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The symptoms we get during a viral illness are often the body's attempt to get rid of the virus and to minimize damage. Sneezing ejects the virus from the nose, cough from the lungs and throat, vomiting from the stomach, and diarrhea from the...
4 weeks 4 days ago

Q&A

Many people have a sunny attitude toward "swollen glands," not believing they will really be serious. Others believe these lumps to be harbingers of doom. The truth is somewhere in between. Most of these situations turn out to be fine, but enlarged...
5 weeks 2 days ago
Almost all healthy toddlers will copy and enjoy behaviors of the other gender. This kind of play is expected and desirable. Often toddlers will imitate many activities of the opposite sex. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s article on the subject of...
5 weeks 2 days ago
Head-banging appears in the latter half of the first year of life and generally ends spontaneously by four years of age. Boys are three or four times more likely to be head-bangers than girls. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s article on head banging.
7 weeks 8 hours ago
He learns to pull himself to standing. Soon he is cruising 'round and 'round the crib, instead of going down for a nap. Then he begins to bounce up and down. Before long, he catapults over the top...it's time for a big boy (or big girl) bed. Click...
8 weeks 2 days ago
Could it be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? Dr. Greene discusses the signs that point to ADHD and the signs that point to the normal turbo-speed pace of the average toddler. Click here to read his article.
9 weeks 2 days ago
Discontinuing nursing is not recommended for physiologic jaundice, although supplementing feeds with pumped breast milk or formula may be helpful. Click here for more information on jaundice & bilirubin levels.
9 weeks 4 days ago
A tube in the eardrum improves drainage of the middle ear space. Years ago, when a can of soda was opened with a can opener, a hole was made on both sides of the lid. While fluid poured out one hole, air was able to enter the can through the other,...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Before allowing your child to receive Rocephin for an ear infection, first be sure that the ear infection really needs an antibiotic -- many don't. Click here to read more on the ear infection shot.
9 weeks 4 days ago
Parents often ask me whether their children's constantly runny noses are the result of allergies, sinus infections, or of one cold after another. Allergies typically feature a clear nasal discharge with sneezing. There may be itchy, watery eyes and/...
9 weeks 4 days ago
There are two sides to the language coin: comprehension and speech. The two develop in tandem, but receptive language leads the way at each stage. Receptive language begins to develop even before birth.
9 weeks 4 days ago
Babies love to explore the world with their mouths. This is especially true of infants during those precious, fleeting months that they crawl across the floor, but is common for kids up to the age of 4. These young children will come upon something...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Rashes are sometimes tricky things to diagnose. Is it ringworm? Is it granuloma annulare? Click here to read Dr. Greene’s answer to one parent’s rash quandary.
9 weeks 4 days ago
New fears are a necessary part of entering the world of possibilities. As the imagination blossoms, kids who never before had problems with the dark are now terrified. The neighbor's friendly dog is seen as a menacing danger. Click here for...
9 weeks 4 days ago
It’s quite shocking to see your newborn’s body turn pale on one side and dark red on the other, but this is probably a harmless condition called the harlequin color change. Click here for more information about harlequin.
9 weeks 4 days ago
Because antibiotics were such a revolutionary advance in the treatment of infectious diseases, doctors slipped into the habit of prescribing them for minor illnesses, even those known to be viral, just to "be on the safe side." They also thought...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Most people with geographic tongue are otherwise healthy. The condition is usually entirely painless. While it can produce a burning sensation in the mouth, this is very rare in children. If there is any pain or burning, this usually can be...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Wilms' tumor is one of the most common cancers in children. The most common age at diagnosis is 2 to 3 years, just as children are bursting with the exuberant energy of discovering their own preferences and desires. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Many children are prone to rashes and skin discolorations. White patches of skin are a sign of some of the most common childhood skin conditions. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s article on pityriasis alba and tinea versicolor, two of the most common...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Bacterial meningitis can occur at any age, but 95 percent of cases are in children under 5 years old. Boys are more likely to get it than girls. Together, three types of bacteria account for over 90 percent of bacterial meningitis. Click here to...
9 weeks 4 days ago
A laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) pointer is a device that transforms ordinary light into an extremely intense and nearly nondivergent beam of light of a single color, with the light waves all in synch. Click here to...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Can you Make-A-Wish come true? We were recently contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation with a special request. A family in New Mexico has a little girl with a rare neurodegenerative disease. They read Dr. Greene's article written to another parent...
9 weeks 4 days ago
Kawasaki disease is an uncommon but important cause of fever in children. It was first noticed in Japanese children following World War II. While it is more common among the Japanese, we now know that it occurs in all racial groups, primarily in...
9 weeks 4 days ago

Tip

Some studies suggest that taking thiamine (vitamin B1) 25mg to 50 mg three times per day is effective in reducing mosquito bites. This safe vitamin apparently produces a skin odor that is not detectable by humans, but is disagreeable to pregnant...
8 weeks 1 day ago
Mosquito bites are no fun and can be particularly hard on children who are often prone to large numbers of bites. Click here for tips on treating mosquito bites.
8 weeks 6 days ago