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  • A safe start to swimming

    As the mother of a toddler, I sometimes feel as if my day is spent preventing one accident after the next. Is she standing too close to the stove while I cook? Can she reach the cord where she might pull the iron down on her? Did I close the front door behind me? Is she splashing in the toilet? What in the world did she put in her mouth!?!

  • The HPV Vaccine: Questions, Facts, and Misconceptions

    What is HPV?

    HPV stands for human papillomavirus, and these viruses are the most common sexually transmitted viruses in the United States. Most of the people who are diagnosed with HPV are young and sexually active. The rates of HPV infection are high because most people who have HPV do not know they are infected because sometimes the virus shows no symptoms. Most HPV infections show no symptoms, and resolve within two years. However, there are many different strains of the HPV virus, and there are high-risk strains (HPV types 16 and 18) that are associated with cervical, anal, mouth, and throat cancers.

    What is the HPV vaccine?

    The HPV vaccine is a vaccine that can help protect your child against the high-risk forms of HPV that can cause cancer. It does not protect against every HPV strain (since there are more than 100), only 4 high-risk strains of HPV. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that girls AND boys receive the vaccine starting at ages 11-12. The vaccine is given three times over a period of six months. To receive the maximum amount of protection, your preteen should receive all three doses. The HPV vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines.

    Why should my child start receiving the HPV vaccine now? She’s so young!

    Many parents ask this question, because they are unsure about giving their preteen a vaccine that protects them against a sexually transmitted infection when he or she is not engaging in sexual activity. Parents will ask if the vaccine can be delayed until their child decides to start having sex. HPV vaccines offer the maximum amount of protection for your child when they are given in all three doses BEFORE your child begins to have any sexual activity with somebody else. One study has shown that almost 80% of infected teenagers have contracted HPV within 2 to 3 years of the first time they engaged in sexual activity.

  • New laws allow schools to give life-saving care to children with severe allergies

    On November 13, 2013 President Obama signed into law the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, a law that will help schools become better prepared to care for children with severe allergies in the event of an emergency. Earlier this year, Florida also passed a law that allows schools to offer life-saving treatment to those children in need.

  • Is Your Child Ready To Walk to School?

    Is your child ready to walk to school? It can be scary for parents to make that decision, but teaching your child some basic rules and safety tips can help ease your concerns. 

  • Is Your Teen Using Social Media Too Much?

    At the dinner table. Watching TV. While out with friends.  Teenagers are constantly using social media, and that might not be good for their mental health.

  • Music lessons provide benefits beyond the piano keys (or instrument strings)

    Growing up, a requirement in our home was that my brother and I choose one instrument to learn to play, and we were required to take lessons. For us, this happened to be piano lessons, starting at a young age. I began taking lessons when I was six years old, and continued to play for eight years. That was eight years too long, in my childhood mind. I hated piano lessons – the time required to practice, my teacher’s gnarly fingernails, and worst of all – piano recitals and competitions. Talk about having major stage fright! I was so convinced that my parents were being unjust in requiring piano lessons that I proceeded to write them essays on why I should be allowed to quit.  My wish was finally granted when I took up the clarinet in our high school band. It’s a musical instrument too, right? Well, guess what. Fast forward ten-something years later, and I wish I hadn’t quit. And the worst part of it all - my mom “told me so.”

  • Overcoming Trials and Fear: Alex's Story

    Thirteen years ago, if you had told Alex’s parents about the long, difficult road ahead of them, they would have told you that it was a mistake and you had the wrong child. As far as they could tell, they had a happy, healthy baby girl that would develop just like any other child.

  • Fulfilling a dream: Dr. Joseph's story

    If you ask any of the oncology nurses here at Arnold Palmer Hospital who their favorite doctor is, they will all have the same answer. It is Dr. Joseph. To the untrained eye, Dr. Joseph may not actually look like a doctor at all. He may look strikingly similar to an 8-year-old who is suffering from leukemia. But don’t tell him that.

  • Toddlers are taking selfies?!

    The Oxford English Dictionary actually declared “selfie” the “word of the year” in 2013! That is hard to imagine for parents like me; my first cell phone weighed three pounds! Now smart phones are everywhere and our children are connected to the rest of the world with the tap of a screen.

  • Avoiding Preschooler Tantrums Without Buying More Toys

    Keeping preschoolers active and occupied at home has become an even bigger challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. When preschoolers (children aged two to five) are not actively engaged in constructive activities, it can result in tantrums, whining and often making a mess. A preschooler’s brain is hardwired for hours of taking in new information and making connections, not for sitting still.