All Search Results
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5 easy things you can do to give your kids healthy teeth
So it’s happening. Your six-month-old baby is crying nonstop, and you finally found the reason: they have their first tooth! But what now? Everyone knows we’re supposed to brush our teeth. But when do you start teaching your child to brush? How often should your kids brush? What happens when they don’t take care of their teeth?
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Ringworm: a common skin condition you can treat at home
A few weeks ago, I noticed a round, reddened area on my son’s leg. When I asked him what caused it, he told me he got it from falling off his bed. I found it difficult to believe he had fallen on something so perfectly round that it made a complete circle on his leg, and he couldn’t pinpoint anything in his room that caused the mark. (Three-year-olds aren’t the best source of medical information, as you might imagine). I accepted his explanation for a day or two, but when I gave it second look I realized that it wasn’t an injury at all but a ringworm infection.
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One year later... how to help your children
As caregivers, we do our best to help and protect our children. When a tragedy like the pulse shooting happens, it is difficult for us as adults to make sense of it, much less to help our children do so. Usually, anniversaries of a tragedy bring back emotions and thoughts that may have already settled. Therefore, it is a good idea to have some tips handy in case you notice the following characteristics in your children that were not there before:
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What every parent should know about mental health in kids and teens
As a mental health provider, I often hear how parents and guardians of children tend to think their child is “too young” to have a mental health diagnosis. It is unfortunate, but I have noticed that the stigma of having a mental health condition gets in the way of understanding and treating children many times. Mental health conditions and disorders don't only affect adults. Children and teens can experience mental health problems, too. In fact, research shows that most mental disorders follow a developmental course that typically starts early in life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health “this is true not only of conditions such as autism and ADHD, which are well known for having onset in childhood, but also for mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. So, many people who suffer from depression, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia showed signs before they were 24 years old.”
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Why your pediatrician isn't a big fan of fruit juice
You may have seen some recent news headlines that state that pediatricians recommend that infants less than one year of age consume no fruit juice at all. While this is a change to previous recommendations stating that juice was not recommended in infants less than six months of age, the truth is that pediatricians have long been wary of kids drinking too much fruit juice. Even among older kids, the recommended serving sizes of juice they can consume in a day are shockingly small.
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How to prepare for a hurricane if you have a child with a chronic illness
Hurricane season is officially upon us, and forecasters predict the 2017 hurricane season to be more active than average. The 2016 hurricane season was the most active since 2012, with 15 named storms, including four major hurricanes (one of which made landfall on the Florida coastline), and 2017 is predicted to be similar, with experts expecting anywhere from 11 to 17 named storms with two to four of these becoming major hurricanes.
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What every parent should know about febrile seizures
A seizure is abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes abnormal movements or one to pass out. A febrile seizure is a seizure that occurs when a child has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher that is due to an infection not involving the brain or spinal cord. Febrile seizures usually occur in children ages 6 months to 5 years and are most common from 12 to 18 months old.
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How (and why) to prevent mosquito bites
Summertime in Florida inevitably means mosquitos and lots of them. More than a mere nuisance, though, mosquitoes carry a variety of different illnesses that can be spread to people, so it’s important to avoid mosquito bites as much as possible.
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How I’m surviving the toddler years (tantrums and all)
My husband and I have two children, one of which is a 17-month-old little boy. We are right smack in the middle of all of the challenges that come with raising a toddler.
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If your child has been diagnosed with cleft lip or palate, here’s what you need to know
You may be surprised to learn that cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects in children born in the United States, occurring in about one in every 600 to 700 births. The good news for families who find themselves faced with a diagnosis is this- while a cleft lip or palate requires ongoing medical care throughout childhood and into adulthood, the condition is highly treatable and children go on to lead normal, healthy lives.
