Meals should be a happy and pleasant childhood experience. In our busy lives, it might be one of the few times when we all slow down and check in with one another.
But I hear from my patient families all the time that it's anything but relaxing.
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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.
A new study shows Texas ranks 47th in cancer-preventing vaccine coverage, showing that Texans aren’t getting the message about the dangers of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, Texas only ranked higher t...
A new study shows an alarming number of American men have oral cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV).
The study, published in the journal of Annals of Internal Medicine, states 11 million (one in nine) U.S. males were found to have oral HPV. T...
Josh and Ashley were just hours away from boarding an airplane for what should have been one of the most memorable trips of their lives.
Spending Thanksgiving week in Illinois, surrounded by Ashley’s family, Josh knew this would be his chance to a...
New data from the CDC shows some important early returns on the HPV vaccine that has been routinely recommended for girls since 2006 and for boys since 2009.
In a study that was released early online from the journal Pediatrics, researchers looked...
When I discuss normal newborn sleep patterns with parents at their first several visits, I usually end up with a 4 month old who sleeps through the night. But I have trouble fixing sleep problems in a 2 year old.
When I advise my 3 year old patien...
Did you know that neither the Fort Worth ISD nor the Dallas ISD currently have recess policies?
At least not yet, but both school districts are considering adopting a policy and Dallas ISD could have one by the end of the day.
That news makes K...
You've probably heard about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its link to cervical cancer. That can be pretty frightening for any female. Now a new study is sounding the alarm linking HPV with head and neck cancer, which can affect both men and wome...
It’s that exciting time of year when we start fresh with our exercise and diet routines. There are so many benefits of regular exercise, yet it seems to be the first thing to go when we become busy moms. As a pediatrician, I am invested in the health...
By Jason Terk, M.D.
“Epic fail.”
A couple of years ago, this was the phrase that my teenage son used as I unsuccessfully attempted to beat him in a game we were playing. At the time, I thought to myself that it was a harsh but accurate assessme...
Your kids have baskets full of sugary candy after trick-or-treating. How can you let them have some sweets while trying to keep them healthy?
Limiting how much Halloween candy your kids eat isn't as tricky as it seems. Stop them from getting too m...
Why is it important for us to find down time for our kids and our families? Dan Buettner writes in his book, “The Blue Zones” that taking time to relieve stress is one of the secrets not only to longevity, but to enjoying life free from chronic disea...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children began to copy their parent's behaviors by age 3.
Karen Evans, M.D., a pediatrician with Cook Children’s in Keller, says setting New Year’s resolutions is a healthy tradition no ...
There are magical moments in our memory that make us happy. One of the best for me occurred at the state fair. It was a crisp fall day. It was a blue clear sky, and in my mind’s eye it was perfect. My best friend and I had spent the day together – se...
I order a kid’s meal for my son at a seafood restaurant in Galveston, Texas. I tell the waiter to hold the fries. He gets a very odd look on his face and replies “But they come free with the meal." My response. “I understand that, but we don’t want t...
As a mom and a pediatrician, I want what is best for my children and my patients. I want to keep my kids and my patients as safe as possible. One way to do this is to follow the recommendations and best practices regarding child passenger safety. Mot...
This is the conclustion in our series on the Conklin family's efforts to go screen free, or at least cut back, from media this summer. This time, the kids have their say.
I had this amazing, Mom of the Year type plan where our family would reduce our use of electronics to 1 hour a day and provide the kids an opportunity to EARN up to another hour of screen time per day by doing various chores around the house. Awesome...
The Conklin family see Kim Mangham, M.D., a pediatrician in Keller. The parents and their three children are cutting back on their screen time this summer and mom, Aubrey, will be blogging (yes, we see the irony) about how it’s going on a regular bas...
We moved into a new home about three weeks ago. Amid the chaos of boxes and a not quite finished remodel job, I hear the laughter of my kids upstairs. I head up to check on them and realize they are “playing nicely.” What is interesting is that we h...
Happy Mother's Day! We asked our pediatricians for the best advice they ever received from their moms and they gave us some great answers ..."My mom used to say, 'When God closes a door, He always opens a window.' I have found that to be true many ti...