Does my child have a concussion?
A concussion is an injury to the brain caused by a blow to the head (or to another part of the body that jolts the head). Two members of my immediate family have had concussions in the last 3 months. Ouch! Their recovery has been good, but slow.
Contrary to what I was taught in medical school, a child does not need to be knocked out, even briefly, to have a concussion. Most concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.
As we learn more about how the brain works we are also learning more about what happens when the brain gets injured – and what to do about it. Our understanding of concussions is very different today...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - January 19, 2015 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Head & Brain Injuries Headache Safety Source Type: blogs
Sugar Is Now Considered A Drug (So Just How Much Are You Dosing Yourself Or Your Kids)
Amy Ziff’s take on sugar…
Is sugar really a drug? Can we actually be addicted to it? Are you? And how about your kids? Those are frightening thoughts.
There are a lot of people in the health world who have been attacking sugars lately. I have to admit my first thought was, “Sugar? A drug? Aren’t there better things to go after?” But the truth is that it’s being consumed in quantities 39% greater than what was consumed in the 1950s. Here’s what that looks like:
The average American eats about 3 pounds of sugar per week.
That’s over 150 pounds per year. (Actually, it’s figured at 165lbs of su...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - December 15, 2014 Category: Child Development Authors: Amy Ziff Tags: Perspectives Eating & Nutrition Healthy Family Eating Sugar Source Type: blogs
Do not “take two aspirins and call me in the morning”: The story of Enterovirus D68
Photo by Philippe Put.
The story began on August 19, 2014 when a children’s hospital in Kansas City notified the CDC that almost two-dozen children had been admitted to the hospital with a severe respiratory illness. Four days later the CDC heard from a different children’s hospital 511 miles away, reporting more than a dozen seriously ill children hospitalized in Chicago with the same symptoms.
The CDC quickly tested specimens from these children and detected an unusual culprit: enterovirus D68. There are more than a hundred different enteroviruses, divided into four groups (type C is polio). Most enteroviruses cause ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - September 24, 2014 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Respiratory Infection Virus Source Type: blogs
Blocking Mosquitoes and Ticks
Five bug repellents scored high marks for preventing bites, but three common choices didn’t make the grade in 2014 testing by Consumer Reports. As a parent and pediatrician, I want a mosquito and tick repellent that is safe, effective, and easy to use. It also helps if it doesn’t smell like bug spray.
Why Is Blocking Mosquitoes and Ticks Important?
Insect and arachnid bites aren’t just annoying; they are also the cause of hundreds of West Nile virus infections, about 1500 cases of malaria, and about 35,000 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in the US each year – not to mention the million people who die from malaria...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - September 19, 2014 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Diseases & Conditions Insect Bites & Stings Insects & Animals Liver Outdoor Fun Safety Toxins Source Type: blogs
TEDx Berkeley: Why Be Normal
I can virtually guarantee you, somebody you love has this problem — high blood pressure.
1 in 3 people in the United States has high blood pressure and it tends to be even higher in developing countries. Tackling this one problem, in all likelihood, is the single thing you can do to extend quality years with the ones you love.
But there’s a larger question here. Why is a pediatrician talking about high blood pressure?
When I started training it was rare to see a child with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, or high cholesterol, or high triglycerides, or a waist size over 36 or 40 inches — all conditio...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - September 5, 2014 Category: Child Development Authors: Dr. Alan Greene Tags: Dr. Greene's Blog Berkeley Project TEDx Why Be Normal Source Type: blogs
The Apple of Your Family’s Eye: Family Ties
Photo by U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Family support is always beneficial.
Here are some tips on how to prepare the family of a child on the Autism Spectrum for the new school year:
Communicate Expectations
Hold a family meeting at least a week before school starts and discuss roles, expectations, and important time changes (e.g., wake-up time on a school day).
Use a Checklist Driven Process
Create checklists to ensure that important routines are completed (e.g., lunches are made, snacks are packed, back packs are organized, lunch money is available, spare clothing is prepared).
Use Transitional Signals and Ease ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 28, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Michael Cameron PhD Tags: Perspectives Autism Source Type: blogs
How About Them Apples?: Preparation is the Key To Success
Photo by Lance Neilson.
Want your child to have a school year to brag about? Of course you do.
Here are some tips on how to prepare a child on the Autism Spectrum for the upcoming school year:
Pre-teach Rituals and Routines
To the extent you can gather information about the rituals and routines your child’s teacher will follow (e.g., having your child sit on a carpet square during circle time, or, require them to sit Indian-style upon hearing the phrase “Criss-cross apple sauce”), you will want to pre-teach your child to follow the instructions they may encounter in the classroom.
Prime with Pictures and Nar...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 27, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Michael Cameron PhD Tags: Perspectives Autism Source Type: blogs
Bring an Apple to the Teacher: Teaching the Teacher
Photo by Woodley Wonder Works.
Spending some time at the beginning of the school year to teach your child’s new teacher about your child can have lasting benefits.
Here are some tips on how to prepare a child on the Autism Spectrum’s new teacher in order to have a successful and mutually beneficial school year:
Awe the Teacher with Innovative Communication. Teachers are busy, especially during the first few weeks of school. However, you may have important information to share with the teacher regarding:
allergies
health-risk behaviors (e.g., wandering)
communication style
environmental triggers (e.g., loud bell...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 26, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Michael Cameron PhD Tags: Perspectives Autism Source Type: blogs
Red Apples for Returning to School
Photo by Anthony Thomas Bueta.
For a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as their families, returning back to school after a string of relaxed summer days can produce a relevant level of stress.
Although the manifestation of stress may include a range of behavioral (e.g., an exacerbation of repetitious verbal and motor behavior) and physiologic changes (e.g., increase in heart rate and adrenaline), stress can be certainly be prevented, reduced, or managed as a result of good planning. Specifically, planning must be centered on the child, the child’s family, and the child’s teacher.
Every day this week, ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 25, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Michael Cameron PhD Tags: Perspectives Autism Source Type: blogs
Back to School Sticky Situation #4: Schools as Ads for Junk Food
Photo by Zac Zellers.
What will you do when your child’s school is used by fast food and soda companies for marketing to students? Knowing how junk food marketing shapes kids’ preferences, I have worked to limit my children’s exposure to advertising but have been surprised to see so much of it in schools.
Marketers take advantage of children’s unique developmental vulnerabilities and work to get around parental gatekeepers by using schools as ads. Examples include school visits from fast food mascots like Ronald McDonald and the Chick-fil-A cow, Pepsi scoreboards in the gymnasium, and Pizza Hut’s “Bo...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 22, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Casey Hinds Tags: Perspectives Back to School Schoolage Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Back to School Sticky Situation #3: Junk Food Fundraisers
Photo by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar.
What will you do if the PTA asks you to support a cookie dough fundraiser? Will you send your child out to hit up family and friends to buy junk food in communities already suffering from diet-related disease? Are unhealthy foods magically transformed when they are sold for a good cause?
These are some of the questions I’ve had as a parent faced with helping cash-strapped schools. Instead of raising money off the backs of people’s health, I support healthy fundraisers. I have been generous with my time and money for fundraisers like Jog-a-thon and PTA 5K. Raisin...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 21, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Casey Hinds Tags: Perspectives Back to School Preschool Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Back to School Sticky Situation #2: Class Party Sugar Overload
Photo by Romana Klee.
What will you do if you’re asked to bring sugary drinks to a class party already overloaded with cake, cookies and candy? This is another sticky situation I’ve encountered and had to decide between sticking up for kids’ health or just going with the flow. Knowing the research about how sugary drinks are connected to rising rates of diseases like type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease in kids, I chose to make the case for serving fruit and water instead.
Did you know sweet drinks are tied to higher calorie intake in kids and research shows kids will eat more vegetables if they drink w...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 20, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Casey Hinds Tags: Perspectives Back to School Preschool Nutrition Source Type: blogs
Back to School Sticky Situation #1: Candy Rewards at School
Photo by Arvind Grover.
What will you do if your child comes home and tells you her teacher is using candy as a reward? This was one of the first sticky situations I encountered when my oldest started school. With a family history of diabetes it was important to teach her healthy habits from a young age to help her avoid getting this and other diet-related diseases later in life. The major health organizations recommend not using food as a reward so it was disappointing to see this was a common practice in schools.
I met with my daughter’s teacher and explained my concerns about using food as a reward. Eve...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 19, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Casey Hinds Tags: Perspectives Back to School Source Type: blogs
Solutions for Sticky Back to School Situations
Photo by US Department of Education
Hard to believe it’s time for another back to school post. Last year I wrote about my top five tips for a healthy start to the school year.
I recommended parents:
1) Get familiar with the school and district wellness policies
2) Shift away from using food as a reward and taking away physical activity, such as recess, as punishment
3) Plan healthy school celebrations
4) Rethink the typical cookie dough and candy fundraisers
5) Connect with other advocates of school health
This year I will be sharing a few examples of sticky health situations you ...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 18, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Casey Hinds Tags: Perspectives Back to School Preschool Nutrition Source Type: blogs
11 Best Educational Apps & Web Sites for Kids
Photo by Thijs Knaap. Used by permission.
Most pediatricians agree that a little bit of screen time each day is okay for kids. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children over 2 should be limited to 2 hours of “recreational screen time” per day. In our house, we try to limit recreational screen time to one hour per day, but because we homeschool our kids do a lot of educational work online. And they love it! Our kids race through their work so they can get to their computers.
Here are my picks for the best 10 educational web sites for kids:
1) Khan Academy
Every parent needs to know...
Source: Conversations with Dr Greene - August 15, 2014 Category: Pediatricians Authors: Kathleen Berchelmann MD Tags: Perspectives Kids & Computers Source Type: blogs
