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  • Is CrossFit safe for kids?

    CrossFit has become a wildly popular fitness trend among adults over the past few years, and now CrossFit is targeting kids, too. But some parents can’t help but wonder, “Is CrossFit safe for my child?” We sat down with Dr. Davis, sports medicine physician at Arnold Palmer Hospital, to ask her expert opinion on the appropriate types of physical activity for kids, and if CrossFit is safe for their growing bodies.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics recently announced that it’s safe for kids to start a light weightlifting routine after age 8. Can you explain this decision?

    The benefits of strength training for kids are similar to those for adults. Like adults, kids will gain improvements in muscular fitness and bone mineral density by incorporating a light strength-training program into their fitness routine. However, one of the most important benefits of any youth fitness program (including resistance training, in addition to aerobic exercise) is an improved attitude towards lifelong activity, which will keep them motivated into their adult years.

  • Concerned about your teen's weight?

    When it comes to dealing with teens and their weight, there are no easy answers, and a new study shows that some of the things parents are doing to help may actually be harmful.

    Don’t talk about weight or size; focus on healthy eating

    Researchers studied more than 2,000 teens and their parents to determine what effect the conversations parents had with their children may have on their eating behaviors. Teens whose parents talked to them about their weight, whether or not the teens were overweight, were more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors such as dieting, fasting or using laxatives. Teens whose parents engaged in conversations focused on healthy eating without any mention of weight or size were much less likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors.

  • Braving breastfeeding

    After my son was born at Winnie Palmer Hospital in 2008, my sister-in-law visited and congratulated me. She said to me, "Welcome to the best job in the world!" I remember feeling happy, excited, scared and exhausted all at the same time. As I was recovering from the physical events of labor and delivery, I was ready to tackle one of the first of many challenges of becoming a new mom: breastfeeding my baby.

  • An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

    As a pediatrician, one of the most common questions I am asked this time of year is what I think about the seasonal flu vaccine.

  • Over-the-counter cough and cold medicine: what you don't know CAN hurt you

    Did you ever play tag when you were a kid? I remember running around the playground in a desperate panic to avoid whomever was “it”. I would run like my life was in jeopardy and strategize about how best to avoid the awful fate of being tagged.

  • Amber teething necklaces: what's all the hype about?

    There’s no question about it: teething is a hard time in the life of a little one. Teething is painful and frustrating for both parents and children. And as we watch our children suffer, we parents feel the responsibility to ease their suffering any way we can. Could amber teething necklaces be the answer?

    What are amber teething necklaces?

    Baltic amber teething necklaces are marketed as a ‘natural’ healing remedy for infants as young as 3 months old. Retailers claim that when the necklaces are worn, the amber beads are heated by the child’s body temperature prompting the release of healing oils that penetrate the skin. They claim that these oils then relieve the pain and discomfort associated with teething.

    Should I try them for my child?

    There are two very basic problems with amber teething necklaces:
      They don’t work They aren’t safe
    It’s as simple as that. If you aren’t convinced, I would challenge you to stop and think for a moment about the plausibility of a gemstone emitting invisible oils that seep into one’s skin and target tooth pain. It’s a magical, mystical idea that sounds nice, but just isn’t reality.

  • Spray sunscreen: is it safe for kids?

    Consumer Reports has recently updated their recommendations on sunscreen use in kids, saying that spray sunscreens should not be used in children.

  • What are the most important things we can give our children?

    We have but a few, short years to shape and refine them, to help our children become the people they were meant to be. And then, we send them out into the world to find their way. It’s a tough job, isn’t it? To love and care so deeply about someone, about the outcome of this process of growing up, and yet be forced to let go of how it all turns out?

  • Reaching new (and more dangerous) heights: Alcohol trends among teens

    Underage drinking has been a prevalent issue among teens for years, resulting in many research studies and attention from the media in an effort to put a stop to this risky behavior. A few years back, health officials and parents alike were most concerned with how much alcohol teens were consuming on a regular basis. Fast-forward to today, and alcohol consumption among teens has been taken to a whole new level. Not only do we need to be concerned with how much teens are drinking, but also the way teens are getting drunk.

  • 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.