Five-year-old Austyn Rabel is one of more than 2.5 million people in the world with Neurofibromatosis (NF). When she was just 10 months old, Austyn had developed 13 café au lait (light brown) spots on her body. She came to Cook Children’s Medical Cen...

Kendra Scott's Kendra Cares program stopped by Tuesday to surprise mothers and patients at Cook Children's Medical Center.The moms created custom jewelry at no cost, as a part of the program. They chose their own colors and components to create a pie...

By Jean YaegerIf your child or teen recently hit a growth spurt, last summer’s life jacket might not fit now.So before your family heads to the lake, make sure everyone has a life jacket that fits properly, based on the weight of the person wearing i...

The formula shortage is hitting home for many families. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics shared advice for parents and said parents should talk to their pediatricians.A recall in February from Abbott Nutrition has placed extra pressure o...

Cook Children’s primary care pediatricians now have new tools at their disposal to address the spike in mental health issues among the youth in the wake of the pandemic.Earlier this month, about 60 Cook Children’s primary care physicians attended vir...

Happy Easter! For the first time since 2019, Cook Children's safely gathered together again to celebrate Easter. Patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) dressed up in adorable outfits to celebrate their first Easter.Other patients partici...

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...

Tune into our latest episode of the Raising Joy podcast. Go here to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also listen on our YouTube channel. The podcast is part of the Joy Campaign, which launched in April 2021 as a suicide ...

The Community Health Needs Assessment is the topic of our latest episode of the Raising Joy podcast. Go here to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. You can also listen on our YouTube channel....

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...

Though often thrilling for children, off-road motorized vehicles — including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), ATV mules, go-karts, and even golf carts — can be extremely dangerous for them to ride, especially if they don’t use safety measures once they g...

By Tatiyana GiddingsDaylight Saving is approaching, which can be difficult for kids because they will be losing an hour of sleep. With kids having a greater sleep need, one hour can affect them even if that is a small percentage of their total amount...

When Carter Halliburton’s family learned the cause of his seizures, a genetic disorder called SYNGAP1, only about 400 people in the world shared the same diagnosis.A hurdle that came next was finding a neurologist who had firsthand knowledge of the c...

Parents’ worries may run rampant during these pandemic times, but one thing they shouldn’t fret about is whether wearing masks will interfere with their children’s speech and language development.So says Suzanne Bonifert, MC, CCC-SLP, speech-language...

Your highly allergic child wakes up sneezing and congested. You think allergies are probably the cause. But if you’re worried about possible COVID-19 infection, an at-home test could help parents know for sure.A variety of brands on the market offer ...

By Justin Smith, M.D. aka The Doc SmittyThere’s been a ton of surprises related to the COVID pandemic and skipping flu season last year was another one I never saw coming.Masks and social distancing definitely played a role but the absolute lack of c...

A treatment now offered at Cook Children’s Medical Center is giving children with relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL)—the most common childhood cancer—a second chance for a cure. It’s called CAR T-cell therapy, or chimeric antigen re...

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...

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 ...

By Diane ArnaoutThis is my friend Van.Van is at my pool. Since all of us parents are now COVID-vaccinated, we are feeling more comfortable with outdoor playdates. And our new pool has been a great escape from the heat!We parents have loved to see eac...

It looks like the rain in North Texas is finally going to stop for a while.But, driving to work the last few weeks and seeing all the standing water already starts to make my skin itch. Mosquitos are on the way. And I suspect it’s going to be a terri...

Cook Children’s Lisa Vaughan, Au.D., manager of Cook Children’s Audiology Program, is featured in the June issue of Parents Magazine under the column “Paging Dr. Mom.”She gives tips to parents about the importance of checking the volume of their chil...

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...

By Diane Arnaout, M.D. This pediatrician has watched your mental battles from the sidelines this year, Mama.2020 was not an easy year to be a mom.Personally, I can tell you it kind of sucked, right? Just a little. The pandemic brought about so many h...

*Updated April 13, 2021*Pfizer-BioNTech recently released information regarding their COVID-19 vaccine being safe and effective for children 12 to 15. The vaccine is currently available for use in those 16 and older based on previous trials and is ap...

The decision to choose brain surgery is never easy for a parent.But for some patients with severe seizures who have not responded to medications or who have had significant side effects with medications, epilepsy surgery might be the best option. The...

By Bianka Soria-Olmos, D.O.Parenting can be hard. Everyday stresses can decrease patience and make parenting even harder. Always try to slow down, take advantage of every moment, and seize the opportunity to turn negative experiences into positive on...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D.As COVID-19 continues to inundate our society, there arises the question of when to start the countdown clock of quarantine. Let’s say mom gets sick with COVID-19 and stays at home as she is supposed to. Centers for Disease Co...

The Texas Poison Control Center Network reports that calls for children ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizer are up 80% from last year.  Fears regarding COVID-19 have increased the amount of hand sanitizer and other disinfectants in homes, givin...

If your child plays sports, you may be worried about the long-term effects of COVID-19. Growing information in the medical community shows that concern may be warranted. “We're learning more and more about coronavirus and how it affects the body i...