Menu
Virtual Visit Request an Appointment ER Wait Times
Search
Back

Filter By

All Search Results

  • What is Plagiocephaly?

    What do you do if your child has an irregularly shaped head?

  • Paula Deen and Diabetes

    In an interview on the Today show, Paula Deen, the Food Network star famous for her indulgent, down-home Southern cooking, divulged that she was diagnosed three years ago with Type 2 diabetes.

  • What it means if your child fails his/her newborn hearing screening

    Amid all of the excitement of a newborn child, there are several tests that your baby will undergo shortly after birth while the baby is still in the newborn nursery. One of those tests is a hearing screening, which checks to see if the most basic parts of the hearing mechanism are intact. We will discuss the newborn hearing screening, how it works, what the results mean, and what you should do if your child has an abnormal test result.

  • When your sibling is sick: dealing with illness in the family

    Being sick isn’t easy, but neither is being the sibling of someone who’s sick.

  • Is it safe to get the flu shot when you're pregnant?

    Answered by Dr. Jessica Vaught, Director of Women's Services, Advanced Gynecologic Surgery and Pelvic Medicine, Winnie Palmer Hospital

  • How to know if your child is getting enough water during these summer months

    For kids, summer days mean no school and more time to play outside with friends. And while it’s important for kids to stay active throughout the day for optimal health, it’s equally important to ensure they are drinking enough water for proper hydration, especially during these hot and humid months! It is easy for kids to become mildly dehydrated without even knowing it, which is a reason for concern given that adequate hydration helps a child function more optimally physically and mentally.

    Let’s look at some facts:

    50% of children in the U.S. do not drink enough water 25% of children do not drink plain water at all Boys are 76% more likely to be dehydratedDr. Safder, pediatric gastroenterologist at Arnold Palmer Hospital, recently appeared in a news segment to offer tips to parents on how to make sure their kids are drinking enough water.

    Here are the signs she says to look for:

    Excessive thirst Fatigue Dry mouth Headaches Child is not sweating enough Warm body temperature Urine is dark yellow and concentrated Child is not performing as well in school as he or she normally does*A child can develop kidney stones as a result of dehydration, which can be painful and uncomfortable for your child.

  • Is violence an infectious disease?

    Newtown. Aurora. Oak Creek.

  • What is the Cinnamon Challenge?

    Perhaps more commonly known as an ingredient in your favorite banana bread recipe, cinnamon has now gained traction as the favorite ingredient in a popular dare among kids and teens: the “Cinnamon Challenge.” And thanks to social media, the dare has gone viral. As of August 2012, there were over 51,000 YouTube videos of individuals partaking in the challenge, and one of these videos has been viewed over 19 million times! The Cinnamon Challenge even has its own website, and in January 2012 the phrase was mentioned an average of 70,000 times on Twitter daily. If you aren’t heavily involved in social media, trust me, the Cinnamon Challenge is a big deal and kids just want to be a part of the craze.

    What is the Cinnamon Challenge?

    The challenge is actually quite simple, or so it seems. It requires a person to swallow one tablespoon of cinnamon in 60 seconds without drinking any liquid. Sounds easy, but as you can see in the videos that are publicly displayed for viewers’ entertainment, the victims of this challenge usually end up coughing and choking, as the spice triggers a severe gag reflex in response to a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. This challenge is known to be nearly impossible and potentially harmful, as stated on the cinnamon challenge website, but this doesn’t keep kids from wanting to try it themselves.

    The dangers behind the challenge

    A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics took a closer look at the potential dangers of the popular dare. As noted in the study, eating cinnamon in small amounts and mixed with other foods does not cause a problem for most people. However, problems can arise when large amounts are consumed in isolation from other foods. The coughing, choking and gag reflex that occurs in response to consuming cinnamon in this way can cause the spice to make its way into the lungs. While most side effects are temporary, there can be long-lasting lesions, scarring, and damage to the fragile airways. Those who are allergic to cinnamon or have other diseases, such as asthma, may be at a greater risk for developing these long-term side effects.

  • Postpartum depression in young fathers

    A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that young fathers, those who became dads at an average age of 25 years, have a 68% increase in depression symptoms within the first five years of becoming dads. This applied to young dads who lived with their children and their wives or girlfriends. Dads who lived away from their children and older fathers did not show that same increase in rates of depression. So why might “postpartum depression” happen to dads? Isn’t that a “hormonal thing” that happens to new moms? But now that we know that this is an issue, can we and should we do something about it?

    What could cause postpartum depression in dads?

    The study carefully made clear that these results only show an association between becoming a dad and an increase in depression. The results do not show that becoming a father actually causes depression in young dads, but it makes sense that it might. They don’t suffer the same physical changes that are going on in new moms, but lots of aspects of parenthood are very stressful for a young dad. First, they are sleep deprived; exhaustion is a known cause of depression. Second, they suffer a kind of loss of their mate. Now mom is busy loving another person, often more than she loves her partner/spouse. Young dads may feel displaced, jealous, and guilty about that at the same time. The relationship between mother and baby is so intense and so culturally unique and special, that a young dad may really feel like a third wheel. Young dads, in particular, may have been enjoying a sort of fantasy new-love relationship with their beautiful partner, and now all of a sudden the rest of life has to do with spit up, dirty diapers, less sex, and a great deal of long-term responsibility. Young dads are also less likely to be secure in their jobs and their income. They may not feel strong in their ability to provide for their new family. All of this can certainly contribute to depression.

    Why does this matter?

    Depressed fathers “read and interact less with their kids, are more likely to use corporal punishment, and are more likely to neglect their kids. Compared to the children of non-depressed dads, these children are at risk for having poor language and reading development and more behavior problems and conduct disorders.” According to lead study author Dr. Craig Garfield, an associate professor in pediatrics and medical social sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, “Parental depression has a detrimental effect on kids, especially during those first key years of parent-infant attachment. We need to do a better job of helping young dads transition through that time period.”

    What can we all do about this?

    Just being more aware of how dads might feel when their babies are born is a start. So much of our focus is on the baby and on how mommy is doing. Dads are usually assumed to be fine, and to be there to help mom. The solution can start with the family and friends. Grandparents, aunts and uncles can offer to change a poopy diaper or two so that dads are not the only ones doing that. It may be a proud role for some new dads to be the diaper guy, but some may really hate it. Friends can take mom out for a walk so that dads can have some quiet, loving, alone time with the new baby if they want that. Or, if dad just needs to get out of the house for a while, friends can offer to watch over mom and the baby so that dad can get a break. Nights can be tough too, especially if dads have to go to work every day. Many young dads cannot afford to take leave from work when a baby is born, so they work all day and then try to spell mom during the night. Family and friends can spend a night here or there filling in for dad so that he can get a few full nights of sleep if that is an issue.

  • What's your food allergy IQ?

    When my daughter was younger, she started attending a Mom’s day out program. When we attended orientation, the school informed us that they are a “peanut-free” school. That means, when packing lunches, we are to avoid all peanut products for all of the children. This is my first foray into the world of school lunches, and I have to admit, I was a bit annoyed. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple food in our house. It is my go-to, in-a-hurry food choice. If my child isn’t allergic, shouldn’t I be able to give it to her?