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Learning to sleep well: teaching your kids healthy sleep habits

In our practice at the Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, we often see children who are having difficulty sleeping. We know very well the tired eyes of parents who are worried, anxious and frustrated because their children aren’t sleeping well.  We work with each family to identify whether a child has any medical problems that may be affecting their sleep. We also work with their parents to teach healthy sleep habits. Whether we know it or not, we are teaching our children how to sleep, and we encourage parents to learn healthy habits that set their children on a path to healthy sleep for a lifetime.

Why is sleep important?

A heart for Sophia

For Sophia’s mom, it’s the little things in life that matter. Taking Sophia to the grocery store and letting her pick out a free cookie, watching her jump into the swimming pool or reading her favorite books to her may seem like small things. But, they are actually miracles.

A silent killer in young athletes - sickle cell trait

The stories have become all too familiar to us: local news coverage shows a high school athlete who has collapsed unexpectedly during a game and is being rushed to the hospital. It is every parent’s worst nightmare.

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.

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.

Keep your (and your child's) head in the game

As parents, we often like to encourage our kids to play sports. There are many valuable skills to be learned through sports: improved hand and eye coordination, teamwork and sportsmanship, just to name a few. And, of course, sports are also fun!

My child has a heart murmur; what does that mean?

As I finished taking care of my patients last week, I smiled at the relief that overcomes a parent when they learn that there is indeed nothing wrong with their child’s heart.

Should my family eat cantaloupe?

On September 14, 2011, the FDA announced that Jensen Farms issued a voluntary recall of its Rocky Ford-brand cantaloupes after being linked to an outbreak of listeriosis. Although Jensen Farms is located in Colorado, their cantaloupes have been shipped to multiple states, and many reports of listeriosis have been linked to these cantaloupes. As of October 6, 2011, a total of 109 cases of listeriosis associated with these cantaloupes have been reported to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), and 21 deaths have been reported. One pregnant woman was affected and had a miscarriage as a result of infection. Cases have been reported in 24 states, and all symptoms have been reported on or after July 31, 2011. This outbreak has been one of the largest outbreaks of listeriosis in the United States since 1989. So far, no cases of listeriosis associated with the Jensen Farms cantaloupe have been reported in the state of Florida.

Hurricane Kyle: a mother's journey through the storm of childhood cancer

Friday,  August 13, 2004 is a day I will never forget. It was not only the beginning of three  hurricanes back-to-back that trampled across Florida, but it was the day my 9-year-old son, Kyle, was transported by ambulance to Arnold Palmer Hospital.

Living through the uncertainties of Spina Bifida

Written by Amanda Kern.