Two Peds in a Pod®

Seasonal allergies: a review

selective focus photography of woman and toddler on flower bed. Unfortunately for some, flowers contribute to seasonal allergy symptoms — Photo by Tuấn Kiệt Jr. on Pexels.com

Everything has a season, incluing seasonal allergies.

In our area near Philadelphia, we associate spring with the Phillies opener and also with the onset of spring allergies.

Here is a nice summary of how to treat allergies, from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (note that one of your Two Peds was a contributor). And following are some of our prior posts that can help you treat your child’s seasonal allergies this spring:

The Best Allergy Medicine for Kids

The Best Allergy Medicine for Kids aged 2-5 years old

Allergy Eyes: when spring rubs you the wrong way

How to tell the difference between Covid (or any viral cold) and allergies

We hope this post answers all that you are itching to know about seasonal allergies.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

April 16, 2023 by twopedsinapod

Help for ear pain

girl covering ear- a child's earache — Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Pexels.com

Did your child wake up in the middle of the night crying from ear pain? Fortunately, not every child with an earache has an actual ear infection. However, all children with earaches deserve to have their pain treated, no matter what is causing their pain. Here is our post about what to do for your child’s earache.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

March 28, 2023 by twopedsinapod

Why Won’t My One-year-old Eat?

photo of a man feeding a child — Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Remember when feeding your baby was fun? They way he opened his mouth like a baby bird when you fed him oatmeal. They way she thumped her hands on the high chair tray waiting for another bite of mashed bananas. It was hard not to laugh as your nine-month-old slowly picked up each piece of pancake and chewed thoughtfully, or the way your eleven-month-old, covered in tomato sauce, double fisted a messy meal of cut up meatballs and elbow noodles. And then they turned one. You call your pediatrician and search the internet to ask, why won’t my one-year-old eat?

Maybe they actually did not stop eating entirely, but instead of the serene or comic meals you used to enjoy with your baby in the high chair, you now have a one-year-old who deliberately deposits each pea off of the high chair tray and onto the floor, smooshes their potatoes all over the plate, or thrashes like a chained-up wild beast to escape their high chair. You fluster, you offer other previously enjoyed foods, you become convinced they will starve, you offer a cookie, you offer more milk, you cry.

Let us reassure you: your one-year-old most likely is acting in a normal and predictable way. In this post, we explain why many one-year-olds seem to stop eating, and how to handle your suddenly picky, food-averse one-year-old.

March 7, 2023 by twopedsinapod

Headaches in children

a child with a headache lying on the rug — Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

“Mom, Dad, my head hurts!”

Sound familiar? It’s probably not the first time ‘round this rodeo, but ever wonder if your child’s headache could be a sign of something more problematic? The good news is, while kids get headaches for many reasons, there are telltale signs every parent can look for at home to distinguish normal headaches from bad headaches in children.

Tension Headaches

For most kids with headaches, the odds are in their favor. The most common culprit is the tension headache—the kind we have all experienced at least once in our lifetimes. Fortunately, they are also the least scary kind of headache.

March 7, 2023 by twopedsinapod

How to Talk to Kids About Hard Topics: a panel discussion

a young woman using a laptop beside her mother — Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Death, politics, mental illness, and sex- all difficult topics for parents to talk about with their kids. Your Two Peds joined a social worker, school guidance counselor, and former teacher in a lively panel discussion at the Haverford Township Library in Haverford PA on how to normalize conversations on difficult topics between parents and their children. Watch as we talk about on ways parents can give kids give information while limiting their anxiety .

Past posts about ways to share difficult information with your children include the topics of suicide, stillbirth/miscarriage, death of a person, and death of a pet.

Warmly,

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

March 5, 2023 by twopedsinapod

Strep throat: Sore throat “dragon” your child down?

sore throats and strep throat can feel like a fire-breathing dragon in your throat

Is your child’s sore throat “dragon” them down? This month we contributed to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Health Tip of the Week on the subjects of sore throats and strep throat. We hope you find our tips helpul if your your child’s throat feels like it’s on fire.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

January 24, 2023 by twopedsinapod

Which is it: the flu, RSV, or COVID?

Flu, COVID, RSV — Photo by Leeloo, Prexel

Parents ask us every day the difference between the flu (influenza), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), or COVID (coronavirus disease 2019). While no method is fool proof, here are some typical differences among these viruses:

The flu, caused by influenza virus, comes on suddenly and makes you feel as if you’ve been hit by a truck.

Flu almost always causes fever of 101°F or higher and some respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, cough, or sore throat (many times, all three). In addition to the usual respiratory symptoms, the flu causes

December 20, 2022 by twopedsinapod

What to do if you suspect RSV

Cold and flu season is upon us earlier than usual. Click here for our contribution to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Health Tip on What to do if you suspect RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus). Click here for an example of a sign labored breathing called retractions– when a child is breathing in very deeply.

Yes, we all deserve a break! But with the COVID pandemic, now our kids are experts at hand-washing and know not to rub noses, so hopefully this cold and flu season will leave as early as it came.

Drs. Lai and Kardos

November 12, 2022 by twopedsinapod

How to help your gassy baby

Do you have a gassy newborn? Please read our tips on how to help your gassy baby in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Health Tip of the Week.

Trust us, it’s a gas!

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD

October 25, 2022 by twopedsinapod

Is your college kid homesick?

Now that the excitement of the first weeks of college have gone by, your first year college student may be homesick. What can a parent do? We point you to last year’s timeless post which is still relevant today.

October 4, 2022 by twopedsinapod

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