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Blog
Last week I was taking care of a 9-month-old brought in by his grandmother. His parents had gone away for a week-long vacation for the first time after having a baby, and nearly immediately after they left, he began sneezing and coughing. His very...
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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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Health
Fevers can be downright scary, as your baby can feel like he or she is “burning up” while acting miserable. But rest assured, most fevers in babies over 3 months of age are nothing to worry about. A fever is simply your baby’s immune system trying...
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Health
Fevers in babies over six months of age are handled a little differently than fevers in younger babies. By six months, your baby’s immune system is much more developed, making it easier to fight off common illnesses. Fever, which is defined as 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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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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Baby
Fevers in newborns and infants less than 3 months old are a cause of concern. Most fevers are harmless, but they can also be a signal of more serious problems such as infection in the blood, urine, or spinal fluids. Fevers signal that your baby’s...
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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
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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Health
Two out of three children aged 3 and under will get at least one ear infection. An ear infection occurs when the tubes in the child’s ears fill with fluid because of a previous bacterial or viral infection, such as a cold. It is difficult for...
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Health
Roseola is a viral infection that can affect children by the time they turn 2 years old. Roseola is caused by infection with the herpes virus 6 or, less commonly, the herpes virus 7. Like other viral illnesses, Roseola spreads through contact with...
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Health
If your kids play outside in the summer, it’s almost inevitable that sooner or later, a tick will find your child if you live in an area that is prone to them. Ticks are blood-sucking insects that latch onto their host and engorge themselves...
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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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Health
The measles, mumps, rubella vaccine, or MMR, is probably the most widely recognized vaccine given to children. Parents often bring up the MMR at one of their child’s first well exams, wondering when the vaccine will be administered and sometimes...
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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
As parents, we worry about fevers when our children get sick. Many people fear fever, but remember: it’s the body’s way of fighting infection. A healthy immune system raises the body’s temperature on purpose. A fever is any...
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Blog
You worry about every hiccup and sneeze as a new parent, but what should you REALLY worry about (as opposed to those things you don’t really have to worry about)? Below is a list of 10 potentially serious things you don’t want to miss in your...
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Pregnancy
Chorioamnionitis is when an infection develops in the uterus during labor. This condition complicates 1-4 percent of all deliveries. Also known as intra-amniotic infection, the diagnosis is made when a mom develops a fever during labor and no other...
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Baby
How do you know if your child has a fever? Feeling your child may give you an idea but is not a good way to determine how high the fever is. If you really want to know if your child has a fever, be sure to use a thermometer. How does a parent know...
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Blog
Your baby’s first cold can be unsettling, but there are steps you can take to hold this first brush with infection off as long as possible. First, if at all possible, keep your young infant away from sick people (especially their mucus!)....
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Blog
When I was a second-year medical student (long, long ago), we were tasked with the monumental job of learning to deliver upsetting and even terrible news. We did this by dividing up into groups and acting out various scenarios so that we could...
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Health
Meningitis, or inflammation of the protective membrane that surrounds the brain or spinal cord, ranges in severity from mild to a life-threatening emergency. Because of this wide range, it’s important to recognize the early symptoms of...
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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
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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Community
Have you heard about a new study that looked at 64,000 women and monitored if they took any pain pills in pregnancy? What they reported was that women who took acetaminophen (Tylenol) had kids who were at higher risk for ADHD. Some key points:...
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Health
The chicken pox vaccine is a newcomer relative to the list of standard immunizations given to children in the United States. The chicken pox vaccine was first licensed in 1995, which means many new parents may have not been vaccinated themselves as...
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Pregnancy
Most OB/GYNs have long advised pregnant patients that it’s perfectly safe to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain, headaches, and fever. But while many will still give the green light to take it, you’ll likely start to hear some additional...
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Health
Not every sore throat is the same. Sore throats caused by a virus will go away on their own without treatment. However, if your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, here are a few things to know to keep you informed. Strep throat is caused...
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Health
Your baby’s cough isn’t getting any better. In fact, it sounds worse — wetter and full of gunk — especially at night. You begin to question, is it pneumonia? Pneumonia is an infection inside the lungs. Babies with pneumonia have difficulty...
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Health
Your baby has a fever when their body temperature reaches 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Fevers usually signal an infection with a bacteria or virus, although there are other possible causes. Every baby will run a fever at some point, so it’s...
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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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Pregnancy
A few recalls have made headlines over concerns of fruit contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium can cause the infection listeriosis, which can have serious effects in a pregnant woman. If a pregnant woman consumed a...
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Health
Food poisoning can be an uncomfortable and prolonged discomfort for adults, but in an infant or child, food poisoning can be a serious condition. Food poisoning typically occurs when an infant or child consumes a food or drink that is contaminated...
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Health
Pneumonia, a general term for an infection in the lungs, is classified into two types: bacterial and viral. Either type occurs when bacteria or viruses found in the nose and throat infect a baby’s lungs. Infants younger than 2 weeks old typically...
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Baby
While there are countless benefits to breastfeeding, many new mothers are shocked to learn that breastfeeding can be painful. Some complications new moms may encounter include: Cracked, sore nipples: Sore or cracked nipples are common in the first...
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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
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are fairly common, affecting about 3 percent of children in the US each year. They are more common in girls, who have about an 8 percent risk of contracting a UTI, compared to a 2 percent risk in boys. In most...
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Blog
It’s 2015, and we’re talking about measles. Not Enterovirus. Not Ebola. Not RSV. Not influenza. Instead, we’re talking about a historical virus that was declared eradicated from the United States in 2000. Most pediatricians who began practicing...
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Blog
A 3-year-old boy was carried to the ER at my hospital late on a Friday night last fall. The parents reported he had cold symptoms and fever for the past couple of days, but that night, something was just not right. By the time my colleague got into...
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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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Blog
Chickenpox parties. Chickenpox lollipops. A simple Internet search can yield a plethora of information to the vaccine-wary parent. Yet as with all things Internet-related, misinformation abounds. Is exposing an unimmunized child to the varicella...
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Blog
“You have to fix him — we’re leaving for my parent’s house on Friday!” The urgent pleas for me to fix an ill child roll in fast and furious throughout the holiday season. A sniffle that would normally be no big deal becomes urgent; a fever becomes...
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Health
Sore throats are one of the most common complaints seen in a pediatric office, but did you know your doctor cannot simply look in your child’s mouth and tell whether the sore throat is caused by a virus or a bacteria? In fact, a recent study...
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Health
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in North America. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, which is a bacteria transmitted to humans through the bite of the tick species Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus. To infect the host,...
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Baby
If you aren’t thinking about teeth, you likely will be soon. Although teething can start as early as four months of age, or as late as 12 months of age, most babies start teething around six months. During teething, your baby’s new teeth will...
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Blog
A new virus known as the Zika virus has started to make headlines, and with good reason: its recent spread in Brazil has been linked to a huge increase in the number of babies born with microcephaly. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control...
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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
Venturing abroad to exotic locales like India or China pose the opportunity for an exciting adventure—but it’s important to ensure you take the necessary steps to protect your children. A good place to start is the Center for Disease Control and...
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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
A kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis, is a type of urinary tract infection (UTI). In most cases, UTIs are not serious and easily treated with antibiotics. However, frequent kidney infections can cause permanent damage to the kidneys. In...
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Health
“My tummy hurts.” What parent hasn’t heard this complaint from their child from time to time? It can be difficult to know when it is just a stomachache and when you should seek out medical care for your child. Look for some of these symptoms that...
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Health
In addition to the standard set of vaccines required for school entry, parents should consider vaccinating their children against influenza, or the flu. The influenza virus circulates through the United States every year, with serious consequences....
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Health
Cold sores are small, painful blisters that appear in or around the mouth and lips. They are caused by the herpes simplex virus Type 1. These blisters (also called “fever blisters”) can also appear on or inside the nose or anywhere on the body....
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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
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Health
Due to recent outbreaks covered in the news media, many parents have concerns about Adenovirus. With misunderstanding comes fear, so here is what you need to know to keep you informed and your children safe. Adenoviruses are a family of viruses...
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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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Baby
Group B Strep (GBS) is a normally harmless bacteria commonly found in the human digestive tract. But this little bug has a darker side: in pregnant women, it can migrate to vaginal region where it can cause serious complications in a newborn after...
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Health
The deadly Ebola virus has reached epidemic proportions in Africa. As of today, people in four countries have fallen ill with the virus that has no cure. What causes Ebola? Ebola is caused by a virus, which means that antibiotics will not kill the...
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Health
Measles cases are soaring in 2019 in the United States, with hundreds of cases diagnosed across the country in the first few months of the year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this most current measles outbreak is the...
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Parenting
Pet turtles are consistently among the most popular reptiles and amphibians—despite laws closely regulating the trade in small turtles and serious human health concerns about the animals. Turtles can carry salmonella bacteria on their shells, and...
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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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Health
While influenza can be a serious illness for anyone, it can be especially dangerous for babies. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized each year due to...
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Health
The use of natural and herbal remedies for all sorts of afflictions is rising, both in children and adults. But are herbal remedies safe and effective for your infant or toddler with a cold? First, it’s important to understand the difference...
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Baby
Keeping your baby happy and healthy is every parent’s job. If you think your baby may have a fever, your healthcare provider may ask you to take your baby’s temperature. Knowing how to get an accurate temperature reading is important to ensure the...
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Health
The lymph system is a part of the body’s immune system; it is responsible for filtering harmful cells from the blood and producing immune system cells. Cancers of the lymph system are known as lymphomas. Physicians diagnose an estimated 2,200...
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Health
Sepsis is a very dangerous medical condition that results from infection, usually by a bacteria, but a virus or fungus can also be a cause. Sepsis occurs when the infectious agent spreads from its initial area of infection into the bloodstream....
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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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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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Pregnancy
Food poisoning occurs when people eat or drink harmful microorganisms (bacteria, parasites, viruses), usually in contaminated food or drinking water. Food poisoning is especially important to avoid during pregnancy because the immune system is...
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Baby
Gas is very normal and expected for babies, whether they are nursing or bottle-feeding. It can vary from mild to intense and from uncomfortable to unbearable. Babies pass gas through their mouths and through their anuses many times each day. You...
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Pregnancy
While the common cold is always annoying, it is even more of a bother to catch one while pregnant! Pregnant women are more susceptible to infections because of their decreased immune system, so this can make colds happen more often and last longer....
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Health
Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Children (and adults) who are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis are admitted into the hospital for treatment. At the hospital,...
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Baby
Engorgement is a term that is sometimes incorrectly tossed around anytime a nursing mom says her breasts feel very full. This fullness can be a sensation she notices when her milk first comes in (usually a few days after giving birth) or if her...
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Parenting
About every 8 minutes, a child under age 6 is given the wrong dose of medication, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. The medication mistakes typically involved younger children taking pain or cough medication. The medication is...
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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
Protection against Haemophilus influenza type b is included in your infant’s first set of vaccines at age 2 months. Hib, as it’s better known, is a bacteria that can cause severe invasive diseases, including meningitis, blood infections, and...
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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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Health
Sooner or later, you’ll encounter this situation: no matter how hard you try, your fussy or feverish baby or toddler won’t take medication. Sometimes it’s because they don’t like the taste, or sometimes they are too sick to keep any medication down...
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Health
Fifth disease is one of many common childhood illnesses that typically occur in the first several years of life. Otherwise known as erythema infectiosum, fifth disease is caused by a virus known as parvovirus B19. This virus is easily spread from...
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Health
Nail disorders are common among infants and children. Usually these are simply a cosmetic problem and no need for concern. Here are a few of the most commonly seen disorders: 1. Beau’s lines. These appear as indentations that run across the nails....
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Health
What is Hodgkin’s disease? Hodgkin’s disease is a type of cancer that affects the body’s lymph system. The lymph system includes lymphocytes or lymph cells that move throughout the body, working to fight infection. However, Hodgkin’s disease causes...
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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...