by Leigh Ann Otte

Sometimes babies just cry. Nobody can pinpoint a medical reason, and they just wail and wail. Much to the parent’s chagrin. It’s called colic, and boy is it not fun.

But sometimes there is a reason for that crying that may not be obvious. That’s why babies need a thorough exam to make sure it’s colic. In this week’s featured article, “Colic Tips: How to Calm a Colicky Baby,” we list a few of these things:

• Reflux
• Hair tourniquets (hairs wrapped around fingers, toes, penis)
• Formula intolerance
• Breast-milk intolerance (due to something in the mother’s diet)
• Illness

If your doctor has diagnosed your baby with colic, we feel for you, and we hope a couple of the tips in the article will help.

Feel healthy. Live well. Smile. With our free, upbeat health newsletter.

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a professional writer. This information is not meant to be individual advice. Please consult your doctor for that. See our disclaimer here.

by Leigh Ann Otte

Teenagers announce a lot of stuff.

“I’m going out.”

“I want a car.”

“I hate you.”

But one of the most dreaded phrases of all has to be … “I’m a vegetarian now.” *Gasp.* It’s not a big deal if your family is already vegetarian or maybe even if you tend not to eat a lot of meat. But when you’re used to structuring meals around a pot roast, the idea of figuring out meatless suppers can be daunting. Where do you get the protein? This is a growing kid; is giving up meat even healthy?

Our featured article this week is here to help you out. In “Healthy Vegetarian Diet for Teenagers,” get a quick rundown on the nutrients you need to be thinking about, plus some recipe sources to get you started. Even if you don’t have a teenage vegetarian, you might enjoy it. Most of us could use a fruit-and-vegetable boost. Have you heard of the Meatless Monday movement? You go vegetarian for one day. Couldn’t hurt … unless, of course, that day gets filled with donuts.

Feel healthy. Live well. Smile. With our free, upbeat health newsletter!

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance health writer. This information is not meant to be individual advice. Please consult your doctor for that. See our disclaimer here.

by Leigh Ann Otte

Media violence often leads to real-world violence in children and teens. Right? After all, both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics say so.

Yet many people still aren’t convinced—including some psychologists and researchers. Jonathan L. Freedman, author of  Media Violence and Its Effect on Aggression, has said study results are “overstated.” And associate professor Christopher J. Ferguson, Ph.D., of Texas A&M International University, says he’s found that family situations and a child’s personality are usually to blame, not the media.

We decided to host a written debate on the topic, so you could see what each side contends and decide for yourself. We asked Dr. Ferguson to argue his side against psychologist Keith D. Kanner, Ph.D., who believes the studies clearly indicate a connection. Here’s what they had to say.

What do you think? You can chime in at the end of the article or under this blog post.

Feel healthy. Live well. Smile. With our free, upbeat health newsletter!

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance health writer. This information is not meant to be individual advice. Please consult your doctor for that. See our disclaimer here.

by Leigh Ann Otte

Halloween’s so much fun. Gorging yourself on Handing out candy. Helping the kids eat sort their finds. Dealing with the moans and groans and sugar crashes—the kids’, of course.

OK, fine, cover the kids’ ears: sometimes, adults like to eat Halloween candy too. There, we said it. Nothing wrong with it, except, the munching can extend beyond Halloween—before, after, way after.

Nutrition experts recommend moderation, not thrashing yourself over a candy corn. To help with said moderation, registered dietitian Carol Bareuther offers some tips in this week’s featured article, “Halloween Candy Nutriton: Calories, Fat—and Good News!” Tips like:

• In small studies, people have eaten more candy when offered different colors. So sort the M&M’s. Don’t tell your brain.
• Eat a candy bar; freeze the rest.
• It’s true: candy corn and Tootsie Rolls have fewer calories per serving than many of their candy-bar counterparts.
• Special Dark Hershey’s Kisses have 20 fewer calories per serving than the milk-chocolate ones.
• Sure, that Butterfinger King Size candy bar has 160 calories … per serving … which is 1/3 of the package! Don’t let those wrappers fool you.

What’s your Halloween candy ritual like? Do you eat it, or do you have steel resolve? How ’bout your kids?

Get our free health newsletter here, with links to doctor-written articles delivered monthly to your e-mail. (We don’t share your information with anyone.)

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com.

This information is not meant to be individual advice. Please consult your doctor for that. See our disclaimer here.

by Leigh Ann Otte

If you’re a health junkie or just want new ways to waste use your time on the Internet, have we got the lists for you! Step right up and take a gander at our picks for some of the most fun and interesting health sites on the World Wide Web … such as:

• Think Like a Pancreas: meet Pierre Pancreas, your fabulous French tour guide into the world of type 1 diabetes. (For teens.)
• Scrub Club, with games and webisodes to teach kids about germs. (From the National Sanitation Foundation; sponsored by the makers of Purell.)
• Go Red BetterU, offering a free 12-week online nutrition and exercise program for women. (From the American Heart Association.)
• American Red Cross Museum: explore exhibits without leaving your home.
• Portion Distortion Interactive Quizzes: “Do you know how food portions have changed in 20 years?” Take the quizzes and see.

Our full lists are divided into the following categories. Click on whatever you’re interested in. And feel welcome to recommend more sites in the comments sections. We may revise these articles with new finds in the future.

• Fun health websites
• Websites for healthy weight-loss
• Alternative Medicine websites with evidence-based reviews
• Health websites for children and their parents
• Health websites for teens

Get our free health newsletter here, with links to doctor-written articles delivered monthly to your e-mail. (We don’t share your information with anyone.)

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com.

The kids are back in school, and you know what that means.

Pinkeye! Lice! Medicine! Ack! All kinds of fun stuff, spread by sweet little filthy hands and faces.

We’ve got you covered. They may be sick, but at least you won’t be at a loss. This week, we’re featuring answers to common questions about kids’ health, including:

• It’s pinkeye, I tell you! Why, oh why, do we have to come in to see the doctor?
• How do I get pills down this child’s throat?
• Doctors have dissolving stitches. Why don’t they just use them?
• Psst … one of my kids has gained some weight. The other one hasn’t. What do I do?

And more! Read the answers here. And the best of luck to you this year.

Get our free health newsletter right here! Find out what doctors really want you to know, with articles delivered monthly.

Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com.

by Leigh Ann Otte

For most of us adults, body mass index gives us a good indication of how healthy our weight is. But for kids, things are different.

In this week’s featured article, pediatrician Vincent Iannelli explains what else doctors look at when determining whether a child’s weight is healthy. Yes, they consider growth, weight and BMI, but they also take into account things like puberty and how the weight has changed over time. “One red flag that might indicate a medical problem is losing weight or not gaining an appropriate amount of weight over the last few years,” writes Dr. Iannelli. “For a school-age boy, normal weight gain would be about 5 or 6 pounds a year.”

You can read the full article here: “Healthy Weight for Children: Why You Can’t Always Tell by Looking.”

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Leigh Ann Otte is the managing editor of MyFamilyDoctorMag.com and a freelance writer, editor and blogger.

“Give the lifetime gift of nature to your grandchildren! Take them for walks, teach them gardening, talk with them under a tree, teach them how to respect and care for nature and to have fun in it.

“Nature nurtures, decreases stress, reduces depression and increases skills and joy just by being in it. It is a gift that lasts a lifetime and they can teach their children. Your grandchildren will love these times and you are creating wonderful memories for them.”

—Donna LaMar, Ph.D., Psy.D., clinical psychologist, The Farm: Where Living Things Grow Inc., using nature in therapy, Fremont, Mich.

What are your favorite active things to do with kids? Please share in the comments section.

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I still remember when a sweet, smiling little girl came into my office a few years back.She had injured her wrist.I did my usual exam which includes palpating areas of tenderness.Well I hit a sore spot; she let out a yelp and sobbed “why did you hurt me?”I felt so bad, but was tempted to tell her that’s what doctors do (not really).Instead I explained I needed to know what specific area was injured so I would know where to look on an x-ray.I don’t think she bought it.

At any rate, I thought of this when I read an Academy of Emergency Medicine study concluded the Ottawa Ankle Rules could be applied to as young as 6 years old and up.What are these rules? (more…)

Dr. Hubbard recently wrote about X-ray radiation—how it can add up. Today, we’re featuring a guest post from board-certified radiologist Helene Pavlov, M.D., F.A.C.R., on how to keep it from adding up more than necessary in your kids. Dr. Pavlov is radiologist-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

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Imaging Studies, Radiation and Children
Things to Think About When Your Child is Having an Imaging Study Done

by Helene Pavlov, M.D., F.A.C.R.

Outdoor sports sometimes lead to injuries and fractures, which can land children in hospital emergency rooms and doctors’ offices. Many of these injuries will require imaging examinations to help identify the problem and determine treatment.

Recent media coverage regarding high levels of ionizing radiation associated with frequent use of CT (computed tomography) scans has heightened fear and concern regarding imaging examinations.

(more…)