Healthy living can be very exciting for adults and kids. Promotion of increased physical activity can be a great way for families to spend quality time together. Activities such as swimming, hiking, kayaking, ultimate Frisbee, golf, and tennis all promote physical health while giving parents and children bonding time together.
Recently Answered
-
4 AnswersA
See All 4 AnswersCall your child’s doctor if your child has:
- Bleeding that will not stop
- Lost a large amount of blood
- Frequent nosebleeds
- Bruises not caused by injury
- Bleeding from the gums or rectum
-
3 AnswersA
RealAge answeredSee All 3 Answers
Checkups can involve some or all of these items, depending on the child’s age:
- Vaccinations, if needed
- Head-to-toe exam, such as checking eyes and vision, ears and hearing, nose, mouth, reflexes, muscle tone and strength, and sometimes urine and blood
- Measurements and growth chart check
- Body mass index (BMI) check
The physical exam is how I make sure all your child’s body systems are growing and working properly. The rest of the time I spend asking plenty of questions and listening for details that may indicate a health issue about:
- Nutrition and eating habits, such as appetite, dieting, obesity and eating disorders
- Exercise, including quantity and type, leisure activities and sports
- Hygiene, including sleep habits, dental care, hand-washing, any itchiness or other irregular symptoms
- Intellectual development, depending on age of the child, including emerging social and developmental skills and school performance
- Emotional health and self esteem, including behavioral concerns, family dynamic, sibling rivalry
- Safety at home, school, and traveling, including child seats, seatbelts, sunscreen, helmets
From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
Find out more about this book:
Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children
Buy book -
1 AnswerA
Like all surgical procedures, fetal surgery is associated with risk. Unlike any other surgical procedure, in fetal surgery, TWO people are placed at risk: the mom and the baby. It is critical that the healthcare team is capable of caring for both.
-
1 AnswerA
Sunrise Children's Hospital answeredThe lungs of premature infants are immature and prone to complications.
-
1 AnswerA
You can help your child have a faster recovery after surgery by doing the following:
- Let your child ease back into activities as he is feeling up to it, rather than pushing him.
- Children can become dehydrated easily after surgery, so encourage your child to drink fluids.
- Stay on top of his pain control. Depending on the nature of the procedure, scheduling a pain medication such as acetaminophen can help prevent him from falling behind in terms of pain control and prevent periods of one to two hours where you are waiting for medications to kick in.
- If your child is given a prescription pain medication, these can oftentimes cause constipation. Have your child on a stool softener or laxative while he is on stronger pain medications.
-
2 AnswersA
See All 2 Answers
Children may need pain medication after surgery. Children are remarkably resilient and bounce back from surgery without requiring a whole lot of prescription pain medication. Nonetheless, no surgical procedure is completely pain free, and no one wants to see a child suffer. Parents should discuss pain control in depth with their child’s surgeon.
-
2 AnswersA
RealAge answeredSee All 2 Answers
Work with your doctor to determine how often your child needs to come in for checkups. In my practice, I recommend the following schedule, which is more frequent than is currently recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics: At birth, one week, then once a month for the first six months, and every other month from six months to one year, then again at 15 months, 18 months, 21 months, 2 years, 2.4 years, 2.8 years, 3 years, 3.5 years, 4 years, 4.5 years, 5 years, then yearly through age 18.
From Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children by Jennifer Trachtenberg.
Find out more about this book:
Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children
Buy book -
1 AnswerA
Wesley Medical Center answeredAvoid it if at all possible. If it’s your child’s only source of water, let it run for a few seconds before drinking from it, and remind them not to put their mouths directly on it. Also, avoid touching the basin and have them wash their hands after touching the handle.
-
2 AnswersA
See All 2 AnswersPediatric surgeons perform operations on children from small infants through 18 years old.