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  • The “thigh gap:” A skinny rule reigning social media sites frequented by teenage girls

    The thigh gap. Have you heard of it? No? Perhaps your teenage daughter has. This “rule” for skinny is permeating social media sites: tumblr, facebook, instagram, to name a few. Even though this seems like a relatively new trend, women have been using their thighs as a way to measure their body image for years. I know, because a particular Oprah show is forever engrained into my mind. A few years back, as I was watching this show, I recall a vivid image of Oprah, standing with her feet touching, looking at the space between her legs and proclaiming that “skinny” women strive to have at least two gaps showing (a gap between the ankles and a gap just below the knees), and if they are lucky, three – the gap between the thighs. I’m even embarrassed to say that I catch myself every now and then looking at my thighs to see if I have “the gap.”

    What exactly is the thigh gap?

    The thigh gap is a one to two inch gap between the thighs when the feet are touching together. However, this “gap” is almost impossible to attain, and the process of obtaining a thigh gap is risky, oftentimes sparking unhealthy fitness and eating behaviors. This trend has also raised concerns among eating disorder experts, as they recognize that in order to obtain a thigh gap, one would most likely take on some form of disordered eating.

  • 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?

  • Tips to help your child maintain a healthy diet throughout the school year

    With so many things to do when getting ready for school, it’s important to remember to place good nutrition at the top of the “to do” list. Planning out your child’s menus will help ensure that they will have nutritious meals and snacks available throughout the day, and will help them to have more energy and mental power to be successful at school.

  • How I’m teaching my child to treat others with special needs

    I was with my two kids recently at an indoor play place when a teaching moment happened upon us. We saw a little boy there with his mom, and he was sitting in a wheelchair. My 4-year-old looked at him curiously and then asked (in a rather loud voice), “Mom, why is he sitting in that chair instead of walking?”

  • Does your child have abdominal pain?

    As a young child growing up just outside of New York City, I complained of stomachaches every Wednesday afternoon before going to ballet class. I vividly remember those days. Initially, my mother was very concerned because I had repeatedly begged to enroll in ballet school and was clearly very excited about the opportunity. Little did I realize what I was getting into! This particular Manhattan-based ballet school was bent on creating professional ballerinas. As a shy, cherubic, roly-poly newbie to the dance scene, I was not prepared for the intensity of the class. My mother quickly picked up on the pattern and realized that I was having a physical reaction to the stress from the rigorous dance class. Fast forward many, many years later, and here I am, a pediatric gastroenterologist, taking care of hundreds of children each year with chronic abdominal pain.

  • The 21st century mother: Challenges with breastfeeding and working

    To breastfeed or not to breastfeed: the looming question for soon-to-be mothers. The obvious response would be “yes, of course,” because breast milk contains antibodies that protect babies from bacteria and viruses. Breastfed children have fewer ear, respiratory, and urinary tract infections and have diarrhea less often, which means less trips to the pediatrician, and less call outs from work and out-of-pocket expenses. But, for a working mom, this is easier said than done. Not all women are confident in their decision to breastfeed after returning to work due to the stresses of pumping.

  • My journey through postpartum depression: Jenn's story

    Written by Jenn Stagg

  • What is a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)?

    If you’ve ever felt a little confused about what exactly midwives do, or how they’re different than other healthcare professionals, don’t worry! Between physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse-midwives, there’s a lot to keep straight.

  • Dr. Judith Simms-Cendan disproves common myths about the use of birth control pills

    As an adolescent gynecologist, I prescribe birth control pills (BCPs) for a variety of reasons often unrelated to sexual activity, such as treatment of irregular, heavy or painful menses. I try to be very diligent about counseling about possible side effects such as headaches and nausea, or breakthrough bleeding, especially if they are not taken correctly. Also, some patients have real medical reasons why they should not take BCPs, usually because they have a reason why they cannot take estrogen. I routinely discuss the risks and benefits of taking any medication with my patients, but there is probably no medication that is surrounded by as many pre-conceived ideas as the birth control pill. In this blog, I’m going to address two of the most common fears of taking BCPs, and the good evidence that we have after 50 years of their use. Right up front, you should know that I receive no money, lunches, pens or any other form of incentive from any pharmaceutical company, and I am not invested in any pharmaceutical company, so there is no conflict of interest here.

    Myth 1: I have a high risk of a blood clot if I take birth control pills.

    For years we have known that taking BCPs increases the risk of blood clots, but that increase is relatively very small. To have a better understanding, it is important to understand our risks from other activities; for example 1 in 5,000 of us will die from a car accident each year. In the United States the risk of dying in pregnancy is 1 in 8,700 pregnant women each year. Meanwhile the risk of death from BCPs in a non-smoker under the age of 35 is 1 in 1,667,000 (ibuprofen, acetaminophen are much riskier).

  • Emergency contraception: what every parent of a teenager should know

    In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, down 3% since 2001. Approximately 44% of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to the 2011 data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling; there has been a 48% decline in teen pregnancy rates since 1988, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting contraception options such as DepoProvera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the United States still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of contraception failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).