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...
As a pediatrician, Dr. Greene is often asked if either bottle feeding from birth, or weaning from the breast when a baby is very young, will negatively affect the baby. This is actually a very difficult question. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s...
Sources of childcare information have very different recommendations for care of uncircumcised penises. Some advocate aggressive wiping using cotton swabs and alcohol to clean under the foreskin. At the other extreme, some authorities suggest doing...
The anterior fontanel, or soft spot on a baby's skull, is a cause of concern for many parents. Elsewhere, the baby's brain is protected by a wall of bone; here only soft, squishy tissue separates the brain from the traumas of the outside world. The...
A child who is born before the normal gestational age has not yet finished in-utero development. If the delivery is abrupt, a partially developed baby is born. If, on the other hand, the baby has been subjected to a period of chronic stress lasting...
Many people, doctors included, have only recently learned about the link between constipation and milk intolerance. Click here to read about the study that could improve the lives of many constipated children.
The pinworm, or Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the most common parasitic infections of humans. Somewhere between 10% and 40% of children have pinworms at any given time (Pediatric Consult, Williams and Wilkins 1997). Click here for more...
Treatment of thrush usually consists of an antifungal medicine such as nystatin suspension. This can be applied, gently, directly to the plaques with a cotton-tipped applicator, or given orally 1-2ml four times daily.
Did you know that bee stings have been a nuisance long enough to have appeared in prehistoric cave paintings in Spain? While many moments of childhood come and go, the surprise, the pain, and the tears etch bee stings into images that we can recall...
This oil is found in the leaves, roots, and twigs of poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac and is the reason for the horribly itchy rash that many of us have suffered through. Click here for more information on urushiol.
Making children wear ear plugs or limiting water exposure is no fun. For years, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat doctors) have cautioned against allowing water in an ear that has an open tube in the eardrum. Recently, some have begun to...
Whenever a parent and a young child have to be separated for an extended period, it is difficult for both parent and child. Click here to read Dr. Greene’s suggestions for making separations easier.
The tonsils usually appear like small, dimpled golf balls set on either side of the back of the throat. Children with large tonsils and deep crypts often get food particles trapped in there. Because saliva contains digestive enzymes, trapped food...
Impetigo is everywhere the kids are. It is by far most common in infants and young children. They have more colds, more fingers in the nose, more small cuts and scrapes, and more insect bites. Impetigo doesn't imply that a child is dirty or...
Roseola infantum is a common illness in young children. They generally develop a fever for 3-5 days (worse at night), followed by the appearance of the typical red rash when the fever disappears. Click here to learn more about the roseola virus and...
The umbilical ring is a small hole (about 1/2 inch in diameter) through which the umbilical cord passes into the belly. If the umbilical ring remains open after birth, the child has an umbilical hernia. Click here for more information on umbilical...
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....
Before you decide to give up on nursing there are a few simple things that might make the situation much easier for both you and your baby. If these don't work, you can still decide to switch to bottle feeding. If, instead, you choose hastily to...
There was a time when the first question one would ask when looking for a doctor was, "Who is the doctor in the nearest town?" For most people who have the ability to access this Web Site, that is no longer the case. Click here for Dr. Greene’s...
If you’re a new parent, you may not have known this, but diaper-changing veterans know that diaper rashes come in many shapes and colors. Click here for more information on diaper rashes.
Many children go through a phase of wanting to sleep in their parent’s bed. If you don't choose to have a "family bed", click here for tips to get them back into their own beds.
