Nemours Blog Posts | Expert Tips on Child Health & Wellness

PATIENT STORIES 6 min read

Jalen’s Journey with Hip Dysplasia (In His Mom’s Words)

Jalen has been a miracle since the beginning. We struggled with infertility and experienced four miscarriages over five years before he came into our lives. Each pregnancy took nearly a year to achieve, and each time, we lost the baby. During my pregnancy with Jalen, I was constantly terrified of miscarrying and prayed every day for his safe arrival. We had a C-Section scheduled for November 1, 2013, because Jalen was in a breech position. The moment I saw him and heard his cry, I felt an immense relief. He was finally here, safe and sound, and I could breathe again. That relief lasted for about a minute before I felt the fear creep back in again. I watched his newborn examination, I remember noticing they didn’t bring him over to me as quickly as I expected. The providers were focusing on his legs, and more and more of them […]

Mother with toddler on hip holding a carton of cooking cream and checking label

NUTRITION

Decoding Food Labels: A Pediatrician’s Guide for Parents

Walking around the grocery store can be overwhelming with so many products lining the shelves. To add to the difficulty and confusion are Nutrition Facts food labels. What should we avoid? What should we look for in the products we buy and consume? Is the number of calories the only thing that matters? Are portion sizes misleading? What are the facts behind nutritional facts? Where to Start with Nutrition Labels There are four main components to a Nutrition Facts label: serving information, calories, nutrients, and percent daily value. Serving Size A serving size refers to the amount of food typically eaten at one time. The serving per container represents how many servings are in the respective package. This section of the label is meant to help you determine the right portion size for your family members, and it may require a little math. For example, one serving of this food […]

Overheated little child is sitting in front of electric fan trying to cool down.

ALL BLOGS

Common Summer Ailments: A Parents’ Guide

As the sun shines brighter and outdoor adventures continue to beckon, summer’s extreme heat can turn into a health hazard if we’re not careful. While the season offers endless opportunities for fun in the sun, it’s not just the sunburns we need to watch out for — hidden dangers like poison ivy lurking in the underbrush can also put an itchy damper on our plans. By recognizing these risks and taking a few simple precautions, we can make the most of the warm days still ahead. Learn to identify, prevent, and treat summer ailments like sunburn, heat illness, dehydration, and poison ivy to keep your family healthy this summer. Sunburn When kids are outdoors, it’s important to protect their skin from too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV rays), which can put an immediate stop to summer (and winter) fun with painful sunburn and skin damage, as well […]

Teen girl privately discussing symptoms with a female doctor

ALL BLOGS

Adolescent Well Visits: A Safe Place for Teens to Be Heard

Adolescents are at a point in their lives where everything is (or simply feels like) it’s changing all around them. They’re gaining new skills as they learn and grow; they’re taking on new responsibilities as they gain more independence; and they’re navigating new social challenges — within their families, at school, and among friends as their peer group members also mature and grow. Meanwhile, their bodies are undergoing rapid physical, mental, and emotional development. When you put it all together, this can often lead to that feeling of uncertainty that most of us experienced growing up. This adolescent uncertainty leads to three core questions that almost every teenager goes to bed wondering: These questions are fundamental to an adolescent’s development and health, which is why there are differences in pediatric and adolescent medicine. Pediatrician checkups begin to change to include more questions about mental, emotional, and social well-being. Our goal […]

Four kids jumping into a lake on a summer day with two of the younger children wearing life vests to demonstrate proper water safety

SAFETY & PREVENTION

Water Safety Tips for Kids: How to Prevent Drowning This Summer

As summer heats up, many of us flock to pools, lakes, and beaches to cool off. But beneath the fun and relaxation lies a serious risk: accidental drowning is a leading cause of injury-related death in children, especially among toddlers and adolescents. Drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years and for children and adults with autism, according to the American Red Cross. Learn how to prevent drowning and stay safe in the water with your family this summer. Preparation is Key Before you get to the pool, lake, pond, or ocean: Safety in the Water While you’re in the water: From Avoiding Risks to Understanding “Dry Drowning” Water safety matters everywhere and keeping it top of mind helps you manage the risks. Drowning Statistics and Why They Matter Drowning deaths are on the rise in the United States, following decades of decline, […]

PATIENT STORIES

Annistyn’s Journey with Nemours Children’s Health, Lakeland (In Mom’s Words)

In February, our daughter Annistyn broke her humerus when she fell off a snowmobile in New York. After a visit to a local urgent care and an X-ray, we were referred to Nemours Children’s Health, Lakeland—and from that moment on, everything was handled with such care and compassion. From the very first phone call, Nemours made us feel supported. They confirmed directions, sent all documents ahead of time, and ensured our arrival and appointment were seamless and right on schedule. We were met by smiles and kind staff from the very first interaction to the last. Every person we encountered treated Annistyn like she was their own—with warmth, patience, and expertise. Under the care of Kevin Osborne, PA-C, Annistyn was put in a sling for immobilization. One thing that truly stood out to me as a parent was how they spoke directly to Annistyn about her care. They didn’t just […]

Mother and daughter hiking in forest. Mother is applying tick repellent on the daughter's legs to prevent ticks and Lyme disease

SAFETY & PREVENTION

Lyme Disease and Ticks: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Ticks might look like insects, but they’re not. They’re part of the arachnid family, which includes spiders. When a tick bites, it attaches itself to the skin and sucks blood. Most tick bites are harmless and don’t need medical treatment. But some ticks (like the deer tick) can carry harmful germs that cause illnesses like Lyme disease. How can I prevent tick bites and Lyme disease? While enjoying the outdoors, it’s important to remember that there are hundreds of kinds of ticks, and not all ticks carry Lyme disease. Here are some tips to help protect your family from the risk of a tick bite before heading out, and what to do after a day of exploring nature: Ticks removed within 36 hours are less likely to spread diseases. So, if you pluck the tick off right away, your child can’t be infected. Because ticks (especially deer ticks) are tiny, they may be hard to […]

ALL BLOGS

OI Awareness Week: The Benyo Family

When Carrie Benyo’s femur broke at just eight weeks old, her family wasn’t surprised. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) ran in their family, and Carrie quickly became familiar with the challenges that came with it—multiple fractures and the need for specialized care. So when her daughter, Vaeda, was born, Carrie didn’t wait for the first fracture to seek answers. Through cord blood testing at birth, Vaeda was diagnosed with OI Type 1 when the results came back just four weeks later. Determined to find the best care for her daughter, Carrie discovered Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, a nationally recognized leader in OI treatment. “I wanted the best specialists I could find for her,” shares Carrie. What started as a search for Vaeda’s care soon became a turning point for Carrie, too. “When they said they could treat me too I started seeing them as well. Before that I did not have routine […]

ALL BLOGS

Making a Comeback: Cole’s Story

For 14-year-old Cole, sports have always been a huge part of life. Whether it’s football, wrestling, basketball, or lacrosse, he thrives on the competition and camaraderie of being part of a team. But with one play, Cole’s season was brought to an abrupt halt. “I was playing football, went to make a tackle, and my knee buckled,” Cole recalls. His coaches and the team mom suspected right away that it was his ACL. An MRI confirmed their fears—Cole had torn his ACL and meniscus, injuries that would require surgery and months of physical therapy. Cole’s family knew exactly where to turn. As a baby, he had spent time in the NICU at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, so when it came time to find expert care for his knee, Nemours Children’s was the clear choice. Under the care of Dr. Su and his team, Cole underwent surgery that rebuilt his ACL […]

PATIENT STORIES

Chasing Dreams: Lizzy’s Story

For 15-year-old Elizabeth, softball has always been more than just a game—it’s a passion. As a high school varsity catcher and a dedicated travel ball player, Lizzy had her sights set on playing at the collegiate level. Then came a play that changed her season. During a game, Lizzy was catching when a runner crashed through her left arm, leaving her with a superior labrum anterior and posterior tear and a small rotator cuff tear. The injury sidelined her, keeping her from the sport she loved and limiting her daily activities. Lizzy was taken straight from the field to Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware where initial tests ruled out broken bones. However, with persistent pain and swelling, an MRI was scheduled the following week. The results revealed a labral tear, leading Lizzy to Dr. Alvin Su at Nemours Children’s Health, Deptford. From the start, Dr. Su and his team approached Lizzy’s […]

ALL BLOGS

Navigating Vocal Cord Dysfunction: Emma’s Story

At 13 years old, Emma keeps a packed schedule. She’s a multi-sport athlete, playing field hockey and lacrosse and running track. All sports that require endurance, strength, and, of course, strong breathing. But in the summer of 2024, during a track meet, Emma found herself struggling to catch her breath. Emma had experienced breathing issues before and had even been treated for asthma as a child. But this time, things felt different. So, her family turned to a place they knew and trusted: Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. “We’ve been going to Nemours Children’s since Emma was little,” says her mom, Melissa. “Even though we don’t live super close, we’ve always been happy with the care we’ve received there. We continue to go back when we need care beyond what our family doctor can provide.” Emma first saw the pulmonology team at Nemours, but after a thorough evaluation, they suggested the […]