POSTED BY:
Guest Contributor

When flu season hits, what usually follows is a barrage of flu myths and misinformation. The flu, which is often accompanied by a fever, a cough, a sore throat and congestion, is a severe illness that kills between 20,000 and 30,000 Americans each year — including children. “Some people feel that it’s not a big deal and they can tough it out, but some kids are hospitalized due to pneumonia because of the flu, and others die every year because of it,” said Dr. Jonathan Miller, general pediatrician and Medical Director of Value-Based Care at Nemours Children’s Health System. “It’s a very serious disease.” The flu can lead to pneumonia, inflammation of the heart or brain, organ failure, or sepsis, all of which can result in death. That’s why it’s so important to take proper precautions against catching or spreading the flu, including getting the influenza vaccine and staying home […]

Almost every child will experience the death of a loved one at some point during their childhood. Whether it’s an immediate family member, a friend or a classmate, it’s important for parents to know how to talk to their kids about death and grief. Be Honest The key is to be honest and use age-appropriate language to make the concept as easy as possible to grasp. “Depending on your child’s age, you want to give them the right amount of information and be straightforward,” said Dr. Meghan Walls, a pediatric psychologist Nemours duPont Hospital for Children. “Some parents will say, ‘Grandma is in a better place,’ but that’s confusing to kids. What does that mean? Instead, they should say, ‘I have to tell you something. Grandma died last night.’ It’s better than saying she passed away. You want to be very clear.” Most elementary-age children don’t understand what death means. […]

In 2018, a disturbing record was set in the U.S. — 52 children died as a result of being left inside a hot car. You may think this could never happen to you or your family. Yet many parents or caregivers who left a sleeping baby or child in a car did it unintentionally and unknowingly. You can ensure that a tragedy like this doesn’t happen to you or your children with a plan to help you avoid distraction. The dangers of leaving children in the car “The first thing to remember is that never, at any time, should you leave infants, children or someone who has special needs in a parked car,” said Kate Cronan, MD, attending physician with the emergency medicine department at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. “Even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes. Even if the windows are cracked open. Even if it […]

Sports, toys and everyday household items have one thing in common: they can cause eye injuries in children. And in some cases, these injuries can become eye emergencies — situations that require immediate medical attention. The best way to treat eye emergencies is by preventing them in the first place. Be sure your kids use protective eyewear when engaging in sports, play only with age-appropriate toys and don’t have access to household chemicals and utensils. Still, even after you’ve taken these precautions, eye emergencies can happen. Here’s what to look for and what to do if your child experiences trauma to one or both eyes. Chemical exposure Dangerous chemicals are in nearly every area of our home, and if they’re not kept out of a child’s reach, they can cause permanent eye damage. One particularly dangerous culprit: detergent pods, whose bright colors are appealing to kids. “Children may try to […]

This post was written by Anthony’s mom, Debbie.  “Something was Different” Anthony was about six months old when I started to notice something was different about his back. He would roll over and try to sit up and there was an obvious bulge/curvature in his spine. I took him to my pediatrician who told me there wasn’t anything to worry about. He informed me that some children take a bit longer to sit up on their own. At this time, I had two-year-old twins at home and was very aware that children progress differently, but there was no overlooking the curve of his spine. Unhappy with that visit, I scheduled an appointment with a specialist at a hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Finally a Diagnosis Anthony was about a year old when he was diagnosed with infantile scoliosis. My family was with me in the room when the doctor put his […]

As originally posted on “Love What Matters,” written and submitted by mom, Marcella Stanley “‘I’m sorry, but I don’t think he’s going to make it.’ My husband and I sat flabbergasted, the tears instantly streaming while I struggled to breathe. A room filled with nearly a dozen people stared awkwardly at us as we faced every parent’s worst nightmare. This was not how this day was supposed to go. We found out exactly four weeks prior, at our 20-week ultrasound, that our baby boy had a form of dwarfism. The initial concern was that it was a lethal condition, due to the severity of his skeletal abnormalities and how early they presented in the pregnancy. However, my amazing local OB and maternal fetal medicine physicians researched, and after painstakingly detailed ultrasounds, determined our son likely had a non-lethal skeletal dysplasia. His limbs were awfully short, but his chest was average […]