All Search Results
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How clinical trials make a difference in the lives of kids with cancer
This September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. To truly understand how important this awareness month is to all pediatric oncology patients and their families, it’s important to recognize some of the key statistics regarding pediatric cancer.
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How long is it okay for my child to suck on a thumb or pacifier?
As parents, you may worry about your child sucking his or her thumb or a pacifier, but it’s important to remember that sucking is one of an infant's natural reflexes that they start even in the womb. Infants and young children may also suck on their fingers or other objects because it makes them feel happy and safe, and it helps them to learn and explore their world. It also helps them feel safe during difficult periods, such as when they are separated from their parents or if they are in a new and unfamiliar environment. Sucking may also be relaxing and, for some children, can help them get to sleep.
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What to do about bedwetting
You know the drill because it happens over and over and over again. You walk into your child’s room, and you can usually smell it before you even see it, and you think, “Uggh, he’s wet the bed AGAIN.” You start your day with the additional loads of laundry that you don’t have time for, a crying child who can sense your frustration and is overcome with embarrassment and the sinking feeling that you must be doing something wrong for this to continue happening.
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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.
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What You Need to Know to Keep Your Child Safe This Summer
Parents and children alike are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the lazy days of summer are finally here. However, along with the lovely warm weather come some risks.
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They Look Alike, So How Can I Tell if It’s Asthma or Allergies?
Asthma and allergies are two of the leading causes of chronic illness in children, and the number children experiencing those conditions is increasing due to a range of potential factors. Although asthma and allergies can interact, as well as share common symptoms—including coughing and shortness of breath—it’s important to understand the difference between them. Still, asthma and allergies present in different ways in different age groups. So it’s best to consult with your pediatrician or an allergist if symptoms do arise.
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What every parent needs to know about the risk of suicide in young children
Know the risk factors and triggers
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What do you do when your child hurts your feelings?
One of my favorite times with my daughter is the car ride home from school. It’s one of the rare moments that she and I have that’s just the two of us, now that she has a little brother at home, too. One day last week, I was particularly excited to pick her up from preschool. I couldn’t wait to hear what letter she’d learned, what art projects she had made and who she played with on the playground. Usually she tells funny anecdotes from her day, and it makes me smile.
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If news headlines have made you feel like a bad parent, you aren’t alone
You are a bad parent.
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Emergency contraception: what every parent of a teenager should know
In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, down 3% since 2001. Approximately 44% of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to the 2011 data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey of high school students. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling; there has been a 48% decline in teen pregnancy rates since 1988, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting contraception options such as DepoProvera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the United States still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of contraception failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
