffees and teas are contributing to an undue level of poor health. Sugary drinks account for approximately 36% of added sugar in the American diet
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5 Tips for Parents of Kids With Hearing Loss By Christopher Grindle, MD: This article was originally published in July 2022 and last updated for accuracy in December 2023. If your child falls into the 15% of kids between 6 and 10 years old who experience hearing loss (according to the CDC), you may be wondering what you can do to help them overcome
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Hispanic Heritage Month Medical Pioneers Hispanic Americans have made an important impact on the healthcare field. As part of Connecticut Children’s diversity, equity and inclusion journey, and our celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we continue with our Medical Pioneers series. The series honors physicians
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Advocacy for Children: The Time is Now By Emily Boushee: By: Emily Boushee In Connecticut and across the country, children are facing significant challenges due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the additional crises the pandemic has brought to light, including escalating behavioral health concerns and inequities stemming from
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What to Do With Kids This Winter: Outdoor Activities and Cold Weather Tips During COVID-19 By Stacy Chandna, MS, CIP: During the COVID-19 pandemic, families have been forced to find creative ways to keep kids active while still avoiding high-risk activities. With some youth sports canceled, the colder, winter months are pushing that creativity to new lengths. Stacy Chandna, co-director of Kohl’s Article
Formula Recalls: What to Know Right Now By James E. Moore, MD, PhD: Updated October 17, 2022 for additional recall of certain lots of Abbott 2 fluid ounce/59 milliliter bottles of Ready-to-Feed liquid products for infants and children. (Originally published on February 22, 2022 and updated on March 1, 2022 and again on August 16, 2022) October 17
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5 Mental Health Tips for Kids This Winter By Melissa Santos, PhD: Winter darkness and colder weather can cause your child’s mood and health habits to take a dive. To help, start with the basics! Connecticut Children’s pediatric psychologist Melissa Santos, PhD, shares her top five tips.
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How to Keep Kids Safe from Cyberbullying By Preeti Sandhu, PsyD: Social media, message boards, instant messaging, texting, blogging and video—all of these are here to stay. While they can be beneficial, they also carry the risk of cyberbullying. Anyone who regularly uses digital platform opens the door for the possibility of cyberbullying
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Back-to-School Mental Health Tips for Parents, Teachers & School Staff By Amy Adolfo Signore, PhD, MPH: As the school year kicks off across Connecticut, families and educators alike are facing more than supply lists and bus schedules. Today’s students are managing emotions, navigating social pressures, and adjusting to academic demands — all while recovering from the disruptions of
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Observing Jewish American Heritage Month With Kids Jewish American Heritage Month offers a valuable opportunity to educate children about the extensive 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. At Connecticut Children’s, we embrace Jewish American Heritage Month alongside other cultural celebrations, aiming to
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Beyond Sickle Cell: Once a Patient, Now a Patient Advocate By Donna Boruchov, MD: 29-year-old Brandon Parris shows up to work not just motivated, but grateful. Every day, he feels lucky to set foot in Connecticut Children’s where he works as Patient Access Associate, Shift Lead, in the Emergency Department and Admitting. As a young child, Brandon spent a good