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  • Giving Back to the Place that Gave Them Hope: The NICU at Winnie Palmer Hospital

    It wasn’t the birth she had envisioned. Her husband wasn’t even in the room when she delivered her daughter. At 26 weeks of pregnancy, Melissa Harper gave birth to her “miracle,” Hattie, who weighed just one pound 13 ounces and measured only 14 inches long.

  • How to set realistic expectations for your child's Christmas wish list

    This post was original published in December 2012.

  • The journey to healing through a bone marrow transplant: Zoe’s story

    Zoe is a vivacious 10-year-old who loves to spend time with her family, especially her sister, Eva. You would never know that just two years ago, she was fighting for her life as she underwent a bone marrow transplant, the only treatment that could offer Zoe the chance to live a healthy, normal life.

  • What not to say to an adoptive parent

    I have the good fortune of knowing many families with children who have been adopted, and over the years I’ve been appalled at some of the conversations these friends have endured at the hand of strangers (and even non-strangers). Most adoptive parents will tell you that they know these offenses are not intentional, and they give a lot of grace as they try to educate the public on adoption one awkward conversation at a time. Many would probably tell you, though, that they wish they didn’t have to be blindsided by these uncomfortable and sometimes hurtful exchanges. So, if you know families with adopted children or if you happen to meet a mom at the park that appears to be an adoptive mother, here are some things NOT to say:

  • Hanging on to the innocence of childhood

    As we pulled into our driveway, I could see a small, brown box sitting beneath the mailbox at our front door.  We had been waiting for this package for more than a week, and I must admit, I was very excited.

  • Signs that your child may have a hearing loss

    Did you know that May is “Better Hearing & Speech” month? When I became an audiologist many years ago, it was considered a great success if a child with hearing loss had been fitted with hearing aids by 2 years of age. Awareness of audiology and better hearing has come a long way since then. Now, we routinely work with parents and infants with hearing loss who are 1-2 months old!

  • TV time before bed may keep your kids awake longer

    Walk me through your child’s nighttime rituals. What does it look like? Dinner, bath, then wind down with your child’s favorite movie or recorded TV show – sound about right? I would be willing to bet that many kids watch some form of TV before going to bed, as parents attempt to clean up from dinner, do laundry, or finally take a break from a busy day. What if I told you that TV time before bed actually makes your kids stay awake longer? That’s right. If you want your kids to fall asleep faster at bedtime, it may be a good idea to turn of the TV, and even the iPad and computer, at night. Here’s why.

    The Study

    A recent study published in the Journal Pediatrics took an inside look at the effects of TV time on a child’s sleep patterns. Researchers surveyed over 2,000 kids, ages 5 to 18, on their activities within 90 minutes of going to sleep. They found that watching TV was the most common reported activity, and took up at least 30 minutes of the child’s 90-minute pre-sleep activity log.

    What does this mean?

    Researchers found that there was a direct correlation between kids who watched TV and the amount of (prolonged) time in which they were able to fall asleep. When compared to kids who chose non-screen activities before bed, those who regularly watched TV leading up to bedtime had a harder time falling asleep. Based on this study, it is recommended that kids reduce the amount of TV time before bed to improve their overall sleep quality.

    Alternatives to TV time at night

    While the occasional movie night with the kids shouldn’t be banned (and is something that kids can look forward to), there are many other ways to help prepare them for bedtime. Here are some suggestions:  Give your child a warm bath and cozy up to a good book (or two) in bed Allow your kids to quietly play in their rooms, read alone, or listen to music Have one-on-one time. Spend time with your child playing a game or working on a puzzle before bed.  Share a story. Create a fairytale together or quietly sing songs to your little one before turning the lights out.Whatever your child’s nighttime ritual is, try to avoid the habit of staring at a glaring TV screen before bed. Not only will this encourage your child to fall asleep faster, but it even allows for better quality time with your kids at night.

    Share with us! Do you allow your kids to watch TV before bed? What do your kids’ bedtime rituals look like? 

  • Healthy skin habits: Dr. Davis explains why it's important to teach kids at an early age

    With our recent cold snap finally over, summer and warmer temperatures are just around the corner. As we spend more time outdoors in short sleeves and shorts, we need to remember how important it is to protect our skin! Although everyone loves “a tan” for the summer, this is actually a sign of skin damage. Protecting our skin by using sunscreen and other forms of sun block is the first (and most important step) in keeping our skin healthy and preventing the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma. Did you know that most of our sun exposure and skin damage from the sun happens before the age of 18? Developing healthy skin habits as children and maintaining these habits through adulthood is essential to keeping our skin healthy over our lifetime!

    How does the sun damage our skin?

    The sun produces invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays as part of the light it radiates to earth. These are the rays that are damaging to our skin and eyes. There are three different kinds of UV rays:  UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. UVA rays are responsible for skin aging, wrinkling and causing melanoma. These rays make up the majority of our daily sun exposure. UVB rays are responsible for causing sunburns and cataracts of the eyes. They also contribute to melanoma as this form of skin cancer is most common in adults who had several severe sunburns as children. What is concerning about melanoma is that we are seeing it in an increasing number of young adults and even teenagers. Both UVA and UVB rays pass easily through the earth’s protective ozone layer. UVC rays on the other hand are thought to be the most dangerous types of UV rays but are blocked by the ozone layer and never reach the earth’s surface.

    What about melanin in our skin?

    Melanin is a chemical in the skin that absorbs UV rays and causes our skin to tan. Everyone has a different level of melanin in their skin. Fair-skinned people have less melanin while darker complexions have higher concentrations of melanin. A common misconception is that darker skinned people do not “burn” or get skin cancer. Regardless of the concentration of melanin in the skin, anyone can get a sunburn or develop melanoma. Any amount of tan is damage to the skin whether you are fair skinned or not.

    So how do we protect our skin from the sun?

    Kids can get a sunburn just from playing in the backyard on a sunny day- not just during a day at the beach!  First and most importantly, all children (and adults) 6 months and older should always wear an SPF 30 before going outside for any length of time. SPF stands for sun protection factor and the number indicates the amount of time you can spend in the sun before getting a sunburn. For example, if you start to burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen, applying SPF 30 will allow you to stay in the sun 30x longer before starting to burn (ie-300 minutes). Other ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offer the greatest protection against the entire spectrum of UV rays. Sunscreen should be applied 15 minutes before going outside to allow for adequate absorption into the skin. For most kids, two ounces (a shot glass full) of lotion should be enough to cover the entire body. Spray-type sunscreen should still be rubbed in after applied to the skin to ensure there are no missed spots.  Don’t forget to apply to commonly neglected areas such as the scalp, lips, ears, back of neck, and tops of feet! Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours while outside, especially if swimming or sweating.  Remember, there is no such thing as waterproof sunscreen! This means you may go through nearly an entire bottle of sunscreen during a full day at the beach. Children under 6 months of age have more delicate skin and underdeveloped levels of melanin. They should not have sunscreen applied to their skin at all. Keeping young babies out of the sun altogether is best. However, if this is not possible keep them completely covered up with clothing and under a covered stroller or tent while out in the sun.

  • No more heading in youth soccer, but is this enough to keep kids safe?

    Concussions are a hot topic these days, and for good reason.

  • Talking with your teen about obesity: it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it

    In my years as a mental health counselor for Teen Xpress, I have worked with many teenagers that are battling weight problems. Obesity often leads to low self esteem, anger problems and depression. Often, we see obese teens that also have obese parents and other family members. Obesity can be caused by medical issues, but when it comes to teens, it is frequently due to unhealthy behaviors and coping skills. I have known many teens that report coping with feelings of sadness and loneliness by overeating. The overeating leads to weight gain, which leads to further feelings of isolation and depression. Teens quickly find themselves in a vicious cycle of unhealthy habits and emotional discord.