By Jean YaegerBy buckling their children into car seats and lifejackets, parents are taking steps to protect against tragic accidents. Safe sleep practices fit into that same mindset.Taking precautions in an infant’s sleep space -- just like the prec...
By Ashley AntleThe saying “timing is everything” could not be more true for Crystal Schnabel, Eric Massey and their son Rogan Massey. Rogan was born on April 13, nearly six weeks early, but not a minute too late.A few days prior to her son’s birth, S...
By Ashley AntleIf you are the parent of a baby, you’ve probably been given the advice to sleep when the baby is sleeping. While well-meaning, it’s not always that easy.As a mother of twins, now 14, I often rolled my eyes when someone would tell me th...
The coldest temperatures of the season are headed to North Texas later this week with an Arctic cold front. The best thing you can do is to prepare you and your family to stay safe and healthy.Wind chills are expected to be below zero degrees on Thur...
By Jean YaegerFinding infant formula on store shelves can still be tricky if you’re shopping for specialized types made for premature infants or babies with digestive complications.Nutritional experts at Cook Children’s say some patient families are ...
By Ashley AntleIt’s never too early to teach children to be safe around water. After all, if a baby can crawl, they can make their way to a pool or open body of water. Any number of things can lure them there — a floating toy or sheer curiosity as th...
The formula shortage is hitting home for many families. On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics shared advice for parents and said parents should talk to their pediatricians.A recall in February from Abbott Nutrition has placed extra pressure o...
Happy Mother's Day! Patients celebrated with their moms this week.At the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), patients dressed up and posed with their moms to celebrate their first Mother's Day!Other patients and their moms celebrated with Mother's D...
By Diane Arnaout, M.D.I remember scrolling through a Facebook group for physicians a few years ago, and a popular post rolled onto my screen, written by a confused pediatrician.“What the heck is up with all these moms wanting their baby’s tongues cut...
- It's 100% safe for expectant moms to continue dental visits, whether for prevention, diagnosis or treatment.- Pregnancy's impact on oral health: gingivitis or gum disease (due to increased hormones), cavities (due to sugary cravings or appetite cha...
Dressed in a Santa onesie for the holidays, 5 ½-month-old Parker lies in a crib, his arms and legs paddling the air as expressive blue eyes dance back-and-forth between his mom and nurse.Parker arrived at Cook Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit ...
By Ramon Kinloch, M.D.Well, that’s not really the question. But is there an amount of Vitamin D that a breastfeeding mom can take in order for the breast milk to contain recommended levels of Vitamin D for her baby?There have been numerous studies co...
By Rebecca Olvera, M.D. and Natalia Hanson, M.D.Dr. Olvera and Dr. Hanson have been piercing ears as part of their clinical practice within the Cook Children’s Network since 2016. They both use a medical ear piercing system only available to pediatri...
By Michelle Bailey, M.D.I encourage breastfeeding when possible, but FED is BEST. If breastfeeding isn’t working out for mom or baby, we have plenty of other options with formulas. There are so many types of formulas that the process of choosing whic...
An alarming government report regarding toxic heavy metals in baby food may have caught your attention. It says these foods are “tainted” with dangerous levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.Is this information cause for concern? Yes, but it’s...
Being a new parent is hard.
Being a new parent today is even harder.
With the limitation of visitors, changes to doctor’s offices, and lack of ability to get out of the house (among many other challenges), being a parent in COVID-times is causi...
Is breastfeeding worth the possible exposure to Covid-19?
Short answer: yes.
Unfortunately, the risk of COVID-19 is everywhere in our lives right now, but the reality is your baby needs another human to survive. So regardless of the way you...
Previously, I covered the bascis about infant reflux. If you missed that article, please click here.
I have a few, more specific topics I promised I would go over in my previous post.
Should We Try a Medication for My Baby’s Reflux?
This i...
Desperation or neglect, whatever the reason the story is devastating.
In the wake a baby is dead and her mom has been charged with her murder. In addition, the baby’s dad has been charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to a child for diluting...
Newborns aren't able to manage their body temperature like adults can. So, as the thermostat dips, the way you handle outings with little ones needs to change.
Know your babies' limits and plan ahead when making a trip outside so you can keep the...
If I had a nickel for every time I talked to parents about teary, gooey baby eyes I’d own a yacht and would be sailing it around Europe right about now.
So let’s talk about it, and what you can do to help it go away.
Baby eye tear ducts don’t w...
Bah-bah. Binky. Button. Nip-nip. Num. Paci. Sassy. Soothie. Wubbanub.
Whatever you call it, parents have lots of questions about pacifier use.
Let’s look at some of the most common:
1. When is it OK to start a pacifier?
A pacifier can be ...
“My baby spits up all the time.”
“My baby never spits up, but seems like they are fussy all the time."
I know this sounds like reflux, but the truth is spitting up can be normal. Even if it’s with every feed, even if it seems really bad.
May...
Is your 6 month old sleeping through the night?
Maybe not and that’s OK, at least for your baby. You, on the other hand, may need some rest.
Let's start with your baby. Does their lack of sleep pose any risk to their health or development?
A...
Are you looking for the miracle cure for your baby’s congestion? Me too. Sorry, it just doesn’t exist. I tell families all the time that if I find it I will market it and retire.
In the meantime, here are some things you can do to help.
Suction...
Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children aged 1 to 4 years old, according to Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Don’t leave your child alone in the bathtub.
That’s the simple message that the folks at Cook Children’s who watch out for your kids’ safety wants you to know.
From March 14 to April 10, 2018, five children were rushed to the Emergency Departme...
For eight days after her son was born, all Whitney Coben could do was look at her fragile little boy.
Brayden was born premature at 27 weeks, weighed less than 3 pounds and couldn’t breathe on his own. Right after birth, he was immediately taken t...
When bringing home a beautiful newborn, it can worry new parents to see one or both eyes constantly watering and developing ‘eye gunk.’ This problem is often caused by a clogged tear duct, also called nasolacrimal duct obstruction.
Normally, tears...
Carol and Emmanuel Vallecalle welcomed their first daughter into the world in late October, beaming with excitement. Everything seemed so perfect, they couldn’t imagine a single thing could go wrong. Their 7-year-old son looked forward to becoming a ...