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Health
Vitamin C is the darling of preventing the common cold … or is it? Surprisingly, little research has validated the role of vitamin C in preventing or treating the common cold — however, there are plenty of reasons to make sure your child is getting...
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Blog
I’d like to share my favorite statistic: 10 percent of people report having a penicillin allergy, but 90 percent of them are not actually allergic. Adverse reactions to antibiotics are relatively common, especially in children, but they are rarely...
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Health
As useful as they are, antibiotics are not a cure-all for childhood illness. They are only effective against bacterial illnesses and have no effect on viral infections, such as the common cold or the flu. Unfortunately, widespread and inappropriate...
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Baby
You and your baby have settled into a breastfeeding routine when you feel the telltale aches, low-grade fever, and sore throat of a bad cold coming on. Your first instinct is to stop breastfeeding so you don’t give your baby the same cold. But do...
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Health
Laryngotracheitis, otherwise known as croup, is a common upper respiratory illness of childhood. The condition usually affects children 6 months to 3 years old. Symptoms of croup usually include: a hoarse, dry, barking cough (sometimes described as...
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Community
Doctors in the state of California are reporting a polio-like illness in as many as twenty children over the last two years. They are calling the illness polio-like as it leaves the child with permanent paralysis of one or more limbs similar to...
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Health
Will the antibiotic protect against future infections? No. Antibiotics are intended to treat whatever illness was diagnosed initially. They will not prevent a child from catching something else later. The average toddler gets ten illnesses each...
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Health
A serious viral infection has spread from the Midwest across the country, hospitalizing hundreds of kids and possibly infecting thousands of others. Speaking to CNN, Mark Pallansch, a virologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,...
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Health
When your baby drinks breast milk or formula, an enzyme in their body breaks down a natural sugar in the milk called lactose. If there is an insufficient amount of this enzyme (called lactate), the intestines cannot digest it and your baby may act...
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Blog
I am a mom and a doctor…a doctor-mom. With that comes a bit of good fortune. I can test for strep throat at home in my PJs! I can also use my otoscope to check ears. So lucky, right? You might wonder, what worries keep doctor-moms up at night? If...
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Blog
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if your child got the measles? As pediatricians, I know my husband and I never did. Despite receiving medical training in different parts of the world, neither one of us had actually ever even seen a...
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Health
No parent wants to have a sick child, but a child who has a seizure while ill is downright frightening for any parent. Seizures that are accompanied by a fever are called “febrile seizures,” and occur in 2 to 5% of the population. Thankfully, most...
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Health
Most infectious illnesses are caused by either viruses or bacteria. Both can be spread by coughing, sneezing, and contact with infected people or contaminated objects. Both bacterial and viral illnesses can cause mild or serious conditions,...
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Health
Known more commonly as a “stomach bug” or “stomach flu,” acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common cause of childhood misery. Children suffering from AGE typically have some combination of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low-grade fever, and stomach...
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Health
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness. The illness is caused by a virus and is most common during the fall and winter months. Every year, thousands of children are affected by influenza, especially...
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Health
Hand, foot and mouth disease is a contagious disease typically characterized by fever, sore throat, and rash on the palms or soles of the feet. Affected children might also have a decreased appetite and blister-like sores in the mouth. Hand, foot,...
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Health
A common cold in an infant can be worrisome enough, but when your baby starts wheezing, even the most experienced parent can have serious concerns. However, up to 50 percent of infants will have an episode of wheezing before their first birthday....
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Blog
Summer is winding down and that means our little loves will be heading off to school for the very first time. While school can be an amazing part of a young child’s life, it also exposes them to germs in a way that significantly increases the...
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Health
As anyone with a toddler in daycare will tell you, a simple runny nose can last weeks. A slight fever can persist even in a child who appears well. And stools can remain soft and loose long after the vomiting and food refusal of an episode of acute...
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Parenting
The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a federal law passed in 1993 that guarantees time off of work without threat of job loss during periods of family stress. It is best known for providing women time off work after pregnancy, but the law is...
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Health
Reye’s syndrome is a rare but serious disorder that can result in the death of a child if it’s not recognized and treated early. Though the exact cause is unknown, Reye’s syndrome often occurs in children and teens who have taken aspirin to help...
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Health
Croup is a common childhood condition that causes swelling and inflammation of the upper airways, particularly the trachea and larynx. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the illness typically affects children between the ages of...
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Health
Norovirus, sometimes called the “stomach flu,” is the most common cause for viral gastroenteritis and affects people of all ages. Symptoms include stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Millions contract Norovirus each year and thousands...
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Blog
Updated: Oct. 2, 10:01 a.m. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been trending on the nightly newscasts and has probably risen to the top of your social media timelines several times over the past few weeks. Parental fear their children will succumb to a...
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Health
How many times have you rushed your feverish infant to the doctor or clinic, only to be told there’s nothing they can do and you just have to wait and watch? If it’s happened even once, you’ve probably wondered, “When should I take my baby with a...
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Baby
Vomiting in infants, while upsetting, is common and usually does not signal a serious illness. After all, everyone gets an upset stomach once in a while, and vomiting is a common symptom of many childhood illnesses. However, there are some cases...
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Health
It’s normal for young children to get colds. Sometimes, a child can have as many as 10 colds before he or she turns 2. As a parent, you will always worry when your little one gets sick, even if it is just a harmless cold. The common cold can make...
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Parenting
Bullying involves a power imbalance where either through physical, verbal, or emotional manipulation, one child establishes power over another child. Bullying can even come in the form of texting and social media. It can be subtle or overt, but...
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Toddler
Do you remember when eating raw eggs was the popular way for bodybuilders to get their shot of protein? It’s a good thing this “fad” isn’t much of a thing anymore: from 1985–2002, eggs were responsible for an estimated 53 percent of all Salmonella...
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Health
Kawasaki disease (KD) is a disease characterized by fever, rash, enlarged lymph nodes, and involvement of the eyes and lips that most commonly occurs in children under age 5. If left untreated, this serious disease can lead to inflammation of the...
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Baby
There’s no denying that when it comes to feeding your baby, breast is best, especially early in life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends “exclusive breastfeeding for approximately the first six months and support for breastfeeding...
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Parenting
There are many benefits to having your child exposed to animals, but what happens when your child is injured by a cat or dog? While many people worry about animal bites from strays or stranger pets, the fact is that the majority of animal bites are...
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Health
Tetanus, often called “lockjaw,” is caused by a specific bacterium (called Clostridium tetani) usually found as spores in soil, dust, and manure. These spores can enter the body through a break in the skin, most commonly through a cut or puncture...
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Health
Just hearing the words “head lice” is enough to prompt a collective groan from parents, usually followed by a quick inspection of their kid’s scalps looking for the annoying pests! What are lice? Lice are wingless, parasitic insects that live on...
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Toddler
People should be eating more fresh fruits and vegetables—it’s the one piece of advice that all the health authorities and gurus seem to agree on. But you’ve probably also heard that many common fruits and vegetables have high levels of pesticides...
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Baby
Mastitis occurs in 3-20 percent of breastfeeding women, depending on the definition used. While it is most common in the first 6 weeks after delivery, it can happen anytime during breastfeeding and for some women may occur repeatedly. A bacterial...
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Health
Acetaminophen is a medication used to reduce fever and pain in babies, children, and adults. It comes in liquid, chewable tablets, pills, and suppository forms. The medication is dosed according to your baby’s weight, so a baby who weighs 10 pounds...
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Health
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly referred to as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is a term used to describe chronic forms of joint inflammation in children. JIA is the most common form of arthritis in children, causing joint pain,...
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Baby
As soon as your newborn starts feeding, he or she will start making gas. Experts estimate that a normal baby could pass gas up to 20 times a day. Gas is formed as a natural byproduct of digestion and may also result from inhaling air while feeding,...
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Toddler
Most parents look forward to potty training with eager anticipation. After all, potty training means no more buying — or changing — diapers. But even after a toddler has successfully transitioned out of diapers and into underwear, bedwetting is...
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Health
Summer is a great time to be outside with the family, but when it comes to summer heat, there can be too much of a good thing. Heat waves—temperatures equal to or higher than the 95th percentile for a particular area and that last for at least two...