Children's Health

Recently Answered

• QWhat causes jaundice in infants?

  4 Answers

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  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  

  When the baby's body tries to break down and get rid of old red blood cells (from, say, a little bruise on the head or from swallowing blood in utero), the breakdown product of those red cells is bilirubin, which causes the skin to turn yellow (jaundice).

  

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• QWhen is SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) most likely to occur?

  2 Answers

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  A Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family Medicine answered

  Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the leading cause of death in children between 1 month and 1 year of age. Within this age group, SIDS is most likely to occur in infants between 2 months and 4 months of age. The most important thing you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS is to make sure your baby sleeps on his or her back. Other things you can do to reduce the risk of SIDS is to make sure no one smokes around the baby and to try to breastfeed your baby. 

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• QCan vaccines prevent or cause SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome)?

  1 Answer

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  A First Candle answered

  At the current time, no vaccination exists that will prevent SIDS. Conversely, no vaccination has ever been found to cause SIDS. SIDS has been documented to occur in infants who never received any immunizations. In addition, it should be noted that the peak incidence period for SIDS -- between 2 and 4 months of age -- also occurs in countries with different immunization schedules. Because of the coincidence in time frame between the recommended schedule for shots in the U.S. and the peak incidence of SIDS, a number of federal studies during the 1980s sought to correlate a causal relationship between the two, without success. Findings from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) multi-center case control study (published in April of 1987) revealed that only 2 of 145 SIDS victims had received a diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (DPT) shot within 24 hours of death. Ongoing studies into SIDS and vaccinations continue to confirm earlier findings.
• QHow do I choose a backpack for my child?

  3 Answers

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  A Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answered

  You should choose a backpack for your child that will not hurt her back and will help her stay organized. Some specific things to look for when choosing a child's backpack:
  

  • lightweight material
  • a pack that's proportional to your child's size
  • wide, padded shoulder straps
  • a padded back
  • a waist belt, which can help distribute the weight more easily
  • multiple compartments for organizing stuff

  Many backpacks today have wheels, but check with your child's school before choosing one, as some don't allow backpacks with wheels; these can also be tough to pull in snow or up stairs.
  

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• QHow will hospital staff make sure my child has a safe surgery?

  2 Answers

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  A Hospital Safety Score answered

  Hospital staff will do the following to ensure your child has a safe surgery:

  • Hospital staff will review the procedure in the OR prior to the beginning of the surgery. It is valuable for them to find out who will be in the room, what their role is and, exactly what is supposed to be done to your child. They might use a checklist—similar to what pilots use when flying—to make sure everything they need is present and ready, as well as anything they might need just in case.

  • Your staff will make sure you are informed about what is happening to your child. You should get information on the surgery ahead of time so you can ask good questions and share concerns if you have them. If you do not receive this material, ask for it.

  • The surgeon will “sign the site”—the part of your child’s body that will be operated on. Ideally, this will happen while you are in the room with your child before surgery. This will help everyone be clear that the right part be operated on. The only mark should be on the part being operated on, and nowhere else on the body.

  • The care team will invite you to stay with your child until he/she falls asleep.

  • The hospital emphasizes the need for all equipment to be sterile prior to use.

  • The hospital emphasizes the need for all care team members to completely wash their hands and wear the right gowns and clothing to minimize infection.

  • The anesthesiologist will ensure that all the anesthesiology equipment in the operating room is in working condition prior to the start of surgery.

  • The nurses will make sure that all medications are appropriately prepared and labeled for use during your child’s surgery.

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• QHow can I make my home safe for my toddler?

  1 Answer

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  A Trish Booth , Family Medicine, answered

  It is exhausting and frustrating when your toddler explores an area that has things that can hurt her. It is easier to make an area safe for your child than to keep your child away from the dangerous things.
  
  - Make your home as child-safe as you can. That way you will not have to always be on high alert.
  - Make at least one room or a self-contained area a safe place for your toddler to play. That way you both can enjoy her exploring. It is also a place the two of you can go if her testing has made you impatient.
• QHow much sleep does my preschool-age child need?

  2 Answers

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  A Dr. Michael Breus, PhD , Psychology, answered

  Children age 3 to 5 need 11 to 13 hours per night. Their nighttime sleep is even more important now since regular naps are often a thing of the past. Turn off the television. There’s evidence that TV before bedtime disrupts children’s sleep -- especially when it’s violent.

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• QShould my child see a doctor if she is thin?

  1 Answer

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  A Dr. Elise McCormack-Granja, MD , Internal Medicine, answered on behalf of Baptist Health South Florida

  Despite media coverage of child stars developing devastating eating disorders as the result of being forced to fit an ideal weight, not all underweight children have eating disorders. As long as children and teens maintain their regular growth projectile in height and weight, a low body mass index (BMI) isn’t a definitive sign of an eating disorder. However, pay close attention to any changes that veer off track from your child’s regular weight since being underweight can have health consequences and deserves a complete medical evaluation. 
• QWhere is the most accurate place to take my child's temperature?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A Dr. Michael Roizen, MD , Internal Medicine, answered

  

  The accuracy of a temperature depends on how the temp was taken:
  
  • Temp taken in the tush: Accurate.
  
  • Temp taken in the mouth: Add ½ degree.
  
  • Temp taken under the arm: Add 1 degree.
  
  • Temp taken in the ear: Accurate, theoretically (depends on the thermometer used).

  

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  YOU: Raising Your Child: The Owner's Manual from First Breath to First Grade
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• QWhat is a neonatologist?

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  A RealAge answered

  Neonatologists are doctors who are specially trained to care for newborns, especially infants with health problems that are serious or hard to diagnose or treat. This includes premature infants, and those with serious diseases, injuries and birth defects. If the problem is known before birth, a neonatologist may be needed before or during the baby's delivery, as well as after the child is born. Neonatologists are specialists in conditions that affect newborns, as well as the best ways to diagnose and treat newborns. Their training includes pediatrics and newborn intensive care. They are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the Sub-Board of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine.

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