The very events that make holiday seasons festive for kids – visiting family, lighting candles, and receiving toys, for example – also increase visits to the emergency room. But, in fact, virtually all the holiday-related pitfalls are avoidable with some foresight. Happy holidays! (This is a compilation of timely reminders, some of which have […]
Children/Cold weather/travel/ Immune system
December 2, 2012 by
Good news and bad news if you’re planning a family vacation this winter. The good news: You can prevent your kids from catching colds and ruining your plans. It’s called isolation. Two weeks before your trip lock them in their rooms with all their paraphernalia. No school. No play dates. Enter their rooms infrequently and […]
Appropriate drinks for active children
November 11, 2012 by
Sports drinks. Energy drinks. Electrolyte solutions. Carbonated drinks. Milk. What is healthy, what is not? Young children and adolescents participating in non-competitive play do not benefit from the wide variety of beverages that are heavily marketed as means to prevent dehydration and improve performance. In fact, some of these beverages are counterproductive at times. Yes, […]
Enjoying mouthwatering food in exotic countries –and not regretting it later
September 23, 2012 by
To eat or not to eat mouthwatering dishes in exotic countries, that is an oft raised question. Yes, it is possible to partake in most of the savory local dishes without risking outrageous stomachaches, seas of trouble, and the thousand other natural shocks that human flesh is capable of self inflicting. William Shakespeare, […]
Choosing where to eat in countries where sanitation is poor
August 18, 2012 by
Armies travel on their stomachs, said Napoleon. So do children. For local travel, kids’ endless craving for meals, snacks, and munchies – plus drinks to wash them down – merely annoys parents. But when traveling in countries where sanitation is poor, keeping kids’ stomachs happily purring becomes challenging. One flawed food selection can upset their […]
Children/Vomiting/Diarrhea/Are probiotics the cure?
July 10, 2012 by
Vomiting/diarrhea are common illnesses in young children, with most children of this age having one to two episodes per year. Travel, swimming and day care attendance increase the incidence. Most cases are more annoying than alarming. Available treatments are not very helpful. 1. Probiotics to the rescue! The term means “for life” and refers to live […]
Infants/Young children/Vomiting/Diarrhea/Treatment
June 3, 2012 by
Our previous posting was about preventing vomiting/diarrhea in infants and young children (click to review). Today the subject is treatment. Having a child with vomiting/diarrhea in your household means your defensive strategies have failed, the causative organisms (pathogens) have invaded your household, and you must tackle containment and treatment. 1. Prevent other household members […]
Preventing Vomiting/Diarrhea
May 13, 2012 by
Just when you thought that you knew how to manage your kids’ vomiting/diarrhea, researchers come up with a slew of new findings that turn your management “skills” into old wives’ tales. This is part one, Prevention, of a two-part series. Next posting: Treatment. 1. Most cases of vomiting and diarrhea in children are infectious. And […]
Infants in diapers/Swimming facilities/Illness
March 17, 2012 by
Think twice before allowing your kids to swim in water where there are many infants. The more infants in the water, the greater is the risk that the water is polluted with intestinal disease-causing microorganisms. Here is what you should know: 1. Recreational water is an underappreciated source of intestinal diseases. Such water includes swimming […]
Air travel/children/hot beverages/aisle seats/injuries
October 3, 2010 by
Skip your hot tea and coffee when flying with young children – and hope that passengers in adjacent seats do the same. Every year hundreds of passengers, many of them children, are burned by such beverages spilling on them. The combination of hot drinks, crowding, turbulence, and children is a formula for an accident waiting […]
