Kids Health – For Every Parent

Is there a Link Between Diet, Lifestyle and Early Puberty?

Kids grow up fast – no one would argue that. But many kids in the U.S. are growing up even faster. In girls, puberty typically begins around 11 years of age, but can begin as early as 6 or 7 and sometimes even earlier. In boys, puberty typically begins around 12, but may begin as […]

Tick-borne Illness and How to Keep Your Family Safe

Outside fun is something to be encouraged and enjoyed. Yet our outdoor adventures put us at risk for animal and insect bites, including tick bites. Ticks are common in all areas of North Carolina. Children are five times more likely to die of a tick-borne illness than adults and the reason is often due to […]

Are Sport and Energy Drinks Safe For Children?

If you have a child playing sports or doing outdoor activities where they get hot and sweaty, it is not uncommon to arm them with a sport drink to keep them hydrated. The heavily marketed sport and energy drinks are very popular with children and grown-ups and many well-intentioned parents are using them at inappropriate […]

Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Mononucleosis

Often called the kissing disease, mononucleosis (mono) is a very common virus that affects the majority of Americans by the time they reach adulthood. Caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), it most commonly occurs during the teen and young adult years. The most common symptoms include a high fever, headache, sore throat and fatigue. Despite […]

What Parents Need to Know About Summer Travel and the Zika Virus

As millions of Americans make summer travel plans to new and exciting places, one of the last things anyone wants to worry about is contracting a dangerous virus. This is especially true for pregnant women or those trying to become pregnant.

How to Save Your Children from the Second Leading Cause of Cancer

As parents, we would do just about anything for our children. Imagine if you could prevent your child from developing the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in 15-29 year olds? Well you can! Skin cancer is not just something adults get; children can get it too, and it can be deadly.

6 Questions About Pediatric Anxiety You’re Too Afraid to Ask

Most parents want to help their children grow into calm and easy-going adults. Yet, some children seem wired from a young age to be more susceptible to the stressors of life. Anxiety is a normal emotion that is often triggered by stress. It can appear as worry, apprehension, fear or distress. As children grow, they […]

Flu Facts – Three Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Flu

Even though spring has officially sprung, we are seeing an influx of flu cases in our North Carolina pediatric offices. While flu season typically ends in March, this year it is predicted to last into May. No one wants to be sick and panic often strikes when the flu enters the home, office or classroom. […]

Understanding Speech and Language Development in Children and Knowing When to Seek Treatment

A common concern we receive as pediatricians from parents of young children is whether or not their child’s speech and language are developing appropriately. Understanding a child who isn’t speaking clearly can be frustrating for not only the parent, but also the child. It can also be challenging when comparing children whose speech develops at […]

Why Not All Baby Formula Is Created Equal

Breast milk truly is the best source of nutrition for babies during their first year of life. It contains the nutrients needed to help them develop properly while providing needed protection from many illnesses. Breastfeeding is also great for moms as it can help shed the pounds gained during pregnancy more quickly and allow them […]

Five Tips to Make the Most out of a Well-Child Checkup

Making the annual trek to the pediatrician’s office for a well-child checkup is an important part of maintaining your child’s overall health. Not only does it allow the pediatric provider a chance to monitor their physical health and development, while immunizing them against certain diseases and illnesses, it also provides an opportunity to assess their cognitive […]

Infant Jaundice – What New Parents Should Know

That beautiful bundle of joy you have been waiting to hold in your arms is finally here. Appearing otherwise healthy, you notice after a few days that his skin has a yellow discoloration and the whites of his eyes appear yellowish. You realize that you are looking at the telltale signs of infant jaundice.

The Five Most Frequently Asked Questions of New Parents

Being a parent is a big responsibility and with it comes many questions. Unfortunately, babies do not come with manuals so it is often up to the pediatric providers to provide the answers to many important questions. Here are the five most frequently asked questions we receive, as pediatricians, from new parents.

Whooping Cough Prevention: How Everyone in the Family Can Help

A highly contagious infection of the respiratory system that most often affects babies younger than 6 months of age can also wreak havoc on older children. A recent outbreak at a North Carolina school has reinforced the importance of vaccination and prevention strategies.

Four Tips for Preventing Noise Induced Hearing Loss

Hearing is a precious gift, yet its’ loss is often slow and without symptoms. There are many things that can cause hearing loss in a child including frequent ear infections, viral and bacterial infections, a head injury and exposure to very loud noises. Approximately one in five teens have some form of hearing loss, which […]

How to Protect Your Baby From RSV This Winter

Despite the unusually warm winter we are experiencing, our smallest family members remain at risk for getting sick, and one bug in particular can land them in the emergency room. RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can often lead to infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract and […]

When is Medication the Right Treatment for ADHD?

As parents, we want our children to succeed. Yet when we see them struggling in school and other areas of their life, we do what we can to help them. For the more than 6.4 million children diagnosed with ADHD, the choice of how to help is not clear-cut. The highly controversial debate about the […]

Pediatric Eye Exams: More than Meets the Eye

Just as in oncology, psychology, and other medical disciplines, children require their own set of specialists to diagnose concerns. For children’s eye concerns, a pediatric ophthalmologist is often your best solution. The AAP recommends pediatric eye exams or vision screenings for children before they begin school. Vision screenings will help combat early onset of eye diseases […]

How to Save Your Kids from Eczema

Our children are born with perfect, beautiful skin. So when the telltale signs of eczema appear in the form of red, itchy patches, we seek to find the cause and a permanent solution. Yet many parents do not know how to permanently treat their child’s eczema so they resolve to manage it.

What You Don’t Know About Down Syndrome May Hurt You

There are many misconceptions about raising the child with Down syndrome. Fear is a common initial reaction by parents when learning their child has Down syndrome. One thing that experienced parents of Down syndrome children can agree upon is that raising a child with Down syndrome is nothing to be feared.