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  • For Down Syndrome Awareness Month, help us beat the myths and prejudice

    In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, please welcome our guest contributor, Eliana Tardio. Eliana is the mother of two children with Down syndrome. Her advocacy work has been nationally and internationally highlighted. She works as a Family Specialist for the Early Steps program of the State of Florida, and she spreads the word about the benefits of inclusion in several well-known web platforms in both English and Spanish. This article is part of her October Awareness carnival for Down syndrome featured on her personal blog www.elianatardio.com.

  • Holding out hope for their child born with Congenital Heart Disease: Mia's Story

    If you were to spend a day with the Gravitz family, you would be welcomed with open arms and be overwhelmed by the love this family has for each other. Nothing is more important to Alecia and Marc than spending time with their kids - baking cookies on rainy days, and cozying up in their pajamas to watch movies on weekends. But just over two years ago, life, as they knew it, turned upside down.

    Heartbroken

    When Alecia was eight months pregnant with their second child, Mia, she went to her doctor for a routine checkup. During the exam, her doctor realized Mia was not moving as much as she should be and Alecia was sent to a nearby hospital. Alecia and Marc knew something was wrong after it was recommended they see a perinatologist (a high-risk doctor). “I started freaking out,” she admitted. “I was so scared; I didn’t know what was happening.”

  • Why I gave up eating French fries for a whole year.

    It was New Year’s Eve, 2012. My husband, son, and I were hanging out on the couch, waiting for the ball to drop. We started to talk about resolutions, which I usually don’t do. I took a deep breath and announced something that I had been thinking about for the last couple of days - my resolution for 2013. I WAS GIVING UP FRENCH FRIES. Probably not for forever, but at least for the year. This may or may not seem like an insurmountable feat to you, but I, in my mid-thirties, had never done anything like this. I had been eating (and loving) fries, on average, a few times per month (maybe more) my entire life. My husband and son looked at me like I was truly nuts. The expressions on their faces were priceless, and telling. I realized if they were that shocked by my plan, then from a health perspective, this was definitely something that I should do.

  • What is Vitamin K, and why is it important for my newborn baby?

    Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that our body needs to help make proteins that are needed for blood coagulation. In other words, it’s one of the ways our body works to stop bleeding. We can find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and collard greens. Bacteria in our intestine also produce vitamin K. If we do not have enough vitamin K, we may experience prolonged bleeding from small cuts or big bruises from relatively small injuries.

  • What’s the scoop on maternity shapewear? Is it safe for mom and baby?

    Maternity shapewear has been around for years. And for a good reason, too. Sometimes, when a woman is pregnant, it’s nice to have the little extra assistance to help cut down on the amount of jiggle going on – if you know what I mean. But over the past few years, the leading brand of control undergarments for women, Spanx, has faced major scrutiny for its line of maternity shapewear called “Mama Spanx.” The panty hose featured in this line are designed to deliver comfort by providing a non-binding waistband and under belly support to firm and lift all the right places while keeping the baby safe.

    The controversy

    The Spanx line for soon-to-be mammas was first introduced in 2004, and has garnered heated discussion since. There are two concerns that seem to trump all: body image and safety for mom and baby. Some question the motives of the maternity line – Does it send the message that women should be ashamed of their body, as it changes to accommodate a growing baby? Others are concerned about the fetus – does the shapewear constrict blood flow and oxygen to the baby?

  • Webinar with Dr. Mehta and Nneka Ricketts-Cameron from the Center for Digestive Health & Nutrition

    Do you have Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis?

  • If your child has had a concussion or brain injury, you may not see the full effects for years to come

    As an occupational therapist, one of the things that I do in my job is assist children who are recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I help them work through the new challenges they face because of their injury in hopes that they can fulfill their full potential. As a medical community, we are still working to fully understand how a brain injury affects a child’s long-term growth and development, but what recent research has shown us is that it may be long after the initial recovery period from a traumatic brain injury (even years later) before we see the full effects the injury will have on their growth and development.

    What parents need to know

    When we talk about brain injuries, it’s important to understand that we aren’t only talking about major injuries; we are also talking about relatively minor brain injuries, such as a concussion. Whether they have had a severe injury or a relatively minor one, children may experience long-lasting effects that can affect their development. A child may sustain a brain injury and experience a significant decrease in social, emotional, behavioral or cognitive abilities at the time of injury. (Cognitive abilities refers to a child’s capacity for learning and understanding, acquiring knowledge). Years later, they may then experience a “stall” where they fail to develop their cognitive, social, emotional or behavioral skills.

                                                     

  • Fun is the name of the game! Learn about the benefits of Aquatic Therapy for your child.

    One of the things I love about being an occupational therapist is using unique tools to help a child reach their full potential. One of those tools that may be a bit unexpected is a swimming pool. The properties of water offer unique benefits, are familiar to children and inherently add the unquestionable element of fun. As therapists we know that when a child is having fun, they will try harder and risk failure to reach their goals. When we treat your child, our pursuit is to build on their strengths and challenge their weaknesses while engaging them in motivating ways. Fun is the ultimate motivator! Children who have faced physical disabilities, learning difficulties or traumatic injury certainly know how fun can turn a daunting challenge into an achievable one.

  • Shaken baby syndrome: A severe and disheartening form of child abuse

    What parent hasn’t felt frustration and helplessness when unable to console their crying infant? Despite being stressed, something deep inside prevents us from inflicting harm to our children. Unfortunately, this impulse control is not present in some parents or caregivers, resulting in a child being vigorously shaken.

  • Orthopedic Sports Physicals: Key Before Students Hit the Field or Gym

    Every year, more than 30 million kids and teens participate in organized sports programs throughout the United States. Nearly one-third will wind up with an injury that requires a doctor’s care. So before hitting the field, track or gym, a sports physical is often required -- and always recommended -- to be sure they can safely compete.