POSTED BY:
Kate Cronan, MD

Around this time of year, there’s coughing practically around every corner. Kids are hacking away at the table next to you in restaurants. Fellow shoppers are barking down the grocery aisles. Most coughs are short-lived and more of a nuisance than anything. Others linger much longer and can be downright exhausting. One type of cough that can be especially concerning for parents is caused by pertussis (also called “whooping cough”). You probably already know that pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the airways. It spreads like other upper respiratory infections when an infected person coughs or sneezes. But here are 10 important pertussis tidbits you may not know that just might help you and your loved ones be better protected this season. 1. Whooping cough has been making a dangerous comeback in the past decade. In the United States, pertussis used to kill about 9,000 people each year, […]

Vaccines don’t just protect your kids from illnesses — they protect them from passing the germs on to high-risk populations, like the elderly, babies who are too young to get immunized, kids still in need of their booster shots, children whose immune systems aren’t working well (like those with cancer). As a parent, vaccinating your kids is the safest option for them, your family, and your community. How do vaccines work? Getting vaccinated is a way of creating immunity to certain diseases by using small amounts of killed or weakened bacteria (such as pneumococcus) or viruses (like measles) that cause the particular disease. Vaccines cause the immune system to react as if there were a real infection — it fends off the “infection” and remembers the organism so that it can fight it quickly should it enter the body later. What is community immunity? Community immunity, or “herd immunity,” is when […]

For so many, dogs are our best friends and trusted companions. Despite how warm and loving they can be, all breeds of dogs are capable of biting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, more than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States, and more than half of those bites happen at home with a familiar dog. Of those who endure dog bites, more than half are children under the age of 14 and nearly a million require medical attention. Most dogs won’t bite without a reason. A family dog may bite when a new baby is brought home or a child plays too roughly, teases, or startles the dog. A dog you don’t know may bite when approached without taking the proper precautions. Knowing how to prevent dog bites will help keep your family safer this summer — and beyond. […]

Whether you send your kids to sleep-away or day summer camp, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into getting them ready. As another school year comes to a close and camp season approaches, we thought we’d go over some camp readiness tips. Before Summer Camp Finding the Right Fit Pick a summer camp with your kids, not for them. Camp is a time for your children to have fun and stay active in the summer, while learning new things or pursuing an interest. Maybe your child wouldn’t like the same camp as an older sibling but, instead, would like the kind of camp you went to growing up – or maybe an entirely different one. Follow your kids’ lead. Encourage them to be excited, but don’t discount their worries and fears. There’s no need to freak your kids out by discussing emergency pick-up plans and homesickness, but if these […]

This post was originally published in the Wilmington News Journal and DelawareOnline. Suicide. It’s a troubling topic, a hugely difficult conversation, a “that could never happen to my child” pronouncement. But with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announcing that suicide rates in the U.S. are steadily on the rise, the time is now to confront this issue with your family — especially with your preteens and teenagers. The CDC reports that from 1999 through 2014, suicide rates have increased for both males and females and for all ages 10–74. While this is concerning news, perhaps most troubling is the fact that the suicide rate among girls aged 10–14 tripled during this time frame and had the largest percent increase (200 percent). And although suicide is relatively rare among children, it is the third leading cause of death in youth ages 10–24, after accidents and homicide. Who’s at Risk? […]

In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, I can really appreciate the small conveniences that are available to make our lives easier…drive-throughs, single-serve coffee makers, even microwave meals. One of the biggest things that make our lives easier is washing machines. They make washing things so much more efficient. Many people would be lost without their washing machines and dishwasher. This is why many homeowners decide to insure their appliances at https://homewarranty.firstam.com/homeowner/home-warranty/michigan. That makes sure that homeowners can receive 24/7 support if their appliances break down. Someone will also come out and take a look at the appliance too. Hopefully, they’ll be able to fix it, allowing us to continue with our washing. But sometimes these little conveniences can carry a danger we never considered, especially when using pods. The laundry (and dishwasher) detergent packets/pods are a great example of what seems to be the perfect modern-day convenience. […]