Article
Help Me Grow Model: 25 Years of Service to Families By Paul Dworkin, MD: The Help Me Grow (HMG) Model is celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2022 – having spent the past 25 years helping children and families in Connecticut and across the country thrive. The HMG Model is an early childhood system building model that partners with families to
Article
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
Article
Make Every Bite Count! By Nancy Trout, MD: By: Nancy Trout, MD, MPH Most Americans do not follow a healthy dietary pattern. This is the conclusion of the recently released 2020-2025 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The theme of this edition is “make every bite count.” This edition
Article
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
Universal Congenital Cytomegalovirus Newborn Screening Clinical Pathway Congenital CMV (cCMV) occurs in 0.4-2% of live births and is the leading cause of congenital infections worldwide. 1,2 Connecticut is estimated to diagnosis up to 175 cases per year within our state if all infants are screened at birth. cCMV is the leading cause of non-genetic
Care Detail
Pain Resource Nurse Program The Pain Resource Nurse Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center provides effective pain strategies based on best practices in the care of pediatric patients. Specially trained nurses use the latest clinical advances to assess and treat pain across the continuum, from Service/Program
Dialysis Center Children and adolescents with renal disease often need dialysis on their path to kidney transplant. The state-of-the-art Robert R. Rosenheim Foundation Dialysis Center offers our patients tailored treatment plans and a highly specialized care team comprised of pediatric dialysis Article
"My Friend Has Cancer:" Helping Adolescents and Young Adults Cope By Mary Laliberte: Normally, adolescents and young adults first experience cancer from older relatives who have been diagnosed. But what happens when a peer gets diagnosed with cancer? Mary Laliberte, Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Connecticut Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Prepare for Care Kit Whether your child is about to have major surgery or a routine check-up, a little preparation can help them feel comfortable. That’s Connecticut Children’s specialty! Our experts have lots of tips and tricks to support kids on their health journeys. Here, we’ve gathered our best
Service/Program
Palliative Care Pediatric palliative care is an active, total approach to relieve pain and suffering by embracing physical, emotional and spiritual elements of care with a focus on maximizing quality of life for children with serious illness and their families. Palliative care is appropriate for Article
Connecting the Dots: Care Coordination By Katherine Ramirez: By: Katherine Ramirez During this time of unprecedented hardships facing so many families, there is also tremendous opportunity for those who serve children and families to rise to the challenge and meet their needs. Connecticut Children’s 4th annual Care Coordination Forum
Article
Beyond Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome: One Year Later By Timothy Crombleholme, MD: It’s a typical morning at home with 1-year-old identical twins. Ben, who is older by a few seconds, is pulling silly faces and giggling. Renny is crying and clinging to mom Kaelyn — who is doing her best to prepare snacks with one arm, since Renny is occupying the other. “It’s
Connecticut Children’s Care Network Connecticut Children’s Care Network is a primary care pediatrician-led organization that combines a nationally ranked children’s hospital, its subspecialists, and community physicians into one network that works to improve patient care for children around the region. As a team
Article
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
Connecticut Adult Congenital Heart Service (CTACH) Clinical Pathway Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, accounting for ~1% of all live births. 20,000-40,000 children with CHD graduate to adulthood each year. There are over 1.4 million adults with congenital heart disease living in the USA. Adults with CHD have been