All Search Results
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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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Why Am I Coughing? It Could Be the Flu — or Vaping
The outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries shows no sign of decreasing across the United States and, with the onset of flu season, it would be very easy to confuse the two. The symptoms are very much the same.
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Why Feeding Your Baby Peanuts Sooner May Prevent Allergies
Over the past couple of decades, recommendations for introducing peanuts to children have shifted dramatically. After recommendations in 2000 were made to delay introduction to high-risk infants until age 3, peanut and other food allergies have continued to increase significantly.
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Newborn Sleep Safety: Preventing SIDS in Your Home
One of the most frequent concerns of new parents is getting their baby to sleep. And when it comes to this topic, there is no shortage of advice offered by family members, products to buy to make sleep easier, and advertisements to convince you of your need for these things.
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A survivor of childhood cancer, 25 years later: Nessa’s story
Twenty-five years ago in September of 1988, Nessa’s life was forever changed by words that weren’t talked about much back then: childhood cancer. After finding bumps on Nessa’s head and swollen lymph nodes, her mom knew something wasn’t right. After a trip to the pediatrician’s office, they were told to go to Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) to see Dr. Vincent Guisti, a pediatric oncologist, to find out what might be causing these symptoms. Since the visit required an overnight bag, Nessa’s mom, Carol, knew it wasn’t what she’d first suspected – it was something much more serious.
Receiving a heart-wrenching diagnosis
Nessa was eight years old and in the third grade at a local elementary school. That day was picture day- a day that many girls prepare for by selecting their best school outfit and making sure their hair looks just right. As her mom was combing Nessa’s hair, she noticed little bumps on her head, and Nessa had been saying she wasn’t feeling well. The next morning, Carol knew something wasn’t right after Nessa woke up with swollen lymph nodes. Thinking it might be a case of mononucleosis, they visited the family’s pediatrician, where they were told to go to ORMC to see Dr. Guisti, a pediatric oncologist. -
Back to School With Food Allergies – What You Need to Know
Going back to school can be an exciting and stressful time for families, and many may be finding their usual anxiety is heightened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For children with food allergies, many of whom are cautious already, returning to school this year may require further planning, vigilance and checking up on federal guidelines. There is no cure for food allergies, and if a child with a serious allergy is exposed to a trigger food, they may experience an adverse reaction, the most severe being anaphylactic shock. Other reactions can include mild hives, swelling, vomiting and diarrhea. Preventing such an exposure is crucial to ensure your child has a safe educational environment.
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Soothing your baby after shots with the 5 S’s
As a new parent, bringing your child in for the 2 month and 4 month shots can almost seem unbearable. Watching your child’s eyes fill with a flood of tears after being stuck with a needle can cause many parents to second-guess the importance of these vaccinations for newborns. Parents are not the only ones who are concerned; doctors are too, which has led to research studies to find a better method for soothing a baby’s pain.
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When family expectations differ from your doctor’s advice, what’s a new parent to do?
Written by Lisandra Perez, MD
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Why Sports Clearance Exams Don’t Replace Annual Physicals
A common question parents have is whether their child needs an annual physical with their pediatrician if they’ve already had a sports clearance exam at school.
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It’s shaping up to be a rough flu season, but it’s not too late to protect your family.
Flu season is here, and it is packing a big punch this year. In late December and early January, experts documented a surge of influenza illnesses throughout various parts of the country, and Florida is no exception. Experts predict this trend to continue for the next several months, and here’s why: