‘Dads Playbook’ Archives
Cancer Prevention Tips from EWG
Yes, there have been alarming increases in the number of diagnosed cases of cancer, including many children. And No … we don’t have to sit by and watch this happen. We can take preventative measures to help ensure that we, and our families, are less likely to become one of those affected by cancer. Many of the suspected causes, especially [...]
Home is Where the Hurt is? Child Proofing your House
As a parent, you might not think of your home as a hazardous place, but through the eyes of a pediatric emergency physician, the home can sometimes seem like a dangerous booby trap for young kids. Places where children can potentially come into harm are everywhere in the home, but with the proper precautions and carefully placed childproofing [...]
Pink Cigarette Ads Target Teenage Girls
The “pinkification” of girls’ culture – their clothes, toys and accessories – is a booming and relatively recent marketing strategy, marking girls as “cute” and thus very different than boys, who are “tough.” Walk into any clothing or toy store or go online and try to buy something for your daughter that’s not pink. Check your [...]
Get Ready for Spring with a Winter Detox!
It’s not until March 20th that spring “officially” begins, but I can’t help thinking of spring as soon as the icy weather begins to thaw and I can toss my winter coat aside! Sometimes there’s no better way to usher in a new season than with a detox of everything past. Here are 4 tips to help get rid of the winter blues: Start Drinking [...]
Psych Meds and Children—What Parents Need to Know
We’ve all heard the stories in the news about Rebecca Riley, the 4-year-old who died in 2006 of an overdose of psychiatric medication. She made her first trip to a psychiatrist when she was two, because she was active and had trouble sleeping. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was only three–her ten-year-old brother and [...]
Fever Fears and Facts: How Your Child’s Fever will be Evaluated in an Emergency Department
The highest temperature I ever saw was in Norfolk, Virginia. “110 degrees fever at home” the triage paperwork said. I looked over the chart to the smiling bouncing toddler trying diligently to dismantle our counter drawer. I asked how the temperature was taken and the grandmother said, “I put my hand on his head and said, ‘Woo, that’s [...]
Should We Change Our Eyeglass Prescribing for Children?
Myopia, or nearsightedness, a vision condition in which close objects are seen clearly, but objects farther away appear blurred, is extremely prevalent in our society and appears to be on the rise. A recent article estimated the prevalence of myopia in people aged 12 to 54 increased from 25 percent in the years in the early 1970s, to 41.6 percent [...]
Think Your Kids Are Getting Enough Exercise? Chances Are, You Are Wrong!
The Age of Computers and Television has also become the Age of the Couch Potato. Instead of running outside to play, our kids choose to sit down and text. This decrease in activity level is contributing to the current child obesity epidemic. One third of all children in the United States are overweight or obese and at risk for medical illness [...]
Why Water Is Exceptionally Good for You
We all need water. Our bodies are made of about 70% water and all of our systems and vital organs require it to function. Water carries nutrients to all of our cells, flushes toxins from our kidneys, removes waste from our bowels, aids in our digestion, regulates our temperature, and lubricates our joints. Not getting enough water can cause [...]
Don’t Forget About H1N1 Just Yet
In case you missed it, Margaret Chan, MD, the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), yesterday cautioned the world that the H1N1 pandemic is not over, even though you’re not hearing as much about it in the media or around the watercooler. “It is too premature and too early for us to say we have come to an end of the pandemic [...]
