Menu
Virtual Visit Request an Appointment ER Wait Times
Search
Back

Filter By

All Search Results

  • Essential oils for children

    You may have heard of a new trend popping up in the parenting community: using essential oils to treat a variety of illnesses or to promote general good health in children.

  • How I chose to discipline my son when he was a toddler

    To spank or not to spank?

  • Is 36 seconds enough time to talk about sex?

    A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that doctors are spending an average of 36 seconds talking to teenagers about sex, that is if they talk about it at all. One-third of teenagers receiving a yearly check-up didn’t have any mention of sexual health or development.

  • Reaching new (and more dangerous) heights: Alcohol trends among teens

    Underage drinking has been a prevalent issue among teens for years, resulting in many research studies and attention from the media in an effort to put a stop to this risky behavior. A few years back, health officials and parents alike were most concerned with how much alcohol teens were consuming on a regular basis. Fast-forward to today, and alcohol consumption among teens has been taken to a whole new level. Not only do we need to be concerned with how much teens are drinking, but also the way teens are getting drunk.

  • Are you concerned about bedwetting?

    It makes me sad as a pediatrician to see families who stress over children who wet the bed. This is usually a normal, natural issue that goes away in time, yet it can really hurt children who are treated like it is their fault.

  • Do you know the difference between a cold and the flu?

    Have your kids been sick lately?

  • Follow up on Emma: A few years later

    You might remember Emma from a few years ago when we of courageously battling congenital heart disease from the moment she was born. Yet, despite the many challenges that Emma’s family had faced in her early childhood years, they remained strong, and a true inspiration to the many other families in similar situations. Their goal was to touch as many families as they could, and to give back to Arnold Palmer Hospital, largely through their involvement with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. These are both goals that they continue to exceed, even now as Emma is a thriving and healthy young lady.

  • Toddlers are taking selfies?!

    The Oxford English Dictionary actually declared “selfie” the “word of the year” in 2013! That is hard to imagine for parents like me; my first cell phone weighed three pounds! Now smart phones are everywhere and our children are connected to the rest of the world with the tap of a screen.

  • Savoring the little (and oftentimes unglamorous) moments with my kids

    It’s been a rough couple of weeks at our house. First, it was a round of colds for everyone. The snotty noses and coughs still haven’t ended. Then, it was the stomach virus. I’ll spare you the details, but I’ll just say that it wasn’t pretty. And anyone with kids knows that sleepless nights come with the territory when they’re sick.

  • Preparing your child for surgery

    Hearing that your child needs surgery is difficult for many families to digest, and can often result in increased stress and anxiety leading up to surgery day. For many parents and children, the fear of the unknown leaves them with many questions relating to the preparation for surgery, the surgery procedure, and recovery after surgery. Sometimes for children, the unknown is their best coping tool in preparation for surgery as they think, “If I don’t know the details of the surgery, then I don’t have to think about it and therefore it won’t happen.” For many children and parents alike, denial and avoidance is a common stress relief tactic. However, the child is probably thinking about surgery day as he/she overhears conversations between adults about the surgery, and is likely picking up on their parent’s stress. The child has also been going to doctors’ appointments that are necessary before surgery, making it that much more real to the child. Knowing what to expect on surgery day can actually help ease those feelings of stress and anxiety, and help to eliminate misconceptions that the child may be envisioning.

    How do we help ease a child’s fears of surgery at Arnold Palmer Hospital?

    At Arnold Palmer Hospital, we offer a free, educational program called Project P.L.A.Y., which is designed to help your child understand what to expect before surgery and during their hospital stay. The program is led by a child life specialist who will walk your child, siblings, and you through what to expect leading up to surgery, as well as what to expect after surgery.

    What does the program entail?

    For younger children, our child life specialists use a teaching doll to explain what’s going to happen before and after surgery – all on an age-appropriate level. This can include things such as: IVs, catheter, and any other tubes or medical items they may see on their bodies before or after the procedure. They also show the child what an anesthesia mask looks like and explains that “sleepy medicine” helps them so they won’t feel anything during surgery.