Pediatrics is the branch of medicine devoted to the health care of infants, children and adolescents. We’re not dispensing medical advice here, but many of your questions about common childhood health issues are answered. If you have a sick infant or child, or any active concern about a child’s health, you should seek the advice and care of a medical health professional.
In the US, about 1 in 6 (15%) of children have some type of developmental challenge. These challenges range from mild to severe impairments that affect daily life now and may continue throughout their lifetime. Developmental delays occur when children fail to reach significant milestones within the broad band of time defined as normal for...
No parent wants to hear the dreaded news their child might have cancer. In such circumstances, it’s important to remember major advancements in diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved survival and cure rates. While the specifics vary by disease, the average is better than 80% overall and above 97% for many childhood cancers. If you’ve...
There are many reasons your pediatrician might refer you to a pediatric neurologist, a specialist who diagnoses and treats physical, mental and emotional conditions associated with the brain and nervous system. Typically, the neurologist will examine your child and conduct a variety of tests to assess vision, coordination, reflexes, strength, sensory responses and more. The initial...
Every parent sees their fair share of coughs, colds and respiratory illnesses. If your child begins experiencing severe or ongoing lung issues, however, your pediatrician may call in a pediatric pulmonologist, a physician who specializes in the care of children with lung disorders and breathing difficulties. While pediatric pulmonologists treat a wide variety of lung...
Pediatric geneticists are physicians who provide medical care to children of all ages from birth through adolescence. They use their extensive training in medicine, pediatrics and genetics to diagnose and treat the roughly 120,000 babies born each year in the US with a defect that affects their health and requires treatment. Today, all newborns are screened...
Up to half a million pre-term babies are born in the US each year. They’re cared for by neonatologists, pediatric doctors who specialize in the care of newborns who are premature or ill. Their patients include infants who are born at less than 37 weeks or weigh 5 lbs or less at birth, and full-term...
Though not yet mainstream, hoverboards are fast becoming one of the most popular modes of personal transportation. Resembling motorized skateboards or scooters, hoverboards are futuristic two-wheeled, hands-free, contraptions that enable the rider to glide through city streets and travel on suburban roadways and sidewalks effortlessly, moving up to 10 miles per hour. Recently, they have become...
Concussions aren’t like other childhood injuries, in that there has been actual trauma to the brain. Not only does this produce physical symptoms, but also cognitive and psychosocial issues as well. Proper post-concussion treatment is essential for the child to achieve full recovery, so it’s essential that parents know what medications they can and cannot...
A concussion, also called a closed head injury or mild traumatic brain injury, is an injury to the tissue or blood vessels of the brain caused by a bump or blow to the head. Normally, the spinal fluid protects the soft organ of the brain from the skull, acting as a cushion, but a hard...
It seems that you cannot go online or turn on the TV without hearing about an athlete who has received a concussion. While some sports are certainly more dangerous than others when it comes to head injuries, everyone from professional athletes to youth sports participants are at risk. Concussion symptoms can be challenging, and while...