Advocacy

More than 11,500 children were victims of abuse and neglect in Oregon in 2011. In addition to the immediate toll that abuse takes on the child’s physical and emotional health, studies have shown a strong association between child abuse and adult health problems, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The trauma of child maltreatment lasts throughout a child’s life into adulthood. The good news is that child abuse is preventable. As part of our ongoing … Read More

My story with Doernbecher began over 20 years ago when my daughter, Beckie Child, was 16 years old. At the time she was a popular, athletic and vibrant teenager at Parkrose High School. One day at basketball practice, Beckie had a great deal of pain in her leg. My wife, Geri, and I took her to the doctor and were told we needed to get to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital as soon as possible. Beckie’s doctor … Read More

I have worked with pregnant women for 20 years as a dietitian and diabetes educator. I love that pregnancy is a time of heightened awareness around the importance of good nutrition, which is why it is so fun to work with this patient population. We now know that good nutrition is important — not only for the immediate health of the developing baby, but also for the baby’s future health as she grows into adulthood. … Read More

As part of our training curriculum, pediatric residents at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital choose a special interest group (SIG) in which to participate. These groups allow us the opportunity to pursue other interests that may fall outside the everyday responsibilities of residency. Last month our global health SIG held a health fair for the Neighborhood House Early Head Start program. Neighborhood House, a nonprofit social service organization, provides supportive services to more than 18,000 low-income … Read More

“Be Prepared,” the motto of Boy Scouts, could also be adopted by parents of 6-month-old babies. When they begin to roll, scoot, crawl and pull-up on furniture, it’s time to child-proof the home. Using safety products like baby gates, toilet locks, window stops and furniture wall straps can reduce injuries in the home. While nothing takes the place of the watchful eye of an adult, the correct use of childproofing products does buy caregivers time … Read More

April is National Autism Awareness Month and the perfect time to share some good news for children with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Parents of children with ASD have commonly been told that if their child isn’t speaking by age 5, he or she likely never will. However, a new study in the journal Pediatrics counters this belief. The study of more than 500 children suggests that even when children are not yet using phrase … Read More

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Heart of Doernbecher Auction. On Saturday, April 20, Doernbecher supporters will come together at the Portland Art Museum to enjoy dinner, music, silent and live auctions, and a moving testimonial from a Doernbecher family. Contributions to the Heart of Doernbecher Auction make a substantial impact on the lives of children receiving treatment at Doernbecher. The event has an interesting history dating back more than 15 years, starting with … Read More

As we head into Spring Break, many children will be playing outdoors, and the most important message I can give families is this: Most childhood injuries can be prevented! With that in mind, please consider the following-injury prevention tips: Apply sunblock frequently — to prevent sunburn now and skin cancer later in life. Always wear a helmet when riding a bike, skateboard or while on the mountain skiing or snowboarding — head trauma is one of … Read More

You’ve done your research. You’ve checked them out. You’ve found the seat that fits your child, fits your car, and you are ready to use it on each and every trip. Now, just how long can you use this seat? And how will you know it is time to move on to the next one? Let’s go over a few simple rules to help you know you are using the very best seat in the … Read More

Voices of Childhood Cancer came alive March 1 – 3 on the 10th floor of OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. That’s when StoryCorps staff audio recorded the 40-minute conversations of 18 “interview pairs” for our Doernbecher-StoryCorps oral history project. StoryCorps’ mission is to celebrate and honor one another’s lives through listening; they have recorded close to 100,000 interview pairs throughout the United States, all archived in the Folklife section of the National Library of Congress. The Doernbecher … Read More