Three top pediatric health organizations have declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health, attributing it to the enormous toll the Covid-19 pandemic has taken on the nation’s youth and urging lawmakers to address the matter imm...

Cook Children’s Medical Center has something to smile about these days.Despite the toll of a lengthy pandemic, the hospital system hit two milestones since the inception of its Save a Smile program—it reached a 100,000-oral-screenings mark at the end...

Sickle Cell Awareness Month is recognized each September. For many of the more than 100,000 Americans living with the disease, acute painful episodes and chronic pain happen year-round. As if living with sickle cell disease (SCD) isn’t tough enough, ...

Twenty in a series. A young girl who was recently seen by Cook Children’s C.A.R.E. (Child Advocacy Resource and Evaluation) Team sat sobbing on the exam room floor, distraught after receiving a series of immunization shots.Many of the children seen b...

It was supposed to be an easy but productive Sunday afternoon. My plan for the day was to get a jump start on packing for an upcoming vacation. For once, I was going to get ahead of the game.Then, I heard these words.“Mom, I think a piece of my earbu...

Cook Children’s Health Plan has received its first-ever accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). This coveted award represents service and clinical quality that meet or exceed NCQA’s rigorous requirements for consumer p...

Chicken soup/ chicken broth. Good to prevent dehydration and for upset stomachs. Eat a big ol’ bowl of chicken soup, or cook rice or pasta in chicken broth for a light meal.Salt topped crackers. Good for stomach aches while eating a bland diet.Apple ...

By Justin Smith, M.D., aka The Doc SmittyOur kids are back to school!The beginning of a new school year has a ton of opportunity, some excitement and some nerves. And this year there’s probably a little extra floating around.And while we’re all think...

Eighteen in a series.Partners from health care and other fields are teaming up in an expanded collaboration geared to brainstorm and implement strategies to prevent suicides in North Texas.Participants represent a variety of vantage points including ...

Cook Children’s Health Care System announced today it’s raising the minimum wage for its workforce to $16 per hour, up from $13.25.The new minimum wage takes effect on Oct. 10 and directly impacts approximately 630 employees. This is the second time ...

Seventeen in a series.Along with the physical illnesses and injuries treated at the Cook Children’s emergency department (ED), a standard part of care includes a questionnaire that flags possible suicide risk.Every patient ages 8 and older in Cook Ch...

Cook Children’s Health Care System is taking a swing at COVID-19 by requiring its workforce to be fully vaccinated by noon on Sept. 27.This means all employees, physicians, providers, credentialed staff, students, volunteers, contractors and on-site ...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D. Getting ready to go back to school?Don’t forget to schedule your child’s well visit to make sure all concerns are addressed and all vaccines are up to date. Plus, your pediatrician can sign those sports physical forms at the ...

Cook Children’s Health Care System is proud to announce its Hyperinsulinism Center is now one of six Hyperinsulinism Centers of Excellence in the world. The designation, awarded by Congenital Hyperinsulinism International, recognizes centers that pro...

Carey Cribbs, M.D., is an emergency department (ED) physician at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Recently, she’s seen two cases of children swallowing water beads, a trendy toy for children.“We’ve had two toddlers come into the ED with the beads lodg...

Twelve in a series. Imagine living through a tornado. The wind howling over the sound of sirens. Lightning illuminates your home. Then, you hear it - the roar. You watch the ceiling start to give way. Fear turns to panic. Running on adrenaline, your ...

Every time competitive dancer Kambri Gaut takes the stage—whether hip-hop dancing, tapping or clogging—she transforms into a silent warrior.The audience can’t see the battle that may be raging inside her as she moves to the music. At any given moment...

By Michelle Bailey, M.D.Prepping for college starts far before senior year. You child needs to show years of volunteer/ community activities, sports participation, music/ arts, and special interests throughout their high school years. What makes them...

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,...

By Ramon Kinloch, M.D.Well, that’s not really the question. But is there an amount of Vitamin D that a breastfeeding mom can take in order for the breast milk to contain recommended levels of Vitamin D for her baby?There have been numerous studies co...

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...

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...

Lupus is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of your body. Because lupus affects many parts of the body, it can cause a lot of different symptoms and no two cases are exactly alike. Pediatric nephrologist Ce...

Seven in a series. Sometimes the first step toward saving the world begins in your own backyard.That’s the hope for Frances Wampler and Blair Williams, two staffers at the Center for Children’s Health led by Cook Children’s, who are part of a team ex...

Fever blisters are the worst.Now that that’s out of the way.They’re painful, not fun to look at and just all around annoying, for everyone, but especially for teenagers.Which is why it’s important that parents and teens know what they are and what tr...

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...

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are common in children and teens. Many factors can cause a UTI and the infection can impact every child differently. Pediatric gynecologist Shanna M. Combs, M.D., FACOG, and Hannah Chong, M.D., FAAP, a pediatrician wit...

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...

Five in a series.In today’s society, social media is a major part of life for all age groups. While some use the platforms to keep up with family and friends, others use the sites for networking and job hunting. For those 18 and younger, social media...

The need for a dedicated infectious diseases unit appeared on Cook Children’s radar several years ago when Ebola first made its way to U.S. shores. As the hospital prepared for potential patients, clinical staff identified a number of challenges and ...