The website contains a number of blogs on various topics. The purpose of the blogs is to provide relatively brief comments or tips on specific pediatric topics. Longer articles can be found on the medical articles page. You can read the blogs at your leisure or “jump” to a specific section to see if I have written something on a topic of particular interest.
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In my experience, 90% of girls are not excited when puberty starts. And it’s not just their impending period that’s on their mind. Most girls are happy with the body they have and see no reason for it to change. This uncertainty happens because the physical changes of...
Parents often have questions about the things they see in their baby’s mouths. Here are the most common findings you may notice. Epstein’s Pearls. These are white spots on the roof of a baby’s mouth. They are usually the size of a sesame seeds. They disappear in a...
In my last blog, I mentioned that it takes 6 months for testicles to descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. If this process doesn’t occur properly, a baby will be born with an undescended testicle. (If the testicle can be felt in the inguinal canal, it’s referred...
When I see boys for routine physicals, I always check their testicles for lumps or swelling. The most common problem I find in the first year of life is something called a hydrocele. A hydrocele is a collection of fluid around the testicle. Hydroceles have an...
At the time of birth, a baby’s umbilical cord has a shiny, off-white color. Over the next few days, the cord will dry out and turn a dark brown or black color. As this happens, the cord will shrink and often looks like a scab on the baby’s abdomen. In the past, the...
Most food allergies manifest themselves with non life-threatening reactions such as facial swelling or hives. That being said, it’s important to let the doctor know if your child has had an allergic reaction to a food. This will not only reduce the possibility of a...
Lots of parents think that giving a child acetaminophen or ibuprofen prior to seeing the doctor will compromise the visit. This is not true. Fever reducing medicine won’t make it harder for the doctor to figure out what’s wrong. In fact, reducing a child’s fever...
Newborns have a sucking reflex that enables them to nurse or bottle feed. This reflex involves opening their mouths and moving their tongues in and out to “milk” the nipple. When babies start solid foods around 6 months of age, they usually push food out of their...
If you spend time outdoors with children, you’ll need to keep them safe from mosquitos, biting flies and ticks. For young infants, the best approach is to protect them with clothing or nets that cover their strollers. For older children, you’ll need an insect...
One of the frustrations that comes with itchy rashes is something doctors call the "itch scratch cycle." The process goes like this: A rash itches so we scratch it. Although the scratching makes the itch go away, it can irritate the skin causing the itch to recur....
Patients are sometimes confused when doctors differentiate the terms pain and tenderness. The reason we use these words differently is because they mean different things when it comes to making a diagnosis. If something is painful, that means it hurts. If something is...
Although the human body isn't perfect, there are lots of awesome ways that it functions. One of these is called the gastrocolic reflex. In this context, "gastro" refers to the stomach and "colic" refers to the colon or large intestine. When we eat, the stomach...
Many childrearing books tell you not to use soap on a baby's face. One of the reasons for this is because soap may irritate a newborn's sensitive facial skin. Another is that a newborn's skin is slightly acidic, which helps prevent infection. Soap can reduce the...
Body temperature varies throughout the day whether you’re sick or healthy. If you take your daughter's temperature three times a day for a number of days, you will see that the highest readings come in the evening. Similarly, if she is sick, you are more likely to...
It's common for people to use baby powder after showering to keep dry, especially during the warmer months. Similarly, parents often use baby powder on their baby's bottoms after diaper changes. I disagree with the latter use for two reasons. First, I'm not convinced...
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