Cook Children’s is experiencing a high rate of patients with a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which infects the lungs and breathing passages. Our emergency department and urgent care facilities are overwhelmed with patients.This is resulting in l...
Over the past two weeks, the patient volumes in Cook Children’s Urgent Care Centers and Emergency Department have reached peak levels. In a single day last week, we saw 627 patients in the ED breaking an all-time record and the UCCs have gone up as h...
By Carmen OchoaSpring is officially here! Along with the start of spring, allergies are starting back up again as well. However, at Cook Children’s there has been an increase in flu cases at CCHCS this past month and the cold season isn’t over just y...
A strong blast of winter weather is headed for North Texas, and now is the time to prepare. The National Weather Service is calling for a wintery mix of snow and freezing rain Wednesday night into Thursday across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Dangerous...
Pediatric COVID-19 cases skyrocketed this past week, with Cook Children’s Medical Center reporting one-in-three children tested turning up positive—all less than a month after the first omicron case was reported in North Texas.Positive cases now acco...
“I feel like my child has been sick for 3 months.”“When will this cough ever go away?”These and similar questions have been the topic of the last month at my practice.And while I know parents are annoyed and I’m annoyed and the kids are annoyed - eve...
Newborns aren't able to manage their body temperature like adults can. So, as the thermostat dips, the way you handle outings with little ones needs to change.
Know your babies' limits and plan ahead when making a trip outside so you can keep the...
Bitterly cold weather is making its way into North Texas as we speak. By Tuesday morning, the temperature in Fort Worth is expected to be in the 20’s. To keep your family safe and warm through this first taste of winter, here are a few things to reme...
That snowflake on the forecast came out of nowhere...but it brought some freezing rain and snow. Because we're not used to cold, winter weather in our area and we particularly get out of practice with weeks of mild temperatures...here are 5 winter we...
“Make sure your hair is dry.
“Wear shoes outside.”
“Put on your hat.”
Does any of this really matter? Is any of it true?
Between well-meaning friends and family members and the wealth of websites devoted to health, parents are bombarded w...
THE GREEN DUST COATING HAS BEGUN
The time has come. You and your kids spent time at the park on a beautiful spring afternoon. A few hours later, at home, the symptoms start (cue M. Night Shyamalan strange horror music). Or heck, for those really a...
Raise your hand if your kid has a runny nose right now. Ok, EVERYONE can put your hands down now.
But, does your child have a cold or allergies?
After all, the mountain cedar pollen count is the highest it's been all season in North Texas and i...
Ok let's figure it out - Is it allergies or is it a cold?
Both allergies and colds share a lot of similar symptoms:
Sore throat
Runny nose
Sneezing
Coughing
Feeling tired
Feeling achy
Honestly, it can be hard even for us to tell...
It’s that time of the year when coughing, sneezing and sniffling noses are seemingly everywhere. If you’re like most parents, you have a stockpile of meds in a cabinet ready to deploy on the household. But there’s one you should skip – cough medicine...
The first time it happened, my youngest boy was 2 years old. I dropped him off at preschool in 40 degree weather and explained to the teacher that he refused to wear pants. So, I left him in shorts and with a jacket. He was fine. The next year I conv...
Your child has a runny nose. Again.
What are the most common causes of a runny nose? How do you treat one? When should you call a pediatrician?
Doc Smitty is back with the latest My Kid Minute. Watch the video to find out all the answers.
...
Hand hygiene is important year-round, but it's critical during winter when the spread of virus peaks. Plant the seeds of cleanliness early by modeling proper hand washing for toddlers - 20 seconds of scrubbing from wrists to fingernails does the tric...
By Audrey Rogers, M.D.
As someone who lives with asthma, I’m proof that the condition does not have to slow you down. It’s important for most children to know they can still partake in all of the fun activities of other kids, just as long as they ...
Along with vaccinations, hand-washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent flu. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are not effective against enterovirus 68, only good, old fashioned hand-washing.Hand hygiene is especially important while children ...
When I came home from the hospital with my new bundle of joy last fall, the first two weeks were filled with the tasks of survival – learning to feed my son, making sure he was growing appropriately, entertaining family and friends who wanted to meet...