Ask the Doctor: Sleeping Through the Night

Jennifer Asks:

I’m a first time babywise parent and me and my daughter have pretty much relaxed into the routine. She is now two months and goes down for her naps with under 10 minutes of what I call “whiny crying” and often with only a minute or two of fussing. She is still on a 2.5 hour feeding schedule and sleeps 6-7 hours straight at night. When should I start extending time between feedings and what’s the best way to do it?

Babywise seems to imply that my baby should be sleeping 8-9 hours if I were doing it right but my daughter seems to be following the same schedule your son did… we’re almost through the night! Read more

Ask the Doctor: Steroids for Croup?

Michelle Asks:

I was wondering what you would suggest for treatment for croup. My son has had it twice this year and both times the doctor prescribed steroids. Is there any other treatment for croup? Thanks! Read more

smartwater?

LA Asks:

How do you think smartwater compares to Pedialyte? My kids have never liked anything strong tasting or sweet so I’ve used smartwater instead. Read more

Ask The Doctor: Yellow Triaminic

Jennifer asks:

So is the yellow triaminic not good?

The yellow Triaminic is the Chest and Nasal Congestion Triaminic.  It has two medications in it – guaifenesin and phenylephrine.  Neither of these is likely to be harmful in normal doses.  However, there is also no evidence that either of these medications are in any way helpful to children.

While guaifenesin is probably completely worthless in children, I want to spend a little time examining the other ingredient – phenylephrine.  Phenylephrine is a nasal decongestant.  It is a relatively new ingredient in many cold and cough medications.  To understand this, we need to take a look back at what used to be in Triaminic and other Over-the-Counter (OTC) cold and cough medications. Read more

The 2 1/2 Week Cold: Yellow and Green Snot

Leslie asks:

My son has what seems like the longest cold of the decade, ranging from bad feverish days to semi-normal days lasting now for 2 1/2 weeks. 3 days ago I took him to the doc to see if it was an ear infection, it was not. A cough developed later that day and sounds very wet to this day. Lastly, today his snot had what looked like ear wax in it, bright yellow/orange grainy particles in his mucus. Should I be worried? Read more

Ask the Doctor: Flu Vaccine in Pregnancy

Patricia asks:

I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and have been told by multiple sources (none of which include my OB) that I should get the flu vaccine. The last time I got the flu vaccine, I got the flu. Since, I have not had it once. I really really really don’t want to get it while I’m pregnant. What do you recommend?? Read more

Ask The Doctor: UTI

AG Asks:

I have a question for you regarding UTI. My one-year old daughter got one a few weeks ago and they ran some tests on her. They found a little reflux in her right kidney, gave it a level 2. The urologist is recommending putting her on a low grade antibiotic for a year and then retesting her. Read more

FluMist Nasal Flu Vaccine?

WR asks:

What are your thoughts about the FluMist that my pediatric office in Ames is recommending? Does it have the same mercury risks? Read more

The Secret to Being an ER Doctor

LA Asks:

My 5 year old has been unusually sleepy for about 2 days. He doesn’t feel like eating and has a low fever (100.5). He does not have a cold and hasn’t had a cold. The symptom that bothers me is he has started to complain that his neck hurts. I asked him to touch his chin to his chest and he started to cry because of the pain. I’m unsure of whether to take him to a doctor or wait it out a few more days. Read more

Ask the Doctor: The Flu Vaccine

LauraC asks:

What are your thoughts on elementary age children getting the flu vaccine? Ours have never had a serious case of the flu so we’re reluctant to vaccinate them for something that historically hasn’t been an issue. But I’m reading more and more about peds. across the board recommending it. Read more

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