Children’s health

1,495 articles · Since 2011

Articles, page 64

Handling the delicate balance as an ER patient

November 8, 2013Nov 8, 201325

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…

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 …

Physician voices

What to say when your child asks for an allowance

Claire McCarthy, MD

October 30, 2013Oct 30, 20135

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…

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 …

Physician voices

The danger of buying breast milk over the Internet

Wendy Sue Swanson, MD

October 29, 2013Oct 29, 201319

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 …

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Conditions and diseases

Focus on the thigh gap and the concern for eating disorders

Natasha Burgert, MD

October 28, 2013Oct 28, 20132

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…

“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, …

Physician voices

A strategy to approach patients who don’t believe in vaccines

Christopher Johnson, MD

October 24, 2013Oct 24, 201339

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 …

Physician voices

Saying no to a child requires grit, self-control, and stamina

Alex Lickerman, MD

October 21, 2013Oct 21, 20134

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…

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 …

Conditions and diseases

Why schools shouldn’t report obesity

Keith-Thomas Ayoob, EdD, RD

October 14, 2013Oct 14, 20133

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…

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 …

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Why schools shouldn’t report obesity

Conditions and diseases

Pediatric stroke is not uncommon

Natasha Burgert, MD

October 14, 2013Oct 14, 2013

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…

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, …

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Pediatric stroke is not uncommon

Conditions and diseases

A tiny baby on a big table in a huge OR

Sid Schwab, MD

October 13, 2013Oct 13, 20133

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 …

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A tiny baby on a big table in a huge OR

Conditions and diseases

Managing chronic headaches in children

Roy Benaroch, MD

October 9, 2013Oct 9, 20132

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…

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 …

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Managing chronic headaches in children

Conditions and diseases

Radiation from x-rays and living in Denver: They’re not the same

Jennifer Gunter, MD

October 9, 2013Oct 9, 20133

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…

My son, Oliver, has had more radiation than most people will have. Ever. In fact, …

Conditions and diseases

Obesity in children: What is the responsibility of doctors?

Manoj Jain, MD, MPH

October 8, 2013Oct 8, 201314

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 …

Conditions and diseases

Fear of disease needs to overcome the fear of vaccines

Mike Sevilla, MD

October 4, 2013Oct 4, 20134

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,…

“U.S. Measles Cases in 2013 May Be The Most In 17 …

Conditions and diseases

4 myths and truths about milk

Julie Kardos, MD & Naline Lai, MD

October 2, 2013Oct 2, 201331

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…

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 …

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4 myths and truths about milk

Physician voices

Parenting the crying child: Remember to take care of yourself

Arjune Rama, MD

September 30, 2013Sep 30, 20138

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 …

Conditions and diseases

Concern about autism on the part of a parent is an emergency

Lisa Shulman, MD

September 26, 2013Sep 26, 20133

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…

Since my last vacation, a new office voicemail system had been installed. It seems that I now have an unlimited amount of …

Conditions and diseases

Childhood obesity: A problem of will and money

David L. Katz, MD

September 25, 2013Sep 25, 20133

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,…

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 this ominous condition. …

Conditions and diseases

Can sexualized images from pop music be a teachable moment?

Heidi Roman, MD

September 24, 2013Sep 24, 2013

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. …

Drugs and prescribing

A gameplan against this year’s flu

Natasha Burgert, MD

September 17, 2013Sep 17, 20134

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…

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 …

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A gameplan against this year’s flu

Drugs and prescribing

Are parents active parts of a national drug epidemic?

Claire McCarthy, MD

September 12, 2013Sep 12, 20138

When you reach for ibuprofen for your sore back or a pill to help you sleep, are you sending a bad message to your kid? Yes, says Bryant Gumbel in his video commentary about the drug charges against ball player…

When you reach for ibuprofen for your sore back or a pill to help you sleep, are you sending a bad message to your kid?

Yes, says Bryant Gumbel in his video commentary about the drug charges against ball player Alex Rodriguez. While he thinks that Rodriguez should be punished for being a liar and a cheat, he doesn’t think that people should be shocked by the fact that Rodriguez was …

Children’s health

Articles, page 64

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