By Charles G. Ison, M.D. Congratulations to Lexington Family on being 22 years old! I have been a columnist for this magazine since it came into being. They inherited me from Lexington Kids magazine, one of the two publications that merged to form this one that you are currently reading. My columns have dealt with […]
Picky eating is very common in childhood. For toddlers, it is basically a normal phenomenon. Older children and even adults can be picky. There are reasons for this and some things that might help make it better. We all have foods we like and do not like. Some children narrow their preferences a lot more […]
Emergencies happen to people. Children are no exception. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics: “An emergency is when you believe a severe injury or illness is threatening your child’s health or may cause permanent harm.” There are some situations that nearly everyone would agree warrant a child being seen in an Emergency Department. Others […]
Many of us have been stung by an insect of some sort, whether as children or as adults. In the U.S., honeybees and yellow jackets account for most insect stings. Other bees and other wasps, such as hornets, can also sting. In some areas of the U.S., fire ants and scorpions can also do this. […]
When I was 13 years old, I was hospitalized for pneumonia. A young boy was soon moved into the other bed in the room. He had a high fever and hardly moved except to groan. I thought that I might see him die in front of me. He later broke out in a flat, red […]
Young babies cry. It is their first means of communication with us and is therefore an important part of infancy. They can cry up to two hours a day, sometimes even more. There are different types of infant cries and things that can be done to help stop them. 1) The hunger cry is usually […]
Children can have migraines. Even infants and toddlers can supposedly get them, though diagnosing them is understandably difficult. About 8% of children are thought to suffer with them. They are a special class of headaches with some unique features. Scientists are trying to figure out what causes migraines. It is thought that they arise from […]
Pertussis, or whooping cough, is still around. Worldwide each year, there are about 24.1 million cases of it and about 167,000 deaths from it. Outbreaks still occur in the U.S. and the disease could potentially be deadly even here. The bacteria that causes whooping cough is Bordetella pertussis. It clings to the cilia that line […]
I have had warts on my hands and feet before. A lot of people have, especially as children. Warts are benign, extremely common growths that appear on the skin. Common warts (Verruca vulgaris) are caused by a few members of the large human papillomavirus (HPV) family. Warts appear as flesh-colored (or darker) growths on the […]
One behavior that makes my job as a pediatrician tough at times is when an older infant or toddler is just not happy to see me. The reactions when I approach him can run the gamut from a worried look to shrieks of sheer terror and a valiant attempt to hide from me. This is […]
