About twice a month, I see a child who has been urinating very frequently during the day. It usually occurs in children under the age of eight, and the pattern is remarkably similar. Rather suddenly, the child starts making frequent trips to the bathroom to pee. She...
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Is it okay for a baby to sleep in a car seat?
Car seats are designed to keep babies safe in the event of a motor vehicle accident. They are not meant to be a substitute crib. However, everyone knows that babies commonly fall asleep during car rides. This happens because the vibrations and sounds inside a motor...
Blood tests are not needed at every checkup
Children are encouraged to get regular checkups. In addition to answering a parent’s questions, these visits are meant to reinforce a healthy lifestyle and to screen for certain conditions based on the child’s age. For babies and toddlers, screening questions focus on...
Switching your child to low-fat milk
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding for the first year. Most mothers are unable to breastfeed their babies for the entire year because of work or family situations. This is perfectly acceptable. If breast milk is unavailable, babies...
Tips for How to Swaddle a Baby
Swaddling is a time-honored method to help babies calm down. It helps fussy babies relax during wakeful periods and makes it easier for most newborns to sleep. Infants respond to swaddling for two reasons: Newborns have a number in innate reflexes, including the Moro...
Tag-Team Shots: Making Shots Less Painful
For most children, immunizations are the most stressful part of an annual checkup. We have a policy in my office that helps reduce the anxiety associated with this necessary evil. Whenever a child needs two vaccinations, we administer the shots simultaneously. This...
Tips for obtaining stool samples from kids
Diarrhea is a common symptom in pediatrics. In most cases, children have a viral gastroenteritis (“stomach flu”) that does not require any lab work. In some cases, however, it’s important to find out what’s causing the symptoms. Although it’s relatively easy for...
Jaundice in newborns
It's very common for newborns to become jaundiced by the second or third day of life. Jaundice is a medical condition that presents with yellowing of the skin or sclera (whites of the eyes). It is due to a build up of bilirubin in the baby's system. Bilirubin is a...
Weaning babies from formula and bottles
Babies are traditionally weaned from formula after their first birthday. Although you can wean them from bottles when they are older, transitioning them to cups at the same time you discontinue formula is preferable for two reasons. First, it’s better for a toddler's...
Why creams sting
I get lots of calls that children complain when parents use either prescription or non-prescription creams to treat eczema and other rashes. In many cases, parents think their kids are just being difficult, and there is no way a cream can sting. Your kids are not...
Why green poops are normal in babies
One of the most common questions I get has to do with the color of a newborn's bowel movements. The first stool that an infant has is a dark green, black substance called meconium. Babies pass meconium stools for a few days before they have something called...
Pacifiers in newborns
Infants have two types of sucking: nutritional and non-nutritional. The former is something they do when they are hungry. The latter is something they do to soothe themselves. When babies reach five or six months of age, they are developmentally able to suck their...
The problem with bubble baths
Children love to have fun during bath time. Whether it's playing with bath toys, surrounding themselves with bubbles or just splashing around, kids enjoy having fun in the tub. However, bubble baths can cause side effects in girls. The opening to a girl's urethra (the...
Extra foreskin in circumcised infants
A common finding in male infants is a circumcised penis that has some extra foreskin—it is most noticeable on the underside of the penis. When babies are circumcised, the person doing the procedure has to be careful not to remove too much foreskin. As a result,...
Make doctor’s visits easier for young children
I have an article on helping children cope with doctor’s visits and shots elsewhere on the website. (Link: http://howardjbennett.com/medical-articles/help-your-child-cope-with-doctors-visits/) Today, I wanted to mention a simple technique that can improve the way...
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