Angkor Hospital for Children

For those of you new to this website and those who have not know me long, let me introduce you to one of my passions – Angkor Hospital for Children. I have spent time off and on over the last 5 years working in Siem Reap, Cambodia, at Angkor Hospital for Children. This dedicated pediatric facility is truly an amazing project. It was envisioned less than 10 years ago by Kenro Izu, a brilliant Japanese photographer. Since that time it has literally been built from the dirt ground up to what it is today. I will not go into all the details of what they have accomplished, but you should visit the website and see all the amazing things they are doing in Siem Reap. From time to time I will send out little bits of information about Cambodia and things I have learned during my time there.

Vaccine Refusal Fuels Jump in Measles!

If you remember a few months back you might have read an article that sounded something like this… Read more

On Becoming Babywise, Part 4: Cry It Out?

How to feed your baby is but one of the aspects of parenting in the early weeks and months. There is also crying, sleeping, diapering, pacifiers, etc. For the most part, as I have mentioned in previous posts, parenting styles can be divided into two categories: Read more

A Spider Bite?

In the ER… I commonly see parents who bring their child in worried they sustained a spider bite. However, the actual number of spider bites that I see is much smaller than the number of parents worried that their child was bitten by a spider. Why is this? Well it is because what most people are calling a spider bite is actually a skin abscess or boil. Read more

On Becoming Babywise, Part 3: Just How Radical is It?

Most propaganda for the anti-Babywise movement will have you believe that the PDF approach is a radical and unsafe deviation from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. This is just not true when I compare the two. However, I have outlined the AAP policy for you and also included excerpts from Babywise. Read on and decide for yourself. Read more

The Great Vaccine Debate

This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to have an informed discussion about vaccination.  Dr. Sears has spend most of his pediatric career researching the safety concerns parents have regarding vaccination.  He lays out the facts and supports them with  well-researched scientific articles, not just his opinion.  He covers all the important topics in an easy to read format.  You will find answers to common questions like …” How common is each disease in the US?  How serious is each disease if my child gets it?  What are the real and theoretical risks of each vaccine.”  While he admits his pro-vacccine bias up front, he offers an alternative schedule, a selective schedule, and considerations for those who choose not to vaccinate at all.

The Great Dr. Mendlesohn

Dr. Mendelsohn who was a pioneer in the field of preventive pediatrics. He completed his career at he prestigious University of Chicago in the Department of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine.  In many ways I have drawn a great deal of inspiration from the late Dr. Mendelsohn.  He has written several books, but How to Raise a Healthy Child, In Spite of Your Doctor is particularly good.  In it you will find a life-time of experiences and observations that he had as a pediatrician.  Even though he wrote this book several decades ago, the basic principles are just as true today.

I consider this book standard reading for anyone who wants to raise healthy children.  His book is written in an easy to read format and covers the basics of the vast majority of everything you need to know in order to care for your children at home.  It is the first step in getting off the sidelines and taking an active role in the health care of your child.  Click here to read more…

On Becoming Babywise, Part 2: Ripped from the Headlines!

If you do an internet search regrading Babywise you are likely to find this article. The claim that using Babywise or a Parent-Directed Feeding approach can cause your baby to get dehydrated, or fail to thrive (not gain weight), is worrisome to me both as a parent and a pediatrician. So what to do??? Read more