Outdoor Fun
Pee in the Pool: What You Should Know, What You Should Do
Scientists recently figured out a cool way to measure how much urine is in a public swimming pool. And the results are sure to turn some heads! Their sweet idea? They used the artificial sweetener ace…
Slips, Trips and Crashes: Handling your Children’s Falls
When your little one falls from his bed, crashes his bike or simply runs into the wall during a game of chase, you experience his pain as well as that heart-racing panic feeling that you try to suppre…
Getting Enough of the Sunshine Vitamin
Dr. Greene's take on the sunshine vitamin... The American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled their recommended daily amount of vitamin D for our kids ? and many kids weren't getting enough even be…
Doubling Vitamin D
Today at our annual meeting in Boston, the American Academy of Pediatrics doubled the recommended amount of vitamin D that children get each day to 400 IU, in response to mounting evidence of the life…
More Vitamin D Benefits To Consider
Some Seek Guidelines to Reflect Vit D's Benefits - washingtonpost.com This was an interesting article in the Washington Post (link above). It discusses both reasons for excitement and reasons for caut…
Soccer and Weight Loss
A fun, practical, affordable way to help overweight kids? My friend and colleague, Dana Weintraub, MD, from the Division of General Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Lucile …
Treating Painful Swimmers’ Ear
Each year over 6 million cases of swimmer's ear will cause kids (and adults) painful infections in the ear canal - interrupting many vacations and days of summer fun. People deserve speedy, safe, effe…
Guess I’ll Go Eat Worms
(more…)…
Sun Cancer Soars
Men and women born in 1970 - now in their mid-30s - already are being diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Shockingly, these young adults are being diagnosed with mela…
Rabies Triumph!
The first person in history known to have survived rabies without getting the rabies vaccine went home from the hospital on New Year's Day 2005. The story began when a 15-year-old Wisconsin girl named…
Playgrounds, Arsenic, and a Simple “Must”
There is a simple way to protect your children from the arsenic commonly found in playgrounds? Wait a minute! There's arsenic in playgrounds?!? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) …
Natural Insect Repellant Alternatives
Because West Nile virus has made preventing mosquito bites more important in the United States, and because some insecticides are toxic, people have become increasingly concerned with finding gentle a…
Using DEET on Children
The recommendations for kids' using insect repellants containing DEET have changed, allowing higher concentrations than before. Within the last year, the Committee on Environmental Health of the Ameri…
Mad Cow and the Family Pet
Enjoying pets can be a wonderful part of family life. Besides being beloved companions, pets can help children learn empathy, responsibility, and can help their immune systems learn how to minimize al…
Healthy Theme Parks?
As summer weather is fading, many families consider taking advantage of the shorter lines at theme parks for one last family outing. A day at the theme park often involves miles of walking without kid…
Sunshine: Too Much, Too Little, or Just Right
Sun exposure during childhood, especially between 6 and 15 years of age appears to protect people from later developing multiple sclerosis, according to a study in the August 9, 2003 British Medical J…
Football, Heatstroke, and Head Injuries
The statistics are in, and happily there were no deaths from heatstroke among U.S. football players during the 2002 season (or so far in 2003), according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports…
Helmet Fit and Condition
Shoes protect the feet; helmets protect the head. Helmets can be very effective at preventing serious head injuries, but nevertheless, head injury during active play remains a leading cause of death a…
Summer Is Heating Up!
It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere ? and hot, really hot, in many areas. We are warm-blooded. Our bodies produce heat. When a muscle contracts, only about 25 percent of the energy is used for the …
West Nile Virus – The Stage is Set
In 2003, 32 states are already reporting West Nile virus activity, compared to only about 20 states at the same time in 2002. The CDC held a press conference on July 15, 2003, where CDC Director Dr. J…