Section: Pediatric Advice
Q:
If there is someone around with a cold, my 6-year-old will catch it. We make sure he washes his hands a lot, but what other ways are there to keep him from catching a cold all the time.
A:
Thanks for the question. Washing hands correctly is key to reducing the spread of germs. Using soap and water and rubbing vigorously for the amount of time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice is a good rule of thumb (pun intended).
Other than that, teaching how to cover one's cough, avoiding sharing cups and utinsels, disposing of used tissues, and eating right are all key. There's some good evidence that reducing the germs in the environment by disinfecting commonly touched surfaces reduces illness.
Your pediatrician might have some other ideas specific to your child.
Thanks for the message.
Dr. H.
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Section: Pediatric Advice
Q:
My 4 year old daughter is still afraid to have a bm in the toilet. She is on miralax and she will sit on the toilet now, but strains terribly! She is under the care of a behavioral pediatric gastro. specialist so I am hopeful. Any foods she should stay away from? Thanks
A:
Thanks for the question.
We can't offer advice specific to your child since each child is different. Specific questions about your daughter should be addressed by her specialist. Having said that, I'll offer 3 general pieces of advice:
1. One of the primary goals of treating children with constipation is to make passing bowel movements painless and without straining. If children continue to strain, it's a setup for continued problems. There's always a way to make it easier to pass BM's with changes in medications or foods.
2. Foods that are low in fiber make it more difficult to pass BM's. FIBER content is listed on all foods packaged for individual resale.
3. Sometimes children are born with abnormal anatomy that can make it difficult for them to pass BM's.
We hope this helps. The AAP website has more information about constipation and the link to them may be found at our website www.DiscoveryPeds.com
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Section: Pediatric Advice
Q:
What are the benefits of going to a pediatrician over a family or general practice physician?
A:
Thanks for the email.
Pediatricians are physicians who are specialists in children. While all medical students rotate through pediatrics during their clinical years, pediatricians have completed at least 3 years of pediatric training (residency) of all ages after medical school graduation. During residency, we learn about the subtleties of health, development, and illness in infants, children, and young adults.
Family practice physicians have varying degrees of experience with children, and their residency training does include some training in pediatrics. General practitioners may or may not have gone on to do any training beyond a 1 year internship, and this may not have included any pediatric exposure.
Pediatricians have dedicated their careers to the health and well-being of children. We are comitted to staying up to date on the latest trends and research as well as continuous communication between ourselves and the families we care for.
For more information, check out www.DiscoveryPeds.com
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Section: Pediatric Advice
Q:
Whatever happened to the vaccinations we all got when we were kids? You know the one that left that scar on our arm. Why do doctors not do that any more?
A:
Thanks for the question.
You're referring to the smallpox vaccine. As you probably know, naturally occuring smallpox has been eradicated due to vaccination. There are some clinical studies that have been ongoing, and military soldiers who are at risk of smallpox contamination from biologic warfare are the only folks routinely immunized any more. Therefore, they're the only ones who get that cool scar!
For more informaion, check the CDC website. You can get there from the trusted resources tab on our website:
www.DiscoveryPeds.com
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Section: Pediatric Advice
Q:
What should kids drink? 2 percent milk, 1 percent milk or whole milk? And I hear that because of hormones, Organic milk is better for young girls, is this true?
A:
Hello there.
Your questions are great! There should be no restriction on fat intake below 2 yrs of age. We recommend whole milk between 12 and 24 months of age. 16-24 ounces of whole milk per day is ideal during that second year of life. After age 2, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests low-fat or skim milk. The calcium intake is the same, regardless of the fat intake.
We personally use organic milk in our own home. There seems to be little science to back it up, but excess hormones probably are not good for the cows, and probably not good for us either.
If you have other questions, we advise you to discuss them with your pediatrician. He/She should be able to answer your questions or concerns.
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