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Caden's journey through autism
Bonnie remembers that day five years ago like it was yesterday. Her son Caden was 18 months old. And it was the day his doctor first said that fateful word: autism.
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Have you had the "text" talk with your teen?
I’ll admit something that I don’t often discuss; I’ve been in a car accident. Actually, I’ve caused a car accident. Make that several car accidents. I don’t like to discuss these accidents because I’m still fairly embarrassed about causing them. Although they were each minor, the reason for each accident was simple - I was distracted. Whether it was turning the radio station or a cell phone in my hands, something distracted me from focusing my full attention on the road.
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Giving thanks and giving back
Haley Kestory understands what it means to be truly thankful.
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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?
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Taking small steps toward a healthier family
A strong and wholesome family does not simply grow overnight. There is no magic trick for attaining health. A healthy family is healthy because of their day-to-day choices; it’s a lifestyle. Taking small steps toward health will add up and make a big impact over time.
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Baby gates send almost 2,000 children to the ER each year
Many parents find that as their newborn gets older and becomes more mobile, the basic childproofing tactics throughout the home don’t provide enough protection anymore. What’s the solution? Cue the baby gates! Baby gates are commonly used to steer infants away from stairwells, doorways, or to keep them contained in a baby-safe area of the home. However, researchers are finding that these devices meant to keep infants from danger are actually causing an increase in injuries. But how can something meant to keep my child out of harm’s way actually increase their risk of injury?
The Study
The new study, conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, found that baby gates often lead to injury if used incorrectly. Based on data recorded from 1990 to 2010, an estimated 37,673 children under the age of seven were treated in an emergency department in the U.S. for baby gate-related injuries. To put this number into perspective – that is equivalent to about five children injured every day! -
Can infant sound machines harm your baby’s hearing?
You may have heard some talk lately about sound machines used for white noise and the possibility that it could damage a baby’s hearing. If your house is like mine, white noise is an absolute must- a small house with multiple children and bedrooms close together means that white noise helps everyone sleep better. But, is that okay?
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Are juice cleanses harmful to kids?
Juice cleanses are widely popular among adults, especially women, as they are strategically marketed as a powerful way to detoxify the body and “reboot” metabolism, as well as provide a “jump start” in weight loss. As these juice products are showing up in more and more family-shared refrigerators, kids are starting to take notice and want to join in on the juice craze, too. Several recent news articles even highlight stories of young juice devotees, ranging in ages from 6 years old to 18 years old. One story even includes a mother-daughter duo that share a love for organic cleanses, who recently when on a five-day cleansing program because dad was out of town (because of course, I don’t think dad would approve!).
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Emotional Eating: Parenting and its effect on our children’s eating behaviors
I was asked to speak on TV recently about an article entitled “Eating Your Feelings? Your Mom Might Be to Blame.” Of course, for TV, the story had to sound catchy, so the TV host really played up the blaming mother and grandmother aspect. That made me sad; parenting is really a hard job and it is rough to be blamed for errors we make while doing our best. The data, though, really does suggest that how we were parented may affect eating behaviors and those of our children. The issue is important, since at least a quarter of preschool children in the United States are overweight. Obesity at the age of five is a very strong predictor of whether or not someone will be obese as an adult. So how we feed our young children and how we teach them to eat really matters for their whole lives. My take is that this information is not an opportunity to point fingers, but an opportunity to learn and to do better as parents.
What the study has to say
The article was based on a study done by researchers at the University of Illinois and published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. It showed that primary caregivers (usually moms) who had an insecure attachment to their own mothers are more likely to have young children with unhealthy eating habits who are overweight or obese. “Insecure attachment” is a term from psychology that has to do with how we feel about parents who don’t respond consistently to our needs. Parents who grew up insecure tend to have more trouble dealing with their own children’s needs, especially when it has to do with negative things like distress, anger, or sadness. That in turn is connected with some unhealthy behaviors surrounding food and eating.Real life examples
The study clearly showed that homes where children’s sadness or anger are dismissed are also homes where there are fewer family mealtimes, more television viewing time, and more “comfort feeding.” These behaviors are known to lead to obesity in even the youngest of children. For example, an overwhelmed mother might respond to a temper tantrum by feeding her toddler snacks to make him stop crying instead of using appropriate parenting techniques to deal with the tantrum. Another example might be the parent who puts her four-year-old in front of the TV to eat dinner instead of having a family mealtime, since the TV keeps the child quiet and makes her sit still longer than sitting at the table for dinner. Sadly, this also leads to overeating in the whole family.So, what do we do with this?
Well, if you have a two-year-old who is already overweight, maybe there is room to work with your parenting behaviors around food. Look at how you respond to your child’s negative behaviors. Do you tell your child, “that’s nothing to be angry about?” Or do you find yourself saying, “don’t be sad?” Instead you could say, “I hear that you are angry” or “you seem to be sad.” It’s hard to do. If you need to, ask your pediatrician for suggestions to deal with (and to help your child to deal with) those negative feelings. Could you tolerate a little tantrum or some tears instead of abandoning the family table for a meal in front of the TV (we call it the brain sucker in my house)? Could you give up feeding your child snack foods or treats to console them when they are angry or sad? Could you let go of the expectation that your small child will sit still to eat and will clean her plate? Could you serve a healthy, well-balanced meal and deal with it if your “picky” toddler gives you a hard time about it or refuses to eat? -
How to calm your child’s fears at nighttime
At least once a week, my 3-year-old daughter will ask me to lie down with her at bedtime. She usually asks for “mommy to snuggle me,” but the past few times has been because she is scared of the dark. This fear is very common among kids, and there are a few things that we can do as parents to help our children overcome their fear of the dark.
