Parenting
The Dawn of Patient-Centered Health Care
If you're tired of the present health care system in the U.S., raise your hand. Now imagine how many people are raising their hands with you. Because of our universal dislike of our current health car…
The Other Shoe
Wherever we walked through old Quito we were swarmed by very young unsmiling children desperate to sell trinkets or to shine a shoe or two to get a little cash. These kids were sweet (mostly), unwashe…
Gas Stoves, IQ, & ADHD
According to a groundbreaking new study, preschoolers with gas appliances in their homes scored lower on cognitive tests and were more likely to have ADHD than their peers. Researchers visited the hom…
Mother’s (Every) Day
A day to honor mother has been celebrated in different ways in different countries throughout history. In the United States we celebrate Mother's Day each year on the second Sunday of May. But in my r…
Do-It-Yourself Recipes for Natural Cleaning
Ready to make your own non-toxic natural cleaning products that are good for your family and the environment? Here are four recipes for success. (more…)…
Eight Natural, Do-It-Yourself, Household Cleaners
It's easier than you think to cut down on the toxic chemicals in your home. Here are eight common, non-toxic ingredients for natural, do-it-yourself, cleaning products that are good for your family an…
Earth-Friendly Household Cleansers
Keep your home clean and fresh, your baby safe, and the planet a little greener by using cleaners free of chemicals, solvents, dyes, and fragrances. Look for products that are labeled nontoxic, chlori…
Teaching Your Children about Fire Safety
Burns and fires are the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths. About 75% of the deaths occur in house fires, most of which are caused by cigarettes (followed by heating equipment ? espec…
Falling Down: Older Children
For the population as a whole, falls are the most common cause of unintentional injuries requiring medical care, the leading cause of hospital admissions for trauma, and the second leading cause (afte…
Big Heads & Baby Falls
Most parents are surprised at the ease with which small children can fall from beds, changing tables, and high chairs. Even before they can roll over, they have a remarkable knack for propelling thems…
You Shouldn’t Have to Go It Alone
Over 6,000 rare diseases (those that effect less than 1 in 2000 people) have been identified. Many of these diseases are life threatening, but because a relatively small number of people are alive at …
How do you know what health information is reliable?
Pediatricians need to learn to listen to parents and take their insights and intuition seriously. Doctors in general need to learn to listen to patients and to take their insights seriously. So does t…
New Regulations for Phthalates in Toys
Parents in California had more cause for celebration this New Year's Day as we welcomed a new regulation that keeps our kids safer. In California now, the toys and products we buy for our children can…
Spielberg to Cruise: Don’t Vote
Steven Spielber's advice to Tom Cruise? Don't vote! And here's why... Are you voting on Nov. 4th?…
A Glimpse of American Healthcare of the Future (My Talk at Health 2.0)
Thomas Jefferson had a radical notion: When the people are well-informed, they can be trusted to govern themselves. This powerful idea worked to end our rule by the King, but at the time it didn't app…
Depression: 3 Simple Questions
Most women with real postpartum depression are never diagnosed. Even though postpartum depression is very common, and even though identifying it can help both the baby and the mother, most cases slip …
Dr. Greene’s Top Parenting Dos and Don’ts
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. (more…)…
Lead, Synthetic Turf Fields, and False Reassurance
The CDC issued an advisory on June 18, 2008, alerting consumers about the danger to children from lead on some (not all) synthetic turf fields ? especially for young children on older fields with visi…
When I Was Your Age…
How do our children's experiences compare to our own experiences at the same age? The 2008 Duke University Child Well-Being Index compared high school seniors from 1975-1977 to seniors 28 years later …
Food Chains Sue San Francisco
San Francisco became the target of legal action because of their March 2008 ordinance requiring that chain restaurants in the city disclose 4 things on their menus for each item: calories, saturated f…