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
Posted by: drmolly in tooth, injury on
Oct 06, 2009
Injuries to teeth are common in childhood. When the injury occurs it can produce permanent damage even if the tooth is a baby tooth. Here are the four major kinds of dental trauma and how to manage them:
Chipped tooth: Most of the time this is not a concern. As long as the tooth (whether a baby tooth or a permanent tooth) doesn't hurt, the most that needs to be done is to see the dentist in a few days to have any sharp edges buffed or in the
Posted by: drmolly in injury on
Sep 16, 2009
Toe injuries are common in the summer because kids run around barefoot. Lots of stubbed and jammed toes and trauma to a toe from a falling object make their way into my office throughout the summer months. Parents are uncertain if a toe is sprained or broken, if a toenail is going to fall off or if a splint or cast is needed and ask for my guidance. Here is what you need to know:
Most toe injuries are painful but don't require X-rays because a
Posted by: drmolly in sunscreen, sunburn, safety, injury, burn on
Sep 14, 2009
Bonfires, grilling dinner, spending a sunny day at the pool, roasting marshmallows, playing with sparklers on are the makings of summertime memories - and potential causes of burns. Even the best parents can't watch their kids 24/7 and the hot marshmallow just off the fire seems so fun to play with ...
Burns can be mild or serious with life-threatening consequences. Burns are divided into three major categories:
- first-degree: the skin turns
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
I love being outdoors. Every chance I get, even in the winter, I am dragging my poor kids on a hike, bike ride or a swim. I want my kids to love being outdoors and being active, but I also want them to make safe choices about the things they choose to do.
I never want to discourage a child from being active. If a kid likes to bike, I say go for it! If a child loves to skateboard, head to a skatepark and go to town! Swim every day if you
Posted by: drmolly in prevention, injury, guns on
Mar 15, 2009
My almost 8-year-old asked for a toy gun. He's making a movie with his friend and up until now, the question of a weapon in our house, toy or otherwise, hadn't been an issue.
I took the opportunity to do a little research into the question of whether or not children who play with toy guns are more likely to become violent as adults. The data are mixed.
What is clear is that violent adults don't usually happen in a vacuum. Parents who
Posted by: drmolly in website information, prevention, picky eater, nutrition, injury, illness, growth, food, feeding, exercise, development, calories, behavior, autism, attention on
Mar 15, 2009
As the techno-geek doctor I am, I love to offer families good Web-based resources for information. I have chosen the following sites because they are reliable, readable and useful. Enjoy surfing!
Nutrition and healthy eating information can be found on the FDA's new and improved nutrition site. You can learn about portion sizes, amounts of different foods your child needs, as well as strategies to help your underweight or overweight child.
