Articles tagged with 'Blogs' | Checkup Newsroom

I have used a lot of words to tell you not to worry about fever. Fever is your child’s friend. Don’t go to the ER for fever alone. Don’t buy all the fever myths out there. When should you be worried? The biggest issue is context. You can read the ...

Previously, I looked at the safety and research of essential oils and children. Today, I will answer more questions asked on my Facebook page. Effectiveness/General Use Do they really work or is it a mind over matter thing? I think that ther...

As you watch your little one walking or running during play, you may ask yourself, “Is my child falling too much?” Children initially begin to walk between the ages of 12 and 15 months. In the early stages of walking, you may notice your child “wa...

The other day I went on vacation. We went over THERE. I enjoyed it because we did THIS and THAT. There was one activity where my son caught the THING and did THIS to it. We couldn’t stop laughing, but eventually we helped him get THAT over THERE. Unf...

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...

"Why is my child hungry all the time?" My first question would be, “how do you define ‘all the time’?” Some people have unrealistic expectations for a breastfeeding baby. By rule, we know that they need to eat 8-12 times per 24 hours to sustain...

Parents worry that they do not have enough milk for many reasons: No sensation of a let down No longer leaking milk Mom’s breast do not feel full (or engorged) anymore Unable to produce milk with a pump Baby does not stay at the breast as lo...

Babies give hunger cues when they are ready to eat. Though most people think that a crying baby is ready to eat, crying is actually the last cue and a crying baby is more difficult to latch. Earlier indicators may include: Wiggling around ...

There are many different positions that work well with breastfeeding. Some women like to use pillows to prop the baby up and take some of the weight off of their arms, however others feel like the pillows make the job too cumbersome. Cradle and cr...

Often babies who are dealing with oversupply gulp, choke, clamp down on the nipple, and pull away during feeds. Moms report short feeds, babies only wanting one breast, and milk spraying when the baby comes off, especially at the beginning. These bab...

As Cook Children’s virtual lactation consultant, you probably won’t be surprised to learn I am very passionate about the importance of breastfeeding. But if you’ve ever had a consult with me, you know I meet every mom right where she wants to be and ...

"I swear he looked worse when I called." "She hasn't been this active in days." "She felt so hot when we left the house." I get it. I've always tried to understand when I hear parents say these kind of things and this week I was personally r...

Dr. Vanessa Charette provided wise counsel in her blog titled “Do you ‘Mom-Shame?’—Well Shame on You.” As a complement to that, I would like to propose an important next step—that we parents stop shaming ourselves. We almost all engage in this, and t...

Kanmushi is a described syndrome in traditional Japanese medicine that is said to be linked to an insatiable desire for sugar and “insomnia, crying, irritability, bad mood, night terrors, biting people, biting nails, abdominal bloating due to over-ea...

In the words of Shakespeare “How far that little candle throws its beams! So shines a good deed in this naughty world.” Why has kindness endured over evolutionary changes which are tied to survival of the fittest? Our ancestors evolved as group...

It wasn't rehab for drug addiction or a mental breakdown after her break-up with Justin Bieber that caused Selena Gomez to step out of the spotlight in December 2013. In an interview with Billboard published October 8, she reveals that her time he...

I love almost everything about practicing pediatrics but if there are two topics I have to pick as my favorites they would be: 1.Technology 2.Newborns So, you might not be surprised to hear that a new tool for evaluating jaundice using a sma...

I think that human beings are drawn to see uniqueness in our surroundings. We make note of differences and often form quick impressions about what we see. Difference in height from person to person, for instance, is one feature that easily stands out...

Every child’s greatest advocate should be the parent. After all no one knows your child, better than you. So as the school year begins, I thought I would offer some tips for talking to your child’s teacher and hopefully making the school year as comf...

“Babies eat, sleep, poop and cry. And they usually cry because they need to eat, sleep or poop.” – Will Shudde, M.D. Most of you won’t know Dr. Shudde, but he’s the first doctor I ever shadowed during the summer between my second and third year...

Ok I'll go first, I'm a bad mom because I let my baby roll off the couch ... well, both babies. I have moms in my office tell me all kinds of variations of the "I'm a bad mom statement" and it is always for minor things - still using a pacifier, l...

Our Genetics team, Cook Children's Clinical and Metabolic Genetics Center, does not routinely schedule patients for genetic evaluation due to MTHFR concerns, as there are two polymorphisms that are common in this gene which are not usually problemati...

Let's learn something about ... DEET! DEET gets a pretty bad rap. In a day and age where people are pushing for the more "natural" approaches to prevention and medical care, DEET seems to be the least natural thing out there, right? You know wh...

The school bell has rung for the last time of the 2016-2017 school year! Are you finding yourself wondering what to do to make sure your child will have the same quality of handwriting when he/she returns to school? Or better yet, have you thought ab...

Some kids have a hard time going to sleep. No matter what time you set bed time, even with the perfect routine, they toss and turn and get out of bed for hours. What is a family to do?

Do you or your kids get canker sores? We doctors call them "aphthous ulcers" because we cannot use names in medicine that are easily pronounceable. Come on.

I can still vividly remember sitting at my desk in my room, studying hard for high school exams. After diligently reaching the end of a section of review, I would often hop up, push the play button on my jambox, and dance. In front of my wide closet ...

Joining together with family and friends for a meal can be an important part of our social lives. Chances are you know a child who is a picky eater or even a problem eater. You work hard to make sure your guests feel welcome in your home. But do t...

The other day, my wife and I went to one of our favorite restaurants. No kids. So basically, peace and quiet. When I say peace and quiet, I think we really took it to heart. We ended up getting our phones out and didn’t look up until we began eating....

With the warmer weather, it’s time to go outside with your kids. In our area, MayFest is this weekend! But before you go out, be sure to pull out the sunscreen as you head out for the fun! Here are a few things to remember: 1. We recommend s...