A new website, www.healthychildren.org, has been launched by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It’s excellent! The information is clearly presented, and the topics are very appropriate for families. I highly recommend, for example, the developmental information. Click on www.healthychildren.org and take a look!
– David Epstein, MD
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 belt [...]
We always try to prescribe the least expensive medication available that will treat your child effectively. And we usually use generic medications, which are just as effective as the branded drugs for most children.
But medications can be expensive! Your insurance plan’s drug benefit should help cover the cost, but sometimes there’s a problem.
If you arrive [...]
When patients in the past have asked me whether to give their kids vitamin supplements, my opinion has been lukewarm. Most foods are supplemented with vitamins, even junk food! There’s no harm in a daily supplement, but I have not felt strongly about it.
Until now! Recently, I have seen a steady stream of recent research [...]
A few parents are still asking about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Please be reassured! You and your children are much better off with the vaccine than without it.
This is certainly not a “new” vaccine; the H1N1 vaccines are just like the regular seasonal vaccine, made by the same manufacturers, who use the same [...]
We have received our next shipment of H1N1 vaccine. This batch is for infants and toddlers, younger than their 3rd birthday; it’s a shot, “without preservative.” I’ll offer it to infants and kids scheduled for their regular checkups, but you may call for an appointment just for the flu shot.
We’ve only received 100 doses of [...]
Do you believe that the magazines, movies and TV shows your kids watch don’t influence your kids’ behavior? Think again!
Children and teens copy the behaviors they see in the movies and on TV, according to research.
Cigarettes: If the characters in a show are smoking, kids who see the show are more likely to smoke. Research [...]
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 [...]
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 habits [...]
Welcome to Delaware Modern Pediatrics’ new web site! Our new design is attractive and easy to navigate. But the site still contains all the same great information that our original site held. Browse around! You’ll find information about common pediatric illnesses, behavioral hints, immunization advice, office tidbits, and much more.
A new feature is my pediatric [...]
