All Search Results
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5 easy things you can do to give your kids healthy teeth
So it’s happening. Your six-month-old baby is crying nonstop, and you finally found the reason: they have their first tooth! But what now? Everyone knows we’re supposed to brush our teeth. But when do you start teaching your child to brush? How often should your kids brush? What happens when they don’t take care of their teeth?
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Ringworm: a common skin condition you can treat at home
A few weeks ago, I noticed a round, reddened area on my son’s leg. When I asked him what caused it, he told me he got it from falling off his bed. I found it difficult to believe he had fallen on something so perfectly round that it made a complete circle on his leg, and he couldn’t pinpoint anything in his room that caused the mark. (Three-year-olds aren’t the best source of medical information, as you might imagine). I accepted his explanation for a day or two, but when I gave it second look I realized that it wasn’t an injury at all but a ringworm infection.
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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.”
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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.
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What every parent should know about febrile seizures
A seizure is abnormal electrical activity in the brain that causes abnormal movements or one to pass out. A febrile seizure is a seizure that occurs when a child has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher that is due to an infection not involving the brain or spinal cord. Febrile seizures usually occur in children ages 6 months to 5 years and are most common from 12 to 18 months old.
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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.
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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?
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How to help your kids get the most out of playing sports
Why are your kids playing sports?
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How we help teens get healthy in a healthy and enjoyable way
The Teen Xpress program is part of the Howard Phillips Center for Children and Families. We offer health care, mental health counseling, case management, and nutrition and dietary services to teens at select schools in Orange County. As the Teen Xpress mental health therapist, I meet with adolescents every day that are interested in changing their lives. Usually, the teens I work with want to make changes behaviorally or emotionally, but they often also express interest in making physical changes as well. It is not unusual to hear teens say that they want to lose weight.
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One dietitian's secret to helping your whole family drink more water
We all know it is important to drink at least 8 cups of water per day for proper hydration. Unfortunately, some of us (like myself) have a difficult time meeting this recommendation due to the “boring” taste of water. Sometimes powdered sugar-free drink mixes can be a good option, but for some people it might not be.
