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Is Caffeine Safe for Teens? A Doctor Explains By Andrew Carlson, MD: Coffee and other tasty caffeinated drinks are part of our culture. But pediatric health professionals are asking parents to be aware of new 2025 guidelines from Healthy Eating Research that clarify what kids should and shouldn’t be drinking, and that teenagers especially should

Smart Summer Reading Tips for Busy Parents By Andrew Carlson, MD: Just as daily exercise keeps our bodies healthy and strong, regular reading keeps our brains active and growing, especially during the summer months when school is out. Children who don’t read regularly over the summer can lose up to two months of reading development, a

Why Access to Food and Nutrition Is Essential for Every Child By Stacy Chandna, MS, CIP: Access to nutritious food is one of the most powerful drivers of children’s health and development, yet for many families, it is not always easy to maintain. Across the United States, millions of children live in households that rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Strengthening Families During COVID-19: Daunting Challenges and Enormous Opportunities By Paul Dworkin, MD: By: Paul Dworkin, MD As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated across the nation and the world, child health providers took some comfort in recognizing the relatively limited impact of the disease on children as compared to adults and, particularly, seniors. Notwithstanding the

Keep Kids Safe in Cars All Summer Long By Amy Watkins, MPH: It might feel like a mild day outside, just 75 degrees, but the inside of a parked car can heat up quickly. In as little as 30 minutes, the temperature can reach 109°F, creating a dangerous oven-like environment for a child. No child can withstand this kind of heat. Most hot car

Melatonin Poisoning in Kids: What Parents Should Know By John Brancato, MD: All parents can agree—a good night’s sleep is one of the most amazing feelings—and even more so when our children sleep well. It’s not always easy, though, and sometimes kids need a little help getting into a healthy sleeping routine. Melatonin has become a popular, over-the

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.

6 Tips for Staying Safe this Halloween By Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA:

Innovation as a Platform for Community Transformation By Jacquelyn Rose, MPH: By: Jacquelyn M. Rose, MPH Community transformation – it’s something we all envision but is very challenging to achieve. At Connecticut Children’s, we are excited to lead a project that is designed to transform the three neighborhoods in North Hartford’s Promise Zone in

Managing Screen Time for Young Children By Nancy Trout, MD:

Fostering Nutrition, Health and Wellness for All Children By Nancy Trout, MD: I recently read an alarming statistic in a pediatric news article: over 90 percent of parents surveyed purchase at least one meal per week for their children in a fast food establishment. Admittedly, fast food is a low cost, convenient and readily available option, especially in

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

Community Health Needs Assessment Highlights Opportunities for Children Connecticut Children’s is proud to be a local, regional and national leader in promoting the optimal health, development and well-being of children and their families. Our commitment includes the extraordinary healthcare that our clinical teams provide as well as our work in

5 Reasons You Might See a Fetal Cardiologist By Raymond P. Lorenzoni, III, MD: Yes. At your 20-week anatomy scan, your Ob/Gyn or maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist will take detailed images of your baby. During this appointment you may learn your baby is at risk for a heart condition and that you need to see a fetal cardiologist. Connecticut Children

Omicron FAQs: Is the New Variant More of a Risk to Infants and Toddlers? What About Vaccinated Kids? By John R. Schreiber, MD, MPH: This post was last updated January 19, 2022. Right around the time your family was celebrating Thanksgiving, you probably heard news about a new variant in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Omicron variant is now surging around the world, including in the U.S. Scientists are racing to