Staying in touch with family if your child is hospitalized
One way to ease the pressure of communicating with loved ones is to choose a person from each side of the family to be your spokesperson.
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...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...A small but helpful safety tip
Many years ago, I took my 3-year-old son to the Montgomery County Fair. We were having a grand time until I lost sight of Ryan for a second. When I turned around to find him, he was lost in a sea of parents, babies and screaming children. As my heart raced, I vainly...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....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...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,...
- Staying in touch with family if your child is hospitalized
One way to ease the pressure of communicating with loved ones is to choose a person from each side of the family to be your spokesperson. - How to Wean Babies from Bottles
Most pediatricians (me included) recommend weaning babies from formula at 12 months. I learned many years ago that this is also the ideal time to wean them from bottles. - What is Hand, Foot, Mouth Syndrome?
Hand, foot, mouth syndrome (HFM) is a common viral infection most often seen in young children. It’s most common during… Read more: What is Hand, Foot, Mouth Syndrome? - How to Put Drops in a Child’s Eyes
Instilling drops in a child’s eyes can be difficult because they’re often afraid it will hurt when the drops go… Read more: How to Put Drops in a Child’s Eyes - Be careful when buying over the counter medication
Non-prescription medicine is not regulated by the FDA and doesn’t have to work to be sold in the US. The… Read more: Be careful when buying over the counter medication - 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.