For kids, Halloween means trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, carving pumpkins, and listening to scary stories. For pediatricians, Halloween means informing parents that pirate-type baggy costumes can catch fire if children come too close to jack-o’-lanterns lit with candles, that carving pumpkins is not child’s play, and that face paints may cause rashes. 1. Halloween is a […]
Children/Sandy beaches
August 24, 2015 by
“No need ever to wear shoes in our resort,” says the ad for an idyllic, upscale, family-friendly tropical beach resort. Alas, if only true! Footwear – plus other precautions – is essential at all beaches, at home and in the tropics, with tropical beaches requiring some extra precautions. Call it sand pollution. Researchers have known […]
Update: protecting kids from the sun
August 1, 2015 by
(After you read the article, test your knowledge. Look at each picture and ask yourself what the parent could have done better to protect the child from the sun. Answers are at the end of the article.) Just when you thought that you knew all you have to know to protect your kids from the […]
Infants and young children/Sunglasses
July 19, 2015 by
Hey Mom! Make room in your already bulging diaper bag for one additional item, sunglasses. For your infant. The earlier children begin to wear “shades” the less likely they are to have cataracts and other eye problems when they become grandparents. 1. Any old shades won’t do. Infants’ eyes are especially susceptible to the sun. […]
Swimming/Children/Intestinal illnesses
June 14, 2015 by
You need not travel halfway around the world to acquire “travelers’” diarrhea. A short trip to your neighborhood recreational water facility may suffice. But if indeed someone does become ill, don’t panic. Hold off on treating. Most cases get better by themselves, while medication may cause harm – especially for children. 1. All recreational water […]
Lyme disease/children: What you should know
May 31, 2015 by
Add Lyme disease to the ever-growing list of illnesses you need to be familiar with to keep your family healthy. 1. Know where and when it occurs. The disease is most commonly seen in rural areas of the Northeast from Virginia to Maine, northern California, and the northern Midwest but can occur almost anywhere in […]
Infants/New car smells/Safety
April 6, 2015 by
New cars and new babies may be a volatile mix. New car smells may be hazardous to humans, especially infants. That odor emanating from the interior of new automobiles, an odor that many of us inhale slowly and deeply to better enjoy the aroma, may be toxic, very toxic. A British newspaper describes the enjoyment […]
Debunking Old Wives’ Tales: Children/Colds/Playing Outside
December 20, 2014 by
Hey parents, stop bugging your kids with antiquated notions about keeping healthy outdoors in wintertime. True, practically none of you still hang garlic around your kids’ necks, or place slices of onion in their socks, or force-feed them cod liver oil, all to ward off cold germs. But let’s face it; some old wives’ tales […]
Backpacks/Children (An update of a previous article)
September 20, 2014 by
Backpacks here. Backpacks there. Backpacks practically everywhere. Toddlers wear them for the sake of wearing them, often empty and in the shape of cartoon characters. Elementary school-age kids pile everything they have into them. High school kids use them as fashion statements; it doesn’t matter what’s in them. But for parents, there are health and […]
How to Choose & Use the Right Insect Repellent for Kids
September 2, 2014 by
There are more than a million known species of insects and, according to experts, millions more waiting to be identified. And it seems as if there are almost as many insect repellents, with new ones popping up frequently, some containing new ingredients and safety warnings aimed at young children. Here is the latest: 1. The […]
