All kids will get bumps and bruises and some will even get cuts and gashes. I get a lot of calls from parents unsure if they need to take their child to the ER for these wounds.
In general, you must get a wound closed within eight hours of the injury if stitches or glue are to be used. In other words, you often can't wait until the next morning when your doctor's office is open to make this decision.
Sometimes the need for stitches is
As a kid I remember the horror on my mom's face when she saw me put two pennies in my mouth to suck on. "Take those out of your mouth! You have no idea where they have been!" were her sage words. The panic in her voice worked its magic and I promptly spit them out. Little did she know that in addition to the gross possibilities of where they had been, had I swallowed them I could have been in trouble for other reasons.
In North America and
With training for fall sports comes a real risk of head injury. All athletes, almost regardless of sport, can sustain significant head injury so knowing how to determine when your child can just shake it off and return to play and when they need to sit out for some time is important.
Head injuries run the gamut of severity and understanding that a concussion may occur even without passing out is important. If your child has a concussion he or
Last week my newly minted high school freshman daughter began marching band camp. This camp is rigorous and starts at 8 in the morning and goes until 4 in the afternoon. The kids carry instruments, march and play, all while holding a precise posture and wearing summer clothes. So I talked to my daughter about the signs of heat exhaustion before the week began. I can't imagine how the football players, all layered in their gear while working out
Posted by: drmolly in frostbite, emergency on
Mar 15, 2009
This weekend was the first really cold day of the season with temperatures failing to even hit the freezing mark and wind chills making it feel below zero. So, of course, I decided to take my kids sledding.
We all donned long johns and pants and snow pants and turtlenecks and sweaters and coats and scarves and hats and gloves and boots. Yet about three minutes after we hiked to the top of the hill, my son, Declan, began to complain that he was
It's 2 p.m. on a Sunday and you know your child needs to be seen by a doctor. Your son has been up since 2 a.m. crying with a fever and sore throat and he has been exposed to strep at school. Of course your doctor's office isn't open on Sundays and you know there are urgent care clinics all over town, but aren't sure where to go. You know there is a clinic in the drug store near your house, another one just a couple of miles away that offers
