Medical Mythbuster: Kids Younger than Four Can’t Learn to Swim
This is not true. While it’s possible for children as young as infants to learn to swim, the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until age one before …
COVID-19 Vaccine Now Approved for Children Age 12 and Older
By Lloyd Fisher, MD Reliant Pediatrics After rigorous study, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 years …
Know the Early Signs of Autism
By Jocelyne Durrenberger, DNP Department of Pediatrics It’s not unusual for young children to experience delays in their development. Sometimes these development delays can be a sign of Autism …
Is it Time for Your Child to See the Doctor?
Your child’s annual well visit is an essential part of keeping them on the road to good health. By providing a comprehensive evaluation, monitoring your child’s growth and developmental …
Meeting the Challenges of Parenting During Covid-19
We recently spoke with Christine Stille, NP, a member of our Pediatrics Department at our Holden office, to learn more about what parents can do to help their children …
Helping Your Kids Cope with Stress from Covid-19
By Laura Ting, MD Department of Family Practice Reliant Medical Group Just like adults, many children are having trouble coping with the stress of the Covid-19 pandemic. Family life …
Help Keep Babies Safe this Flu Season!
By Dr. Alwyn Rapose Division of Infectious Diseases Transmitting a cold or the flu to babies as well as the elderly can be deadly in some cases. What’s more, …
Free-Range Parenting – Is it Right for Your Family?
If you are a parent, chances are you’ve heard of “free-range parenting.” Advocates of free-range parenting believe that independence is fostered in children when they are given greater autonomy …
Be Safe with School Backpacks – Key Tips to Lighten the Load!
These days it seems like the average schoolchild is carrying more things in their backpack than ever before. Unfortunately, lugging around a too-heavy backpack from class to class can …
What You Need to Know About Measles Vaccine
By Dr. Alwyn Rapose Division of Infectious Diseases Measles is a disease that has been making headlines across the nation in recent months. Outbreaks have occurred in 23 states, …
Does Your Child Need Juice?
By Jocelyn Durrenberger, NP Department of Pediatrics The evidence clearly says “no.” Even though I raised my three kids on water, juice and milk and my mother raised us …
Still Spanking Your Kids? Here’s Six Other Ways to Encourage Better Behavior
By Dr. David Gilchrist Department of Family Practice, Reliant Medical Group Fortunately, most parents understand that spanking isn’t the best way to discipline their children. Most experts believe that …
Six Ways to Promote Empathy in Children
By Helene Titelbaum, LICSW Pediatric Integrated Behavioral Health Clinician There’s no doubt that we live in an increasingly self-centered age. Whether attention-seeking celebrities or friends and family addicted …
How to Make Healthier Choices When Eating Fast Food
No matter where you live, you’re probably not far from a fast food restaurant. While convenient for our on-the-go lifestyles, many fast food offerings are not beneficial to our …
Play Hard, Play Safe
Children love to play! Playgrounds can be fun, exciting, creative places to play. Every pediatrician, however, has treated children who have been hurt at their local playground. Following the …
Baby-Led Weaning Gains in Popularity
It’s a classic image that most of us are familiar with – a parent spoon-feeding some baby food to a child in a highchair. However, for some families that …
“Tide Pod Challenge” is the Latest Dangerous Teen Fad
Teenagers have always been prone to faddish trends (and sometimes doing dumb things) but more recent fads, such as the “Tide pod challenge” and “fire challenge,” have risen to …
Child Car Seats Save Lives!
Many people don’t realize that car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for young children. That’s why making sure your child is restrained properly in a child …
Talking to Your Children When a Family Pet Dies
For many children, a family pet passing away is their first experience with death. While this is a sad event, it is an opportune time for parents to help …
Know the Symptoms of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease – a Common Summer Illness
Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is an easily spread infection that is common in young children. However, adults can also be infected with this disease, and outbreaks are …
What Does the Color of Your Snot Mean?
We know it’s kind of a gross topic to talk about boogers, but haven’t you ever wondered what the different colors of your mucous means? We spoke with otolaryngologist, Dr. …
I’ve Just Found a Tick Bite– Now What Do I Do?
Many scientists believe that 2017 will be a troublesome year for ticks in our area due to the mild winter weather. So it’s important to know what to do …
New HPV Vaccine Guidelines Affect Dosages
The CDC recently recommended that 11- to 12-year-olds receive two doses of HPV vaccine at least six months apart rather than the previously recommended three doses to protect against …
Teen Won’t Talk? Here’s Seven Tips to Get Your Child to Open Up
By Leslie Bourne, PhD Division Chief, Behavioral Health Reliant Medical Group As most parents know, it’s not always easy talking to a teen. Kids tend to communicate well when …
Have You Talked to Your Child About Drug and Alcohol Use and Abuse?
It can be a hard subject to bring up, but talking to your children about drinking and drugs is important – it’s a conversation all parents need to have. …