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Partnering for Family Support: Connecticut Newborn Screening Network and Alexion Charitable Foundation By Debra Ellis, NBS, RN: The Connecticut Newborn Screening Network (the Network), a program within the Office for Community Child Health , provides crucial support to families of infants who receive out-of-range newborn screening (NBS) results. Our goal is to ensure that every family—regardless of their

Innovating with Purpose: A Tale of Two Healthcare Entities By: Jacquelyn M. Rose, MPH and Joann Petrini, PhD, MPH This is the third in a series of articles describing Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health’s journey toward innovating with purpose by creating and nurturing a culture of innovation. In the previous blog

Honoring Black History Month with Children At Connecticut Children’s, we proudly honor Black History Month with our team members, patients and their families. We do so by displaying signage in our hospital, providing educational resources to team members, sharing team member profiles and much more. As a children’s

Beyond Wrist Surgery: Arianna’s Story When she fell hard after whiffing on a ball during club soccer practice, 14-year-old Arianna P. nearly laughed out loud through the pain. “Here we go again,” she said to her mother in the hospital room. She’d managed to break her wrist for the second time. Deep down, she knew

5 Reasons Not To Delay Your Child's Vaccines By Andrew Carlson, MD: This blog was originally published in 2022 and has been updated as of October 13, 2025 to reflect current times. We continue to stress how important it is for kids to get their routine childhood vaccines according to the recommended schedule, which is based on rigorous scientific

Obesity: Reducing Weight Bias, Stigma and Discrimination By Nancy Trout, MD: By: Nancy Trout, MD, MPH The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity, describing the condition for the first time as a common, complex, and chronic disease

So Much for Effectively Managing My Travel Schedule! By Paul Dworkin, MD: I typically find the time between early fall and the winter holidays to be an incredibly busy travel period. I suspect that this is due to a combination of returning to full activity after the summer vacation lull and organizers attempting to schedule meetings prior to the

Carter’s Story: Empowering Families to Support Kids Ashley Burkman and her husband, Matt Chella, were thrilled to welcome their twin sons Calvin and Carter into the world in May 2019. The pregnancy had been a healthy one for Ashley with no signs of anything abnormal for the babies. However, shortly after the boys’ birth at 38

Back-to-School, Backed by Community By Madhura Sawant-Suryawanshi: It’s back-to-school season! The start of a new school year is an exciting transition filled with new opportunities and growth. It's also a time for families to step into new routines. When caregivers help kids feel prepared for school , we tend to see improved attendance

From Snowballs to Ski Slopes: Preventing Winter Injuries in Children By Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA: If you are like me, then you appreciate all four seasons. Of them, winter is my favorite. Through our work in the Injury Prevention Center , an initiative of Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health , I see how winter can be a time for incredible fun — snow forts

Honoring Jewish American Heritage Month With Kids Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to teach children about the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. At Connecticut Children’s, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and other culture months as part of our journey to

Mental Health Crisis: We Must Address Root Causes While mental health providers, policymakers and parents scramble to handle the escalating mental health crisis in children and youth, we must address the root causes through long-overdue systems-level changes in order to make an impact. That’s the message Paul H. Dworkin, MD

Feeding an Autistic Child: Your Top 4 Feeding Questions Answered By Jennifer Twachtman-Bassett, MS, CCC-SLP: Having an autistic child can bring many unique joys and challenges to your family. Sometimes children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) develop difficulties with feeding. Being able to feed your child is a top priority for all parents, so when feeding becomes challenging, a

Empowering Students to Embrace Healthy Relationships By Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA: By: Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA Most people are surprised to learn that one in three adolescents experiences physical, emotional or sexual abuse. This compelling data prompted us a few years ago to partner with The Allstate Foundation to develop and implement a program designed

OCCH Recognizes Media and Technology as Key Factors Shaping Child Development By Annika Anderson, MPH: At Connecticut Children's Office for Community Child Health (OCCH), we know that improving child health and well-being requires a comprehensive approach. The newly updated "flower diagram," which now includes Media & Technology, seamlessly represents this evolving reality. By