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Parenting
Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) occurs when the outer part of the ear and the canal leading to the eardrum becomes inflamed and painful. Swimmer’s ear is different from the more common ear infections that occur in the middle ear, or otitis media...
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Baby
Some parents are concerned when they meet their newborn and see a defect in the front of their child’s ear. These are called ear tags or ear pits (preauricular pits). They are common birth defects. Both conditions are formed in utero, when the ears...
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Health
The human ear is composed of three parts: the outer ear (the fleshy part that sticks out from your head, as well as the ear canal); the middle ear (the eardrum, the three small bones that convey sound, and the eustachian tubes that run to the back...
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Health
Two out of three children aged 3 and under will get at least one ear infection. An ear infection occurs when the inner ear fills with fluid because of a previous bacterial or viral infection, such as a cold. It is difficult for the fluid to drain...
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Health
You know the drill: a red, uncomfortable ear, crying in the middle of the night, and probably a fever. It’s another ear infection. If your child is prone to getting painful ear infections and you spend some time on the Internet looking for home...
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Health
It used to be the norm for toddlers to get tubes in their ears when they suffered frequent ear infections. Tubes, also called tympanostomy tubes, allow fluid that had built up behind the ear drum to drain, relieving pain and allowing a child to...
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Health
It used to be common practice that if a child suffered from an ear infection, antibiotics were given to clear it up. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently changed its position on the treatment of acute otitis media (the medical term...
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Health
If you and your pediatrician have decided that your child’s frequent ear infections need more aggressive treatment than just antibiotics and waiting for improvement, myringotomy may be the solution. Myringotomy is a surgical procedure in...
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Baby
The health risks of smoking are well established, both for smokers and the people who are routinely exposed to their secondhand smoke, including infants. Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of which are extremely toxic and can...
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Health
There are a number of reasons your child might suffer from hearing loss, whether risk factors for hearing loss are present or not. If you suspect your child has a hearing loss, you should visit a pediatrician or hearing specialist, who can...
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Health
Antibiotics are one of the most commonly prescribed medicines in a pediatrician’s office. While they cannot be used to treat viral infections, like the common cold, COVID-19, or the flu, they are used to treat many common bacterial infections...
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Blog
One family wants to go gift-free this Christmas because of their bratty preschooler. Another mom needs a cure for her daughter’s excessive earwax. Dear Bundoo, Last year, my toddler embarrassed me when she opened presents from her relatives. She...
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Blog
Every day in the news, there are articles, interviews, and new research findings showing just how bad sugar is for our health. As an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT) for kids, I see countless preschoolers with chronic runny noses, congestion,...
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Health
Have you ever wondered if your baby or young child can hear you? In the United States, 2-3 out of every 1,000 infants are born with a hearing deficit, according to the National Institutes of Health. Hearing loss in an infant or young child can lead...
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Health
Any parent would be concerned if their child suddenly developed weakness and drooping on one side of the face. Bell’s palsy is one of the most common reasons for these symptoms to develop. Bell’s palsy is a weakness that affects only one side of...
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Blog
Every new parent has questions—and I’m here to answer yours. Thanks to our supporter Crane, maker of fabulous cool-mist humidifiers, I was happy to participate in a Facebook Live event recently in which I got to answer new parents’ most...
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Health
Achondroplasia is a rare genetic disorder affecting one out of every 26,000-40,000 babies. There are more than 250,000 people worldwide afflicted with this disease. If a baby has achondroplasia, it will usually be evident at birth. Many patients...
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Baby
Newborn fever is an important health indicator—any temperature 100.4 or higher needs to be discussed with your baby’s doctor right away. A newborn’s immune system is immature and therefore even a low fever of 100.4 can indicate a serious infection....
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Health
When you walk into your pediatrician’s office, you expect to see a receptionist, nurses, and of course, a couple doctors. But many pediatricians also work closely with pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs). These medical specialists are nurses who...
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Health
Has your baby caught his or her first cold yet? If not, it may be around the corner. For many babies, cold season is year-round. The immune system works by learning, meaning a baby must be exposed to a particular cold virus before developing...
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Health
Has your baby caught his or her first cold yet? If not, it may be around the corner. For many babies, cold season is year-round. The immune system works by learning, meaning a baby must be exposed to a particular cold virus before developing...
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Baby
At five months, your baby is gaining greater control over his or her muscles, which can translate into some exciting milestones, including sitting up with a little or sometimes even no assistance. Other changes might include: Raking objects closer...
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Baby
At five months, your baby is gaining greater control over his or her muscles, which can translate into some exciting milestones, including sitting up with a little or sometimes even no assistance. Other changes might include: Raking objects closer...
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Baby
So you’ve decided you’re ready to begin sleep training—now what? One of the first mistakes sleep-deprived parents make in baby sleep training is not having prepared enough ahead of time. You will greatly increase your chances of success by...
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Baby
A study recently published in the journal Social Science & Medicine reignited the debate over the benefits of breastfeeding (or breast milk feeding) versus formula feeding when it seemed to find that the benefits of breastfeeding are...
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Baby
Children born with cleft lip and/or palate can face a variety of challenges. For their parents, that includes how and when to treat the cleft. Depending on the severity of the cleft, complications can include difficulty feeding and/or swallowing,...
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Health
Selective IgA deficiency is a common primary immunodeficiency in which there is very little or no detectable immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the blood and body secretions (of the ears, nose, mouth, sinuses, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and...
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Health
The world is a loud place for little ears, and it is not uncommon for children to be sensitive to sounds. While it’s true that noise sensitivity is common in children with certain medical conditions, the average child may also shy away from or...
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Baby
In the United States, 2-3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a hearing deficit, according to the National Institutes of Health. Fortunately, all newborns are screened at birth for hearing loss, which helps identify babies that need early...
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Health
Many parents have heard of children needing their tonsils and adenoids removed, but have you ever stopped to think about what your adenoids really do and where they are located? The term “adenoids” is really a misnomer — the adenoids are really one...
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Baby
Most parents-to-be have heard the phrase “breast is best,” and there are lots of healthy and cool things found in breast milk. But here are a few statistics that can really help bring the point home. 1. Babies who are not breastfed are at a 100...
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Health
Telehealth is the ability to visit with your doctor through your phone or computer. While telehealth has been around for years in some places, its use has exploded since the coronavirus outbreak and national lockdowns. Now, nearly every doctor’s...
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Health
Allergies are the most common chronic disease in children. If you, your spouse or your extended family have allergies, chances are good that your child will also have them. But how can you recognize if your child is suffering with an allergy or if...
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Baby
Binky or no binky? It’s no surprise to parents that babies love to suck on things, including fingers, thumbs, hands, or pacifiers. Sucking that’s done outside of feeding time is known as “non-nutritive” sucking, and...
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Pregnancy
Research shows that babies may be able to hear sounds in the womb as early as the 18th week of pregnancy, when the ears first start to stand out from the head. But what do they hear? And do babies understand or remember anything they heard in the...
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Health
Noise sensitivity can occur in infants, toddlers, and little children. What it looks like is an infant burying his or her face in your shirt, or toddlers or children covering up their ears when they hear a loud noise. It commonly occurs with loud,...
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Health
As a parent, it’s probably not news that most unexpected medical issues happen outside of your pediatrician’s regular business hours. And while your local emergency room is always open, it’s not always necessary to spend hours waiting in a busy ER....
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Baby
Hearing loss is the most common birth defect in the United States. Approximately 3-4 out of every 1,000 babies are born either deaf or hard of hearing. Screening newborns for hearing loss is an important step in ensuring a baby’s normal...
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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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Pregnancy
Welcome to Week 25! It’s always fun to think about your baby’s growth and come up with funny comparisons to various foods (“This week my baby is a melon! A lemon!” “A rutabaga!”). The truth is, by week 25, your baby is already beginning to chart...
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Parenting
Little girls look adorable with earrings, but there are a few things to think about before getting your child’s ears pierced. Many parents wonder about the right age to have them pierced and how to take care of them after the procedure. Here...
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Baby
Have you noticed that your baby tilts her head while at rest? Does your little one have a hard time turning his head fully from one side to the other? If so, perhaps your baby has torticollis. Torticollis occurs when pressure is put on the large...
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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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Baby
It’s not uncommon to be anxious about starting your baby on solid foods, but there is a right way to approach this major eating milestone. A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that many parents are offering...
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Baby
At 6 weeks old, your baby may make a startling discovery: he or she has hands! Before now, those things on the ends of the arms waved around a lot, but most babies have very little control over their hands until right around this age. At six weeks,...
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Baby
At 6 weeks old, your baby may make a startling discovery: he or she has hands! Before now, those things on the ends of the arms waved around a lot, but most babies have very little control over their hands until right around this age. At six weeks,...
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Health
Tonsils are oval-shaped tissue located on both sides of the throat. They are made up of lymphatic tissue, which is responsible for helping the body to fight infection. The size of tonsils can vary from person to person. However, they can become...
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Baby
Infant formulas are designed for the first year of life in infants who are not breastfeeding exclusively. After the first year, infants can be weaned to whole cow’s milk or a non-dairy substitute. All infant formulas are regulated by the Food and...
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Health
Scarlet fever is an infection caused by a bacteria called Group A Streptococcus. This bacteria is the same bacteria that causes strep throat. While scarlet fever was previously a serious childhood illness, modern antibiotics have made the condition...
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Baby
Welcome to week 3! Over the last three weeks, you’ve likely seen your baby growing more alert and even staring at your face for longer periods, especially during feeding. You’re hopefully falling into a more predictable pattern now — even if it’s...
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Baby
Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common birth defects in the United States. Parents of infants who have a cleft defect at birth may face uncertainty and confusion. What is cleft lip and palate? What caused them? Can they be fixed? The...
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Baby
Welcome to week 3! Over the last three weeks, you’ve likely seen your baby growing more alert and even staring at your face for longer periods, especially during feeding. You’re hopefully falling into a more predictable pattern now — even if it’s...
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Health
When your child gets a cold, it is often nothing more than a bother for a few days. But if your child begins to wheeze, you may become concerned that something more serious is going on. There’s a chance your child has developed bronchiolitis....
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Health
The sinuses are air-filled pockets around the nose and face that are lined with mucus membranes. When those membranes become swollen or inflamed, it can lead to sinusitis. The most common causes of sinus inflammation are colds, allergies and...