Teen Topics

The Skinny on Pediatric Obesity

Every visit to the pediatrician results in a check of some critical factors for health – specifically your child’s weight and height. This information is checked to monitor their growth and as a glimpse into their overall health. Pediatric obesity is a significant problem in North Carolina – a problem that we are addressing head-on […]

A Pediatrician’s Perspective on How to Keep Your Child Safe

Today posted an article last month citing the seven things ER doctors never let their kids do. As pediatric providers, it is our responsibility to help keep children safe. So it is the perfect time to chime in on some things parents should avoid letting their kids do to help keep them safe. Here are […]

The Importance of Pediatric Wellness Exams

Pediatric wellness exams are essential to maintaining children’s health and well-being. These exams are typically conducted annually and are designed to assess a child’s growth, development, and overall health. One of the most important reasons to prioritize pediatric wellness exams is that they provide an opportunity for early detection and prevention of health problems. During […]

Pediatric Mental Health Crisis in America

In 2021, amid the chaos of the pandemic, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency. The cause for the emergency: pediatric mental health. It is widely known that mental health disorders are a growing issue in America, especially among our youth. The mental health needs […]

Childhood Obesity is a Growing Problem in North Carolina

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 […]

Your Child Wants a Cell Phone, But Are They Ready?

“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 […]

How Your Child’s Sugar Cravings Are Making Them Sick

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 […]

Mental Health Crisis in America: How to Help Your Kids Manage Feelings of Despair

We are facing a mental health crisis. An alarming number of children and teens are struggling with feelings of hopelessness and depression. Many are also having thoughts of suicide. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, the number of children who went to the Emergency Department for mental health issues increased by 24 percent […]

Preventing the Spread of Pink Eye – Tips for Parents and Caregivers

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 […]

Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem

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 […]

Pediatric Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome: What Parents Should Know

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 […]

Rainbow Pediatrics Opens Strong Kids Nutrition Clinic in Fayetteville, NC

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 […]

Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in Kids and How You Can Help

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 […]

Why Getting the HPV Vaccine for Your Child Helps Prevent Cancer

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 […]

How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID Now That School is Back in Session (and While Waiting for Vaccine Approval)

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. […]

Let Us Partner with Your Child in Monitoring and Treating Sickle Cell Disease

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 […]

COVID Vaccinations for Kids: FAQs

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 […]

Focus on Vision Health: Signs Your Child or Teen May Be Experiencing Vision Problems

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 […]

What’s Causing My Child to Act Out? What You Need to Know

While we all prefer to focus on our children’s positive qualities – their personalities, accomplishments, and milestones – we as parents know that they’re still developing the tools to deal with disappointments, stress, uncertainties, and fears. Sometimes, they argue or show aggression. Other times, their moods quickly shift, and they become quiet, distant, or even […]

A Parent’s Guide to Surviving Puberty and Adolescence

Does it feel like you are on a roller coaster with your teen? Puberty can be a seemingly endless soiree of ups and downs. One minute your child is happy, and the next, in tears. What is up? Here are eight tips to help you navigate through this tenuous time and hopefully come out having […]