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Should I be concerned about West Nile virus?

This year’s outbreak of the West Nile virus could be the worst our nation has ever seen. With 1,118 cases of the disease in 38 states reported so far this year, the incidence is nearly three times that of previous years. Seventy-five percent of the reported cases have been concentrated in five states: Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Texas. According to the newest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 41 people in the United States have already died from the illness in 2012.

What is West Nile virus?

Forever and a Day: Jesse's song

A man is supposed to be strong, tough, and show no emotion. Showing emotion, such as fear or pain, would only leave a man weak and vulnerable. This is how Jesse, 22-years-old, feels as he is forced to face these feelings after battling cancer for several years. You see, emotions such as anger, hurt, pain, and fear, are something that Jesse feels every day, as a result of this disease. To cope with his emotions, he turns to music as a way to process what he is going through and help his loved ones understand. Music has become his “safe place”- a place where he can expose his thoughts and feelings, being free to share the turmoil of his heart, without feeling judged or any less of the courageous man that he is.

September is childhood cancer awareness month

You probably won’t finish reading this post.

Trampolines aren't just fun and games

“Watch this!” cries your youngest child, as his older sibling bounces him high into the air on the backyard trampoline. Your child is all giggles and smiles as he quickly flies into the air and lands with a big bounce on the trampoline’s giving surface. Your child bounces a few more times, until he finally comes to a stop. What may seem like all fun and games at the time, can quickly take a turn for the worse when someone gets hurt.

Talking to Teens about Sex

As an adolescent medicine specialist caring for youth at a time of life when first crushes, first dates, and first loves (and for some youth, the first time) happen, I cannot help but notice the obvious lack of communication between parents and teens about sexuality, and quite frankly, sex. For many parents, sex in the teenage years is something to be feared and forbidden and is often a source of family conflict. Many parents cringe at the idea of talking about sex with teens. And when they do talk to teens, conversations usually focus just on the dangers of sex and romance -- STDs, pregnancy and heartbreak.

Time to shape up your plate

March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which makes it a great time to get your family’s plate in shape. We tend to do what we’ve always done when it comes to food. We eat familiar foods, sometimes over and over, and usually consume the same quantity of food.

Healthy snack ideas for kids

Have you ever been to a campfire? To keep the fire burning, you have to continue putting logs onto the fire, right? Your metabolism is like that fire, and to keep it going strong you have to feed it at regular intervals, like when you’re hungry. A strong metabolism keeps your body working efficiently and helps to maintain your healthy weight.

What you need to know about your crying baby

All new parents expect a wonderful, smiling, responsive baby. Being confronted with a screaming, inconsolable baby, who appears to be crying for no reason and does not respond to your attempts to stop the crying, is one of the most disappointing and frustrating experiences of a new parent.

Andrew's story- finding joy in unexpected places

Just days before going into labor on December 23, 2007, Steve and Betsy were anxiously awaiting the birth of their little bundle of joy. All of their doctor’s visits and checkups had been normal, and they were expecting to bring home a healthy, happy baby just a few days after giving birth. Like many other first-time parents, they felt nervous, excited, and a little scared as they awaited the new addition to their family. What they didn’t know was that they were about to go through the most challenging time of their lives.

Button batteries: a hidden hazard in your home

Over the past two decades there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children’s emergency room visits due to battery-related injuries. A recent study tracked battery-related ER visits in 100 hospitals across the U.S. and found that over a period of 20 years, the number of these visits had almost doubled. They also found that 84% of these visits were related to button batteries.