What’s a strawberry hemangioma?
Strawberry hemangiomas are a collection of tiny capillaries located on the skin. Most resolve without treatment by the time a child is 5 to 10 years.
What are the incubation periods of some common childhood illnesses?
There is a lag time between being exposed to an infection and coming down with the disease. This time frame is called the incubation period.
What’s in a teaspoon?
Nowadays, doctors and parents need to be more precise in the way they give medicine to kids.
Are febrile seizures dangerous?
Febrile seizures occur in 3 percent of children between 6 months and 5 years. The seizure is triggered by the rapid rise in temperature that accompanies an illness.
It’s common for fathers to bond with their babies after mothers
I have made a point of telling new fathers that it’s “normal” for moms to bond to babies before they do.
Kids eating too many Halloween treats? Try this trick
Despite my confession, it used to drive me crazy to watch my kids gobble up pounds of candy every fall. My wife came up with a perfect solution to our dilemma.
Limit visitors the first week you are home with your baby
While it helps to have friends or relatives assist you in taking care of the baby, what begins as a 5-minute visit can easily stretch to an hour or more.
How to make tummy time easier
Once parents start tummy time, lots of questions come up. How long should it last? How many times a day should we do it?
How to clean a newborn’s vagina
Cleaning this area often makes parents nervous. I recommend two things to make this easier.
Why newborns poop when they’re nursing
When a person’s stomach fills with food, it triggers a reflex that stimulates peristalsis.
Is it normal for newborns to grunt or strain when they poop?
Parents often assume that babies are constipated if they strain or cry when they poop.
Does it hurt to wash your baby’s soft spot?
The medical name for a baby’s soft spot is called the anterior fontanel. This is an opening between the bones of the skull.
Do umbilical hernias need to be treated?
Umbilical hernias are caused by a weakness in the ring of muscles that surround the belly button.
Reassuring older kids that shots don’t hurt that much
Older kids almost always end up being surprised that the shot hurt less than they thought it would. Why does this happen?
How to take a rectal temperature in newborns
Once you take your baby home, you should take rectal temperatures if you’re concerned that the baby is sick or has a fever.
How much calcium and Vitamin D do children need?
The Institute of Medicine updated their recommendations for calcium and Vitamin D a few years ago.
Is scarlet fever still dangerous?
Before the development of antibiotics, scarlet fever was a deadly disease.
Does your baby’s head have a funny shape?
A baby’s head will take on an unusual shape if he spends more time sleeping with his head in one direction.
What is tummy time, and why is it important for infants?
Never leave the baby alone in this position, even for a second, or she may roll over and hurt herself.
How does a circumcision heal?
During the healing process, it’s common for the glans to develop small yellow patches.
What to do if your baby has lazy eye
If the baby’s eyes are constantly out of balance or wander after 6 months of age, see a pediatric ophthalmologist.
Getting your newborn to track an object
Newborn babies will look at their parents right after birth, but their eyes can’t do more than “fix” on objects for a few weeks. Between 1 and 2 months of age, babies will begin to follow objects during quiet, alert periods. It’s important to realize that this is...Understanding referred pain in children
Have you ever watched a TV show where someone who’s having a heart attack grabs his left arm or shoulder? Have you ever had a stabbing pain in your forehead or the bridge of your nose after eating ice cream too quickly? With a heart attack, the source of the pain is...What to do if an infant rolls over in sleep
For over 20 years, pediatricians in the United States have recommended that infants sleep on their backs. One of the questions that parents frequently ask is what they should do if their baby starts rolling over before 6 months of age. Although babies occasionally...Five early childhood developmental milestones you probably haven’t heard of
When parents think about developmental stages in their children, the ones that come to mind are major milestones like smiling, crawling and talking, etc. Despite the obvious importance of these landmarks, I am queried on a regular basis about a handful of “lesser”...Parent’s Cheat Sheet: Describing coughs (and other noises) to the doctor
When children come down with respiratory illnesses, they make lots of noises. The words parents use to describe these noises don’t always agree with how the doctors use the terms. Here’s the lowdown on the noises kids make when they have a cold or the flu. Congestion....Does your child have hives?
When parents call me about rashes, I often hear that a child has “hives.” In most cases, parents use this term incorrectly. The question is, does that matter? The factors that cause most rashes in children are environmental (insect bites, heat rash, allergic...When can kids with hand, foot and mouth syndrome return to school?
Most children contract hand, foot and mouth syndrome before kindergarten. The infection is usually caused by a member of the Coxsackie virus family. It typically presents with fever, sore throat and small blisters on the palms and soles. Some strains of the virus also...What type of shoes should you buy for a 1-year-old?
Parents often ask if babies need firm, high top shoes once they start to walk. This is especially true if they previously talked to a grandparent or a shoe salesman who recommended a “supportive shoe” so the baby learns to walk properly. Shoes accomplish four things...How often can you take ibuprofen for menstrual cramps?
I often joke with parents that my gynecologic knowledge is limited because most female adolescent patients prefer seeing a woman doctor. However, my daughter suffered with severe cramps, and I learned the following tip from my partner, Promise Ahlstrom, MD. If your...How should you talk to your daughter about puberty?
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...What are the white spots in a newborn’s mouth?
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...What’s a retractile testicle?
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...What’s a hydrocele?
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...Caring for umbilical stumps
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...What is pediatric oral allergy syndrome?
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...Is it OK to give kids fever (or other) medicine before a doctor’s visit?
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...What’s better, sippy cups or straw cups?
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...Which bug repellants are best for kids?
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...How to reduce itching from bug bites
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...The difference between pain and tenderness
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...Why does constipation cause stomachaches after kids eat?
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....Can you wash a baby’s face with soap?
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...Why do kids have to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school?
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...Is baby powder safe?
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,...Should you compare your kids?
Parents frequently hear that they should never compare children to each other. As a pediatrician, I can unequivocally state that this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. Not only do we compare our children to each other, but we also compare them to other...Tips to help adolescents avoid drugs and alcohol
While every parent hopes his or her teenager will be able to “just say no” when asked to use drugs or alcohol, it’s clear that many adolescents will have difficulty resisting peer pressure. One way to handle this situation is to give teenagers an excuse so it won’t...Are spider bites dangerous?
Although a fear of spiders is on everyone’s top ten list of phobias, most spider bites are (a) not dangerous and (b) occur without the victim even knowing it happened. Because I’m a pediatrician, most of the spider bites I see happen to children. I have also noted...Swallowing capsules versus pills
This is a simple tip, but one that makes a big difference when you have to take a medication for 10 days. The basic difference between capsules and pills is that capsules float and pills sink. If you put a capsule in your mouth, take a sip of water and throw your head...Is it good idea to know your blood type?
The most common blood test doctors order is a CBC, which stands for complete blood count. The test provides information about a person’s red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. We get CBCs for different reasons, but the two most common are to check for...
- What’s a strawberry hemangioma?
Strawberry hemangiomas are a collection of tiny capillaries located on the skin. Most resolve without treatment by the time a child is 5 to 10 years. - What are the incubation periods of some common childhood illnesses?
There is a lag time between being exposed to an infection and coming down with the disease. This time frame is called the incubation period. - What’s in a teaspoon?
Nowadays, doctors and parents need to be more precise in the way they give medicine to kids. - Are febrile seizures dangerous?
Febrile seizures occur in 3 percent of children between 6 months and 5 years. The seizure is triggered by the rapid rise in temperature that accompanies an illness. - It’s common for fathers to bond with their babies after mothers
I have made a point of telling new fathers that it’s “normal” for moms to bond to babies before they do. - Kids eating too many Halloween treats? Try this trick
Despite my confession, it used to drive me crazy to watch my kids gobble up pounds of candy every fall. My wife came up with a perfect solution to our dilemma. - Limit visitors the first week you are home with your baby
While it helps to have friends or relatives assist you in taking care of the baby, what begins as a 5-minute visit can easily stretch to an hour or more. - How to make tummy time easier
Once parents start tummy time, lots of questions come up. How long should it last? How many times a day should we do it? - How to clean a newborn’s vagina
Cleaning this area often makes parents nervous. I recommend two things to make this easier. - Why newborns poop when they’re nursing
When a person’s stomach fills with food, it triggers a reflex that stimulates peristalsis.