Archive | Checkup Newsroom

During this time of high respiratory illnesses presenting at Cook Children's Health Care System, we are providing updated case numbers below for RSV and flu.Cook Children's is currently experiencing a surge in patients diagnosed with RSV, flu and oth...

North Texas is under an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) for severe weather starting this evening. The main threats are large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. Scattered, strong to severe storms could deve...

North Texas is under a slight risk for severe weather starting this evening. Large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible.According to the National Weather Service, storms could begin to impact the Dallas-Fort Worth area from 2 a.m. to...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D.I absolutely love fireworks, something about the smell of the burning punk, after eating a barbequed hamburger followed by homemade peach cobbler…. It’s just the best. Watching the beautiful fountains explode in an array of co...

Fort Worth, Texas – Cook Children’s Physician Network (CCPN) is pleased to announce the appointment of its new president, Matthew Dzurik, M.D. Throughout his 14 years at Cook Children’s, Dr. Dzurik has proven himself as a leader. He is the medical di...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D.These are general recommendations for healthy eating and lifestyle habits I recommended to all patients in the B.C. era (Before Coronavirus). They are still appropriate today, with a few other recommendations listed below. I a...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D.Poop jokes are not my favorite kind of jokes. But they are a solid number two!!Joking aside, constipation can be a major pain in the behind. I just can’t stop myself!Let’s get down to business. Constipation is NOT HOW OFTEN yo...

Cook Children's has started the process of administering the second and final dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.Staff members share how it feels to be completely vaccinated. 

A video shared in September of Cook Children's patient Aiden Yielding, 13, and his dad, Chuck, dancing together from a distance during Aiden’s chemo treatments quickly went viral and captured the hearts of millions around the world. The latest set of...

Megan Mansfield’s Adoption Story “Congratulations. You’ve been chosen to be the mother of a beautiful baby girl.” Excited. Shocked. Joyful. Overwhelmed. I imagine most people would have similar feelings upon hearing those words, especially when...

Fifteen years ago, I accepted my first job out of college at Cook Children’s. I never dreamed that this anniversary would fall during a pandemic. This has been one of the most challenging experiences to date as a parent and as a human, but I have sur...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D. It’s a common question to ask your pediatrician. "What is the daily calorie need of your infant or child?" Here’s a chart that covers the normal daily calorie need to sustain healthy growth. Average weight and lengths a...

For parents who have a child starting school in person, it’s normal to have some anxiety about the entire process, staying informed and connected may reduce these feelings and can give you a way to express concerns that you have regarding practices a...

As the fall semester approaches we know how hard it has been for parents and families to decide the mode of learning for their children. Some school districts have opted for a hybrid model in which the school year will start with ALL students in the ...

Your child has ADHD, and you’ve gone through testing, 504 plans, in school accommodations, trialing of different medications and dosages. Now what? ADHD is a difficult condition to treat because treatment has to be tailored to each child. Standard...

With fewer options for the Fourth of July weekend because of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people might try to create their own fireworks show this weekend. But experts warn those attempts to entertain at home could lead to a trip to the Emergency Depa...

In March, with the rise of COVID-19, the world faced an unprecedented crisis that required an unprecedented response. And Cook Children’s, as a system, did just that with the activation of our Incident Command Center. When this crisis unexpectedly...

By Lisa Elliott, licensed psychologist At a minimum, COVID-19 has clearly upended our normal day-to-day functioning. However, for many this pandemic has had a devastating impact. It’s reported that one-third of the entire global population has ...

By Lisa Elliott, licensed psychologist With more kids at home and without a lot to do, it’s not surprising most of us have eased up on our screen-time restrictions during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, statistics show it’s now more imp...

Evidence-Informed Resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: COVID-19 Related Coping  Print Resources Pregnancy Texas Department of State Health Services Tools COVID-19 Info American Academy of Pediatrics Par...

Obviously, there isn’t a simple switch you can turn on to activate a redeployment effort of thousands of employees. But fortunately, there was a team of employees being redeployed themselves perfectly poised and ready to assume this responsibility. ...

By Maria Levy, M.D. When I first moved to this country, over 20 years ago, I experienced multiple awkward social encounters due to my physical displays of affection. I grew up being taught to hug and kiss every friend, family member, or visitor th...

We live in unprecedented times, but we take comfort in knowing we are truly all in this together. We've been extremely touched and honored by the outpouring of support we've received from our community. Thank you to all of you who have asked how you ...

Whitney Appleby, Ph.D., licensed psychologist at Cook Children's, shares deep breathing skills for children and families.

The minimum wage at Cook Children’s Health Care System (CCHCS) has been raised to $13.25 per hour, significantly above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The new minimum wage, which begins Feb. 2, 2020, will directly impact 200 current e...

Special Note: Our Genetics team, Cook Children's Clinical and Metabolic Genetics Center, does not routinely schedule patients for genetic evaluation due to MTHFR concerns, as there are two polymorphisms that are common in this gene which are not usua...

Desperation or neglect, whatever the reason the story is devastating. In the wake a baby is dead and her mom has been charged with her murder. In addition, the baby’s dad has been charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to a child for diluting...

Seasonal illnesses are in full swing and hitting Cook Children’s at an unusually high rate. The medical center is under a ‘Facility Alert’ due to an extremely high census. On Monday, Nov. 18, our staff saw 567 patients in the emergency room, which...

At a time when she needed inspiration the most, Brec Bassinger looked to Nick Jonas. Now at 18 years old, she hopes to be an example for children with Type 1 diabetes. Brec was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 8 years old. Shortly after her diagn...

The last thing Shelly Ogle wanted to do this early in the morning was wait on the phone. The day ahead was already filled with taking care of her daughter Winslow, who hadn't even taken her four medications during the day because of her medical co...