As the formula shortage continues, some families are still having difficulty locating specific infant formulas at local stores. The recall in February from Abbott Nutrition has placed extra pressure on the supply chain and some stores are limiting th...
Moderna submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration Thursday to authorize its COVID vaccine for children from 6 months old to 6 years old. If the FDA approves, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices with the Centers for Disease Contr...
With kids going back to school, new questions are coming up on when kids should be tested for COVID-19 and when they can return to school.
Keep in mind there are some conflicting and confusing pieces of advice out there and this is only promised t...
By John M. Robertson, M.D.
Moderate to severe asthma is a possible risk factor for severe COVID-19 disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a COVID-19 infection can cause a flare up of even mild asthma. COVID-19 is ...
For more than six years, Cook Children’s online newsroom has provided the latest in pediatric health news to more than 16 million people in 230 different countries.
But during all that time, the team behind the scenes felt they had more to accompl...
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...
School’s out for summer! It’s time for playing at the park, swimming and catching lightning bugs. Unfortunately, it’s also the time when I see many office visits related to insect bites and their complications. It seems like no matter how hard I try ...
By Justin Smith, M.D.
“What’s school going to look like in the fall?” “Should I send my child or keep them at home?”
These are the questions that every parent is probably already asking as school districts roll out their plans for re-opening sc...
Fortunately, kids with COVID-19 have been relatively mildly affected up to this point. However, as we progress through the pandemic, we are learning more about some rare exceptions.
COVID-19 has now been associated with a syndrome in children know...
Is there a vaccine for COVID-19? What treatments are available?
There is currently no vaccine available for COVID-19. Studies are currently underway, but they are in the very early stages and there is no clear timeline for when it will be availabl...
Children can run, jump and play for hours and may not share complaints – particularly when their tummies, heads or knees hurt – until after the fun is over.
One of the first things I like to know when ascertaining the seriousness of a child’s cond...
Antibiotics have been one of the most amazing advances in medicine, preventing countless deaths and relieving suffering for conditions that historically had no treatment.
While antibiotics are critically necessary in particular infections, doctors...
A mom reached out to us, asking about the way her child stored food in their mouth. The stuffed cheeks reminded us of a chipmunk. And honestly, it sounded kind of cute. Until, we discussed the issue with one of our experts.
The licensed psychologi...
If there is one thing I am texted or emailed about more than any other health issue in children, it’s poop color. Usually with a vibrant picture attached.
I am reminded of a very festive party I had for my kid a year or two ago. I served cupcakes ...
"What happens if my child eats all of my adult vitamins?"
We received this question recently. Let's discuss.
Just like any adult medication, vitamins should be locked away so that kids can't get to them. Vitamins are particularly risky because,...
When you live with a child, almost every day's unpredictable, and sometimes those adventures means your child needs medical attention.
But choosing the best place to go for your child's care can be a difficult one for some parents. After all, Coo...
“I went to the hospital on a warm summer day with fear in my heart, I felt some dismay. The registrar said, with a smile on her face, ‘Let me show you your room, it’s a very nice place.’”
For most of her 20 years, Shanley Stuteville has been a pat...
Germs are gross.
Kids are gross.
Germs and kids are doubly gross.
As parents, we know this is true, especially during this time of year. The illness visits are piling up in my office and throughout the Cook Children's system. The days off sc...
Last week, Nov. 17-23, 2019, 826 patients were tested for the flu, with 210 testing positive for the flu (197 Flu B, 13 Flu A) and 209 more testing postive for RSV.
Your child comes home from school or daycare with a note alerting you to a case of hand, foot and mouth disease.
You grab your phone and type in a few keywords and are immediately overwhelmed with the wealth of information on the internet.
So, ...
"95% of baby foods contain heavy metals"
"Heavy metals in baby foods leading to lower IQs"
You might have seen these headlines in the past few weeks as a result of the report, "What's in my baby's food?" from the Healthy Babies, Bright Futures ...
“His cough is sooo croupy!”
When parents report a croupy cough, it means different things. Some parents call bad/deep/dry/wet/rattly coughs croupy.
When I think of “croupy cough,” I mean “barky” like a dog or a seal. We are seeing quite a bit o...
Fortunately, chest pain in kids is rarely their heart but here are 5 signs that you should be worried about:
The pain is "crushing" or pressing down.
There are other symptoms like passing out, nausea or skipping/racing heartbeats.
The pain is ...
Cook Children’s is looking for parents of children ages 4-12 years old to participate in a gun safety research project.
The study takes place on the Cook Children's main campus in Fort Worth, Texas, and participants must be willing to attend the ...
With unseasonably warm weather hovering in the mid-90s, most Texans probably aren’t thinking about the cold and flu season right around the corner.
And only time will tell for sure, but some indicators lean toward a potentially severe influenza se...
The numbers seemed too good to be true. A pool drowning death had not been reported at Cook Children’s throughout the summer of 2019.
Even as the summer was winding down, every member of the Emergency Department knew a fatal drowning could still h...
By Alice Phillips, M.D.
As a pediatrician, I have been lucky to practice medicine in the post-vaccine era. Although I have watched kids struggle with whooping cough, meningitis, mumps and pneumonia, I am happy to say I have never seen many of the ...
"He's having difficulty breathing" is a statement that can mean a million things, including something as simple as a stuffy nose...because it can be difficult to breathe through a stuffy nose. But when I call a nurse to help me because this child is...
“What are you reading this summer?”
This may not be one of the questions you expect to hear from a pediatrician during a well-child visit, but it’s always on the checklist for Vanessa Charette, M.D., a Cook Children’s pediatrician in Fort Worth.
...
In the summer of 1990 I was about to turn 17 and preparing for my senior year of high school. I was enrolled in Drivers Ed and thinking about which colleges I should apply. All normal events in any teenage life. Except that summer, my 22-year old sis...