For most infants the most intense fussiness is in the evening. When the crying lasts for longer than three hours a day, it is called colic, but the phenomenon is present in almost all babies - only the degree is different.
Standard guidelines and practices are an important part of modern medicine. They have helped to elevate our health and to provide a framework in which we can evaluate how well we are doing in particular areas.
Guidelines have been set for many...
Babies will strain from time to time to move the stool along through the intestines. If you want to do something when babies grunt, push, or strain, try picking them up to get gravity to help them in their efforts, or try holding the knees against...
Keratosis pilaris is a common mild condition in which the backs of the upper arms look rather like dried out, plucked chicken flesh. Click here for more information about this hereditary skin condition.
What is tinea versicolor? Dr. Greene describes this skin condition’s cause, appearance, and treatment. In one form, it causes white patches that are often misdiagnosed as something else – and thus remain after the initial treatment.
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...
Dr. Greene explains that pityriasis alba is the most common cause of white patches on babies’ cheeks. Click here to read more about pityriasis alba and tinea versicolor.
Diapers are a wonderful invention. They control infants' waste products in a relatively convenient, clean, and healthy way. Still, ever since children began to wear diapers, diaper rash has been the most common skin disorder of infancy. Click here...
Breast-feeding jaundice is a jaundice that may occur in the first week of life in breast-fed infants. Click here to read more about breast milk jaundice.
What factors should be considered when choosing an infant formula? Is it true that some types of formula might create allergies in an infant? Click here to find out.
Dreams have been described since the beginning of human history, but it was only in 1953 that Aserinsky and Kleitman discovered the brain wave pattern we call REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep. During sleep, we go through four progressively deeper...
This is a question many kids can’t help but wonder – if only in those moments when their parents make unpopular decisions. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s explanation of how genetics work.
To many parents' dismay, their beautiful newborn's face breaks out with red bumps. This is called baby acne. It tends to occur at about the same age as the baby's peak gas production and fussiness. How attractive! Click here for more information on...
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.
Our 3 year old daughter's breath is often bad. What smells should we look for, are there any that we should watch out for? Click here to read Dr. Greene's answer.
Newborn acne is usually quite mild. Because newborn acne is very common, when people see pimples on a baby they usually reassure the parents that they will disappear soon on their own. But for some children, this is not true. Click here to read...
Immune-mediated or type 1 diabetes most often strikes young people, especially between the ages of 5 and 7 (when viruses run through the schools), or at the time of puberty (when so many hormones change). For this reason, it used to be called...
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder of the nervous system that causes benign tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. At least eight varieties of NF exist and can range from very mild to quite severe (Clinical Pediatric...
Summer is upon us once again (at least in the northern hemisphere), and it's family vacation time! Ah, yes, family vacations -- those times filled with memories of long days being together and having fun, or memories of long days being together with...
Trisomy 13, a genetic defect caused by the presence of an extra 13th chromosome, can be a devastating blow to a family. Click here for more information on trisomy 13.
Trichorrhexis (pronounced trick-o reck sis) is not a word you are likely to hear tossed around in casual conversation. It comes from two old Greek words: trichos -- meaning hair, and rhexis -- meaning fracture. People with trichorrhexis have hair...
What are those pearly white spots you sometimes see on your child’s tonsils? And how are they like parents? Click here to read Dr. Greene’s insights about a common condition people don’t hear much about.
A young mother recently called me. She had seen my story on the web and wanted to talk because she hadn’t been able to find another survivor of “her kind” of breast cancer. She needed to connect with someone who could hold out hope for survival. I...
In children, smelly breath that persists throughout the day is most often the result of mouth-breathing, which dries out the mouth and allows the bacteria to grow. But any unusual, persistently bad smells on your child’s breath should be examined....
Each day I see parents trying their best to do what’s right for their families, but no one has the perfect guidebook that tells parents what to do. Click here for the top ten solvable problems that I advise parents to remedy today.
