Posted by: drmolly in allergies on
Mar 29, 2009
Spring allergies are underway. Sneezing, itchy eyes, headaches, and scratchy throats are some of the symptoms of this seasonal nemesis. From about a year of age, children can begin to have symptoms of environmental allergies.
Allergies are tricky. You have to be exposed to something in the past for your body to develop an allergy. Here's how it works: you go for a walk outside in the spring and your nose takes in the aromas of budding trees
Posted by: drmolly in development, behavior on
Mar 26, 2009
"No!" is a child's mantra starting when they are around 18 months old and that single little word can drive parents crazy.
Children this age are learning they have some say in the world and that with just one word they can put the whole adult world in a tizzy. It is normal for young children to assert their independence, but their constant attempts to have influence over their world are maddening.
Starting as soon as children can understand it,
Posted by: drmolly in abuse on
Mar 22, 2009
Martin Levine, MD. The name means nothing to you I'm sure but to me and other parents with children who have special needs or learning disabilities he has been a beacon of hope and a source of fantastic and nuanced information. He wrote two fabulous books, The Myth of Laziness and A Mind at a Time, that discussed the reasons behind school failure (other than lack of motivation) and the barriers to learning some children face.
Recently Dr.
I had a patient in the office today with his parents. They were concerned because they thought their son had been using marijuana, which he denied, and they wanted me do a urine drug screen to determine if he was telling the truth or not. This is a tough one for parents, kids and doctors alike.
We had a long discussion about the pros and cons of drug tests. The pros are pretty straightforward: knowing with some certainty whether or not your
I get asked every single day about babies who don't sleep well. Some won't fall asleep without their parents holding them, others wake up several times per night wanting to eat, have their pacifiers replaced or be held again to fall asleep.
Of course, because the wakings occur at the time of day when we are least patient, parents often do whatever it takes to get their child back to sleep quickly so they can return to bed, too.
These parents
Posted by: drmolly in depression on
Mar 15, 2009
I had a mom in the office who has a 6-week-old baby. The mom looked terrific. She had her hair done nicely, makeup on and had clearly chosen to look her best. I examined her child who has a bunch of serious medical problems and let her know her daughter was actually doing quite well. Her heart problems had stabilized and she was gaining weight better than ever.
I had seen this child every week since she came home from the hospital. Knowing
I get a lot of questions about "growing pains," so I thought I would set the record straight. Growing pains have nothing to do with active growth of bones! Who knew?!
Growing pains are actually muscle spasms or aches that typically occur often at night and for no apparent rhyme or reason. Some kids who have had a particularly active day may experience these pains at night but not with every active day. Some kids never have them and others
Let's face it, none of us likes having a cold. The drippy nose, scratchy throat, coughing and body aches are enough to put a grown-up in bed for the day. Many of us reach for some over-the-counter medications to help us feel better as we ride out the storm. We used to reach for these same medications for our young children, but growing evidence suggests not only are they unsafe for some kids, they aren't even effective!
Many parents already
Posted by: drmolly in health insurance on
Mar 15, 2009
Recently, a mother of five who had lost her job asked me for guidance and advice about where to find lower-cost insurance for her family. She can keep her current insurance by paying for COBRA for up to 18 months, but she and her family cannot afford the $1,000/month that would cost. These days, lots of families are being confronted wtih either being uninsured or facing the possibility for the first time. It is a scary prospect.
Finding
Posted by: drmolly in diabetes, breathing problems on
Mar 15, 2009
Breathing fast. That was the only thing obviously different. The symptom I couldn''t explain.
T''s mom e-mailed me one Saturday and said the 2-year-old wasn''t eating well but was drinking lots and that he was breathing faster than normal. I asked my usual questions: Fever? No. Cough? No. Vomiting or diarrhea? No. Any obvious pain? No. So I suggested they give it some more time and see if it was evolving into an illness and fever or
