All Search Results
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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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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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On Mother's Day, what to say to parents who've lost a child
There are certain holidays that can feel like tiptoeing over landmines, and Mother’s and Father’s Day can be that way for some of us. For a perfectly intact family it may be nothing but joyful, but for those of us who have endured loss and heartache, that happiness is often tempered by a sense of sadness and grief. I lost my father as a teenager, and even now nearly twenty years later the day set aside to celebrate fathers is always bittersweet for me. I rejoice in the celebration of my husband with my children, but underneath I always feel the loss of my own father. My loss feels even heavier as I scroll through Facebook and see smiling photo after smiling photo posted of other people with their fathers. I’ll never have a picture of my Dad walking me down the aisle to get married; he wasn’t there. I’ll never have a photo of him with his grandchildren; he didn’t live to meet them. The knowledge of these things is a dull ache that has gotten better with time, but never really goes away.
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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.
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Is your child with autism spectrum disorder entitled to music therapy services?
If you have a child with autism, you may find they are especially in tune with certain elements of music like rhythm, harmony, melody, and pitch. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often demonstrate exceptional skills in music. In fact, many musical skills that are rare within the general population are more common in those with ASD. Examples include incredible accuracy in singing or playing musical notes, the ability to recall melodies with great accuracy, and the ability to name musical notes without any reference to a musical instrument.
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One easy thing you can do to help prevent ear infections
Ear infections are one of the most common medical problems children experience within the first three years of life. They are upsetting and painful for the child, and they often result in frustration and sleepless nights for the whole family. In other words, parents would prefer to avoid ear infections if at all possible.
