pediatric housecalls Robert R. Jarrett M.D. M.B.A. FAAP

Showing posts from: January 2013

Pediatric Immunizations: Still Needed, Safe?

After writing yesterday’s article about the new 2013 immunization guidelines I started looking for images in my photo-file of a child with Mumps or Measles. I did find one with measles and even Rubella, but not for mumps. So, I looked on the internet to see if there was one in the public domain that I could use because I’m beginning to realize that these days it’s getting harder to find someone who has actually seen these diseases.
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Pediatric Immunization: A Complicated Issue

It truly cannot be any surprise to any parent that the number of immunizations invented to prevent childhood disease and morbidity has dramatically increased in the past five years. And, even though the majority of children are living a much more disease-free life, some parents are understandably beginning to wonder if this isn’t too much of a good thing.
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Influenza Update: Jan 2013 – Cases Down, Deaths Up

The Center for Disease Control (CDC), who keeps track of these things, has reported that the number of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases seems to be declining in January; BUT, the death rate is still rising. Through the third week of January the percentage of deaths in 122 benchmark US cities rose to 9.8% from the prior weeks 8.4% (more…)

Night Time Cough Remedy – Honey the Best

Many parents (and some physicians) were a bit surprised several years ago when some researchers did a study on the treatment of night-time cough in children who had “colds” (upper respiratory infections caused by a virus) and found that standard medicines (for which we pay good $) didn’t work as well as supermarket honey.
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Do You Wanna Be a Fireman 

[Site no longer active – which makes me sorry for you. You really should have seen it in it’s day!]When you were a kid and were asked the standard question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” how did you respond? If you said: “A fireman!” well, this may interest you: So I bought a fire truck.
[Site no longer active – ]

Effectively Parenting Kids in Children’s Sports 

[Update: the article is still there but you have to overlook the really cluttered look of his new (or lack thereof) styling. The concept is just as valid as ever and a really short but good read] An interesting article by Dr. David Palmiter (psychologist) discussing five questions parents should ask and answer for themselves about children’s sports and their children participating in them: Five Questions. See what he says about all 5 questions.

1. As a parent do I insist upon outcomes, effort or both?
2. Does my child enjoy the sport?
3. Does the sporting experience support or interfere with adaptive character development?
4. When academics and sports compete against each other, which wins?
5. Does my kid realize that my bond with him or her cannot be threatened by how he or she does in sports?