“I’m so frustrated, Dr. Natasha. My 2-year-old son knows his letters and can count to 10, but he does not seem to know any colors. He just calls everything ‘blue’. Do you think he could be colorblind?”
Parents often come to my office with the concern that their child is unable to correctly identify colors, even when these children have an impressive …
How to teach your child colors
Sometimes it’s difficult to practice what I preach. But I try.
A couple of weeks ago, I spent the evening in the emergency room with our youngest son (don’t worry – he’s fine). I hate going to the ER, but every once in a while circumstances necessitate it. I called doctor friends in the relevant specialty, as well as our son’s pediatrician, to confirm the need for the trip. They said to …
Handling the delicate balance as an ER patient
The other day, my 8-year-old son asked if he could have an allowance. I told him no.
I don’t think Liam needs one, and I don’t really want him to have one yet. But there are plenty of parents who do give their 8-year-olds an allowance. When I Googled “allowance in kids,” I found various sites advocating starting in kindergarten. They argued that it helps them learn about money, and starts …
What to say when your child asks for an allowance
Recent research confirms that buying breast milk on the Internet via milk-sharing sites may not be safe. Although breast milk purchased from online sites may be free or as cheap as $1-$2 an ounce, it may carry significant risk for babies. Clearly the benefits of breast milk are vast; pediatricians and health experts recommend exclusive breast feeding until 6 months of age.
However, simply put, breast milk obtained from unknown (or …
The danger of buying breast milk over the Internet
The teenage girl was in my office for a routine physical. As we were talking about healthy dietary habits and routine exercise, she blurted it out: “I make good choices, Dr. Natasha, I’m not like those girls who just want a bigger thigh gap.”
“So, you guys are talking about thigh gaps now?” I asked with horrified curiosity.
“Yeah, mainly the girls in volleyball or cheer. I mean, they have to show their gaps. But, …
Focus on the thigh gap and the concern for eating disorders
Childhood vaccination remains controversial among some non-physicians, in spite of being nearly universally recommended by physicians. If you spend some time on Google you will discover a whole world of websites where the issue, long settled in the medical community, is vigorously debated among non-experts. Of course a large component of this controversy is fallout from the now thoroughly debunked claims by Andrew …
A strategy to approach patients who don’t believe in vaccines
A few months ago my son asked if he could have a candy bar after dinner for dessert. My wife and I reminded him that he’d already had candy two days before and that we have a “one candy per week rule” in our house, so we said no. So he asked again. So we said no again. Then he asked yet again. And we said no again. Then he …
Saying no to a child requires grit, self-control, and stamina
Most of us know schools as institutions of learning, usually associated with “the three Rs,” but now schools in 19 states are reporting progress on another subject: “BMI” — body mass index.
These schools are measuring the heights and weights of students to determine BMI, a measure of weight based on height, then sending home letters to inform parents of their children’s BMI status. As a pediatric nutritionist, I am not pleased.
Child obesity …
Why schools shouldn’t report obesity
Our hearts are heavy after learning about the loss of a talented high school athlete in our community. Recently, Andre Maloney died after suffering from a stroke caused by a blood clot in his brain.
As the details are continuing to emerge, it is beginning to become clear that the stroke Andre suffered from was not a result of a traumatic hit on the field, nor a concussion event. Sadly, his …
Pediatric stroke is not uncommon
The potential to do dramatic good, as is the case with surgery, means that sitting and staring back at you at the other end of the see-saw is a grinning dysmorphic ogre. He keeps his eyes locked on yours, staring with the smug certainty that you can’t toss him off, up when you’re down; down when you’re up. The ugly little sonovabitch never goes away. It’s an issue for every healthcare provider. Were it …
A tiny baby on a big table in a huge OR
Jenny wrote in about her son, who has a lot of headaches: “My 12 year old son gets them pretty much every day, and this has been going on for six months. He missed a lot of school, and now is starting to get them again in the summer. The doctor ordered a CT scan which didn’t show anything. What can this be? Could it be sinuses?”
Headaches are common in …
Managing chronic headaches in children
My kids were at the dentist this weekend for their routine cleaning and check ups (yes, Saturday hours!) when the hygienist mentioned x-rays. I smiled and mentioned I’d rather discuss the need with the dentist after his exam. This isn’t a dental x-ray thing, this is what I do for every test that involves ionizing radiation.
My son, Oliver, has had more radiation than most people will have. Ever. In fact, …
Radiation from x-rays and living in Denver: They’re not the same
Lying in a hospital bed, my seriously obese patient could barely see her swollen and odorous right foot over her abdominal fat. The foot was soon to be amputated, the result of an untreatable infection exacerbated by diabetes and kidney failure, which developed in part because of obesity. Her two children, ages 6 and 12, hovered from the hospital bed to the couch. In between, the bedside table was strewn …
Obesity in children: What is the responsibility of doctors?
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One of the reasons I love social media is that it keeps me up to date on breaking news stories. Here are two stories that came through my social media channels recently. Both of these have to do with immunizations, which, of course, is a healthcare and social media hot topic, especially among pediatricians.
Fear of disease needs to overcome the fear of vaccines
We’ve heard some interesting things about cow’s milk over the years. I am going to share with you four myths about milk that I continue to hear from my patients’ parents.
Myth #1: Don’t give milk to a child with a fever; the milk will curdle (or some other variant).
Truth: As long as your child is not vomiting, milk is a perfectly acceptable …
I don’t think of myself as someone who is easily angered. In my capacity as a mental health provider, I have been called every name in the book, spat at and nearly assaulted. Although these experiences are never pleasant, I can intellectualize away my feelings about patients’ hostile behavior: this is just a part of their illness. While I have certainly felt frustrated after a long night on call, I …
Parenting the crying child: Remember to take care of yourself
I recently returned from a 10-day vacation from my position as a developmental pediatrician. I specialize in the early identification and management of autism at Einstein’s Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center. The night before returning to work, I decided to check my voicemail.
Since my last vacation, a new office voicemail system had been installed. It seems that I now have an unlimited amount of …
Concern about autism on the part of a parent is an emergency
The American Heart Association recently published a sobering “scientific statement” on severe obesity among children and adolescents in the U.S. in their flagship journal, Circulation. The report, predictably spawning widespread attention in the popular press, suggests that by reasonable criteria, between 4 percent and 6 percent of our kids between the ages of 2 and 19 have severe obesity.
Those percentages probably don’t fully convey how common that makes …
Childhood obesity: A problem of will and money
I have a confession. I like pop music. During my commute each day I admit I often make the mind-bending switch between NPR and the top 40 station. Even if you trend toward a more high-brow music collection, perhaps you’ll allow me that these tunes are catchy and they’ve got a beat. But lately I’m feeling fairly conflicted about it.
I didn’t watch the VMAs. …
Can sexualized images from pop music be a teachable moment?
Did your team win this weekend?
I hope so. It is so exciting when your team gets to throw up a “W” after their first contest. It gives all the fans hope for a successful and exciting season.
Fall also is a time to cheer for our annual opportunity to protect our families against a predictably unpredictable opponent: influenza.
That’s right. It’s time to defend against the flu by getting an annual flu vaccine.
This …
A gameplan against this year’s flu
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