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What is Parechovirus and How Can I Keep My Family Safe? By Ian C. Michelow, MD, FCPaed: On Tuesday, July 19, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a warning to medical professionals about parechovirus, a common virus that goes around in summer and fall and infects most children by the time they start kindergarten. Understandably, parents are concerned
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Recognize the Signs of Heat-Related Illness By John Brancato, MD: This article was originally published in 2022 and has been updated in June 2025. Heat-related illness like heat exhaustion and heat stroke can oftentimes send kids to the emergency room in the summer months. What should you look for and what should you do if your child is showing
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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 Doctor
John R. Schreiber, MD, MPH Medical Director of Infection Control
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- Infectious Diseases & Immunology
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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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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
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The Pressure to Win: Sports and Your Child’s Mental Health By Kelly Ann Maynes, PsyD: This article was originally published in July 2022 and was last updated in April 2025. In recent years, athletes have come forward to talk about the importance of mental health, along with the impact of sports and competition. Lots of young athletes can relate. A sport can all
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Dentistry If your child needs a dental specialist, you’ve come to the right place. The pediatric dentists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons who practice at Connecticut Children’s specialize in treating the full spectrum of dental needs for children of all ages. From impacted wisdom teeth Service/Program
Pediatric Tracheostomy There are many reasons that a child may need a tracheostomy, a surgical procedure used to create an opening through the neck into the trachea (windpipe). For example, when a child’s airway is permanently blocked, cannot be cleared of secretions or must be supported by a Article
Swimmer’s Ear: 7 Things to Know and How to Treat It By Christopher Grindle, MD: This article was originally published in May 2022 and was updated for accuracy in May 2025. Ah, summer—the time when our active kids jump right in the water for lots of swimming. Then, ouch. Or, double ouch. Sometime later, the ear pain sets in, maybe with some other unpleasant
Burn Clinical Pathway Connecticut Children’s cares for patients with mild to moderately burns. Burn injury can vary in severity from superficial to partial thickness to full thickness. Connecticut Children’s has not had a standardized approach to care for these children in the past. A standardized
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Building Healthy Futures: Celebrating the Impact of Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program By Chris Corcoran: What is the Healthy Homes Program? In celebration of National Healthy Homes Month, we are thrilled to highlight the incredible achievements of the Connecticut Children’s Healthy Homes Program, a program dedicated to making homes safe and healthy for families across Connecticut
Asthma (Emergency Department and Inpatient) Clinical Pathway In the United States, asthma affects 7 million children under 18 years. In 2010, 58.3% of children with asthma had at least one asthma attack in the previous twelve months. Nearly 20% of children diagnosed with asthma went to an ED for care in 2009. Asthma is the third¬ ranking
Ischemic Stroke Evaluation and Management Clinical Pathway Pathway Background Stroke is a neurological injury caused by the occlusion or rupture of cerebral blood vessels. Strokes can be ischemic, hemorrhagic, or both. Ischemic stroke is most frequently caused by arterial occlusion, but may be caused by venous occlusion of cerebral veins
Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy: Perioperative Care Clinical Pathway Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy is a common procedure with greater than 500,000 performed annually in the United States. However, there is variability in peri-operative and post-operative care for these patients. This can lead to confusion and dissatisfaction for patients