By Diane Arnaout, M.D. Let’s imagine a scenario that no parent wants to think about.Let’s say your child starts acting weird over the past few weeks. She seems tired. She’s sleeping more, and laying around all the time.She starts to drink more water....

It’s alarming but not uncommon these days in health care settings to see children and teens who gained a significant amount of weight in the past year … 20, 30, 40 or even 50 pounds.What played a role? In some cases, junk food and lack of exercise as...

This photo series documents the week of Aug. 30, 2021 at Cook Children's Medical Center. ...

By Diane Arnaout, M.D.Hey friends. Our phone lines are blowing up with exposure and quarantine questions. I love that you guys are calling – it’s the right thing to do! And we are here for ya.But just wanted to spell out some common scenarios so that...

By Diane Arnaout, M.D.I am a doctor.As a doctor, I enjoy talking with my doctor friends.I text with other doctors, am in Facebook groups with other doctors, and enjoy sharing a nice meal or drink with them pretty often.I am a lucky doctor. I have man...

Due to a record number of patients, the Urgent Care Centers at Cook Children’s are making changes to accommodate our patient families and to ensure that their staff can continue providing excellent care.Beginning today, the following changes will tak...

To the leadership at North Texas Regional Schools:We, the physicians at Cook Children’s Health Care System, are directly connected to the district or school either as concerned parents or as pediatricians who care for the children we mutually share w...

There are currently 16 patients being treated at Cook Children’s Medical Center for COVID-19, and medical professionals worry the new school year could drive hospitalizations up even further. Just weeks before students head back to class in person, C...

Cook Children’s Health Care System announced today it is instituting a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. Every Cook Children’s employee, physician, provider, credentialed staff, student, volunteer, contractor and on-site vendor will be required ...

Sixteen in a series. There is nothing more inspiring than seeing a child with a disability overcome the daily challenges they face. Their determination, strength and courage are what superheroes are made of. But, even superheroes sometimes need help ...

By Diane Arnaout, M.D. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that all children over age 2 wear masks in school this fall. The internet rejoiced, everyone agreed it was a great plan, scientists and politicians shook hands, and no one had ...

Fifteen in a series. Adil Sayani thought he was hiding his addiction to prescription pills. In late 2020, his parents suspected something was going on with the 17-year-old Bedford resident, but they had no idea how bad things had become until they re...

When we think back on some of the most memorable days in our lives, we often think of a baby’s first steps, an important anniversary or even a graduation. For Crystal Foster, one of the most vivid days to date happened on May 31, 1990. Crystal was in...

Fourteen in a series. Talking about hard things isn’t easy, especially for a child or teen. It’s scary to be vulnerable. But talking can bring clarity. Sharing your hurts, struggles and stress can be a release, and leaning on someone you love can lig...

One of the most common questions our experts hear is, “Why do I need to get the COVID-19 vaccine if I’ve already had COVID?”It’s a good question and one that Mary Suzanne Whitworth, M.D., medical director of Infectious Diseases at Cook Children’s und...

Cook Children’s Health Care System is releasing a series of drowning prevention PSA videos ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.The videos, which are part of the Lifeguard Your Child initiative, feature simulations of some of the most common drowning ...

Thirteen in a series. The onset of loneliness, anxiety and depression in teens and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a sharp rise in reports of dangerous eating behaviors.The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) helpline saw...

In Cook Children’s Emergency Department, treating gunshot victims requires all hands on deck. The moments are precious as staff work against the clock to save young lives. The goal? To rescue every child who comes through the sliding doors. The reali...

By Bianka Soria-Olmos, D.O.  With the beginning of summer well underway, I have seen many kiddos in the office with a very typical summer rash. It’s a rash that usually appears on the hands, feet, and around the mouth, giving it the name Hand, Foot, ...

The family of Michael Stuyvesant knows he beat the odds on a hot June day six years ago when he survived being accidentally left in the mini-van parked outside their Garland home.Michael, 3 years old at the time, experienced brain swelling, seizures ...

Over the last week, Cook Children’s Medical Center has seen 55 cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is typically seen in the fall and winter months, and experts are stumped about the reasoning for a summer outbreak. Mary Suzanne Whitworth,...

At every exam with Dr. Jason Terk, the Cook Children’s pediatrician makes a point to ask his teenage and 12-year-old patients: Have you gotten your COVID-19 vaccination yet?Dr. Terk routinely addresses questions and concerns about the vaccination, wh...

10 in a series.Just Breathe. Open Up. You Matter.This is the meaning behind the Joy Campaign, which aims to prevent youth suicide. Cook Children's launched the effort in April after a record number of suicidal patients were admitted to our hospital. ...

When it comes to treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), time is of the essence. Every day that passes without treatment can lead to a lesser quality of life and, tragically, even death. But a new and simple screening for newborns has the potential t...

Nine in a series. When we hear the word ‘addiction,’ we often think of drugs and alcohol, but in the 21st century, addiction has taken on a new meaning. Lisa Elliott, Ph.D., psychologist and clinic manager of the Behavioral Health Clinic at Cook Chil...

When 4-year-old Gunner Sanchez needed surgery to repair a hole in his heart’s lower pumping chamber, his family was relieved they didn’t have to travel far from their Artesia, New Mexico, home to get the highly specialized care his condition required...

Eight in a series. Over the past few weeks, we’ve published a series of articles about the mental health crisis shaking the foundation of our youngest generation. It’s been a difficult and heart-wrenching conversation as, together, we’ve opened our e...

The drowning season is off to a deadly start with Memorial Day Weekend just days away. Already this month, Cook Children's reports two children have died in swimming pools. Five others were admitted to the medical center for drowning in pools this ye...

Six in a series.Like an earthquake rumbling underfoot, crumpling the ground beneath, the suicide of a loved one has a way of knocking you to your hands and knees.After the initial shock wave throws you, constant aftershocks of emotions—running the ga...

The Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15 years old. The announcement comes as the rate of vaccinations across North Texas and the U.S. have slowed. The ...