Teach your child to recognize poison ivy: “leaves of three, let’em be!”
Recently we’ve had a parade of itchy children troop through our office. The culprit: poison ivy.
Myth buster: Fortunately, the rash of poison ivy is NOT contagious. You can “catch” a poison ivy rash ONLY from the plant, not from another person.
Another myth buster: You can not spread the rash of poison ivy on yourself through scratching. However, where the poison (oil) has touched your skin,
In the wake of chef Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade’s deaths from suicide, you may be wondering how to address the topic of suicide with your child. We bring back psychotherapist Dina Ricciardo’s post for guidance:
“Hi, it’s me, Hannah. Hannah Baker.” So begins the first episode of 13 Reasons Why, a thirteen installment Netflix series that focuses on the aftermath of the suicide of a 17-year-old high school student. Based on the novel by Jay Asher, the series has sparked quite a bit of debate and concern among parents and mental health professionals. At its best, the series has served as a conversation starter; at its worst, it has glamorized suicide and the fantasy of revenge. At the end of the day, however, an important question remains: How do we talk with our kids about suicide? While many difficult topics have become increasingly safer to discuss, suicide is one that is still shrouded in secrecy and shame. In fact, it is so difficult to talk about that I had a hard time writing this post.
Raw chicken left out overnight—Dr. Lai’s recipe for Salmonella
These days it seems that the bacteria Salmonella is lurking everywhere. Last month’s egg recall for possible Salmonella contamination affected over 200 million eggs, but Salmonella is not just in eggs. In the last few months, dried coconuts and even guinea pigs (as pets, not as food!) have caused people gastroentestinal misery.
Nontyphoidal Salmonella usually causes fever and crampy diarrhea. Sometimes the stools contain blood. This stomach bug mainly lurks in
Melanie with grandma and mom
Now that you are a mom, maybe, just maybe, you realize that your grandmother or mom was right after all. We asked our readers for some examples and our friend, writing coach Melanie Cutler, told us about two generations of advice she wishes she had heeded:
Grandma Helen ALWAYS had unsolicited advice for whoever would listen. She clipped out magazine articles and mailed them to her children and grandchildren. She was very well-read, and she knew a thing or two about most things nutrition and health-related.
Gepetto always said his son had allergies, but the villagers knew better
It’s not your imagination. This is a particularly bad spring allergy season. We didn’t need media outlets to tell us that there are more itchy, sneezy, swollen eyed kids out there this year.
It is worth treating your child’s allergy symptoms- less itching leads to improved
According to a 2012 National Center for Health Statistics data brief, about half of all children in the United States with an autistic spectrum disorder are diagnosed at age five or older However, many parents are suspicious much sooner. As part of autism awareness month, we bring you clues in toddler development that can alert you to a potential issue. This post follows up on our earlier post “How can I tell if my baby has autism?“
Pediatricians often use a questionnaire called the M-CHAT (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers) as a screening tool. This test can be downloaded for free. In our office we administer the M-CHAT at the 18-month well
April is National Autism Awareness month in the United States. Early recognition improves outcome. This April we will post a series on the recognition of autism in a baby and in a toddler, as well as a personal story. — Drs. Kardos and Lai
Home videos of children diagnosed with autism reveal that even before their first birthdays, many autistic children demonstrate abnormal social development that went unrecognized.
Autism is a communication disorder where children have difficulty relating to other people.
The school nurse calls to say, “I have your child here with me and she has a sore throat. I think you should take her to the doctor to see if it’s strep throat.”
Strep throat is a throat infection caused by Group A streptococcus (Strep pyogenes) bacteria. Symptoms can include sore throat,
