All Search Results
-
The morning after pill: what every parent of a teenager should know
In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, and less than half of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting birth control options such as Depo-Provera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the U.S still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of birth control failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
-
Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life
Our son Brandon, who is now 20 years old, came into our lives fifteen years ago. We met him about two months before he turned five. At the time, he was in foster care. His mother had problems with addiction and was not providing a stable home so he entered foster care about a month before he turned three. November is National Adoption Month and I thought it might be a good time to share our story.
-
Twitter Chat on the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy
Thank you to everyone who joined our discussion on the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy with Kelly Urbanik, a Registered Dietitian who works with the Ketogenic Diet Therapy Program at Arnold Palmer Hospital. The chat was featured live on Twitter, where we tweeted from @APHospital, and others could join in by following the hashtag, #EpilepsyNutrition.
-
What November means to me
In honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month, we would like to share this story written by a mother, whose son was diagnosed with Epilepsy in 2007.
-
Why I gave up red meat
I am a native of the South. I was born and raised in Central Florida with a family who enjoys its share of sweet tea, mashed potatoes and gravy, and holiday barbecues. My grandfather even used to dry his own beef jerky in the backyard. So you can imagine the quizzical looks and questions I received when I – abruptly – decided to stop eating red meat. Why would you do such a thing? Are you a vegan now? How long will you keep it up? It’s been two and a half years since my last taste of beef, and now I can look back with greater clarity to answer why I made such a snap decision.
-
A little bit of fabric equals a lot of love: a pillowcase makes the hospital feel like home
Written by Nora Elkins, customer service specialist.
-
Winning the kid lottery: how adoption changed my life... continued
Our family continued to adjust and grow together. Brandon sometimes recognized gaps in his early years and we did our best to fill those in. One time when he was seven or eight, he asked me if we could read some fairy tales and said, “I never go to hear those when I was little.” So we read fairy tales.
-
Baby’s teething products can be harmful
There are some areas of parenting where everyone has an opinion. And, doesn’t it always happen that when you’re pushing your kid in the grocery cart, trying desperately to find the last item on your list so you can get the heck out of that store(!), that’s when someone stops you to share their little nuggets of parenting wisdom?
-
Winning the pacifier war
My daughter has had an intense, rapturous love affair with the pacifier for the past 2 and-a-half years. I’m certain that if the world were ending and she had the choice to keep for herself either Mommy or her bee-bees (her word for pacifier), she would choose the bee-bees any day of the week. I try not to take it personally.
-
Cool apps for kids
“There’s an app for that.” It seems like there is an app for our every need, even the need to keep kids entertained while parents browse the grocery store aisles, families wait to be seated at a restaurant, or driving in the car from point A to B. A recent article asked the question, “Are tablets the new Nanny?”. While this may sound ridiculous, there may be some truth behind this question. Studies show that in 2011, tablet usage among kids under the age of 12 increased by 10% within 6 months. Tablets, such as the iPad and Kindle, are kids’ new accessories, an accessory many parents are thankful for.
Are apps really beneficial for my child?
Great question! We do not know yet if the use of tablets and smartphones encourage healthy development among young kids. There is not enough scientific research to support this claim, as researchers are still studying the benefits of apps for kids. However, the technological trends of the world in which we live in are inevitable and growing at a rapid pace. Today, over 50% of kids now have access to a smartphone or tablet, creating a large market for apps designed specifically for kids.