Parul Bhatia, MD, is first author on a study that shows hearing screening tests, after the newborn period, are inexpensive and effective at identifying hearing loss. Currently, hearing screening is conducted at birth and before a child enters kindergarten. If a hearing problem is missed in the newborn or develops later, the child can have [...]

The following letter was recently sent in by Sara Carlson, a scoliosis patient of David Skaggs, MD, Chief, Children’s Orthopaedic Center and Director, Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity Program. Dear Dr. Skaggs and your wonderful team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, I am writing to thank you and your team,  for taking such good care of [...]

Teething can be a time of great frustration for caregivers, in this post I will list some of the most common symptoms, explain how they relate to teething and share some insight on how to help soothe your little one during this potentially uncomfortable time. When Does Teething Begin for Infants? Teething usually starts around [...]

Through art, our kids find pain relief and a channel to explore feelings and imagination during their treatments and recovery. We normalize their hospital experience and provide new learning opportunities by working with local artists through Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Mark Taper and Johnny Mercer Artists Program. Most recently, kids have been given the opportunity [...]

I was picking my kids up from day care the other day. I asked my son (two and a half) to say “Hi” to my daughter (eight months) and he turned to his sister and exuberantly said “Aahhh!” It made me laugh because that is the sound my daughter makes when she “talks” to her [...]

She’s a member of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ Respiratory Care Department and represents the city of Compton as Miss Compton 2013. She is a busy woman and doing good things. Meet Felicia Fairley! “I love the people I work with and it’s such a happy and inspiring environment,” Felicia shares. Competing in pageants first interested [...]

Co-sleeping or bed sharing with an infant has become a topic of discussion in the United States, most recently in KSPR’s (ABC News affiliate) coverage of an infant death in Missouri.  What is Co-Sleeping? Co-sleeping is defined as parent(s) and infants sleeping together in an adult bed. Although a seemly controversial practice in the U.S., [...]

On Feb. 14, our hospital will be filled with children who won’t be able to trade valentines with their classmates or be home with their families. We are giving you the opportunity to send a special Valentine’s Day message to kids at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Visit CHLA.org/VALENTINESDAY to send a message today. Here are [...]

When I gave birth to our second daughter, Emma, I knew something wasn’t right. Emma had Apgar scores of 0,0,7. She was stillborn, unable to breathe on her own and her heart was not doing well. They had to perform CPR and put a breathing tube in her. The team managed to stabilize her but [...]

Our little angel, Jacqueline Amelia Medina, arrived on Dec. 18, 1993. She had emergency heart surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles12 hours after she was born. Jackie got to go home on Christmas Day. She was so tiny that the nurses brought her to us in a Christmas stocking. Jackie took a bad turn and [...]