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  • What it means if your child fails his/her newborn hearing screening part 2

    In our previous post, we discussed the newborn hearing screening. Now let’s discuss what a failed hearing screening means and what will usually follow. In general, there are two types of hearing loss: sensorineural and conductive. Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a break in the conduction of sound between the outside world and the end of the stapes or 3rd hearing bone. The second type of hearing loss is sensorineural, or nerve-related. This can occur within the cochlea or anywhere along the path of the cochlear/auditory nerve and remainder of the pathways from the cochlea to the brain.

    Conductive hearing loss

    Conductive hearing loss is easy to understand: something is blocking the sound from getting into the inner ear. There are several things that can cause conductive hearing loss which results in a failed newborn hearing screening. The most common of these is fluid in the ear canal or middle ear. The middle ear space is filled with fluid in general up until delivery. As the baby is delivered, the movement through the birth canal helps push the fluid out of the middle ear space. When this does not happen effectively, fluid can remain in the middle ear space and cause a conductive hearing loss and a failed newborn screening. This usually goes away after a short time, but it can persist for 4-6 months and may necessitate a procedure to drain the fluid from the ears.

  • The Orlando Repertory Theatre offers special showing of “The Cat in the Hat” for children with autism

    Into the gray nothingness of a dull, rainy day pops the boisterous Cat in the Hat, ready to play. He says,

    "I know it is wet

  • Why I am inspired to be a part of the Orlando Health family: Lindsay's story

    This story is written by Lindsay Wiseman, Digital Communications Intern at Arnold Palmer Hospital. 

  • Planning “the talk”: The importance of establishing open communication with your teen

    This post was written by the Clinical Social Work Team at Arnold Palmer Hospital and Winnie Palmer Hospital. 

  • 3 Things to Know About Baby’s Tummy Time

    1. Tummy time is an important playtime for babies!

    Tummy time is playtime for babies when they are awake. When your baby is awake and can be supervised by an adult, they should be placed on their tummy on a firm surface for about 5 minutes to play. This activity can start as soon as you bring your baby home from the hospital, and babies should have tummy time about 2 to 3 times per day. Tummy time helps strengthen a baby's muscles.

  • Do your kids need a multivitamin?

    It’s hard not to agonize over what our kids eat. There are days when I meticulously pack a healthy lunch for my preschooler, and she comes home having eaten everything EXCEPT the fruits and vegetables. And sometimes, we’ll sit at the dinner table, and she’s not interested in a single bite. This is pretty normal toddler behavior, but it tends to make moms crazy. We worry that they’re not getting enough nutrients, enough good stuff to keep their growing bodies healthy, so it makes sense to ask the question: do they need a multivitamin?

  • Gearing up for hurricane season

    Every afternoon, as the dark clouds roll in, I can’t help but wonder, “when will this rain ever go away?” But, if you live in Florida, like I do, you have probably accepted the fact the rain is here to stay. And on the days when the thunder and lightning seem unusually intense, I often anticipate a potential hurricane on the horizon. Yes, I said it – hurricane. Hurricane season officially began June 1st and is expected to last until November 30th. And weather experts are already projecting this year’s hurricane season to be a bumpy ride – estimating as many as six storms that could result in major hurricanes.

  • Is going "gluten-free" just a fad?

    I remember when my great-aunt Sally came to visit, she would often bring her own bread and a tub of margarine or stick of butter. If we went out to eat to a place like Pizza Hut, she would order a salad with no croutons. When the salad arrived with croutons, she would send it back and have them remake it without them. Aunt Sally had celiac disease; a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine, causing malabsorption of nutrients after a protein called “gluten” is consumed. Even the tiniest crumb of a gluten-containing food caused Aunt Sally a lot pain.

    How common is celiac disease?

    An estimated 1% of the population in the United States has celiac disease, and 97% of those affected by celiac disease are undiagnosed. In Florida, that means approximately 195,000 people have celiac disease, but fewer than 6,000 of them know it. In one study looking at the prevalence of celiac disease in the U.S., 29 of the 35 people found with celiac disease did not know they had it prior to the study. 

  • Going back to school and back to the pediatrician

    Since the start of school is right around the corner for families in central Florida, many of us will be taking our children to the pediatrician for an annual visit. Even if your child is completely healthy and hasn’t been sick in a very long time, it is still important to call and make that appointment with the pediatrician every year. I would recommend calling earlier in the summer to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician, since there are usually fewer sick children that come in over the summer, and more appointment times may be available. You will also avoid the big rush of patients trying to see the doctor for annual check-ups right before school starts in the fall.

  • Prevent those "terrible twos" by easing communication frustrations

    One of the most frequent referrals we receive for a speech-language assessment is for the two-year-old child who “does not talk.” The parent interview usually reveals that both the parents and the toddler are at their whit’s end, experiencing daily frustrations due to communication breakdown. Luckily, there’s usually a pretty easy way to alleviate this problem; an augmentative means of communication (AAC).