Adolescent Topics
There is a growing plague impacting children across the country. And one of the most prevalent places it can be found is in North Carolina. Childhood obesity is a significant problem in the US. The stigmas and prejudices placed on children with obesity are only a part of the problem. The bigger concern is the […]
READ MORE »“But mom, I am the only person I know that doesn’t have one.” Oh, kids can be very good at throwing guilt around. But before giving in, consider if your child is ready to have a cell phone. This blog will discuss cell phones for tweens and teens and how to determine if your child […]
READ MORE »All parents want to raise children who have high self-esteem. As an adult, you probably know someone strong, confident, and self-assured. Perhaps that’s you. Having a child who can roll with life’s punches is incredibly important. But why do some kids seem more comfortable with themselves than others, and what can parents and caregivers do […]
READ MORE »Does your child have a sweet tooth? Do their sugar cravings create issues with mealtime? If you’re trying to instill good health habits in them by encouraging them to play sports, eat their veggies, and drink water, then don’t let their desire to eat sweets undermine those efforts. This year is already becoming a doozy […]
READ MORE »Back to school means gearing up for the year ahead and making obligatory trips to the store to stock up on school supplies and a new wardrobe. But back to school also means taking preventive measures to keep your kiddo healthy. Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is a prevalent eye infection that can spread […]
READ MORE »Summer is finally here, and so are long, sunny days, trips to the beach, and lots and lots of time outside. And this is any parent’s dream. And while we want to encourage our kids to spend as much time outdoors as possible, it is critical to their health to be lathered up in sunscreen […]
READ MORE »During your child’s annual well visit, we check their vision to ensure there aren’t any problems. As preventative medicine specialists, we are responsible for identifying potential issues as early as possible. But since we don’t see your kids more often, it is essential for families to know the red flags that their child may have […]
READ MORE »Your teenager complains that they get dizzy when standing and feel faint. They complain of nausea and vomiting but aren’t sick. And they’re sleeping a lot more than what is typical for a teen. You want the best for your child and are concerned about this sudden change in health. So you make an appointment […]
READ MORE »Make Food Your Strength, Not Your Weakness. As parents and caregivers, we want the very best for our children. But there is a rising number of children who are overweight or obese in North Carolina, and that number has been growing steadily since 2012. The latest data shows that 19.8% of youth ages 10 to […]
READ MORE »North Carolina is known for many things: basketball, bbq, great beaches, beautiful mountains, and, well, allergies. Historically, the treatment of choice for allergies was to take over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication. If you were particularly proactive, allergy shots were another option. But they are shots, and many kids were resistant – despite their parent’s good […]
READ MORE »We want our kids to be healthy and strong. However, some are prone to stomach issues. While almost every child will get a stomachache, constipation, or diarrhea, kids with irritable bowel syndrome, also known as IBS get it more often. What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)? IBS is a digestive disorder that can happen in […]
READ MORE »With the COVID pandemic so prevalent in our minds, it can be easy to forget about other commonly transmitted illnesses. Despite mask-wearing and hand-washing, there are still viruses out there that parents should be concerned about. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of those very common viruses that spread easily and can infect 80 percent […]
READ MORE »When your child is sick, anxiety is usually a given. And depending on the severity of symptoms, time of day, and day of the week, parents often wonder if it is appropriate to take their child to urgent care or the pediatrician. The walk-in clinic model of urgent care centers can be an attractive option […]
READ MORE »COVID-19 vaccine approval for children ages 5-11 has been much anticipated. And now that it is here, parents are scrambling to get their children vaccinated. But some have very valid questions that we felt important to address. As of last week, there was approximately 107,000 new child COVID-19-19 cases reported. This number is up from […]
READ MORE »When COVID-19 entered our lives in March of 2020, it changed us forever. The stress and trauma from all that has happened over the past 19 months can have lasting effects on children and teens’ mental health. That’s why it is more important than ever to regularly check in with your child to see how […]
READ MORE »School is back in session, which means kids, both vaccinated and not are in close quarters. As one would expect, and quite frankly feared, COVID-19 cases have risen nearly 240% since July. Thankfully, despite the high number of COVID cases, children continue to make up a very small percentage (1.6% to 4%) of hospitalized patients. […]
READ MORE »Sickle cell disease is one of those unfortunate disorders that not only causes the potential for a variety of lifelong complications but which also disproportionately affects certain minority groups who live in the United States. And, while the signs and symptoms of the disease usually appear around 5 months of age, its treatment and management […]
READ MORE »Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, one of the few silver linings was news that children were less likely than adults to develop life-threatening complications from the virus. Yes, kids and teens could develop serious complications, and yes, we’re still learning about many of the long-term effects the virus can have on people’s health. But, the […]
READ MORE »Believe it or not, we’re already almost halfway through the summer. It won’t be long before parents of school-aged kids begin to prepare for the next year – hopefully a year of more traditional, in-person learning than we’ve seen during the COVID pandemic. It is getting close to the back-to-school season. There is a lot […]
READ MORE »While there are certainly still misunderstandings about autism that continue to permeate throughout society, the Autism Society of America (ASA) has recently made an effort to move beyond the “awareness” aspect of their actions. With one in 54 Americans living with autism in our country, the ASA has shifted their messaging to address what they […]
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