Side-by-side photos of girl in hospital bed and a young adult in a hospital bed.

Transitioning to adult CHD care: Elizabeth’s heart story

Gaining independence with managing one’s own medical care is a process that most people must experience as they become adults. For those who receive specialty care, the process – called...

Girl wearing mask at vision exam

Family health to-dos for the fall season

Is your family settled into your fall routine yet? Before things get too hectic, take some time to take care a few important health-related tasks – doing so now will help prepare you (and your...

Creating a balanced plate: Understanding teens’ nutrition needs

Teenagers navigate many different stressors that can impact their eating habits, and their nutritional needs are very different from those of younger children or adults. We sat down with clinical...

Small child wearing backpack walks alongside an adult. They are holding hands.

Back-to-school checkups are important – this year more than ever

As your child prepares return to campus after a long year of virtual and hybrid learning, it’s also a good time to plan for their annual physical. Along with vision and dental screenings, kids...

Child on a bicycle at asphalt road in the evening

Sports physicals: Not just for kids who play organized sports

Sports physicals, also known as pre-participation exams (PPEs), are required for all student athletes every two years. If your child wants to take part in organized sports for the upcoming season, a...

Mind matters: building good mental health in children and teens

When adults deal with stress, fear, addiction or trauma, it can be tempting to romanticize childhood as fun-filled and carefree. But in reality, kids experience the same worry and sadness that adults...

Smoke screen: Talking to your teen about the dangers of vaping

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that teen use of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery devices (known as vaping) has reached epidemic levels. While these devices...

Living with, through and beyond cancer

This National Cancer Survivors Day, we sat down with members of the Doernbecher Cancer Survivorship Program to learn how they help people live with, through and beyond cancer. What is...

Body image: How to raise confident, comfortable kids

This article was written by Katie Vaughan and originally appeared in the Portland Monthly 2017 Kids’ Health Annual magazine as part of a larger series on independence.  When it comes to...