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Does My Child Have an Upset Stomach or Appendicitis?
You’re driving back from a family outing and each time your car rolls over the neighborhood speed bumps your youngest child cries out. When you ask what’s wrong, they whimper and struggle to explain. Then you recall how earlier that day when the kids were playing outside, your child abruptly stopped and complained of a sore belly. Is it an upset stomach or could these complaints point to something more serious – like appendicitis?
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Turkey Dinner on the Lawn? Creative Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in 2020
For many Americans, family gatherings are a holiday tradition. During uncertain times such as these, getting together can provide a significant boost to psychological and social well-being. With some mindfulness and creativity, you can look forward to celebrating the holidays this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll need to contemplate who will be attending (number of people, ages, where they live, physical distancing), where the event will occur and what it will entail.
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My Baby’s Crying Again — What Does It Mean?
For new parents, figuring out the cause of a baby’s cries can be a daunting challenge, especially since one sob can sound quite different from the next. Still, this is hardly an impossible task. You just need to keep in mind that babies don’t cry only because they’re hungry. Each of these outbursts offers an opportunity to learn more about your child’s needs.
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How to Talk to Children When a Loved One Is Seriously Ill
If your family is dealing with the death or serious illness of a loved one, take some time to consider how your children are handling it — and what you can do to help them navigate this confusing, and possibly frightening, time. Children can absorb a great deal, and often imagine the situation to be worse than it is, with studies showing that even preschoolers can be significantly affected. Although discussing a loss with your child won’t make it less painful, you can certainly offer significant support and teach healthy coping skills they will need as they process things.
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Get Outside and Play — Just Be Careful
Your kids likely have spent much of this past year camped in front of computer screens for virtual school, video chats and games — and not enough time running around in the great outdoors. But now that Florida’s weather has turned more pleasant, you may have more opportunities to prod them off the couch and back outside where exercise, sports and friends await. But has all that time inside left them vulnerable to injury? Even if your kids haven’t been doing the virtual school thing — and have remained active in recess, gym and sports — there are things you can do or encourage to reduce their risk of pulled muscles, twisted ankles and broken bones.
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When Healthy Eating Isn't Enough for Severely Obese Teenagers
As the obesity epidemic in the United States continues to rise, a small number of teenagers are finding that traditional methods of weight loss just won’t cut it. For those adolescents with severe obesity, weight loss surgery — or bariatric surgery — may be an option. While healthy eating and exercise are recommended first when trying to lose weight, this surgery could be a life-changing (or even life-saving) choice for some obese teens.
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Shaping Lives Through Everyday Victories
When we think of life-shaping experiences, we often recall childhood. We remember our first bicycle ride without training wheels, discovering our favorite foods or that first A on a school assignment — the everyday victories that helped shape our lives. For children and families who face neurologic conditions such as brain, spine and nerve injuries or disorders, life-shaping experiences take on different meanings where every word, step or smile can represent victories. Advances in pediatric neuroscience make these victories possible for children, even those who have not yet been born.
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Fun and (Secretly) Healthy Holiday Gifts for Kids
When selecting a child’s gift for the holidays this year, think of educational toys that stimulate learning, inspire imagination or encourage the use of fine and gross motor skills.
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Orthopedic Sports Physicals: Key Before Students Hit the Field or Gym
Every year, more than 30 million kids and teens participate in organized sports programs throughout the United States. Nearly one-third will wind up with an injury that requires a doctor’s care. So before hitting the field, track or gym, a sports physical is often required -- and always recommended -- to be sure they can safely compete.
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Want a Happier Baby? Adopt a Sleep Schedule
Sleep deprivation is one of the main challenges of parenthood. How much a baby needs to sleep and how much they want to sleep are often two different things. This often results in a tired, cranky child and tired, frustrated parents.