It’s your worst nightmare. Your child throws a tantrum in a public place. You’re stressed out and are ready to have a tantrum of your own. How can you deal? The most difficult -- yet most important -- thing to do is to ignore your child during the temper tantrum. See if the tantrum dies down. If that doesn’t work, divert your child’s attention. Remove him from the environment. This may be tough because you’re pressed for time and are in a public place for a purpose. Leaving that environment show...
Mar 14, 2023
Even the cleanest children get lice. Those little bugs tend to nest in certain colors and textures of hair, which is why some people get repeat visits. Lice are bugs that crawl from one scalp to another. They can crawl from combs, brushes, and clothing onto a fresh scalp. The bugs look like sesame seeds, and their eggs stick to the hair shaft. A louse will only live one to two days when not on a scalp. Eggs don’t hatch if they aren’t in a warm environment. Of course, you should still vacuum and ...
Mar 07, 2023
A recent report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics proves the importance of fathers in the development of young children. Engaged fathers are associated with better academic success, health, social skills, and confidence. Their children also have less delinquency and reduced likelihood of substance abuse. It really matters to get dads involved with children. They don't have to serve the same functions as mothers. It's great when fathers will jump in and change diapers and rock babie...
Feb 28, 2023
ACES or Adverse Childhood Experiences is a broad term for a number of stressful and negative events that can happen in a child's life and affect them for years to come. Well today, we are going to discuss what exactly this phrase means. We are joined by Andrew S. Garner, MD, Ph.D., FAAP, who is a pediatrician with Partners in Pediatrics in Westlake, Ohio, and is a member of the UH Rainbow Care Network, the region’s largest coordinated group of medical professionals providing care to children. He...
Feb 21, 2023
The slowness of winter and the stress of the holidays can be a lot, even for our children. Hilary Bowers, MD, is the Director of Behavioral and Mental Health Services and a board-certified pediatrician providing care through the Children's Primary Care Medical Group (CPCMG). She is also a member of the UC San Diego Health Physician Network, and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). She chats with Melanie Cole, MS, about the continued trends in mental health issues we've been see...
Feb 14, 2023
The beginning of a new year is always a time of resolutions and resetting your goals and intentions. So today we're chatting with Dr. Lanre Falusi in this encore episode from January 2022 about action vs. avoidance goals, reward systems, and good resolutions for our kids, such as drinking more water, looking out for bullying, making new friends, and getting more sleep. Dr. Falusi is a primary care pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and a spokesperson for the American...
Feb 07, 2023
Everyone craves a fresh start sometimes, even our children. Whether it's a brand new year, or just wanting to try something new at any point in the year, it's important to be realistic and healthy when it comes to setting goals. Joining us for this conversation is Nicole Cifra, MD, MPH, MHPEd, an attending physician in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her main area of interest is eating disorders, and she currently serves on the Medical Care Standards C...
Jan 31, 2023
In a powerful new call to action, the American Academy of Pediatrics is demanding critical self-evaluation and fundamental changes in the practice of medicine to end long-standing inequities in health care. In a new policy statement, “Eliminating Race-Based Medicine,” the AAP observes that race is a historically derived social construct that has no place as a biological proxy. Over the years, the medical field has inaccurately applied race correction or race adjustment factors in its work, resul...
Jan 24, 2023
When we're out of our routines, that is the best time for chaos to enter the home. And with the holidays and winter breaks, all kinds of crazy injuries can happen. Even in the depths of winter. So today we're talking about the most common injuries doctors see this season (a lot of injuries in the kitchen), keeping kids out of medications, fireplace safety, and staying warm and safe when playing outside. Dr. Christina Johns is our guest for this episode. She received her undergraduate degree from...
Jan 17, 2023
Marijuana is now legal for medical or recreational use in many U.S. states, with its use on the rise. Unfortunately, so is the unintentional THC poisoning risk these products pose to kids who get a hold of them. Kevin Osterhoudt, MD, MSCE, FAAP, FACMT, serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. He is an attending physician in the Emergency Department and Medical Director of The Poison Control Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In ...
Jan 10, 2023
Between the seasonal flu, COVID-19, and the rising number of kids with RSV, it's time to talk about this triple-demic. Today we'll talk about the slight differences between these 3 big illnesses hitting us this winter, what kind of symptoms to look for, and what to expect for the rest of the year's flu season. Our guest for this conversation is Dr. Upma Suneja. Dr. Suneja is a Board-certified Pediatric Physician currently working as a part-time General Pediatrician at USF, Tampa. She graduated f...
Jan 03, 2023
Watching your child play sports is exciting. You can support your child as an organized sports participant both emotionally and physically. Benefits of Organized Sports weight control time management organization skills better bone density improved mental health social skills feeling of competence Listen to this encore episode from September 2019 as Dr. Kelsey Logan joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how all children can participate and benefit from organized sports....
Dec 27, 2022
Today's children grow up immersed in digital media, which can have both positive and negative effects on healthy development. And it can be difficult to know when your child should have a phone of their own. Well, to help you out, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and AT&T have teamed up to launch a new, free PhoneReady Questionnaire and a free, enhanced Family Media Plan tool to help parents and caregivers create healthy digital habits for their families. Dr. Suzy Tomopoulos is an As...
Dec 20, 2022
Let’s face it, your child learning to drive can be very stressful for you as a parent. You want them to gain independence while still keeping them safe. The most important investment you can make in terms of the safety of your driving teen is giving them a structured experience behind the wheel. The biggest single risk factor for teens is their lack of driving experience. Introduce them to safe but stressful situations while you’re in the car, like interstate driving and country roads. Be clear ...
Dec 06, 2022
You've probably heard the term jaundice before, and that it makes yellow babies, but you may not really understand what it is. New guidelines released recently say jaundice is not something that we consider to be pathologic, but more physiologic, and it's actually quite common in newborn babies. In this episode, we cover just what jaundice is and how our doctors treat it with Dr. Joanna Parga-Belinkie. She is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphi...
Dec 06, 2022
Transgender, Gender Diverse, Non-Binary, Cisgender. There are a lot of words to describe sexual identity and presentation. And it can be difficult, especially if your child is figuring out who they are, and this may be new to you. So we've brought in Dr. Ilana Sherer to break down some of these terms and answer some common questions on gender and more in this encore episode from March 2022 . Dr. Ilana Sherer has a general pediatrics practice in Dublin, California at the Palo Alto Medical Foundat...
Nov 29, 2022
If you're a parent, you know that it can be incredibly frustrating and even scary at times when your kids are constipated. It's really common and it's something that so many parents go through, but we're gonna learn about it today and get all the information that you need so that you have informed decisions and you know what's really going on with your children. Joining us to discuss constipation in children is Dr. Patrick Reeves. He's an officer in the United States Army Medical Core with a cli...
Nov 22, 2022
Now that our kids are back to in-person schooling, some of them don't always wanna go. But there are a number of reasons for that. So today we're talking to Dr. Heidi Schumacher. She's a practicing pediatrician and she also serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Health and Wellness at the DC office of the State Superintendent of Education. So she is seeing many sides of this attendance issue, the anxiety issue, the whole school avoidance, and also the health implications and benefits of reall...
Nov 08, 2022
If your child is having trouble at school, your pediatrician may be able to help. Risk factors or difficulties during pregnancy or early life could contribute to a learning difficulty. First, speak with your child’s teacher and/or principal. Ask questions about what’s happening inside and outside the classroom. Get more information on your child’s school life. Next, speak with your pediatrician. As possible sources are eliminated, ask your pediatrician what else could be causing the difficulty. ...
Nov 01, 2022
The milk crate challenge, the blackout challenge, the sleepy chicken challenge, and of course the Tide pod challenge. These were all internet games based around the social media app TikTok. While social media can be good for children who want to learn about the world at large or find other kids with common interests outside their school, it can also be quite dangerous when these challenges get risky or even lethal. Dr. Nicole Baldwin is a member of the AAP Council on Communications and Media and...
Oct 25, 2022
When confronting the challenge of disciplining their children, moms and dads often default to the ways their own parents disciplined them, sometimes with harmful results. But mom and practicing pediatrician Dr. Candice Jones shows parents a better way, helping parents understand child development and how the ways that children are disciplined shape not only their behavior but their overall health and well-being. Dr. Jones coaches parents to understand their child’s developmental stages and their...
Oct 19, 2022
Kids are now back in school and social situations with their peers. And we know that anxiety levels have been at an all-time high throughout this pandemic. So today we're talking about anxiety, depression and how that manifests physically in eating disorders, and more. We talk about how the easing of the pandemic is changing the mindset in our kids, why anxiety is increasing now in kids even as restrictions decrease, and how we can help our kids get through this tumultuous time. Dr. Katherine Wi...
Oct 18, 2022
The AAP released updated recommendations on breastfeeding a few months ago, which have been a bit controversial because they call for supporting moms who breastfeed 2 years or beyond (from the previous recommendation of 1 year.) Our goal is to normalize breastfeeding in the U.S. and help women achieve whatever breastfeeding goals they have surrounding feeding their babies. So today, Dr. Lauren Crosby joins our host Melanie Cole to discuss the new guidelines, giving our newborns the best nutritio...
Oct 11, 2022
This is not a discussion any parent wants to have with their kids. We don't even wanna think about it but think about it we must. Our kids have a unique issue that we did not have. They must be prepared for school shootings, mass attacks, and gun violence in a way that we never did. I hate that we even have to talk about this, but. We have to do this because it is incumbent on us to bring these issues out into the open so that parents can have these discussions. Joining our host Melanie Cole, MS...
Oct 04, 2022
We do a lot of podcasts here at Healthy Children on parenting tips and ways we could be better parents and ways to keep our kids healthy and safe. But what about being a conscious parent? These days with so many distractions and cell phones, we are not very present. The advice Melanie gives all the time as a parent of a 19 and 22-year-old is "don't blink" because if you do, you miss it, it goes by in an instant. Pediatrician and medical geneticist, Dr. Bob Saul has been guiding parents and their...
Sep 27, 2022
Play is important to child development. It should be a priority in children’s lives. Why Play is Priority Play with caregivers, peers and teachers affects brain structure and function. Playful learning is a fundamental part of healthy development. Play helps develop the safe, nurturing relationships with parents and caregivers to mitigate toxic stress and promote resilience. Fifty percent of parents don’t go outside to play with their children. Thirty percent of kindergartens don’t have recess--...
Sep 20, 2022
Pediatricians around the country are voicing concern over federal and state actions that could threaten the medical rights and safety of teenagers seeking reproductive healthcare, including pregnancy counseling and abortion services. Joining us for this very important topic today is Dr. Elise Berlin. She's a professor in the department of pediatrics at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and a specialist in adolescent medicine in Columbus, Ohio. She is a co-author of two AAP policy sta...
Sep 13, 2022
After spending so much time at home these last few years, and doing school online, some children may not be excited to go back to the classroom. And we know anxiety and depression have been on the rise in young people as well. So how can we get our kids eased back into the old ways of socialization and in-person school? Dr. Emily Frank is an assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF and a public school teacher in Oakland. In addition to providing primary care in the clinic, she treats patients w...
Sep 06, 2022
All summer long, your children most likely have been staying up all night, sleeping in, and have lost track of any type of schedule. So as the season comes to an end, its time to prep your kids for going back to school, and getting back into the rhythms that will help them succeed in the classroom. Dr. Emily Frank is an assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF and a public school teacher in Oakland. In addition to providing primary care in the clinic, she treats patients with urgent medical nee...
Aug 30, 2022
Millions of children across the United States are being raised by their grandparents. Grandparents have always played a role in children’s lives, but their involvement in raising the children has increased in the past twenty years. Their involvement can go beyond serving as a sitter or providing care while the parents are working. Grandfamilies are often formed under stress. Grandparents typically step in as primary caregivers because of a crisis. Relearning how to parent in modern times with to...
Aug 23, 2022
