Backpacks here. Backpacks there. Backpacks everywhere, and for almost every reason. 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, often slung over one shoulder, a style that tends […]
Strollers
September 5, 2018 by
If your infant’s stroller is recalled because of a safety issue, will the manufacturer be able to contact you? 1. Strollers help keep your infants and toddlers safe and healthy but only if (1) the stroller is structurally sound and (2) you use it correctly. Recalls of basic child-related items occur frequently, says the US […]
Swimmer’s Ear
August 19, 2018 by
On a summer vacation at the beach, five hours from home, your 3-year-old announces that dreaded complaint, “My ear hurts!” What to do? 1. Chances are you dealing with a swimmer’s ear. Also, think ‘swimmer’s ear’ in younger preverbal children who poke their fingers into their ears or are unusually cranky. Swimmer’s ear is quite […]
Family Vacations in National Parks – Health and safety is up to you. An update
August 3, 2018 by
(Editor’s note: A reader writes, “You are an old fuddy-duddy who leaches the pleasure out of family vacations by over-emphasizing the health and safety hazards to children of travel and recreational activities.” Even the Wall Street Journal has chastised me. I was the ogre (my word) in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek article, “If You’re a Kid, […]
Children/Travel/Tootbrush/Illness. Are they related?
April 22, 2018 by
Can your children’s toothbrushes make them sick? Many dentists think so. And they think it’s more likely to happen on trips and vacations. 1. Germs that cause upper respiratory and intestinal illnesses thrive on toothbrushes. Moisture from saliva, food particles, cellular matter derived from gums, and high humidity in bathrooms create a favorable culture medium […]
How long is too long to allow infants to sleep in car seats?
March 31, 2018 by
Infant car seats present dilemmas for parents. 1. A car seat is practically part of your family. Chances are you had a car seat delivered to you before you delivered your baby; hospitals won’t discharge you without one. The seats are mandatory to take your baby for a car ride. Once home, with a car […]
Warning: Escalators are hazardous for young children
March 3, 2018 by
There is more to protecting your young children from injuries on escalators than just holding their hands, says the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Each year, for several thousand children, most of them under the age of five years, an escalator ride is the first leg of a trip to the ER. Injuries most commonly […]
Influenza/Children Repost
February 16, 2018 by
Hi reader: This article “Children/Influenza/Travel) is a repeat. It first appeared several weeks ago. Some clinics asked us to repost it. Karl Neumann MD This winter, keep influenza (“flu”) in mind when planning travel for your family. 1. The winter of 2018 will be a significant flu season. The disease has already spread to virtually […]
Influenza/Children
January 28, 2018 by
This winter, keep influenza (“flu”) in mind when planning travel for your family. 1. The winter of 2018 will be a significant flu season. The disease has already spread to virtually all parts of the country. The flu virus currently circulating has a history of causing severe illness in infants, and this year’s vaccine is […]
Mom, I think I am going to vomit. Motion sickness/Children/Prevention/Treatment – An Update
January 18, 2018 by
If no one in your family has ever been motion-sick, it’s only because they haven’t yet encountered the right (or is it the wrong?) ride. It may be a storm at sea, an “amusement” park roller coaster that spins in three dimensions simultaneously while riders are strapped in upside down, a ride atop a camel […]
