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Why Talking Openly About Cancer is Important By Kelly Muccino: When a family faces a cancer diagnosis, life changes. What does today look like? What about tomorrow? This begs another question for many parents and caregivers: how do you talk to kids about cancer? We called upon Connecticut Children’s Child Life team – experts in providing

Experts You’ll Meet if You Have a High-Risk Pregnancy By David Sink, MD: Early in your pregnancy, your doctor will ask lots of questions about your health, and perform routine tests to check for risks to you or your developing baby. If they think your pregnancy could be at a higher-than-usual risk for complications, they’ll connect you with

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Declaration By Larry Milan: By: Larry Milan Enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion at Connecticut Children’s is a key strategic priority for our organization. We welcome the opportunity to build on our strong foundation to ensure a culture that is welcoming and inclusive for all team members, patient

Is Vaping Safe? No. Here’s Why. By Melanie Sue Collins, MD: The FDA recently ordered all Juul e-cigarette products off the shelves, a decision that has been in the works for two years following the rapid rise of underage vaping. Parents are concerned that their kids may look for other products or turn to actual cigarettes—both strong

Grow Bold: Penny’s Story Growing up means blazing your own trail. For the past 13 years, Connecticut Children’s has been watching Penny Ringrose do just that. Penny, who has Down syndrome, has been coming to Connecticut Children’s since the day she was born, when she was rushed to our nationally-ranked

Advancing Equity Through Anti-Racism in Children's Hospitals and Family-Centered Care By Susie DiVietro, PhD: In the latest installment of the Pathways to Action Subcommittee Spotlight Series, members of Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health reflect on their participation in an anti-racism training organized by the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences)

Violence Prevention Through New Collaborative By Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA: By: Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December 2012, there have been over 900 school shootings in the United States, according to Sandy Hook Promise. The most recent tragedy in Texas was predictable and preventable

2.5 Million Gift Establishes the Chase-Bear-Dyer Family Cafe in Connecticut Children’s Tower Expansion Hartford, CT—Connecticut Children’s, the state’s only healthcare system dedicated exclusively to the care of children, has received a $2.5 million gift from Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear and their family to support the hospital’s new eight-story clinical tower, set to open in

Mentoring Program Fosters Career Development By Luis Rivera: By: Luis Rivera As part of Connecticut Children’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, we are launching a new mentoring program as a pilot program to ensure team members who reside in Hartford have the support they need to succeed in their positions and advance their

No Holding Back: Tyler’s Story There’s never a good time for your child to need urgent care. But it’s really, really not a good time when you’re about to leave for vacation. Two days before his family’s big trip to Marco Island, Florida, 7-year-old Tyler Grad fell off a slide at his school playground. He and

What to Do If Your Child Swallows or Ingests a Button Battery By Christopher Grindle, MD: Last updated in December 2023. Do you have button batteries in your home? The answer is almost certainly yes. These tiny batteries are used in all kinds of electronic devices, from key fobs to your child’s favorite toys. Unfortunately, they’re also the sort of small, shiny object

Changing How We Talk to Kids About Wearing Masks During COVID-19 By Melissa Santos, PhD: Our kids have been through a lot during this pandemic. Many have lost people in their own families due to COVID-19. Because of this, we’ve told them that masks are how they help to save people’s lives—and they did a good job at taking this mission seriously. On March 1, 2022, the

How to Manage Negative Emotions When Your Child Is Watching By Kelly Ann Maynes, PsyD: As a parent, you’re often told to “model calm.” But in life, and especially over the past couple years of the pandemic, it can be exhausting for parents to constantly keep it together – and it’s not necessarily healthy for their kids, either. How do you manage stress, fear

16 Comfort Items to Bring to Your Child’s Doctor Appointment There are a few tried-and-true ways to prepare your child for a doctor’s visit: Talk about it ahead of time. Pretend through play. Practice calming exercises like making a coping toolbox. Best of all? Bring a few comfort items! (Your child will love this step.) Put your child in

3 Questions to Ask About Newborn Screening By Debra Ellis, NBS, RN: Every year, about 4 million babies are born in the U.S. Most, if not all, of these babies have had newborn screening, and since they began 50 years ago, newborn screening has been helping babies each year. This means that about 200 million people went through newborn screening