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 babies under [...]
Breastfeeding mothers have been told for many years that pacifiers should be avoided, because of a fear that they might interfere with breastfeeding.
Now, a review article in the AMA’s pediatrics journal (April 2009) reassures us that pacifiers may be okay for breastfed babies, after all. 4 randomized trials were reviewed; babies were assigned to [...]
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A federal program, WIC (”Women, Infants, and Children”) provides free food to low income families. This excellent program has been funded for many years by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition service. Money is provided to states, who give infant formula and nutritious food to pregnant women and children who qualify.
A new program [...]
Are you worried that your child might be color blind?
Kids usually begin to identify colors by age 3 or 4. A 4 year old child who can identify some but not all colors might be normal, but it’s worth knowing if he has a physical impairment in recognizing colors. He’ll be frustrated if the adults [...]
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 have [...]
Ear wax (cerumen) generally does not pose a medical problem, even if the amount seems excessive. It is unusual for excessive ear wax to cause hearing problems in children (although this is a more common problem in adults). Excessive ear wax does not cause middle ear infections, and is only rarely involved in swimmer’s ear. [...]
Most children are potty trained during the daytime well before the age that they become dry at night. Children older than 4 years old who still wear pull-ups in the daytime are uncommon. But children who require pull-ups until age 6, or even older, are not unusual.
This is not surprising, because the skills required are [...]
Does your baby sleep restlessly? Some babies are helped to sleep by some ambient noise. We’ve all heard stories about babies who would sleep only with the vacuum cleaner running … !
You can run a quiet fan, or buy “noise machines” from a baby store. Or, for a buck or two, you can download an [...]
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 medical [...]
