2019
January
24,
2019
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 ...
Read more
2018
December
17,
2018
“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...
Read more
December
07,
2018
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...
Read more
November
07,
2018
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.
1. Suct...
Read more
May
25,
2018
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.
...
Read more
May
18,
2018
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...
Read more
May
01,
2018
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...
Read more
February
13,
2018
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...
Read more
2017
December
28,
2017
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 ...
Read more
December
22,
2017
WFAA - During the holiday season, Cook Children's Medical Center takes decorating to new heights, from twinkling lights and festive ornaments to a magnificent tree. They make it so special, knowing that for many families, there is where they'll spend...
Read more
October
06,
2017
When Stella Amechi found out she was pregnant with her third child, she was over the moon with excitement. She was already the mother to two young girls, and soon, her first son would be arriving.
Never in a million years did she dream that he wou...
Read more
August
22,
2017
For years, Americans have been told the safest place for a baby to sleep is on their backs, but a new study finds many parents aren’t following that advice.
According to the study published this month in the journal Pediatrics, just half of mother...
Read more
March
20,
2017
“Your baby needs surgery in order to breastfeed correctly.”
Those probably won’t be the words that are said, but it might be the message that you hear.
Breastfeeding can be a tricky thing and many different problems can lead to a poor latch or ...
Read more
March
09,
2017
It can be tempting to turn on the tablet and let it entertain the kids while you travel. But just like at home, screen time needs to be approached with balance.
“While it’s all right to let children watch some kid-safe programming while you travel...
Read more
February
08,
2017
“Does my baby have reflux?”
“Is it GERD?”
Or, as I frequently see it spelled, “Is it gurd?”
Every baby spits up ... there is definitely a spectrum from the babies that spit up once in their whole life all the way to the babies that spit up e...
Read more
2016
November
30,
2016
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...
Read more
November
22,
2016
Just in time for the holidays a reader wrote in with this question:
“My friend...was told by her grandson’s pediatrician that her grandchildren who are vaccinated should never be around any unvaccinated children. Well, the parents of her other...
Read more
November
03,
2016
“We try to put her on her tummy to play, but she just cries! It breaks my heart!”
I hear this almost daily as a pediatric physical therapist. However, tummy time is more important than ever these days.
Our babies today tend to have more time on...
Read more
November
01,
2016
Adele, you are not alone.
The pop superstar gave an interview in the most recent edition of Vanity Fair and talked very frankly about her battle with postpartum depression, following the birth of her son. She said her postpartum depression made h...
Read more
July
26,
2016
Have you ever wondered why they do hearing screens on babies?
Let's begin by looking at the facts:
About one to three babies out of every 1000 will be born with a permanent hearing loss.
Infant hearing loss is the most common health condi...
Read more
March
29,
2016
If you deliver a baby via C-section, should you swab them with your vaginal secretions?
A new study in Nature Medicine started the process of trying to answer this exact question
You might be thinking, “What the?” But there is some logic to thi...
Read more
January
11,
2016
Mark Zuckerburg had his baby vaccinated and I don’t particularly care.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he had his baby vaccinated for his baby’s sake, but I don’t want it to affect your decision to vaccinate at all.
I don’t want your vaccine decis...
Read more
January
07,
2016
There are some interesting things that happen when you have a newborn.
You will be awake during hours of the night you didn’t even know existed.
You will begin to interpret everything as a smile.
You will allow words like spit up and poop b...
Read more
2015
October
01,
2015
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...
Read more
September
21,
2015
The upcoming flu season leaves many questions, but one thing remains certain for Mary Suzanne Whitworth, M.D., the medical director of Infectious Diseases at Cook Children’s.
“Vaccinations are still the best answer to preventing the flu and protec...
Read more
September
18,
2015
Buzzwords such as ‘baby flash cards,’ ‘apps for babies,’ ‘baby tech toys,’ ‘TV shows and videos for babies bombard parents through our media-saturated universe. These buzzwords tempt parents to seek new and various ways to help their babies develop a...
Read more
June
29,
2015
“Mama I wat fwoden on da bi tee bee and laks a widdle bit,” announces my daughter while eyeing me expectedly.
She is obviously looking for some sort of action on my part other than my smiling and nodding affirmatively. Since she’s my number one gi...
Read more
June
23,
2015
Today's "My Kid Minute" topic is diarrhea.
Watch the video below for five key facts about diarrhea that every parent needs to know in only a minute.
In today's video, Doc Smitty explains:
What are the common causes?
How long can it la...
Read more
May
21,
2015
I am that mom.
The obsessively clean freak with a dozen napkins at meals and the dust pan and broom standing by! I see the crumbs falling to the floor, the grape jelly graze the side of the chair, and the sticky fingers raking through the hair as ...
Read more
April
07,
2015
"Breast is best."
Advocating for breastfeeding is a big part of a pediatrician’s job in the first few months of life. We state the benefits of breastfeeding. We encourage families who are struggling and provide help with troubleshooting issues. We...
Read more
