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  • Pediatricians can’t ask you about guns

    There’s been an ongoing court battle here in the state of Florida over whether physicians have the right to ask families about gun ownership in their home.

  • What's your food allergy IQ?

    When my daughter was younger, she started attending a Mom’s day out program. When we attended orientation, the school informed us that they are a “peanut-free” school. That means, when packing lunches, we are to avoid all peanut products for all of the children. This is my first foray into the world of school lunches, and I have to admit, I was a bit annoyed. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple food in our house. It is my go-to, in-a-hurry food choice. If my child isn’t allergic, shouldn’t I be able to give it to her?

  • The “thigh gap:” A skinny rule reigning social media sites frequented by teenage girls

    The thigh gap. Have you heard of it? No? Perhaps your teenage daughter has. This “rule” for skinny is permeating social media sites: tumblr, facebook, instagram, to name a few. Even though this seems like a relatively new trend, women have been using their thighs as a way to measure their body image for years. I know, because a particular Oprah show is forever engrained into my mind. A few years back, as I was watching this show, I recall a vivid image of Oprah, standing with her feet touching, looking at the space between her legs and proclaiming that “skinny” women strive to have at least two gaps showing (a gap between the ankles and a gap just below the knees), and if they are lucky, three – the gap between the thighs. I’m even embarrassed to say that I catch myself every now and then looking at my thighs to see if I have “the gap.”

    What exactly is the thigh gap?

    The thigh gap is a one to two inch gap between the thighs when the feet are touching together. However, this “gap” is almost impossible to attain, and the process of obtaining a thigh gap is risky, oftentimes sparking unhealthy fitness and eating behaviors. This trend has also raised concerns among eating disorder experts, as they recognize that in order to obtain a thigh gap, one would most likely take on some form of disordered eating.

  • How I’m teaching my child to treat others with special needs

    I was with my two kids recently at an indoor play place when a teaching moment happened upon us. We saw a little boy there with his mom, and he was sitting in a wheelchair. My 4-year-old looked at him curiously and then asked (in a rather loud voice), “Mom, why is he sitting in that chair instead of walking?”

  • What happens when we compare our child’s illness to another?

    Recently, a friend shared with me a book whose title and premise really upset her. She is the mother of a cancer survivor and friend to many cancer patients, and the title of the book offended her to the core. It’s called, “I wish my kids had cancer: a family surviving the autism epidemic.” I hesitated even to share the title of the book because it elicits such strong emotions, even to those of us who’ve never read the book. And, I’m not sure that this book deserves the attention we’ve given it, good or bad.

  • What is hand, foot, and mouth disease?

    If you’re the parent of small children, odds are you’ll become familiar with hand, foot, and mouth disease at some point. It’s fairly common, but not nearly as serious as its name might suggest.

    What is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

    Hand, foot, and mouth disease is a viral illness that can affect anyone, but is most commonly seen in children under 5 years old. Along with the usual symptoms of a virus- fever, irritability and lack of appetite- children often develop small blisters or red spots on the palms of their hands and soles of their feet. Blisters may also be found in the webs between fingers and toes, or on the buttocks, and can resemble chickenpox. Children also will develop small, painful ulcers in their mouth and on their tongue.

  • My journey through postpartum depression: Jenn's story

    Written by Jenn Stagg

  • Dr. Judith Simms-Cendan disproves common myths about the use of birth control pills

    As an adolescent gynecologist, I prescribe birth control pills (BCPs) for a variety of reasons often unrelated to sexual activity, such as treatment of irregular, heavy or painful menses. I try to be very diligent about counseling about possible side effects such as headaches and nausea, or breakthrough bleeding, especially if they are not taken correctly. Also, some patients have real medical reasons why they should not take BCPs, usually because they have a reason why they cannot take estrogen. I routinely discuss the risks and benefits of taking any medication with my patients, but there is probably no medication that is surrounded by as many pre-conceived ideas as the birth control pill. In this blog, I’m going to address two of the most common fears of taking BCPs, and the good evidence that we have after 50 years of their use. Right up front, you should know that I receive no money, lunches, pens or any other form of incentive from any pharmaceutical company, and I am not invested in any pharmaceutical company, so there is no conflict of interest here.

    Myth 1: I have a high risk of a blood clot if I take birth control pills.

    For years we have known that taking BCPs increases the risk of blood clots, but that increase is relatively very small. To have a better understanding, it is important to understand our risks from other activities; for example 1 in 5,000 of us will die from a car accident each year. In the United States the risk of dying in pregnancy is 1 in 8,700 pregnant women each year. Meanwhile the risk of death from BCPs in a non-smoker under the age of 35 is 1 in 1,667,000 (ibuprofen, acetaminophen are much riskier).

  • Emergency contraception: what every parent of a teenager should know

    In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, down 3% since 2001. Approximately 44% of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to the 2011 data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling; there has been a 48% decline in teen pregnancy rates since 1988, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting contraception options such as DepoProvera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the United States still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of contraception failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

  • Bed rest: When is it necessary?

    There are many recommendations for pregnant women that have little scientific evidence to support them. For example, eating dry saltine crackers followed by a sip of water to prevent and treat morning sickness. Or playing classical music to soothe the unborn baby. Or not lifting one’s hands over their head to prevent umbilical cord entanglement. These are unproven recommendations, but have little risk and are inexpensive, so many pregnant women will embrace them during their 40 weeks of pregnancy.