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Have you laughed today?
“Laughter is the best medicine.” We’ve all heard it. But do we really believe it?
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Questions you may have about vaccines
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had a few . Here are some answers to common questions that parents may have about vaccines.
Should I be concerned about thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative?
Preservatives have been used in some vaccines in the past to prevent contamination with bacteria and other harmful substances. Contamination with such substances could cause serious and even fatal bacterial infections, and thimerosal was used to prevent these harmful events. -
Proud to be called a Heart Mom
Written by Erin Johnston.
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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!
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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.
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Andrew's story- finding joy in unexpected places
Just days before going into labor on December 23, 2007, Steve and Betsy were anxiously awaiting the birth of their little bundle of joy. All of their doctor’s visits and checkups had been normal, and they were expecting to bring home a healthy, happy baby just a few days after giving birth. Like many other first-time parents, they felt nervous, excited, and a little scared as they awaited the new addition to their family. What they didn’t know was that they were about to go through the most challenging time of their lives.
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To know Jenna is to know love
Jenna is 11 years old, but wise beyond her years. She loves fiercely and unconditionally, because she has been loved fiercely and unconditionally. Jenna has fought for her life many times, but she lives each day in peace, full of kindness and laughter. She is surrounded by the love of her devoted family: her mom Kristi, dad Bruce and older brother Jared. Together, they have faced challenges they never expected.
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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.
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Button batteries: a hidden hazard in your home
Over the past two decades there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children’s emergency room visits due to battery-related injuries. A recent study tracked battery-related ER visits in 100 hospitals across the U.S. and found that over a period of 20 years, the number of these visits had almost doubled. They also found that 84% of these visits were related to button batteries.
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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!