Q. What tips do you have for parents with newly potty-trained children regarding occasional nighttime bed-wetting?

The short answer is: Don’t do anything and don’t worry about it. Down-play it and deal with it. “That happens sometimes. Don’t worry about it. Let’s clean it up.” Sometimes it is helpful to cut down on late evening fluid intake. Some people find it helpful to get the child up to urinate before they go to bed.

The longer answer involves thinking about other factors:

How occasional is ‘occasional’? Many children become day trained long before being night trained. Don’t martyr yourself on a pile of laundry. Put him back in pull-ups (very matter-of-fact-ly, not as a punishment) and wait till he is usually dry at night to try again. Low-key, small rewards for dry nights may add some incentive in borderline cases.

How long has he been toilet trained and how long has he been dry at night? Recurrence (as opposed to persistence) of nighttime wetting can signal urinary tract infections or can be a response to significant stress. If these are concerns, see your child’s pediatrician.

One of the most distressing illnesses that commonly strike children (and other humans) is vomiting.

No one likes to vomit, and no one likes to deal with someone who is vomiting. But like most physiologic responses that have been around (we assume) since the beginning of mammals, vomiting has important disease-fighting or life-sustaining functions. We mammals use it to empty a non-functioning GI tract, or to rid ourselves of things that we have eaten but cannot tolerate. Vomiting must be an important piece of our ability to exist, because there is even a “vomiting center” in the brain that when stimulated causes us to vomit.

But despite its helpful role, like other disease-fighting responses (such as fever and inflammation), vomiting can be dangerous if too extreme or too prolonged. Read the rest »

What are good questions for expectant parents to ask in selecting a pediatrician for their new baby?

• Experience: You can ask about the pediatrician’s training and experience and areas of interest.
• Compatibility: Try to find out if you are philosophically compatible.
• Availability: Find out how to get in touch with him/her at various times of the day and night and how you can deal with emergencies. As you talk, assess his/her ability to communicate. It’s important to get someone who understands you and who talks so you can understand him/her. Definitely choose someone you like.
• Ask Others: It is also wise to ask others about their experiences with that physician/practice. You can also learn a lot through observation.
• Environment: Other things to consider are the physical environment of the practice. How are you treated by the staff? Are interactions with patients age-appropriate? Often you can get a “feel” for the doctor/office by taking a tour.

What are the most common sports related injuries in children? What can parents do to help their kids avoid injury?

The most common injuries are sprains, cuts, bruises, simple fractures, and overuse problems. Most are not particularly dangerous to the child or his/her sports future. Concussions and other head injuries, neck injuries, and injury due to overheating and dehydration, while less common, can be quite dangerous. Read the rest »

Now that school is back in session, what can parents do to help avoid spreading germs?

Whenever people encounter each other they can easily pass germs back and forth. Most of them are relatively benign, but some can cause significant and even serious disease. You can protect yourself to some extent from those germs that cause disease by frequent hand washing and by keeping hands away from your face and nose and out of your mouth (not an easy thing to do). To protect others, again wash your hands often, cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze, discard Kleenex appropriately, and keep your children home when they are sick. Avoid crowded rooms and flying on airplanes, especially during winter and cold season. Read the rest »

What can parents do to minimize school anxiety in their children, especially those who are just starting?

Every one experiences some anxiety when starting something new, so it is not surprising that someone starting kindergarten or starting in a new school is going to feel some concerns.

The basic response should be low key and positive, but can also acknowledge the child’s concerns. “It is scary to start something new, but in a few days you’ll know just what to do.” Make sure you project no anxiety about it yourself. Parents often have mixed feelings about sending their child out into the world. I remember bursting into tears as the school bus pulled away when my daughter went to Kindergarten.

Give the child strategies to cope with problems. “If you need to use the bathroom/you forget what bus you’re on/you didn’t understand what you are supposed to do, tell the teacher or the aide.” Read the rest »

While just about anyone will benefit from a flu shot, those at highest risk—children less than 5 years old, the elderly, and those with many common chronic health conditions (for example, asthma, heart problems, diabetes)—should definitely be immunized.

The very best way to protect yourself from the flu is to get a Flu Shot.
Like most immunizations, flu shots work on the principle that if your body meets a part of a disease organism—a piece of a virus or bacteria that is itself altered so that it can’t cause disease—then your body can get started on the process of responding, by making antibodies, the little biochemical agents that are an important part of our immune response. Then when the real thing comes along, your body already has custom-made warriors to combat that disease. The process of making antibodies is a long and complicated one that takes weeks to accomplish. Read the rest »