Perhaps the majority of the readers of this blog are parents and perhaps only a few teenagers visit. With that understanding, this post is about a topic which none of us parents had to even think about while growing up but which we better now, if we know what’s good for us – and our kids.
(more…)
The billions of sore throats in the world every year are almost all caused by viruses which: means they will resolve on their own, no antibiotics will help and, in fact, may even last longer if we fool around trying to fuss with them. Notice I said “almost” because there is a tiny sub-group of them caused by GAS (group A Streptococcus) which causes physicians grief in trying to diagnose and treat.
(more…)
I don’t usually post articles with such an intense featured image; but, I want to, perhaps, set a new mental image for people when they hear the words “peanut allergy.”
I believe the medical profession (and others) are doing the community a disservice by using the words “allergy” in relation to peanuts for it brings to mind runny noses, coughs, itchy eyes, rashes and wheezing when it SHOULD bring hospital beds, respirators, cardiac arrests and even worse.
(more…)
This recent development sorta’ comes under the heading “no duh”: an actual medical study has shown that children hospitalized with influenza are more likely to need intensive care and have a longer hospital stay if they’ve been exposed to second-hand smoke at home.
(more…)
I read a lot of medical journals and pediatrics related periodicals. Many of them are beginning to be published on the web and such is the case of “The Differential” a blog about, for and by medical students. [I’ll give you the URL but it may be for registered physicians only. The Differential]
(more…)
Ok, I realize that what I’m going to describe was just a small study; but, this is a big deal for children with type I diabetes (juvenile onset) we need to talk about.
The statistics show that people with type 1 diabetes who are physically active live about 10 years longer than those who are not active. The real bug-a-boo however is that because BOTH insulin and activity will drop blood sugar, balancing food, insulin dosage and activity is a real tap dance!
(more…)
We made a great impact when we began publishing guidelines about how infants should sleep – incidence of SIDS death dramatically decreased. BUT, we just don’t seem to be getting through as well on guidelines for instituting solid foods to infants.
Read more→
This is just a quick post to point out a potentially important discovery in the world of research about Migraine headaches. It’s only one study, but if replicated, could point to a whole new, and less costly, treatment for the malady.
(more…)
As if the hundreds of follow-up research studies weren’t enough to debunk the fraudulent claim by Andrew Wakefield of a link between immunizations and autism, yet another has been completed which did the same thing.
(more…)
A new study presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI for short) annual meeting reports that roughly 11% of allergic reactions in children with known food allergies are the result of caregivers intentionally exposing the child to the allergen.
(more…)
Clearly, and by a huge margin, ear infections are the most common diagnosis in all of pediatric medicine. Did I say by a large margin? Clinician visits for Acute Otitis Media (“middle” ear infection – AOM) in 1995-96 were 950 per 1000 children seen! [Makes one wonder who were the 50 that didn’t have an infection]
(more…)
Nearly ten years is enough time that some of you may not remember when our best advice was to always put a baby to bed facing downward so that he wouldn’t choke if he “upchucked” a bit. Things change and to me that was a big one. I almost felt like I needed to phone everyone I had ever given that advice to and (more…)