Newborn
Ear Infections and Pacifier Use
We've known now for several years that discontinuing the use of a pacifier can reduce ear infections in children. A study published in the September 2000 issue of Pediatrics looked at the effect of si…
Infertility and Diapers, Part II
Some parents who read the September 28th, 2000 Daily Dose News Alert were alarmed or saddened about the concerns raised regarding plastic-lined disposable diapers. As I said, the association has not b…
Diapers & Infertility?
In boys, the scrotal sac is marvelously designed to maintain the testicles within a narrow temperature range, just below normal body temperature. When it is cold out, the sac constricts and draws the …
Dangers of Parental Smoking
Dr. Greene's take on parental smoking... (hint: don't do it!) A study in the August 2000 issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood found that parents who smoke increase the risk of meningococcal m…
SIDS Reminder
Dr. Greene with a SIDS reminder... The study in the August 2000 issue of Pediatrics about the high rate of SIDS in home daycare suggests to me that this tragedy is the tip of a large iceberg. Most hom…
Preventing Infant Death
Dr. Greene's take on preventing infant death... A study in the August 2000 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology analyzed the data collected from almost 50,000 births and concluded that newborns sent hom…
Good News for Premies!
Sometimes medical research is so important that the normal time to publication is unethical. For this reason, the New England Journal of Medicine pre-released the results of a study that was not publi…
Neurologic Damage
Dr. Greene's perspective on neurologic damage in babies... For years, those who work with newborns have noticed neurologic abnormalities in babies who were exposed to cocaine while in the uterus. Thes…
Capillary Hemangioma
A capillary hemangioma is a bright red birthmark that can sometimes be the most noticeable feature of a little baby. Hemangiomas often don't appear until a baby is a month old, and can continue to gro…
Warning on Propulsid — May be Hazardous to Your Child!
Dr. Greene's take on Propulsid... Once again in chat I spoke with a mother whose baby had just been put on cisapride (Propulsid) for reflux. I have long cautioned against the overuse of this drug for …
Could a rise in cases of Pyloric stenosis be linked to erythromycin?
Spitting up is common in babies, but a few infants can hardly keep anything down. When the valve at the bottom of the stomach gets too tight, we call it pyloric stenosis, a condition that affects abou…
The Millennium Baby – A Century of Technology
Having a millennium baby in January 2000 is very different from having a baby in January 1900. Back then, there were no early pregnancy tests to know in a moment that a baby was coming, and no blood t…
Newborn Hearing Test Recommendations
Without a newborn hearing test, the average age at which congenital deafness is diagnosed is 2 years old! Children whose deafness is treated in the first months of life gain critical time and perform …
Pneumococcal Vaccine
In 1999, I attended the national meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Washington, D.C. At the opening of the conference, Sarah Long, M.D. announced that the new pneumococcal vaccine would …
SIDS Cause Uncovered: Dr. Greene Reports
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome leads all other kinds of death in wrenching infants from their parents. What constitutes a SIDS cause is still not very well understood. One study uncovered the cause in a…
Diabetes Linked to Birth Month
Does astrology affect diabetes? A study in Sweden found that the month of a child's birth affects the risk of whether that child will one day develop diabetes (Arch Dis Child 1999;81:143-146). (more&h…
Misshapen Heads Due To Back Sleeping
The successful campaign to encourage babies to sleep on their backs has saved many lives by often preventing the tragedy of SIDS. But when babies sleep in the same position each night their heads can …
SIDS And Wine: Is There A Link?
Does mom's having a glass of wine increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome? How about a cup of coffee? Might pacifiers cause it? Several studies were published in the August 1999 edition of t…
Newborn Test For Cerebral Palsy
After a traumatic birth that involves oxygen deprivation, some children go on to develop cerebral palsy, while others show no ill effects. For years, parents were simply told they must wait for months…
Never use this while nursing!
Nursing delivers a banquet of powerful, beneficial substances to growing babies. Some medicines are safe to take when nursing; others are dangerous. Nicotine is dangerous! Second-hand smoke is bad eno…