Make every bite count: how to increase calories for underweight children

Although the United States is in the midst of an obesity epidemic, some children are underweight. Your child’s pediatrician charts your child’s height and weight in order to determine whether he is growing appropriately. Just as obesity has many causes, kids can be underweight for many reasons. Regardless of whether the cause of your child’s poor weight gain is medical or behavioral, the bottom line is that underweight kids use more calories than they take in.

Here are ways to increase calories. Remember, you cannot force children to eat if they are not hungry. For example, you can’t just demand that your child eat more noodles. Instead of trying to stuff more food into your child, increase the caloric umph behind a meal.  Make every bite count:  

  • Mix baby cereal with formula, not juice or water.
  • After weaning formula, give whole milk until two years, longer if child is still underweight.
  • Add Carnation Instant Breakfast or Ovaltine to milk.  
  • Add Smart Balance, butter, or olive oil to cooked vegetables, pasta, rice, and hot cereal.
  • Dip fruit into whole milk yogurt
  • Dip vegetables into cheese sauce or ranch dressing
  • Offer avocado and banana over less caloric fruits such as grapes (which contain only one calorie per grape).
  • Cream cheese is full of calories and flavor: smear some on raw veggies, whole wheat crackers, or add some to a jelly sandwich
  • Peanut butter and other nut-butters are great ways to add calories as well as protein to crackers, sandwiches, and cereal.
  • If your child is old enough to eat nuts without choking (as least 3 years), a snack of nuts provides more calories and nutrition than goldfish crackers or graham crackers.
  • For your older child feed hardy “home style foods.” Give mac ‘n cheese instead of pasta with a splash of tomato sauce or serve meatloaf with gravy instead of chicken breast
  • Try granola mixed into yogurt or as a bar.
  • Give milkshakes in place of milk (no raw eggs!)
  • Choose a muffin over a piece of toast at breakfast.

Some causes of poor weight gain are medical. Have your child’s doctor exclude medical reasons of poor weight gain with a thorough history and physical exam before you assume poor weight gain is from low caloric intake. Sometimes, your child’s physician may need to check blood work or other studies to help figure out why he is not gaining weight appropriately. 

Some common behavioral causes include drinking too much prior to eating, picky eating, or parents failing to offer enough calories. Sometimes tweens and teens develop a pathologic fear or anxiety about gaining weight and deliberately decrease their food consumption. These kids have eating disorders and need immediate medical attention. 

A common scenario we often see is the underweight toddler whose parents describe as a “picky eater.” Meal times are stressful for the entire family.  Mom has a stomach ache going into dinner knowing the battle that will ensue. Her child refuses everything on the table. Mom then offers bribes or other meal alternatives. Dad then gets into the fray by making a game out of eating, and when the child does not eat, in frustration he yells at the child.  Grandma then appears with a big cookie because “well, he needs to eat SOMETHING.” All the adults end up arguing with each other about the best way to get their toddler to eat. If you recognize your family in this example,  please see our post on how to help picky eaters for ways to break out of this cycle.

Just as obese children need to see their doctors to check for complications relating to their increased weight, underweight children require weight checks to make sure that they gain enough weight to prevent poor height growth and malnutrition.

Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2012 Two Peds in a Pod®

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January 30, 2012 by

About gender identity: when your boy says he is a girl or your girl says she is a boy

 

The news is filled with stories about boys wearing pink nail polish, a baby whose gender will be kept a secret by his/her parents, and Chaz Bono’s new book and identity as a man.  What’s the deal with gender, and why have the media waves exploded in the past few years?  Is gender variance becoming more common, or just more recognized?  And what should you do if your son wants to wear pink or your daughter cuts her hair short?

First, some definitions. 

–Gender is one’s internal sense of self as male, female, or neither, while sex is assigned at birth based on external appearance.  As one astute child told me, “sex is what’s between your legs, while gender is what’s between your ears.” 

–Gender expression is how one chooses to portray his or her sex or gender—for example a male child (sex assigned at birth) who feels he is a girl (gender) might still wear boys’ clothing and hairstyles to fit in with peers (gender expression).  Or, a female child (sex) feels she is a girl (gender) but prefers to wear boys’ clothing (gender expression) and chooses a gender-neutral name. Her gender expression is masculine. 

–Gender variant, gender diverse, and gender nonconforming refer to a child who expresses gender identity or expression that is different than what one expects based on sex.  These terms refer to a wide range of children—from the little boy who likes to play with Polly Pocket dolls to the male child who insists he is a girl and wears dresses to school.  Some gender variant children will be transgender, which refers to a child who persistently feels the sex assigned at birth is incorrect.

When gender variant children reach puberty, they may become aware of their sexual orientation, or who they are sexually attracted to.  They may find that they are attracted to the “opposite gender” and have a straight (heterosexual) orientation, or they may be attracted to the same or any gender, and identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.  Of course, these labels become especially confusing when discussing gender variant teenagers. For example, is a female-bodied teen who identifies as a man (transgender) and attracted to women heterosexual or homosexual?  For this reason, many young people choose to identify as queer, an umbrella term with a positive connotation that conveys many ways of loving people with different bodies and gender expressions. 

How common is gender variance?

International epidemiologic studies estimate the prevalence of transgender adults to be anywhere from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 30,000.  That’s a huge range.  When you include children who are gender variant but not transgender, the numbers are much higher.  For example, Gender Spectrum, an organization that I work with in California, conducts trainings at schools that have identified a gender variant child who is facing bullying or discrimination.   To date, they have been invited to nearly every elementary and middle school in their geographic area.  Most schools in this area have approximately 100-500 students, so my best estimate of gender variance in my geographic area is 1 in 500.

How do you know if a child is gender variant? 

The child tells you.  Many of the gender variant children I know recall telling their parents at an early age that they felt different.  For example, some transgender boys (i.e. born in a female body, identify as male) I know corrected the adults who tried to call them girls as children, insisting they were boys.  One parent recalls her transgender son telling adults “I am a boy now, but when I grow up I will be a mommy.”

Most kids exhibit some sort of gender exploration in their early childhood, and this is a normal part of development.  However, a child who is shows gender variance generally makes claims that are early and persistent, and then develops distress when corrected by adults.  The “test” becomes when a child is given the freedom to express his/her internal sense of gender.  In gender variant children, this distress will be alleviated. 

What do you do if this describes your child? 

The emerging consensus among experts is to let your child guide you, and to aid your child in his or her gender exploration by working with local resources to create a supporting and accepting environment.  In the past, some experts recommended a sort of reparative therapy, for instance removing all “girlish” toys from a boy-bodied child’s home and insisting that he wear only “masculine” clothing.  While this may have worked for a short time, the child’s distress often emerged later on, often in puberty, with depression and suicide.  In fact, a survey of transgender adults showed that one-third of them had attempted suicide in their life, some as young as age seven or eight.  These are good reasons to pay attention to your young child.   Research shows that children raised in supportive families have more positive outcomes.

Parents raising gender variant children worry about their safety and acceptance in their schools, neighborhoods, and extended families—and for good reason.  Gender variant children are bullied and face discrimination, abuse, and violence at rates much higher than their peers.  Often, parents do not agree with each other—as one parent may allow more gender exploration than the other.  The child’s gender presentation may not be accepted in churches or within the family’s religious belief.  It is imperative that families obtain professional help, especially when there is disagreement between parents on how to support the child.  In addition, there are many parents groups and conferences where families can meet each other for mutual support.

If you are concerned about a child in your own life, there are wonderful organizations that can help you. 

Resources:

Resources: Gender Spectrum www.genderspectrum.org

Family Acceptance Project http://familyproject.sfsu.edu/

Trans Youth Family Allies http://www.imatyfa.org/

My favorite blogs, articles, and videos about raising Gender Variant Children

Sarah Hoffman’s Parent Blog http://www.sarahhoffmanwriter.com/

A Boy’s Life from the Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/a-boy-apos-s-life/7059/

Two Families Grapple with Son’s Gender Identity from NPR http://www.npr.org/2008/05/07/90247842/two-families-grapple-with-sons-gender-preferences

Transgender Kids recent CNN segment http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/health/transgender-kids/index.html

Ilana Sherer, MD

Returning guest blogger Dr. Ilana Sherer is the Director of General Pediatrics of the Child and Adolescent Gender Center at UCSF. She is a recipient of the Chancellors Award for LGBT leadership at UCSF and also of the American Academy of Pediatrics Dyson Child Advocacy Award.

©2012 Two Peds in a Pod®

 

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January 23, 2012 by

The Hidden Homeless: Children and Families

 

 

As a call to service in honor of Martin Luther King Day, we bring you an eye opening child advocacy post from guest blogger Dr. Heidi Román, who works with underserved children and their families in California .

 


Early in my pediatric residency training I entered the exam room to see a one-year old patient. Her mom blurted out excitedly, “We finally have a place to live.” It turned out that they had been living in motels or with relatives for most of the child’s life. I paused for a moment as I realized that it had never really registered. She had been seen in our clinic for multiple visits, but no one had noticed the changing addresses. No one had asked the questions in a way that allowed her to tell us. They were homeless. This was my wake up call. Since then, I have met many families affected by homelessness. Many hard working families are pushed into poverty and homelessness by loss of a paycheck, foreclosure, or divorce. They are reluctant to talk about it. Children and families are the “hidden” homeless.

 

 

 

While the mainstream media consistently covers the recession, quoting jobs numbers and the like, there is a disturbing new set of data out that doesn’t seem to be getting much press. Last month the The National Center on Family Homelessness released their report on child homelessness entitled “America’s Youngest Outcasts 2010“, and the news is not good. During the time period of the recession (2007-2010) there was a 38% spike in the number of homeless children. Currently, there are 1.6 million homeless children in the United States. Children now make up almost 40% of the homeless population and families with children are the most rapidly growing segment of the homeless population.

 

 

 

That’s a lot of kids and families. And, as children are often not included in homeless statistics, the number is probably higher. Why don’t we hear about it more? Well, homeless families tend to be the invisible segment of the homeless population. They fly under the radar. They move from place to place. They “double up” with friends or relatives for a few months, and then stay in a shelter or motel for a while. They sleep in their car. Parents may not even report that they are homeless to teachers or health care providers for fear of losing their children. There are various reasons that families become homeless. Certainly worsening poverty, due to job loss or changes in welfare programs, is a major cause of housing loss for families. But, domestic violence or parental separation is also very often to blame.

 

 

Once families become homeless, it is very difficult to escape. Even if the parents are lucky enough to find a job, it will likely pay only minimum wage. Adequate housing is still out of reach for these families. This is true regardless of the state, city, or town the family lives in; and the gap between income and housing costs is even greater in areas with a high cost of living. 

 

 

 

Experiencing homelessness profoundly affects a child’s physical, psychological, and educational health. Homeless children have higher incidence of trauma-related injuries, poorly controlled asthma, developmental delays, growth problems, and anemia, among other health problems. Homeless children are far less likely to have a medical home or adequate health insurance. They are far more likely to utilize the ER for care at a later stage of illness. Homeless adolescents have much higher risk of being victims of violence or sexual abuse and have higher rates of substance use, HIV, and teen pregnancy.

 

 

 

Homeless children, regardless of cognitive ability, do far worse in school. They are more likely to change schools during the year or miss more school days, greatly affecting their ability to do well academically and flourish socially. Even simple things, like being asked by a teacher to draw their room or describe their house, become awkward and painful.

 

 

 

What’s being done about this? Sadly, not much. Per the State Report Card on Child Homelessness, only seven states have extensive plans relating to services for homeless families. In the current economic and political climate, the number of homeless children and families continues to increase and the services provided to them are shrinking.

 

 

What can we do?

 

 

  • If you or someone you know is at risk of homelessness:
    • Talk to someone you trust- a physician, teacher, church staff, or social worker. Learn about emergency assistance programs in your area.
    • If you will be homeless in a few days or weeks, The National Coalition for the Homeless has a list of things to do. It includes making sure you have a current and available ID, packing a bag of essentials for each family member, and applying for public and transitional housing. Search the Coalition’s directory of homeless advocacy organizations and shelters.

 

 

  • If you are a person who cares about these kids and families:
    • Learn about the “hidden homeless” and start talking to friends and colleagues. Work to change misperceptions about homelessness. Find out how your state is doing in terms of providing services to homeless families.
    • Consider volunteering with or donating to an organization that fights to end homelessness. National organizations include The National Coalition for the Homeless, The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, and The National Center on Family Homelessness. Find a local organization to work with here or via internet search.
    • The National Coalition for the Homeless has a great list of other creative ways to get involved.
    • Finally, contact your congressperson and tell them you support H.R. 32 The Homeless Children and Youth Act of 2011. This bi-partisan bill changes the definition of “homeless person” to include certain adolescents and youth that are currently excluded for technical reasons. Their inclusion would allow them to access much needed services. If I can’t convince you, perhaps these kids can. They testified about their experience being homeless at the H.R. 32 hearing on child and youth homelessness, held by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity last December.

 

Heidi Román, MD

Heidi Román MD, FAAP is a mother and pediatrician who practices in San Jose, California. She has special interest and experience working with under-served families from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds. Dr. Román is a passionate child health advocate who works towards improved health for all kids, both in and out of the clinic. She writes about everything from parenting to policy at mytwohats.wordpress.com.

©2012 Two Peds in a Pod®

 

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January 16, 2012 by

An overlooked source of mouth sores

When I was a kid I used to be afraid the suction tube used at the dentist’s office would suck up my tongue. I have never seen that happen, but I have noticed that when children undergo long dental procedures, the suction is often hooked at the corner of the mouth for an extended period of time. Between the saliva that accumulates under the hook and “digests” the lip and the wet irritation from a piece of plastic pressing against the edge of the mouth, the kids may emerge with a sore at the corner of their mouths. The catch: the sore usually does not appear for a couple of days, sending parents into my office concerned about cold sores or infection after they have forgotten about the dental visit.

Fortunately, the mucosal (moist) areas of the mouth heal rapidly because of a rich blood supply which brings nutrients to the area quickly. However, before it heals, the area on and around the lip where the suction sat looks ugly, white and heaped up the by the third or fourth day after the dental visit. Keep the area clean with soap and water and put on a barrier protection such as petroleum jelly based product (eg Vaseline, aquaphor) so that any drool will not further irritate the area. Apply barrier protection the next time your child visits the dentist. 

Still better than having your tongue sucked up. 

Naline Lai, MD with Julie Kardos, MD
©2012 Two Peds in a Pod®

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January 10, 2012 by

Parents of one-year-olds: Rule your Roost!

 

When your baby turns one, you’ll realize he has a much stronger will. My oldest threw his first tantrum the day he turned one. At first, we puzzled: why was he suddenly lying face down on the kitchen floor? The indignant crying that followed clued us to his anger. “Oh, it’s a tantrum,” my husband and I laughed, relieved.

Parenting one-year-olds requires the recognition that your child innately desires to become independent of you. Eat, drink, sleep, pee, poop: eventually your child will learn to control these basics of life by himself. We want our children to feed themselves, go to sleep when they feel tired, and pee and poop on the potty. Of course, there’s more to life such as playing, forming relationships, succeeding in school, etc, but we all need the basics. The challenge comes in recognizing when to allow your child more independence and when to reinforce your authority.

Here’s the mantra: Parents provide unconditional love while they simultaneously make rules, enforce rules, and decide when rules need to be changed. Parents are the safety officers  and provide food, clothing, and a safe place to sleep. Parents are teachers. Children are the sponges and the experimenters. Here are concrete examples of how to provide loving guidance:

Eating: The rules for parents are to provide healthy food choices, calm mealtimes, and to enforce sitting during meals. The child must sit to eat. Walking while eating poses a choking hazard. Children decide how much, if any, food they will eat. They choose if they eat only the chicken or only the peas and strawberries. They decide how much of their water or milk they drink. By age one, they should be feeding themselves part or ideally all of their meal. By 18 months they should be able to use a spoon or fork for part of their meal.

If, however, parents continue to completely spoon feed their children, cajole their children into eating “just one more bite,” insist that their child can’t have strawberries until they eat  their chicken, or bribe their children by dangling a cookie as a reward for eating dinner, then the child gets the message that independence is undesirable. They will learn to ignore their internal sensations of hunger and fullness.

For perspective, remember that newborns eat frequently and enthusiastically because they gain an ounce per day on average, or one pound every 2-3 weeks. A typical one-year-old gains about 5 pounds during his entire second year, or one pound every 2-3 months. Normal, healthy toddlers do not always eat every meal of every day, nor do they finish all meals. Just provide the healthy food, sit back, and enjoy meal time with your toddler and the rest of the family.  

A one-year-old child will throw food off of his high chair tray to see how you react. Do you laugh? Do you shout? Do you do a funny dance to try to get him to eat his food? Then he will continue to refuse to eat and throw the food instead. If you say blandly,” I see you are full. Here, let’s get you down so you can play,” then he will do one of two things:

1)      He will go play. He was not hungry in the first place.

2)      He will think twice about throwing food in the future because whenever he throws food, you put him down to play. He will learn to eat the food when he feels hungry instead of throwing it.

Sleep: The rule is that parents decide on reasonable bedtimes and naptimes. The toddler decides when he actually falls asleep. Singing to oneself or playing in the crib is fine. Even cries of protest are fine. Check to make sure he hasn’t pooped or knocked his binky out of the crib. After you change the poopy diaper/hand back the binky, LEAVE THE ROOM! Many parents tell me that “he just seems like he wants to play at 2:00am or he seems hungry.” Well, this assessment may be correct, but remember who is boss. Unless your family tradition is to play a game and have a snack every morning at 2:00am, then just say “No, time for sleep now,” and ignore his protests.

Pee/poop: The rule is that parents keep bowel movements soft by offering a healthy diet. The toddler who feels pain when he poops will do his best not to have a bowel movement. Going into potty training a year or two from now with a constipated child can lead to many battles. 

Even if your child does not show interest in potty training for another year or two, talk up the advantages of putting pee and poop in the potty as early as age one. Remember, repetition is how kids learn.

Your one-year-old will test your resolve. He is now able to think to himself, “Is this STILL the rule?” or “What will happen if I do this?” That’s why he goes repeatedly to forbidden territory such as the TV or a standing lamp or plug outlet, stops when you say “No no!”, smiles, and proceeds to reach for the forbidden object.

When you feel exasperated by the number of times you need to redirect your toddler, remember that if toddlers learned everything the first time around, they wouldn’t need parenting. Permit your growing child to develop her emerging independence whenever safely possible. Encourage her to feed herself even if that is messier and slower. Allow her to fall asleep in her crib and resist rocking her to sleep. Everyone deserves to learn how to fall asleep independently. You don’t want to train a future insomniac adult.

And if you are baffled by your child’s running away from you one minute and clinging to you the next, just think how confused your child must feel: she’s driven towards independence on the one hand and on the other hand she knows she’s wholly dependent upon you for basic needs. Above all else, remember the goal of parenthood is to help your child grow into a confident, independent adult… who remembers to call his parents every day to say good night… ok, at least once a week to check in…. ok, keep in touch with those who got him there!

Julie Kardos, MD with Naline Lai, MD
©2012 Two Peds in a Pod®

 

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January 4, 2012 by

Top changes in pediatrics every parent should know: 2011

 

There is a saying we heard in medical school, “Half of what you learn now will change in ten years… you just don’t know which half.” In pediatrics, where we specialize in change, the saying certainly holds true.  We ring in the New Year by picking the top 2011 changes in pediatrics all parents should be aware of:

 

Car seats– keep children rear facing in car seats until two years old (or until they physically cannot fit rear-facing any more) and keep your child in a booster seat until a seat belt fits properly– across his chest and not his neck, and low on the waist across the hip bones, not across his belly. Sitting in the back seat is the safest spot for those 12 years and under.  For more information check out our post Buckle up: the latest in car seat safety.

 

Meningitis Vaccine– A booster dose for older teens is now recommended for the vaccine against the germ Neisserria meningitidis in addition to the dose routinely given to tweens.
 

Flu vaccine– Having an egg allergy is no longer an absolute contraindication to getting the flu vaccine. Turns out there is so little egg in the vaccine, most kids with egg allergies can safely receive the injectable form, though they still should not receive the spray-up-the-nose form. Ask your child’s pediatrician or allergist if your egg-allergic child is a candidate.

 

Bye-bye food pyramid– The difficult to understand food pyramid finally bit the dust and is replaced by My Plate .

 

SIDS prevention and safe sleep– keep soft bedding away from baby’s face- no crib bumpers! And continue to place your baby on his back to sleep. AAP Expands Guidelines for Infant Sleep Safety and SIDS Risk Reduction and Sleep Safety: How to decrease your baby’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

 

An old recommendation gets reinforced: in 2011, Dr Wakefield’s paper suggesting a link between the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism is reaffirmed as fraudulent. MMR vaccine schedule does not change.

 

Genital Wart and cancer from HPV prevention in males– HPV vaccine is now not only approved for boys, but recommended for boys, as well as girls, by the ACIP (vaccine branch of the CDC). With over 35 million people having received this vaccine, evidence supporting its safety has become well established.

 

All liquid acetaminophen products (Tylenol) are now the same strength. Watch out if you have the old formulation in your medicine cabinet, double check the dosing.

 

Changes in when and how to start solids foods: For about the last fifteen years, pediatricians advised delaying the start of solid foods and the start of commonly allergenic foods such as eggs or wheat to prevent food allergies. Unfortunately, food allergies have risen during this time. Current advice is back to the old advice. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases sponsored guidelines (November 2011 Pediatrics), solid foods should be introduced by 4-6 months of age and any potentially allergenic foods may be introduced at this time as well.

 

We look forward to more advances in pediatrics for 2012. Please keep reading and tell parents about us.

 

Best wishes for a healthy New Year.

 

Your Two Peds,

Naline Lai, MD and Julie Kardos, MD

©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

 

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December 29, 2011 by

Managing Moolah

 

As a new year rolls around and our pockets start to feel empty after the holidays, we look back at an older post for ways to penny-pinch without short-changing your kids: Save money: How to penny pinch without hurting your children. And whether your children receive gift cards, gelt, or cash gifts this season, we direct you to the popular post  Teaching kids money smarts for ideas on how to help them manage their new stash. 

 

Best wishes from your Two Peds,

 

Drs. Kardos and Lai
©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

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December 22, 2011 by

Spotted on the horizon: Roseola

Your toddler wakes from his afternoon nap a tad grumpy and with flushed cheeks. You grab your thermometer and see that his temperature is… 104F! But, because you have read our prior posts about fever Part 1 and Part 2, you do not panic. He has no cough, no runny nose, no vomiting, no diarrhea, no rash. He is fully immunized. In fact, considering how well he was acting before his nap, you are very surprised to find fever. You give him Tylenol and and hour later he becomes a happy toddler. This pattern continues for three days. He has fever, but no new symptoms, and he continues to run about energetically.  On the fourth day, the  fever breaks. A rash pops up, and your pediatrician diagnoses your child with roseola.

A viral illness seen in kids typically between six months and two years of age, roseola usually runs a course similar to your toddler’s illness and requires no specific treatment.  Many kids remain relatively cheerful despite the fever, and those who become fretful regain their good moods after a fever reducer medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) is administered. The associated light-pink rash may cover a child from head to toe as seen in our photo. The rash does not itch or hurt. Once the rash appears, the child is no longer contagious. If you press on the rash and lift up, the redness will momentarily turn white (blanches). It lasts for hours to a few days, and then fades. Up to 50% of affected kids never even get the rash. 

My twins had roseola at age 18 months. I remember one had fever for three days, the other had fever for two days, and both acted quite well despite their high temperatures. I kept waiting for more symptoms, dreading what I thought would turn out to be twin colds or worse, twin stomach viruses (double diarrhea really stinks), but no other symptoms emerged. When one broke out in a rash, I remember thinking “Oh finally, I know what you both have… roseola.” My other twin never did get the rash.  Thus, I suppose my family shows that 50% of affected kids really don’t get the rash.

What else causes fever for a few days and no other symptoms in a young child? In girls and uncircumcised boys, we mainly worry fever alone can be the sole sign of a urinary tract infection. 

In general, if your child seems especially ill, refuses to drink, becomes difficult to console, has any new rash WITH FEVER, or has fever alone for MORE than a few days, then you should call your child’s doctor. For more information on when to call your child’s physician, please see our “How sick is sick” post.

Now that you’ve learned about the symptoms, if you recognize Roseola, you’ll be “spot on”.

Julie Kardos, MD with Naline Lai, MD

©2011 Two Peds in a Pod®

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December 15, 2011 by

Food For Thought with Janet Zappala


Join Two Peds in a Pod as we chat with Janet Zappala, certified nutritional consultant/Emmy award winning television host, on her new internet radio show Food For Thought on Tuesday, Dec. 6th, at 2pm Pacific Time, 5 p.m. EST.  We’ll have useful parenting tips and holiday nutrition suggestions for getting your kids to eat better. Log in to listen live  www.voiceamerica.com

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December 6, 2011 by