When does medication really expire?
Most medicine cabinets contain a variety of prescription and nonprescription medication. Some drugs, like allergy medicine, are used intermittently or for long periods of time. Other drugs, like antibiotics, are generally used short-term for an infection. If a doctor...Can a teenager be immune to mononucleosis and not know it?
It’s common knowledge that people are usually diagnosed with mononucleosis (mono) during adolescence. This is the reason it’s often referred to as the “kissing disease.” What lots of people don’t know, however, is that about 20 percent of children get mono before age...Is it advisable to travel overseas with a 2-month-old?
This is a hard question to answer because there are so many places you could visit. That being said, pediatricians have a number of concerns about travelling abroad with young infants. It’s important to make sure your baby has had all of his standard immunizations...Don’t force kids to say they’re sorry
Altercations between young children are common. If parents are around to witness the squabble, they usually ask the aggressor to say he’s sorry. This is a reasonable thing to do because adults are supposed to teach children how to behave in social circumstances....Frequent urination in children
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...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....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...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...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...Fever management for children who can’t (or won’t) take oral medication
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...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...Young children don’t know what the expression “sore throat” means
Next to colds, throat infections are the most common reason children see the doctor. It is important to realize, however, that young children do not know what it means when someone asks them if they have a sore throat. Therefore, if you are inquiring about this...A practical suggestion for pet funerals
When a pet dies, parents often want to give the animal a funeral so their children can “memorialize” the pet as a member of the family. In many parts of the country, it is illegal to bury a pet because the body may attract scavengers such as rats. In these...Don’t diagnose drug allergies over the phone
The parent of a 12-month-old patient called my office recently and talked to one of my nurses. I had put the infant on antibiotics the previous day for an ear infection, and the baby woke up with a rash. The parent asked if we should diagnose the baby with an...Easing the transition to nursery school
Many children have difficulty separating from their parents when they begin nursery school. My wife came up with a terrific idea to help our son adjust to school. First, she asked the director for a class list two months before school began. Then she called all of the...Boys need to be examined standing up
Doctor’s visits can be unsettling for children so I usually examine infants and toddlers on the parent’s lap. However, once boys reach the age of three or four, it’s important to do the testicular examination while they are standing. Prior to adolescence, the main...A variation on time-out
Time Out is one of the most effective behavior techniques you can use with children. Although most doctors recommend Time Out for aggressive behaviors such as hitting or biting, parents sometimes overuse Time Out by choosing this punishment for just about any...Helping Babies with Tummy Time
There are a few tricks that you can do to make tummy-time easier for your baby.
Beware Of Older Siblings When You Start Solid Foods With Your Baby
Older brothers and sisters learn quickly that babies only drink breast milk or formula. Once you start feeding your baby jarred foods at six months of age, an older sibling may think it is okay to share his food with the baby. Therefore, make sure to tell your older...Reuse Pull-Ups And Be Environmentally Conscious
Lots of kids continue to wet the bed at night even though they are successfully using the potty during the day. (Even at six years of age, 12% of kids wet the bed.) Most parents use Pull-Ups during this period of nighttime wetness to make the morning routine easier...What To Do If Your Child Misses A Birthday Party Because He Is Sick
Sooner or later most children will miss a friend’s birthday party because they get sick or come down with a contagious illness. It can be very difficult to explain to a young child why she cannot go to someone’s party. Instead of worrying about making other kids sick,...Have You Ever Heard Of Testicular Torsion?
Most parents know that certain symptoms that can be associated with serious medical conditions. The most common ones are as follows:stiff neck may mean meningitisabdominal pain may mean appendicitisbad cough may mean pneumoniaTesticular torsion is a rare condition...Putting drops in children’s eyes
The most common reason children need eye drops is to treat conjunctivitis due to infection (pink eye) or allergy. The proper way to instill eyes drops involves the following steps: Have your child lean back on a couch or comfortable chair. It helps if there are no...Hidden penis in toddlers
It’s very common for the penis of an older infant or toddler to look smaller than it is. Parents (especially dads) worry that the child will have a small penis when he is older. Unless a child had an abnormally small penis at birth, this finding is usually due to...Stuffy babies usually do not have colds
In the first few months of life, babies are obligate nose breathers. This means that they have to breathe through their noses. By the time babies are three to six months of age, they are able to breath through their mouths, but most still prefer nasal breathing....Should you give your child fever medicine before a doctor’s visit?
Parents frequently avoid giving their children fever medicine before a sick visit because they are afraid it will compromise the doctor’s medical evaluation. In reality, giving a child something to lower her fever before a visit usually makes it easier for doctors to...
- 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.