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Sending a child with epilepsy to school: what every parent should know

Why antibiotics aren't always the answer

When our kids get sick, we often feel desperate for relief and many parents look to antibiotics to help their children get better faster.

Do You Know What to do if Your Child is Choking?

It is the nightmare scenario that can send any parent into a cold sweat: what if my child is choking and I don’t know how to help him?

Why you (and your kids) shouldn't use antibacterial soap anymore

No more antibacterial soap. Not at home. Not at school. Not at all for healthy people.

Tips to make your kid's sport season a safer one

Kids are back in school and back in sports. When I was younger, that always meant balancing the less-than-happy feelings of returning to a sleep schedule with my excitement over returning to organized sports. Sports were always a fun way for me to stay active, learn to work within a team and to build friendships. 

How to Make the Most of Your Family Dinners

I talk to a lot parents who share that their child comes home from school and when they ask how their day was, they hear “fine” as their child walks toward their room and shuts the door. I praise these parents for trying to connect with their child, and then tell them they are doing it all wrong!

How do you teach a child to be kind, caring and compassionate?

Working as a child life specialist has granted me a front row seat to some of life's most challenging, defining, and intimate moments for the kids I serve. In partnering with children and families, we work to empower and encourage positive coping skills and help them make meaning from the obstacles they have been presented. And through this, I am always left with a chance for meaning-making of my own. Lately, I have been reflecting on the concept of empathy and its importance not only within the lives of those affected by medical challenges, but as a basic skill needed between all people.

Should reading be a part of your family's bedtime routine?

You’ve eaten dinner as a family around the table, you’ve given the little ones a bath, gotten them into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and sent them to bed- now relax! Chances are though, it didn’t go that easily. I know it doesn't in my house. Bedtime routines can be hectic, and adding one more thing to the list to do before bed may seem like a hassle, but the five minutes it takes to read your child a bedtime story can be so valuable to their development.

One simple test saved Lauren's life

When Lauren Doubleday was born, her parents were excited to welcome a happy, healthy baby girl. But less than 24 hours later, they were told that Lauren had a serious heart defect. The fact that this heart defect was even caught is thanks to one simple test - a pulse ox screening. For the past year, babies born at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies  have received additional screening to check the oxygen levels in their blood. This simple test can signal potential heart defects and allows our team to intervene as soon as possible.

Does teething cause a fever?

One of the most challenging aspects of caring for young children is simply not knowing if and when something is wrong with them. Infants and toddlers can’t communicate what they’re feeling or what may be bothering them, so it often becomes a guessing game when parents sense something isn’t right. Is my baby sick? Is she teething? Does she have an earache? Is she constipated? We’re constantly looking for clues that may indicate what’s going on.