Want to hear the latest on babyproofing your house? Click on this New York Times article HERE. There are some surprises. Using plug-in outlet covers? Most adults don’t plug them back in. Video monitors? There are reports of kids getting strangled on the cords. But some old suggestions are still valid. The best way to [...]
The AAP issued a new recommendation on Monday. Because of new crash data, they have strengthened their recommendations for protection of kids riding in cars. Children are now recommended to stay in rear-facing car seats until age 2. Booster seats for older kids are recommended until they reach 4′ 9″. All kids should ride in [...]
An arm of Congress has investigated herbal supplements, and found that most are contaminated. The Government Accountability Office investigated commonly available supplements, and found heavy metals — including lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic — in supplements available at drugstores and health food stores. The FDA’s authority to regulate such supplements and treatments was rescinded during [...]
How do you know when your school-aged child can safely come out of the car seat, and use a regular seat belt? It’s longer than you think. The safety issue relates to the way that the safety belts themselves restrain the child. In order for the belt to restrain the child without causing injury, the [...]
Everybody knows that kids need to wear sunscreen when outside in the summer sun. And it needs to be reapplied every two hours – even if the manufacturer claims that a single application lasts 4-8 hours, don’t believe the label! But what about little babies under 6 months? For decades, doctors advised against sunscreen for [...]
Would you like to have your infant daughter’s earlobes pierced? You might have some difficulty finding someone to do it for you. Some pediatricians have recommended against having the ears pierced until the child is old enough to take care of them herself. Usually this meant waiting until the child is school age. However, I [...]
Beginning in 2007, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC recommend that children who received their chicken pox vaccine as toddlers should receive a booster shot. This booster is suggested to be given by the time of kindergarten entry, but it may be given as early as 3 months after the initial shot. Any [...]
Q. Are diet sodas and snacks with artificial sweeteners safe for children? A. There is probably not much direct harm; no study has yet shown medical disease of any sort in children to be caused by artificial sweeteners, except for an occasional allergic reaction. But I don’t think kids need them, unless they have a [...]
Q: Are there any concerns about young children listening to music with headphones frequently? Is there any chance of hearing damage? A: Absolutely. Headphones pose a risk of hearing damage for children; this is an important issue. Several recent news reports have spotlighted cases of permanent hearing damage in older adults due to their listening [...]
