Teen Topics

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 […]

Talking to Teens About Suicide

Suicide – something no one wants to think about, but every parent should talk about it. Many believe that if you mention suicide, you plant the idea, but this is not the case. Some things should never be swept under the rug. Open communication can be challenging for some teens and parents. However, identifying age-appropriate […]

The Damaging Effect of Racism and Discrimination on Children in America

The recent events surrounding racial discrimination have caused a cacophony of sounds from people on both sides of the argument. While the adults fight for injustices near and far, children are left with a myriad of feelings. Understanding racism and its effect on children is critical for parents, teachers, and everyone. The fact of the […]

Debunking Scoliosis: 5 Myths You Should Stop Believing

Scoliosis is a common spine condition that is most often diagnosed during adolescence. Scoliosis occurs when the vertebrae form a curve as opposed to being straight. While small curves do not usually cause a problem, they can worsen. There are approximately 3 million new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. While there are […]

Eight Things Parents Need to Know About Coronavirus COVID-19

This past week, the first two positive cases of Coronavirus-COVID-19 were reported in North Carolina. With that change, many parents are concerned about the safety of their families. Here’s what your trusted pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics wants you to know about Coronavirus COVID-19. What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)? While Coronaviruses are common causes […]

Pediatric Obesity Rates in North Carolina are Not Adding Up

According to the State of Childhood Obesity, pediatric obesity rates have declined in North Carolina. However, what is being reported state-wide doesn’t correlate with what many pediatric providers are seeing in their offices. At Rainbow Pediatrics, we see patients every day who are morbidly obese. Often, when we look back on their medical history, the […]

Is My Child Ready for Contact Lenses?

There are the kids who love glasses and how they look in them, and there are kids who would prefer not to have to wear them. No matter the person, at some point or another, contact lenses may become a topic of conversation. Here are some readiness tips and age-appropriate considerations to help you decide […]

Identifying and Addressing Eating Disorders in Kids

My daughter and her friend were talking in the car last week about a girl in their circle who they believe has bulimia. They spoke about how they have talked with her about their concerns to no avail and were curious about what they should do next. They didn’t want to compromise their friend’s trust […]

Four Ways to Overcome Bullying

Kindness counts. But sometimes it seems that no matter how much we instill the importance of being kind into our children, they are forced to face adversity. How we and they handle adversity is much different than years ago. Bullies have been around for thousands of years. Recently, however, we have begun to see the […]

Preventing and Treating Youth Sports Injuries

When it comes to sports, today’s youth are much more involved than 30 years ago. Almost 70% of kids participate in individual and group sports. This is wonderful news on the heels of an obesity crisis as exercise helps kids better manage their weight. The challenge, however, is that kids are specializing in sports at […]

Depression, Inflammation, and Diet: How Rainbow Pediatrics is Addressing Pediatric Mental Health

Infection and disease have an interesting effect on the human body: inflammation. This can be a wonderful thing because healing isn’t possible without an inflammatory response, but when it comes to pediatric mental health, too much of a good thing isn’t so good. Depression, according to a Duke University study, is likely to contribute to […]

Understanding the Signs and Symptoms of Pediatric Depression

Look around your kid’s school or sports team. Now count each child or teen, one through five, repeating until you have counted them all. Every fifth person should stand apart from the others. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, as many as 20% or 1 in 5 teens experience depression at some point during […]