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Due to the growing concerns around coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many Houston area schools are temporarily closed. While you are at home with your family, you may be wondering how to keep your children occupied. The good news is, there are plenty of free online resources to keep them busy with creative educational games and activities.

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As we all know, there is a lot of scary and stressful information circulating in the media around Coronavirus (COVID-19). Exposing children to information like this can get overwhelming quickly and leave you stumped on how to discuss the situation with your child. Whether you have a curious 5-year-old or a concerned teenager, below are four simple steps you can take when discussing this ever-evolving situation.
1. Limit how much time your family spends watching the news and how much...

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As you have heard by now, social distancing and handwashing can limit the spread of COVID-19, but did you know that smokers are at a much higher risk of severe illness from the disease? Did you also know that use of e-cigarettes weakens the immune defenses in a way that can leave you more susceptible to COVID-19?
A report from China during the early part of the pandemic found that among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 27% of smokers’ conditions got worse, while 97% of non-smokers’ conditions...

As we all learn more about the spread of human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the country and around the world, we want to remind everyone to stay informed and remain calm.
Every day, Texas Children’s Hospital is committed to keeping our patients, families, visitors, staff and employees safe. As part of that decades-long commitment, Texas Children’s – in conjunction with federal, state and local health organizations, especially those in the Texas Medical Center – is monitoring the situation closely and is prepared to safely serve patients with respiratory disease including COVID-19.
Here’s what you need to know...

Photo courtesy of Katie Wester-Neal
Our 4-year-old Charlie is an exceptionally happy child. Like many kids his age, he loves playing with trucks, being outdoors, music and reading. Charlie is unique because he has MECP2 Duplication Syndrome (MECP2D), a rare neurogenetic disorder.
Along with his fraternal twin, Drew, Charlie was born prematurely. Initially, both boys had feeding issues. Unlike Drew, Charlie had breathing problems as well. Everyone, including our physicians, attributed these issues to prematurity and felt confident they would both eventually outgrow it. It came true for Drew – his...