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It’s that time of year – your kids come home from school or their extra-curricular activities and show signs or complain of a sore throat, cough, and/or a runny nose. Are antibiotics in order? The answer may surprise you! Viruses vs. Bacterial Infections To best understand whether your child needs antibiotics, it’s helpful to know the difference between viruses and bacteria, which are the two major types of germs that cause sickness. Although certain bacteria and viruses cause diseases with similar symptoms, the ways these two organisms multiply and spread illness are different. Antibiotics fight bacteria, not viruses. Bacteria are living organisms that exist as single cells. They can live in all types of environments, from extreme cold to extreme heat. They’re everywhere and most don’t cause any harm. In some cases they may actually be helpful, like when they live in your intestines and help digest food. The bacteria that are […]

Over the river and through the woods…we all have somewhere to be during the busy holiday season. But traveling by plane can always pose challenges, especially for the breastfeeding mom. Adequate preparation and a good understanding of one’s rights are the keys to a hassle-free trip. Here’s what you need to know. Can I take breast milk on the plane? You can carry on your breast milk in any reasonable quantity, whether it is thawed or frozen. It’s likely the breast milk will be screened, but calmly escalate the matter if a Transportation Security Administration begins to open your container or wants to dispose of the breast milk. You are within your rights to insist that your “liquid gold” be permitted on board the plane, uncorrupted. Other tests can be run that do not require opening the container. Do airports have accommodations for breastfeeding mothers? Airports must furnish accommodations, primarily […]

I celebrated my first National Diabetes Awareness Month in 1990. I was twelve years old, had just started seventh grade, and was very aware of Type 1 diabetes – I’d just been diagnosed with it. Aside from the distinctive smells of insulin and alcohol swabs, I don’t remember much about the time I spent in the hospital after my diagnosis, or about those first few months at home. I do, however, remember the sense of bewilderment that accompanied my family home from the hospital, and how uncertain we were about how our lives would proceed with a chronic condition to manage. If I could go back to that November, there’s so much I would tell my younger self about the reality of living with diabetes. Unfortunately, I can’t – so I’m sharing what I’ve learned here. Don’t panic. It’s true that diabetes can (and will) infiltrate every part of your […]

Everyone knows one, has one or was one – a picky eater. The logic behind why a child does or does not eat something is difficult to understand. Sometimes picky eating is as simple as a food being too bitter or too bland. Other times, it can be more complex. I like to remind parents that it can take anywhere from 10-15 tries before a taste becomes likable or even familiar. Coffee is a great example. The first time you tried it, I bet it wasn’t your favorite food. But over time — and early wake ups, dance recitals, baseball practice, carpool, swim lessons and potty training — it probably holds a pretty significant place in your heart (and your sanity). Introducing new foods to picky eaters Introduce a new food with old foods and favorite foods (example: mac and cheese with broccoli) Consider “taste-ability.” Crunchy, sweet, good-looking foods will […]

“Body modifications” like tattoos, piercings other than in the ears, and scarification have become a mainstream trend. It has also become popular for many young people to get dental implants in Beverly Hills or somewhere similar in order to achieve that perfect Instagram smile. These procedures might be safe for adults, but adolescents do not always think about the long-term ramifications of changing their bodies. Skin is not done growing until adulthood, so tattoos can stretch, fade or even become lopsided over time. They are hard to modify and even harder to remove. Piercings can heal over, defeating the point of getting one in the first place, whilst the jaw undergoes changes until the mid-twenties, making it much safer to get teeth alterations done at an older age. A report in 2010 found that 38 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds had at least one tattoo, and we suspect that the […]

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released new blood pressure assessment guidelines for children, endorsed by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. The guidelines were last issued in 2004 and restated in 2011. Similar to prior guidelines, children are placed into four groups with regard to blood pressure: normal elevated – to be managed by lifestyle changes including diet and exercise stage 1 hypertension – to be followed by the provider and which may or may not require treatment stage 2 hypertension – which requires further workup and medication What’s Different? A difference from previous guidelines is the development of new normal blood pressure tables. In the older tables, overweight children’s blood pressure measurements were included. Now the tables are based only on children who are not overweight or obese. As a result, the new blood pressure numbers are slightly lower, leading to slightly lower thresholds […]