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  • How to help a child who may be experiencing abuse or neglect

    As a social worker, I have become the “go to” person for many friends and family members. They will often present scenarios to me, ranging from how to help a loved one who may be a victim of domestic violence to what to do about the homeless family you see sleeping in their car to how to help a child who may be a victim of abuse or neglect. Some of these scenarios require a deeper analysis into the many factors at play, and there may not always be a straightforward answer to the problem. However, any time there is concern that a child may be experiencing abuse or neglect, there are specific steps that anyone can take to help provide for the wellbeing of that child.

  • If your child has had a concussion or brain injury, you may not see the full effects for years to come

    As an occupational therapist, one of the things that I do in my job is assist children who are recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I help them work through the new challenges they face because of their injury in hopes that they can fulfill their full potential. As a medical community, we are still working to fully understand how a brain injury affects a child’s long-term growth and development, but what recent research has shown us is that it may be long after the initial recovery period from a traumatic brain injury (even years later) before we see the full effects the injury will have on their growth and development.

    What parents need to know

    When we talk about brain injuries, it’s important to understand that we aren’t only talking about major injuries; we are also talking about relatively minor brain injuries, such as a concussion. Whether they have had a severe injury or a relatively minor one, children may experience long-lasting effects that can affect their development. A child may sustain a brain injury and experience a significant decrease in social, emotional, behavioral or cognitive abilities at the time of injury. (Cognitive abilities refers to a child’s capacity for learning and understanding, acquiring knowledge). Years later, they may then experience a “stall” where they fail to develop their cognitive, social, emotional or behavioral skills.

                                                     

  • Know the hazards of a button battery

    Written by Timothy Hadley, DO

  • Blankets can kill your baby

    Putting your baby to sleep in unsafe bedding could cost your child his life, but according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, half of parents are doing just that.

  • Do you think your child may have ADHD? Here are the next steps to take.

    Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common medical issues affecting children, with an estimated 5 to 11% of children in the U.S. diagnosed with the disorder. Despite its prevalence (or perhaps because of it), an ADHD diagnosis for a child often brings with it feelings of stress, frustration, confusion and fear for parents. There are multitudes of conflicting opinions floating around about ADHD, and many parents find it difficult to decide which voices to listen to and how to make the right decision for their child.

  • Making Kids Feel Like Kids: What it’s like to be a Child Life Specialist

    Most kids don’t want to step foot inside of a hospital. Luckily for the children treated at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, the Child Life staff improves the hospital experience. And for the kids being treated at the Center for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Child Life Specialist Lauren Hamed and team focus on making extended stays and routine visits full of therapeutic interactions.

  • Epilepsy patients: sleeping on your stomach may be associated with sudden death

    New research published in the Journal Neurology brings to light an association between patients with epilepsy who experience sudden unexpected death and their sleep positioning. As researchers reviewed studies pertaining to sudden unexplained death in epileptics, they determined that victims of this tragedy were much more likely to be found lying on their stomachs, especially if they were under 40 years of age.

    What does this study mean? 

    First, it’s important to know what it doesn’t mean. This study cannot and does not tell us that sleeping on your stomach will kill you, whether you suffer from epilepsy or not. When a scientific study shows an association between two things, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one thing causes the other. It means that two things are somehow associated and more work needs to be done to determine exactly what is causing the two to coexist.

  • Marching for hope in the fight against childhood cancer: Ethan’s story

    Ethan was a happy and healthy 13-year-old who loved football and soccer. But about a year-and-a-half ago, Ethan’s parents knew something was not right with him. Ethan began to experience incredible pain in his hip, and so they began the daunting search to try and find answers to what was causing his pain. Life quickly became a flurry of emergency room visits, tests, nurses, doctors, needles, ambulance rides - all while their other kids were still at home. Ethan and his parents were sent to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children to meet with the pediatric oncology team.

  • What not to say to an adoptive parent

    I have the good fortune of knowing many families with children who have been adopted, and over the years I’ve been appalled at some of the conversations these friends have endured at the hand of strangers (and even non-strangers). Most adoptive parents will tell you that they know these offenses are not intentional, and they give a lot of grace as they try to educate the public on adoption one awkward conversation at a time. Many would probably tell you, though, that they wish they didn’t have to be blindsided by these uncomfortable and sometimes hurtful exchanges. So, if you know families with adopted children or if you happen to meet a mom at the park that appears to be an adoptive mother, here are some things NOT to say:

  • Why the outbreak of measles at Disneyland is important to your family

    Over the Christmas holiday, a person who was carrying the measles virus visited Disneyland. Five park employees and dozens of visitors then became ill. The outbreak has ballooned to include not only people who visited Disneyland but also people who came into contact with those individuals. So far this year, 84 people in 14 states have been infected with measles, and this number continues to rise.