Food pouches with pureed veggies and fruits in them for toddlers to suck food out of. Really? Are we astronauts? Are real fruits and vegetables so scarce or hard to tote around that we have to resort to pureed mush to suck on? I guess you can see my basic opinion about the rise of … Continue Reading →
Sitting outside yesterday at dinner was heavenly. Until the bug invasion. Mosquitos and gnats and other flying creatures decided my table was the party place. We pulled out the citronella candles which helped, but by the end of the evening we all had a bug bite or two. Insect bites in children can result in … Continue Reading →
Summer vacation is here and my tweens and teens are struggling to find something to do all day. We go to the swim club frequently and enjoy cooking together, but without the structure of school and extracurricular activities there are still hours and hours of wide-open time each day for my kids to fill. They … Continue Reading →
Parents of teens on ADD meds need to be vigilant. Several articles recently have pointed out that the use of ADD meds is rapidly rising. Antibiotic prescriptions are down for children, but stimulant medication prescriptions have risen 40% over the last decade. Stimulant medications for ADD can be life-altering in a good way for students … Continue Reading →
It’s checkup season in the office and I’m seeing a lot of children who are heading off to camp or who play sports or who are moving on to middle or high school and need forms completed. Every child gets their height and weight measured and for many of the middle- and high school-aged kids, … Continue Reading →
Michigan now permits the sale of “real” fireworks to anyone. Adults used to have to drive to Ohio to get them but now makeshift stores are popping up everywhere. Fireworks are exciting and fun but are risky too. Here are some facts to keep keep your children safe as they enjoy the season. Sparklers can … Continue Reading →
After a relaxing hike along the Michigan lakeshore, you return to your summer home with a collection of sea glass, a Petoskey stone, and a small brown bug on your arm. You’re not completely sure if it’s a tick since you haven’t seen one before, but you’re sure it’s a bug. It doesn’t hurt but … Continue Reading →
The blacklegged tick has found itself a new home. Formerly known as “deer tick,” the blacklegged tick used to reside primarily in the Upper Peninsula and the very northern parts of the mitten. Due in part to the unseasonably warm winter and in part to shifts in population home bases, southeast Michigan is seeing a … Continue Reading →
I have a patient who has had abdominal pain for 3 weeks. The child is 3 and has lost 5 pounds since it began. She’s been in the hospital once already and has had 2 ultrasounds and at least 2 x-rays of her belly without much found. She’s had labs to rule out gluten problems, … Continue Reading →
In the summer months we are busy checking out children and teenagers who are getting ready for another year playing sports or heading to middle school or high school. Sports physicals are mandatory and important screening tools to determine injury and cardiovascular risk. Often through our process of asking questions we find young teenagers with … Continue Reading →