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  • Have you laughed today?

    “Laughter is the best medicine.” We’ve all heard it. But do we really believe it?

  • Fighting a Fever without Fear

    Many parents worry when their child is having a fever. We know that fevers can be scary for parents, especially if it is your child’s first fever. It may be difficult to think clearly and make important decisions when your child feels very warm. Learning what causes a fever and how to take care of your child when it occurs can help relieve some stress and anxiety.

    What is a fever?

    Your child’s normal body temperature with vary based on age, activity, and time of day.  Infants tend to have higher temperatures than older children. Usually, our body’s temperature is the highest in the late afternoon and early evening. Each person has his or her own internal “thermostat” that helps to regulate their own body temperature, and this number is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus one degree. When your body detects an infection or illness in your body, your brain responds by raising its temperature to help fight the condition. Many conditions can be associated with fever, such as ear infections, croup, pneumonia, sore throat, influenza, urinary tract infections, meningitis, and many different viral illnesses.

  • Proud to be called a Heart Mom

    Written by Erin Johnston.

  • Teaching Healthy Romantic Relationships

    My 6-year-old son recently informed my husband and I that he has a girlfriend. I’ve met her when dropping him off at school in the morning, and (I have to admit) she is truly adorable. Little Taylor wears pink, sparkly sneakers, dresses and tiny little glasses. She appears to be sweet and friendly. They seem to be nothing more than friends that are of different genders. However, my husband and I still took this as an opportunity to discuss healthy relationships with him. My husband said to my son, “You know, six is pretty young to have a girlfriend.” My son’s response was, “Yeah, I know… but I don’t care. I like her.”  Whoa!  I was surprised at his level of assuredness and, to be honest, a little scared. Who was this little girl, anyway?  On that note, who was this little boy? Whether we realized it or not, he was growing up, and this was a conversation that needed to happen!

  • The Heart Center delivers world-class cardiac care

    Dr. Susan DesJardins is a cardiologist at the Heart Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital. In honor of February's focus on heart health, she shares what makes The Heart Center the leader in children's cardiac care in Central Florida. 

  • Are you protecting your newborn from whooping cough?

    If you’ve been reading the news the past few weeks, you may have heard about the outbreak of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, that has reached epidemic levels in Washington. There have been more than 1,000 cases reported already this year in the state, and it is reminiscent of the 2010 California outbreak that infected more than 9,000 people and resulted in the death of 10 infants.

  • Celebrating moms (and mental health)

    A few days ago, I went shopping for some things for our family’s upcoming beach trip at Target. As I looked through the boy’s bathing suits, I noticed another mom nearby with her own little boy. He looked and sounded to be about 2 years old, and they were having a debate about shorts. He wanted long shorts, and she was reminding him that he doesn’t like to wear long shorts. They went back and forth, and things got a little heated. He got whiny; she got irritated. Eventually she told him, loudly, to stop talking and announced to him that she was “done.” He promptly began wailing about the shorts, and her reaction was to drop her stuff she was buying, pick him up, and yell at him, “You are embarrassing me!”  She stomped her way out of Target, carrying him, yelling at him about how he will not be going to his play date later.  Yikes!

  • Teaching your kids about sun safety

    The heat is rising, the sun is shining and school’s almost out. That can only mean one thing, right? Time to hit the beach!

  • 10 tips to encourage your kids to drink more water

    Why is it so difficult to get kids to drink a glass of ice water, but they’ll gladly gulp a gallon of murky, mystery water from the bathtub?