Back

All Search Results

  • 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.”

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • "13 Reasons Why" suicide isn't the answer: what every teenager needs to know

    I’m sure by now, you have either heard of or watched the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. It first aired on March 31, 2017 and it has become one of the most talked about topics of the last few weeks. The premise of the series is simple- a teen commits suicide and leaves 13 tapes explaining the reasons why she did it and who, in her view, is responsible for her making this choice.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Can a smart device save your baby’s life?

    If there were a device available for purchase that could protect your infant from sudden, unexplained death and keep your family from the pain and suffering of the loss of a child, would you buy it?

  • 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.

  • 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.” 

  • How to help your kids get the most out of playing sports

    Why are your kids playing sports?