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Blog
Parenting a child who needs surgery can be confusing and downright scary. Whether it is a planned surgery or an emergency, both you and your child are likely feeling a bit anxious. Here are a few tips to make the day easier for everyone. Educate...
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Parenting
While most young children are healthy, pediatric surgical procedures are fairly common and can be anxiety-provoking for families. Even for young children, it is important they are prepared for surgery in order to minimize their anxiety. While some...
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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
Coarctation of the aorta describes a narrowing of the aorta, which is the major artery carrying blood from the heart to the body. The congenital condition constricts blood flow from the heart to the lower part of the body. About four out of every...
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Baby
A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a congenital heart defect that occurs during fetal development. Babies born with a VSD have a hole in the septum (wall) that separates the heart’s lower chambers, or the right and left ventricles. An intact...
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Pregnancy
If you are pregnant and know you are going to be delivering by a cesarean section, it can be helpful to plan ahead for what your baby’s birthday is going to look like. Having the advantage of knowing you are going to be having surgery can get you a...
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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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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
Pyloric stenosis is a condition that affects the valve, called the pyloric muscle, between the stomach and the small intestine. The valve thickens, preventing food from moving into the small intestine. The baby feeds normally, but a few minutes...
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Blog
Over the dozen years or so that I have been a pediatrician, I have witnessed many parental disagreements. One partner may feel strongly about something (exclusive breastfeeding, co-sleeping, food choices, to name a few) and the other either opposes...
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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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Baby
Many moms have had breast reductions and go on to breastfeed successfully, but there are some special considerations you might run into. Post-reduction complications depend on the type of surgery you had and if there are any lingering side effects....
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Baby
With 1 in 8 women in the United States developing breast cancer at some point in their lifetime, having this diagnosis possibly complicate a pregnancy or breastfeeding relationship makes a stressful time even more frightening. Many women wonder if...
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Pregnancy
With about 30 percent of women in the United States delivering by C-section, it is important to be able to separate fact from fiction when it comes to this method of delivery. Whether you know ahead of time that you are having a planned C-section...
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Health
Intoeing is a common childhood condition that concerns parents — even if they shouldn’t worry most of the time. In intoeing, a child’s toes point inward instead of forward, possibly involving one or both feet. There are a variety of reasons for...
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Baby
Hypospadias is a common birth defect in boys that occurs when the urethra, or opening from which urine drains, is not located on the tip of the penis. Babies with hypospadias may have a urinary opening underneath the tip, along the shaft, or near...
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Health
Brown Syndrome is a rare and painless condition of the eyes that can affect both children and adults. Patients with Brown syndrome are unable to fully move one of their eyes, causing the affected eye to be stuck in the upward position. Brown...
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Baby
Your new baby will have many firsts: bath, feeding, and of course, dirty diaper. But what happens if a day or two goes by and your newborn doesn’t have that first bowel movement? If this happens, physicians might consider your baby for...
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Baby
Tetralogy of Fallot is a complex congenital heart defect (e.g., present at birth) characterized by the presence of four heart problems. Babies born with this heart defect have: A large hole in the muscular wall that separates the heart’s lower...
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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
Many parents are surprised to hear that young children can suffer from appendicitis. The appendix is a small finger-like tube attached to the large intestine in the lower right side of the abdomen. If the opening to the appendix becomes blocked,...
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Pregnancy
If you have been unsuccessfully trying to have a baby for longer than a year (or longer than 6 months if you are over 35), it may be time to talk to your doctor. Many couples will delay this important conversation because they are afraid that...
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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
An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants and develops outside of the normal location in the uterus. This could be in a fallopian tube (97 percent of ectopic pregnancies are found here), on an ovary, on the cervix, or in even stranger...
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Baby
Cryptorchidism, or an undescended testicle, is usually diagnosed by the pediatrician before your newborn leaves the hospital. Cryptorchidism describes a condition in which the child’s testicles have not descended from the abdomen, where they...
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Blog
When it comes to cord blood banking, having a C-section changes everything! Unlike vaginal births, C-sections are major surgery performed under sterile conditions. Concerns about infection determine both who and what can be in the surgical area....
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Pregnancy
In a perfect world, labor always goes smoothly and every mom is able to have a quick, painless vaginal delivery. The reality, however, is that sometimes issues arise during labor that make a C-section necessary. Furthermore, if a problem occurs...
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Pregnancy
Welcome to Week 39! You probably noticed you still haven’t gotten much bigger since last week. You hit near your peak weight a week or two ago, so now it’s just about keeping comfortable and waiting for labor to begin. It could be anytime this...
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Pregnancy
Unless you’ve done it before, it can be hard to know how to prepare for a C-section. Fortunately, a little advance planning (if you’re having a scheduled C-section) can help make things go more smoothly. If you are having a planned C-section, you...
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Health
Before nerve cells mature, they are known as “neuroblasts.” Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer in which these neuroblasts divide uncontrollably and form tumors. Although it is rare overall, accounting for less than 10 percent of all childhood...
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Baby
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a serious congenital heart defect that affects development of the left side of the heart. This rare condition affects the heart’s mitral valve, left ventricle, aortic valve, and aorta. The baby’s left ventricle,...
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Baby
The vast majority of women have heard that “breast is best” when it comes to feeding their newborns, but many women with breast implants worry that they cannot breastfeed because of their surgical history. Fortunately, for many women that isn’t...
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Health
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder affecting a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. Although CP has no cure, treatment should be focused on maximizing a child’s capabilities. In general, the sooner interventions are started,...
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Health
Scoliosis is a medical condition most commonly diagnosed in adolescence that causes a young person’s spine to become curved. While many people may have a slight curve to their spines, curves greater than 25-50 degrees often require medical...
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Health
Parents face many ethical dilemmas, but one of the most difficult (and controversial) can be when parents have an intersex child: a child who has a disorder of sexual development (DSD). Collectively, there are more than 60 conditions that can cause...
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Pregnancy
If you know ahead of time that you are going to birth by having a C-section, you can use this time to prepare emotionally, physically, and logistically. When you come home from the hospital you will not only be mastering the art of new parenting,...
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Community
A new study out of Sweden has shown that not all babies born by C-section are created equal. We’ve known for a while that babies who are born via this surgery have higher rates of asthma, obesity, and some other issues than babies born...
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Baby
Dysplasia of the hip is a condition in which one or both sides of a newborn‘s hip joint does not function correctly. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint, in which the “ball” (the top part of the thigh bone) fits into the “socket” (the part of...
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Parenting
Making the decision to permanently prevent pregnancy can be as powerful as the decision to have children in the first place. Individuals should discuss carefully with their partner, physician, and/or a therapist who specializes in fertility issues....
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Health
Hepatoblastoma, a liver cancer, is a very rare condition in children, with an estimated 0.9 per 1 million children experiencing the condition, according to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Hepatoblastoma is most commonly diagnosed in children from...
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Health
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a form of cancer most commonly diagnosed in very young children and in adolescents. The cancer affects rhabdomyoblasts in the soft tissues of the body. These specialized cells are responsible for forming skeletal muscles....
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Community
...Hi My 2 month old baby girl diagnosed to have inquinal hernia and it has to be operated after she is 4 month old. What could be the cause of inquinal hernia in babies? Can it be cured without surgery? Please advise....
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Health
Parents may worry when they feel swollen glands in their child’s neck. It should come as a relief to know that swollen glands, or enlarged lymph nodes, are a very common and often normal finding in a child who is fighting off an infection. Lymph...
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Pregnancy
Miscarriage is unfortunately a common occurrence, complicating approximately 25 percent of pregnancies. Another term for a miscarriage is a “spontaneous abortion.” Dealing with this can be very difficult, so it is important to understand your...
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Health
Vesicoureteral reflux, also called VUR, is a disorder that causes urine to flow backward from the bladder toward the kidneys. In the worst cases, the urine may flow back into the kidneys. This condition occurs because the one-way valves that...
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Health
Muscular dystrophy can be a devastating diagnosis for children and their parents. The progressive muscle condition causes long-term changes in a child’s functioning, which can leave him or her wheelchair-bound. Diagnosis Parents may notice a child...
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Pregnancy
Everyone knows that babies can arrive in one of two ways: vaginally or by C-section. But does that mean it’s a good idea to schedule a C-section so you can meet your baby once you are full-term? Or is it better to let nature take its course? In...
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Baby
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year. Of these tiny patients, about half will be diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP. In ROP, the blood vessels in the...
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Pregnancy
Infertility is generally defined as the inability to get pregnant after 12 months of unprotected sex. This affects about 10-15 percent of couples in the United States. Infertility can be caused a by a few factors: ovulation problems, low egg number...
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Health
Children are notorious for getting bumps, cuts, and bruises. In rare cases, a serious infection of the underlying bone, known as osteomyelitis, can develop. There are two primary ways a bone can become infected: Direct infection. When a child has...
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Health
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Baby
A normal heart has a muscular wall known as the atrial septum that separates the organ’s upper chambers, or the left and right atria. If there is a defect in this wall, it’s known as an atrial septal defect. In a normal newborn’s heart, the heart’s...
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Baby
Newborn babies are works in progress. For those first few months, they are rapidly developing and changing as they adjust to life outside the womb. When babies are born, the seven separate bones in their heads haven’t yet fused together to form the...
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Baby
A hernia occurs when there is a defect in muscle or tissue of the abdominal wall that allows abdominal contents, usually bowel to push through. They are covered by skin and can be small and subtle or large and obvious. Hernias are fairly common...
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Pregnancy
There is definitely one pregnancy symptom that is not at all enjoyable: hemorrhoids. They can show up during pregnancy or in the postpartum period, and up to 35 percent of pregnant women will experience them. Either way, they can be a nuisance....
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Health
Clubfoot is a common foot deformity among infants; it is usually identified right after birth. The term “clubfoot” refers to the way the foot is positioned at a sharp angle to the leg, resembling the head of a golf club, and can be due to a range...
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Health
When a child suffers a stroke—or a cerebral vascular accident—blood flow is momentarily cut off to the brain, leading to symptoms like dizziness, blurred vision, seizures, and more. Treatment options vary depending on a number of factors, including...
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Baby
Ankyloglossia, the medical term for tongue-tie, is a common birth defect. More common in boys than girls, it affects between 3 and 10 percent of infants, with varying degrees of severity. Tongue-tie occurs when the small piece of skin that connects...
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Health
The kidneys are a pair of small abdominal organs that are responsible for filtering waste from the blood and eliminating it through the urine. Most children are born with two kidneys, but sometimes a child is either born with a single kidney,...
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Pregnancy
Fibroids are non-cancerous solid tumors that grow in the uterus. They are extremely common, with up to 70-80 percent of women having them by the time they are 50 years old. Most of the time they cause no problems and are only discovered because an...
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Blog
Nothing like using movies to show how awesome you are as a parent. Also on tap this week: science is for girls, too, and the mantra of a 4-year-old we should all live by. 1. Parenting, Mean Girls-style If you live your life quoting movies at...
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Blog
An 18-month-old toddler was rushed to the emergency room after her grandfather found her sitting on the floor, blood pressure and anxiety pills scattered beside her. She had a fistful of pills in her hand and white powder at the corner of her...
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Blog
This past Saturday heralded a revolution. That seems like a strong term, but the impact the Women’s March on Washington had on me as a woman, mother, daughter, and physician felt just that strong. This past year has been an interesting one to say...
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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
It’s common for children to walk on the balls of their feet when they are first learning to walk. While most children outgrow this “toe walking,” children who continue to walk on their toes beyond the toddler years should be evaluated for an...
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Parenting
After a procedure, may people turn to over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to treat mild to moderate pain. However, after a major procedure or surgery, some people will require stronger medications than what is available...
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Health
While kidney stones were previously considered an adult issue, the number of pediatric patients with these painful stones is increasing, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Kidney stones are collections of hard minerals that build...
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Pregnancy
Most women have heard that it’s normal to leak a little urine after you’ve given birth to your baby. While that is definitely true, it doesn’t mean that all urine leakage is created equal. Some types of urine leakage, or urinary incontinence, are...
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Health
Infantile hemangiomas are a type of mark found on the skin of approximately 5 percent of infants. Unlike some other types of skin markings, infantile hemangiomas are not present at birth but rather they typically begin growing in the days and weeks...
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Health
The term “osteo” typically refers to conditions affecting the bones. This is true for osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer that impacts children. This cancer type is the sixth most common cancer in children and typically impacts boys more than girls...
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Pregnancy
Opioids include prescription medications like oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl. While these may be prescribed for treating problems like kidney stones or for recovery after surgery, in general the goal is to use these drugs for a brief period of...
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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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Baby
The ductus arteriosus is a naturally occurring blood vessel in the fetal heart. Before a baby is born, the ductus arteriosus connects the aorta and pulmonary artery, allowing blood to be pumped from the right side of the heart into the aorta and...
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Pregnancy
Prescription painkillers are a class of drugs that are used to treat pain. Among the most popular prescription painkillers is the group of medications known as opioids. Common opioids include morphine, oxycodone, and codeine, among others. These...
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Baby
Parents are often devastated when they find out their newborn has a congenital birth defect. An uncommon cause of birth defects includes amniotic bands. Amniotic band sequence (ABS) involves a group of disorders that result in birth defects of the...
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Pregnancy
Occasionally pregnant women may need to take pain medicine. This may be for a back injury, after recovering from surgery, or during a gallbladder attack. Usually, doctors and midwives will try to use medicine such as acetaminophen and heat or...
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Health
Meningitis is a rare but serious condition caused by inflammation of the protective membranes (called meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord. It’s usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection, especially infection with Haemophilus...
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Parenting
Opiate addictions can be devastating, not only for you but for your entire family. Opiates are used to treat pain, but they can also produce a sense of euphoria, which makes them potentially addictive if they are used over a long period of time....
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Pregnancy
Like miscarriages, elective abortions can be managed medically (with medications) or surgically. When done surgically, a procedure called a dilation and curettage (or “D&C”) is performed. Women who have experienced a miscarriage or undergone an...
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Pregnancy
Opioids are a type of prescription medicine that is commonly used to treat pain. Drugs that fall into this category include morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and codeine, to name a few. While these drugs are legal and play a role in pain management,...
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Baby
There is almost nothing cuter than the site of an infant or toddler taking their first few steps. Their wide stance and tendency to fall onto their diapered bottoms while flashing a big “I did it” grin is amazing! If you watch closely, you’ll...
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Health
Along with the liver, the kidneys are part of the body’s filtration system. They filter blood for excess minerals and wastes and then eliminate waste material via the urine. Wilms tumor, or nephroblastoma, is a childhood cancer that affects one or...
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Pregnancy
When a sperm fertilizes an egg, things usually go according to plan. The sperm and egg each contribute equally to donating their chromosomes to the future developing fetus. Sometimes, however, this process can be a little mixed up and cause the...
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Pregnancy
In late 2014, a 36-year-old Swiss woman made medical history when she gave birth to a healthy baby after undergoing a womb transplant. For more than 15 years, researchers worldwide have been developing ways to artificially implant a womb or uterus....
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Health
Children can be rowdy, jumping and running and climbing with boundless energy. So it is no wonder they get hurt a lot and spend a fair amount of time covered in scrapes and bruises. But do you know how to recognize when the injury is just a minor...
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Parenting
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, you are covered by the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) if all of the following are true: You have worked for your employer for at least 12 months (though not necessarily in consecutive order). Have at...
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Health
Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare disorder that can affect children and adults of all ages. Its onset can be scary, with muscle weakness and pain that occasionally progresses to paralysis of the legs, chest, and/or face. Children with these...
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Baby
Do your newborn’s eyes look watery or crusty, even when they aren’t actually crying? Excessive tearing or the presence of mucous in your baby’s eyes may indicate a blocked tear duct, medically known as nasolacrimal duct obstruction. More than 5...
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Health
Across the US, we are knee deep in allergy season. While a bit of mild sneezing or itchy eyes might be no big deal, for some children seasonal allergies are brutal. Recognizing the difference between allergies and the common cold can be tricky, and...