All Search Results
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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.
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So you have a child that isn’t talking yet. What should you do?
As a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, I see children with a variety of speech and language disorders. One of the most common is what is known as expressive language delay, which is when a child is not using the vocabulary and phrase/sentence length that is appropriate for their age. Although there can be specific medical reasons for the delay, it can also happen with no other diagnosis. For those kids who seem to understand everything but are not communicating at their age level, I encourage parents to work on building their child’s “intent to communicate.”
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How to help your kids get the most out of playing sports
Why are your kids playing sports?
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How we help teens get healthy in a healthy and enjoyable way
The Teen Xpress program is part of the Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families. We offer health care, mental health counseling, case management, and nutrition and dietary services to teens at select schools in Orange County. As the Teen Xpress mental health therapist, I meet with adolescents every day that are interested in changing their lives. Usually, the teens I work with want to make changes behaviorally or emotionally, but they often also express interest in making physical changes as well. It is not unusual to hear teens say that they want to lose weight.
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One dietitian's secret to helping your whole family drink more water
We all know it is important to drink at least 8 cups of water per day for proper hydration. Unfortunately, some of us (like myself) have a difficult time meeting this recommendation due to the “boring” taste of water. Sometimes powdered sugar-free drink mixes can be a good option, but for some people it might not be.
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How you can protect your teen from substance abuse?
Over the last few years there has been an increase in the number of teens who are not only experimenting with drugs, but who have developed an addiction problem. According to statistics, about 2 million children between the ages of 12 and 17 are in need of treatment every year. Most teens do not experiment with drugs with the intention to become addicted to them. In fact, most teens experiment with drugs because of curiosity, peer pressure, or to feel good and have a good time. Unfortunately, many continue and many die because of it. As caregivers, it can be challenging to know what to do because addiction is brooded in secrecy and we might not find out until the substance use has become a substance abuse problem.
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What every new parent needs to know about postpartum depression
Having a baby can be one of the happiest times of one’s life, but it’s not unusual for a mom to also experience some not-so-good feelings during this time. Approximately 80% of moms will experience “baby blues,” a mild state of emotional ups and downs that is of short duration and resolves on its own. -
“You have cancer.”
“You have cancer” are three words you never want to hear in your life, especially if you’re only twelve years old. That’s how old I was when I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer and it flipped my life upside down. My worries were no longer about normal teenager things like what clothes I was wearing but instead, what new side effect was going to hit me after each chemo treatment. Having to quickly grow up and fight for my life was something I would’ve never anticipated as a child, but no one ever anticipates getting cancer.
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How our multi-disciplinary Epilepsy Surgery Team can help kids with seizures
Epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological disease in the nation. In fact, 1 in 26 people will be diagnosed with epilepsy at some point in their lifetime. That’s why November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. It is a chance to teach others what a seizure is, and is not.
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The Lost Art of Play
As a parent, you want the best for your child, but sometimes it is hard to know what is best when it comes to balancing scheduled activities and play time. While activities such as little league and music groups can provide children with structure, discipline, and increasing independence, over-scheduling can leave kids feeling anxious and pressured to constantly perform. Free play is not only a time when children can relax and have fun but it is vital to a child’s growth and development. In the hustle and bustle of life for today’s children, the art of play is seemingly lost.
