For generations, parents and families have relied on home cures for everything from colds to tummy aches and sleepless nights. Chicken soup, popsicles and warm milk have proven themselves over decades of use, and now they have company — grape juice. At least, that’s what the internet says. In recent months, tales of grape juice curing stomach flu have cropped up on parenting blogs all over the web. Here’s the idea: If you find yourself (or one of your family members) exposed to the stomach flu, but haven’t experienced symptoms yet, downing three glasses of grape juice will ward off the illness. Multiple sites claim that the grape juice can change the pH in the stomach, making it uninhabitable to stomach viruses. They also claim that the skins of the grapes have anti-viral properties. Is it true? Can grape juice really stop puke in its tracks? Is this the fix […]

How likely will the quality and impression of early relationships influence us throughout our lives? A recent article in The New York Times, “Yes, It’s Your Parents’ Fault,” addressed this concept called “attachment theory” and said it matters a lot. Once you get past the slightly negative title and some psychological jargon, the opinion piece is laden with good information. Why Is Parenting So Important? Instead of blaming parents, let’s take a small step back: Parents can contribute so much value to their children’s lives, especially in the early years. Experts agree that the early years (especially months 0-36) are a critical time for development of relationships, language, and emotional understanding. Simple behaviors such as talking to your baby more, no matter what words are spoken, are impactful. We should teach parents that this period is important and offer support. We might think this comes naturally to parents, but it doesn’t […]

I remember when my son was 12 years old, he would wake up in the middle of the night crying and complaining of knee pain. He had started to run track in middle school, and he started to get a little bump just below his knee cap at the top of his shin bone. Our pediatrician called it “growing pains” and said it would go away. He recommended that he do some stretches and ice after track practice. Eventually it did resolve once track season was over, and he didn’t have any problems after that. What I found out later is that this wasn’t growing pains at all – it was a common sports injury known as “Osgood-Schlatter disease.” What is Osgood-Schlatter disease? Although it sounds scary because of the word “disease,” Osgood-Schlatter is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It’s an overuse injury that […]

Peanut allergies have long been a concern for parents and families. In the past several years, the instance of peanut allergies and children – along with confusion and fear about how and when to expose young children to peanut ingredients – has been growing. Peanut allergies generally develop in childhood and continue into adulthood, and they’re not to be taken lightly. People who live with peanut allergies, along with their families, must maintain constant vigilance in the face of a peanut-contaminated environment. Allergic reactions can come from traces of peanuts from unexpected sources, and may be severe or life-threatening. And while there’s no cure for peanut allergy, a new set of guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), can help parents prevent an allergy to peanuts by introducing the ingredient earlier in life. LEAP (or Learning Early About Peanut […]

As we make our New Year’s resolutions for 2017, let’s keep in mind that our success spills over to our kids. How well we do with more exercise, eating more real foods and less processed foods, taking care of our mental health, and quitting nicotine directly affects our kids’ health. After all, research shows that: Parents who model healthy eating behaviors increase the likelihood that their kids will also make healthier food choices. Girls are more physically active when their moms exercise regularly. Children of parents who are depressed may score lower in school than those who have parents without a mood disorder. Laws that limit spaces where people (i.e., parents) can smoke have led to fewer asthma hospitalizations for kids. So here are some tips to keep going strong for ourselves and our kids through the entire 2017 year. 1. Make small, specific changes. Here are some examples: Healthy […]

This article originally appeared in STAT on December 15, 2016. When 6-month-old Asher Camp was diagnosed with type 1 spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of infant mortality, his family measured his life in days, not years. They dreaded the future, wondering how much time they would have with their beautiful baby boy. Parents of children with type 1 spinal muscular atrophy aren’t guaranteed to see their baby’s first steps, first day at school, or other treasured milestones that make up a child’s life. Instead, they watch anxiously as developmental milestones are missed, as common colds require trips to the emergency room, and as hope fades for reaching the day when a cure becomes available. Asher got lucky. He was able to take advantage of a life-changing opportunity, the kind that needs to be available to all children. Just a month after Asher’s parents, Amanda and Jeremy Camp of Lakeland, […]