When kids finish swimming and climb out of the water, the water doesn’t climb out of their ear canals. The angle of the ear canals can allow water to sit there for hours, setting up the ideal conditions for an infection of the skin in the canal....
I love biting into a steaming ear of roasted corn on the cob, picked fresh that day in an organic cornfield. This is completely different from slogging down a super-size soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup that has been chemically derived...
We're surrounded by a great irony, a great tragedy, a great opportunity. In parts of America, and in many places around the world, getting too many calories is one of the biggest threats to our children's thriving. Too much soda, too many French...
We're surrounded by a great irony, a great tragedy, a great opportunity. In parts of America, and in many places around the world, getting too many calories is one of the biggest threats to our children's thriving. Too much soda, too many French...
I think that all women who have had epidurals deserve breastfeeding support during their babies' first week of life. Of course, a lactation consultant can be a great idea for any new mother, but recent evidence suggests that first-week nursing...
You may be more exhausted than you have ever been. Whenever people are sleep deprived they are more subject to swings of emotion and to feelings of inadequacy.
Our dear friend, our brother, our hero, the inimitable Doc Tom, died on Good Friday. Even though his untimely death came as a shock, Tom Ferguson had already far outlived the projections at the time of his Myeloma diagnosis over 15 years ago.
I recently received a wonderful letter from the mother of a 10-month-old boy who had been born with a left clubfoot. She wanted to be sure I would let parents everywhere know about a gentle, effective solution to clubfoot that she found online - a...
As soon as the FDA E. coli warning is over
This week, 'Don't eat spinach' headlines have been trumpeted appropriately across the United States. However, you haven't seen dramatic headlines urging 'Stop Driving Cars!' 'Cancel Your Next Plane Flight...
I am now entirely off of the conventional food grid - everything I eat is organic. Once the decision was made to embark on this journey, it was time to restock our pantry and our fridge for all-organic cooking.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked that question. And even more importantly, “Do you know a great doctor in my area?” I wish that I could tell each of you that I have personal experience with a doctor in your neighborhood that I can...
Just 8 walnuts can help protect the arteries from the damage of a high-fat meal, according to intriguing research published in the Oct. 17, 2006 Journal of the American College of Cardiology. A high-fat meal brings immediate consequences,...
In 2003 I wrote an article about the very sensitive subject of stem cell research. However, I wasn't writing about fetal stem cell harvesting; I was discussing stem cells found in baby teeth. Preliminary research then showed that stem cells...
The CDC issued a notice on April 11, 2006 about 9 different commercial air flights in the US occurring in late March and early April where infected passengers may have been contagious, passing mumps to fellow travelers who might not have developed...
Cancer is very scary for most people. Just the word “cancer” makes us uncomfortable. Recently I met a mom who was just finishing treatment for cancer. It was her second diagnosis of cancer. The two were unrelated. She went on to share that cancer ...
One month after eating an earthworm on a dare, a 16-year-old girl developed a fever and nausea that lasted about 2 or 3 days, along with some mild swelling around her eyes. These symptoms went away, but over the next two weeks she also had a...
Many people know me as an actor and director, but my most important role is that of a father to my three children. Raising healthy, happy children is my top priority. That is why my organization, Parents' Action for Children, has launched a major...
Uninterrupted hours of nighttime darkness encourage healthy melatonin levels in the blood that dramatically suppress the growth of breast tumors. On the other hand, exposure to light at night causes melatonin levels in the blood to plummet,...
Can exposing the developing brain to environmental toxins lead to ADHD? An upcoming study in the NIH journal Environmental Health Perspectives examined the effects of two substances known to affect the developing brain - cigarette smoke and lead.
Sometime in the second half of the first year, babbling begins. This is the sweet sound of consonants and vowels mixed together. The amount and quality of babbling vary depending on how well babies hear and how much people speak to them.
Soon your little athlete will be full of energy, sprinting forward in life. Training for this race begins with tummy time soon after the umbilical stump has fallen off. This exercise builds strength and postural coordination,...
The toddler that rushes down the hall calling, “Mommy phone!” is dramatically different from the newborn you held in your arms a moment and an eternity ago. Astonishing and unparalleled growth takes place in the first two years - and it takes place...
Separation anxiety and stranger anxiety both coincide with a new intellectual skill called object permanence. Your baby now remembers objects and specific people who are not present. He doesn't want a stranger, because the stranger is not...
Separation anxiety is more pronounced when children are tired, hungry, or sick. When your timing is optional, try to arrange separations for when your baby is happy and satisfied or to have a transitional lovey for cuddling.
Urushiol is the reason for those itchy rashes one gets when coming into contact with one of these plants. The oil found in the leaves, roots, and twigs of poison ivy and its cousins. Click here for some tips for avoiding the itchy-scratchies.
