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  • Asthma: Know the Risks for Your Child

    Seeing your child struggle to breathe can be scary for a parent, and there is no cure for asthma. Understanding and avoiding asthma triggers is key to helping your child have a life without limitations.

  • Prepare Your Child for an Outpatient Procedure

    Children, like adults, get anxious about the unknown. When children learn they have an upcoming hospital procedure, they need -- and deserve -- developmentally appropriate information.

  • Choosing a pediatrician for your family

    After you process the initial joy of learning that you are pregnant, you will soon realize that you have many decisions to make for you and your baby. These choices may include picking baby names, finding an OB-GYN physician to take care of you during your pregnancy, deciding which hospital to deliver your baby, and choosing a pediatrician for your family. While many decisions can seem overwhelming, picking a pediatrician does not have to be if you know what you are looking for in a doctor.

    Talk to other parents about recommendations for a pediatrician.

    If you are beginning your search for a pediatrician, talk to your friends and family members that are parents. See if any particular names pop up repeatedly, either positively or negatively. Remember to keep an open mind, though. One person’s not-so-great experience with a pediatrician in the midst of many other positive recommendations may be a result from that particular family and pediatrician not being a good fit. The reverse is also true; one family’s amazing pediatrician may not be exactly what you are looking for. But at the very least, talking to other people is a starting point for your search.

    Plan to meet the pediatrician…before your baby is born.

    After you have made your list of potential pediatricians, the next step is to meet them in person. Many pediatric practices will host open houses for new parents, or will schedule prenatal consultations. By meeting with a pediatrician, you will be able to see if his/her beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding pediatric health care are in line with your own. You can decide if you like him/her or not…plain and simple! You and your baby will have at least 10 well-baby visits to the pediatrician in the first two years of life (not even counting sick visits!), so it helps if you like your pediatrician. Ask the pediatrician if he/she is pediatric board-certified (taken and passed the pediatric board exam) or board-eligible (preparing to take the pediatric board exam).

  • New Recommendations for Treatment of Ear Infections

    One of the most common illnesses in U.S. children is acute otitis media (AOM), which is a type of ear infection when the middle ear becomes infected. This type of ear infection is the most common condition for which antibiotics are prescribed for U.S. children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently updated its recommendations to physicians taking care of uncomplicated ear infections in children ages 6 months to 12 years. This new clinical practice guideline will be published in the March 2013 Pediatrics journal. These new guidelines help provide a more specific and stringent definition of a middle ear infection, pain management guidelines, recommendations for initial observation versus immediate antibiotic therapy, and preventive measures.

    What is an ear infection?

    Usually, a child will get an upper respiratory infection or a cold, and the middle ear can become inflamed. Fluid may build up and become trapped in the middle part of the ear during an acute illness. The tube that helps drain fluid from the middle ear to the back of the nose is called the Eustachian tube, and this tube is smaller and more horizontal in children as compared to an adult’s. So when a child becomes ill with a cold, it is more difficult for this fluid to drain out and bacteria can possibly grow in this fluid that is trapped behind your child’s eardrum.

    How do I know if my child has an ear infection?

    Symptoms of an ear infection may include: Fever Headache Difficulty sleeping Difficulty hearing Crying more than usual Fluid draining from the earThese symptoms may be difficult to detect. If your child has a cold and any of the above symptoms, your doctor will be able to use an instrument called an otoscope to look at your child’s ear drums to diagnose an ear infection.

    If my child has an ear infection, do I need a prescription for antibiotics from my doctor?

    The surprising answer is that your child may not always need antibiotics for an ear infection. In treating non-severe ear infections, less may actually be more because our body’s immune systems can usually handle and take care of ear infections on its own. Studies have shown that children with ear infections usually report similar symptoms after about ten days, whether or not they received or did not receive antibiotics.

  • Healthy breakfast cereals for the whole family

    How would you feel if your child ate cookies for breakfast? I am sure most parents would not approve. Surprisingly, many breakfast cereals have just as much sugar as a cookie, brownie or other desserts. Breakfast cereals are a great choice to provide our body with energy for the upcoming day, but it is important to make wise choices in the cereal aisle. A healthy cereal should be able to fuel your body with necessary nutrients that will help it grow and stay strong. Our body, just like a car, needs good quality fuel to keep it going throughout the day. When we put not-so-healthy food in us, we often feel run down, tired, cranky, and very hungry. In order to make wise choices, there are three key nutrition criteria that we should look for when purchasing cereal.

  • Performing Surgery in the Womb

    A recent article in The New York Times brought awareness to the burgeoning field of surgery being performed on patients still inside the womb. The article chronicles the path of Joshuwa and Lexi Royer, a young couple from Texas who found out at their 13-week ultrasound that their son had spina bifida. As it turned out, the defect was severe, so the Royer’s traveled to Houston to hear more about the option of surgery.

  • 5 Conversations You Should Have Before Sending Your Child to College

    Every August and September, parents and kids everywhere prepare for the first day of school. While the first day of school is always a big deal, there are few first days bigger than the first day of college. If your (big) baby is starting their first semester at a higher education institution, you know there is a lot to do – packing, unpacking, registering for classes and meeting new people are just a few items on a very long list. If you haven’t had these conversations with your college-bound son or daughter, make sure you add these discussions onto your to-do list.

  • When Is Your Child Ready for a Phone? Pediatrician Tips for Digital Safety

    The “digital street” presents just as many safety challenges for children as the physical one. That’s why it’s so important to help your child develop a healthy relationship with technology, starting with the responsible use of their first phone.

  • Genetic Counseling

    Board-certified geneticists and genetic counselors are available for consultation at the Hughes Center for Fetal Diagnostics.

  • Spina Bifida Program

    The multidisciplinary Spina Bifida Program team will ensure optimal quality of health and well-being for your child.