In a recent article, I stated that fever does not always need to be treated. In many cases, however, it's worthwhile to treat fever to help children sleep or prevent them from becoming dehydrated. There are two situations when parents will have difficulty managing...
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Teaching children to swallow pills
Learning to swallow pills is difficult for many children. One technique I find helpful is to “hide” the pill in another food before attempting to swallow it. Bread is an excellent choice because it’s sticky and easily encases the pill. Before you suggest the technique...
What to do if the doctor thinks your child has appendicitis
Evaluating children with abdominal pain is a common occurrence in pediatrics. Although most children with abdominal pain do not have anything serious, the occasional child will show up who may have appendicitis. When this occurs, patients are usually sent to the...
Care of the uncircumcised penis
It is common knowledge that you don’t have to pull back on a baby’s foreskin to get it to detach from the head of the penis (glans). This is a natural process that will occur as the baby grows. Like many aspects of growth and development, a child’s foreskin detaches...
Be careful if your child is taking an antibiotic you are allergic to
Before prescribing antibiotics for children, doctors ask if the child has any known drug allergies. It is not uncommon in this situation for parents to mention their own history of drug allergy. A doctor’s standard response is to reassure parents that their child is...
Hernias and other problems in teenage boys
This blog post is really for adolescent males. If you are a parent, copy the information or send a link to your son. Concerned aunts, uncles and grandparents can do the same thing.On May 14th, I wrote a blog about testicular torsion. [Link:...
How to prevent nosebleeds
Nosebleeds are common in children for the following reasons: frequent colds nose picking (and other injuries to the nose) dry air (especially in the wintertime) allergies The reason these situations lead to nosebleeds is because they all irritate the lining of the...
How to stop nosebleeds
Most people do not know the proper way to stop nosebleeds. The methods I hear about most often include putting a cold compress on the bridge of the nose, leaning forward, or having the child tilt his head back so his nose is pointing up in the air. The reason such...
How to prevent prescription medication from running out too soon
One of the most common complaints I hear from patients is that liquid antibiotic prescriptions never last as long as they’re supposed to. The reason this happens is because most antibiotics come in set amounts and pharmacists are not allowed to add extra to make sure...
Make sure your kids eat sitting down
It is well known that young children are more likely to choke on food than older people. There are two things you can do to reduce the risk of choking in your children. First, avoid foods such as hot dogs and peanuts that are associated with choking. Second, make sure...
An uncommon, but serious side effect of acne medication
Tetracycline and its derivatives (doxycycline, minocycline) are commonly used to treat acne. I have noticed that dermatologists sometimes forget to warn patients that a severe sore throat may occur if these medications dissolve in the esophagus. This can occur if the...
Keep the Poison Control Number At Your Fingertips
Up until a few years ago, poison control numbers were regional and people had to call 411 to get the local poison control number if they needed help when they were out of town. Because this made the system inefficient, the poison control network now has a national...
A Modified Sitz Bath Helps With Mild Vaginal Irritation
A common symptom in preteen girls is pain with urination. Although it is important to consider a urinary tract infection (UTI) in this situation, the following conditions can cause painful urination because they irritate the tissues around a child’s urinary opening....
Make it easier for young children to use asthma inhalers
When children with asthma get to be two or three years of age, most doctors switch from nebulizers to handheld devices called metered dose inhalers (MDIs). There are two advantages to MDIs. First, they deliver inhaled medication faster than nebulizers. Instead of...
An easier way to collect urine specimens in girls
Most doctors order routine urine tests when children get to be around five years of age. Although it is easy to collect urine specimens from boys, girls often have difficulty placing the cup between their legs. You can make this task easier for your daughter by having...
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