All Search Results
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Get Outside and Play — Just Be Careful
Your kids likely have spent much of this past year camped in front of computer screens for virtual school, video chats and games — and not enough time running around in the great outdoors. But now that Florida’s weather has turned more pleasant, you may have more opportunities to prod them off the couch and back outside where exercise, sports and friends await. But has all that time inside left them vulnerable to injury? Even if your kids haven’t been doing the virtual school thing — and have remained active in recess, gym and sports — there are things you can do or encourage to reduce their risk of pulled muscles, twisted ankles and broken bones.
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7 Water Safety Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe This Summer
Summer just wouldn’t feel like right without those long days spent at the beach or pool with your family — especially in Florida. But water poses a significant danger for children as evidenced by these sobering statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Roughly one in five Americans who drown are children 14 and younger. To keep your kids safe while they swim and play in the water, make sure to stay vigilant, take precautions and brush up on your drowning prevention.
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Alcohol and pregnancy: not a good mix
About three years ago this month, my husband and I were getting ready for our first “mommy and daddy” trip since our son was born. Our son was about 15 months old at the time, and he would be staying with grandparents as we explored Napa Valley, California. During that week, as we were scheduling tours of vineyards and making restaurant reservations, I was feeling a little “funny.” And I had only felt that way once before!
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Bullying: teaching your kids not to be a bystander
Many of us who were bullied in childhood look back on those days with anger, sadness, and pain. We know how horrible it can be. For many that were bullied, it was truly a traumatic experience. Now, that we are adults, those days are long gone. However, now, we are the parents, and unfortunately, even though we may not have to worry about bullying for ourselves, we must now think about it in regards for our kids.
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Changing the way we feed our families
I don’t know about you, but mealtimes have become almost nightmarish around our house lately.
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How to manage a nosebleed
One of the more common reasons to visit a pediatric ENT is for nosebleeds, also known as epistaxis. Nosebleeds are extremely common. These can range in severity from a small amount of blood in the nasal mucus to bleeding like from a faucet. In any case, particularly when it happens in your child, it can be very scary. -
A child’s legacy: Will’s Gift Giving
It was a day like any other day. But it was a day that this family would soon realize, would change their lives forever. Will had been out on a Sunday, wakeboarding on one of the lakes in Central Florida, along with over 20 other people boating and skiing that day. On a hot summer day in late July of 2007, the cool, fresh water was the perfect way to escape the scorching heat.
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Responding to the Sandy Hook shooting: How to cope with tragedy
In some ways, it seems impossible to write anything about the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and yet I want to reach out. What can anyone say about such a loss? I cannot imagine the feelings of the families whose children and loved ones have died. Or the feelings of the children, teachers and families who were traumatized even though they escaped physical harm.
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Are you cleaning your child's ears properly?
“I only use it on the outside…”
When I ask parents on their initial visit with me if they use cotton swabs, this is frequently the response I get. They insist that they only use cotton swabs on the outside of the ear and that they NEVER go into the ear canal. I have even heard this from a parent, and then ended up pulling several cotton swab heads out of their child’s ear. -
Choosing a pediatrician for your family
After you process the initial joy of learning that you are pregnant, you will soon realize that you have many decisions to make for you and your baby. These choices may include picking baby names, finding an OB-GYN physician to take care of you during your pregnancy, deciding which hospital to deliver your baby, and choosing a pediatrician for your family. While many decisions can seem overwhelming, picking a pediatrician does not have to be if you know what you are looking for in a doctor.
Talk to other parents about recommendations for a pediatrician.
If you are beginning your search for a pediatrician, talk to your friends and family members that are parents. See if any particular names pop up repeatedly, either positively or negatively. Remember to keep an open mind, though. One person’s not-so-great experience with a pediatrician in the midst of many other positive recommendations may be a result from that particular family and pediatrician not being a good fit. The reverse is also true; one family’s amazing pediatrician may not be exactly what you are looking for. But at the very least, talking to other people is a starting point for your search.Plan to meet the pediatrician…before your baby is born.
After you have made your list of potential pediatricians, the next step is to meet them in person. Many pediatric practices will host open houses for new parents, or will schedule prenatal consultations. By meeting with a pediatrician, you will be able to see if his/her beliefs, values, and attitudes regarding pediatric health care are in line with your own. You can decide if you like him/her or not…plain and simple! You and your baby will have at least 10 well-baby visits to the pediatrician in the first two years of life (not even counting sick visits!), so it helps if you like your pediatrician. Ask the pediatrician if he/she is pediatric board-certified (taken and passed the pediatric board exam) or board-eligible (preparing to take the pediatric board exam).
