UTI – do you need antibiotics prophylaxis?

For those of you who have kids with a bladder infection (UTI) or kidney infection (pyelonephritis) this topic should be of special concern to you. If you child had a bladder infection they were probably treated with some combination of antibiotics for about 10 days. This makes good sense. They may have had to follow up and get their urine rechecked after a few days to make sure the infection has resolved. This all makes good sense, but this is where good evidence stops and unecessary medical intervention starts to rear its ugly head. Read more

Umbilical Cord Infection?

I got a call from some friends the other day regarding their new daughter’s umbilical cord. This is a common problem that many new parents encounter and also a common problem that I see in the ER. The issue relates to infection. Infection of the umbilical cord is a serious problem and ALWAYS requires medical intervention. However, in the normal process of the umbilical cord falling off it often looks pretty horrible sometimes resembling infection.  So how to tell?  Hopefully this post will help some parents with that very question.   Read more

Spring Break & No Play Station?

As a Parent… I do not want to have kids that sit in front of the TV all day long playing “guitar hero.”  This brings to mind a recent conversation with one of the mothers I work with. She is great at what she does in the hospital and I am certain that this carries over into the home. A few months ago she was bemoaning a gift the “Uncle” had given to her two sons – a new sony playstation. In a matter of weeks Read more

Welcome

This category of blogs is meant to be my thoughts on being a parent. Obviously my thoughts will be biased by my experience as a pediatrician. I have often thought throughout my career though how strange it was that veteran parents would come to me seeking advice on various parenting issues. Of course I was well-trained to handle the medical issues – I had both “book” knowledge and years of experience to offer. However, when it came to parenting I had only the “book” knowledge and no real parenting experience. Well, now I too am a parent and each day that goes by I am getting “experience”… some bad and some good. Whether good, bad or ugly, with this category I hope to share my experiences and how it shapes my thoughts as a pediatrician.

Suggested Reading

Your Smart Parenting Resource

This blog is about to enter its second year.  Over the last 2 years I have covered the vast majority of things you will likely encounter in the routine care of your child.  Most of the things can, and should, be taken care of at home by mommy and daddy.  To learn about specific topics click on any of the links below, or learn about them all in Pediatrics 101.