Earaches are the number one cause of pediatric visits. Fluid can easily build up in a child's tiny middle ear, creating pressure on the eardrum and causing intense pain. Most ear infections, however, are painful but not serious. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 70% of children with ear pain get better on their own within two or three days. Here are the … [Read more...] about Earache Remedies and Antibiotics
Health
Flu Vaccine and Pregnancy
It is now standard practice to inoculate expectant women in America against influenza between October and May, the period considered to be “flu season” by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ACOG, reiterating recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP), clai … [Read more...] about Flu Vaccine and Pregnancy
Do You Know: What is Love?
Like most of us, I have long pondered the meaning of love. As a young woman, I equated love with the feelings I had when reading sad love poems or being involved in tragic romantic scenarios. Now I see love as an action rather than a feeling. The action of love is well-described in this Bible verse (1 Corinthians 13:4–8a). The first two lines of this verse are featured a … [Read more...] about Do You Know: What is Love?
What To Do About Toy Guns
Highly realistic toy guns, computer and video games of mass destruction, and soldier action figures are some of the most popular items in toy stores today. Do these war and weapon toys promote violence and aggression in children? There is no longer any debate within the scientific community about the effects on children of media violence. Exposure to violent video games and … [Read more...] about What To Do About Toy Guns
Killer Fear: Adrenaline High
While grocery shopping at our local food co-op last Saturday, I ran into an old friend. He told me that he’d been walking the aisles in a daze of fear, wondering how much hydrogen peroxide to stock up on for the coming pandemic. Our conversation seemed to calm him down, but later I wondered how many other parents were so terrified. THE HIGH OF ADRENALINE The deceptive thi … [Read more...] about Killer Fear: Adrenaline High
Wash Your Hands…Safely
It’s hard to imagine that there was ever a time when we failed to realize the importance of washing our hands. It was Ignaz Semmelweis who first suggested, in 1847, that obstetricians disinfect their hands when delivering babies. Maternal mortality in some hospitals at the time was as high as 35% even though studies showed that hand disinfecting could reduce maternal mortality t … [Read more...] about Wash Your Hands…Safely
Tips for Couples
To make your relationship with your partner work better, here are some recommendations for managing conflict: Agree with your partner to never do any name calling, ever. It wounds and it wounds deeply. Look at how you attribute blame or how you react to something your partner does or doesn’t do. How you interpret your partner’s behavior has a significant impact on th … [Read more...] about Tips for Couples
Motherhood Saved My Life
Since I was 12, I've struggled with an eating disorder. I don't really remember a time when thoughts of food and my body image didn't occupy my mind. The history of my eating disorder is complicated—like many fragmented pieces of a large intricate puzzle. I could fill a book with the origins and details of my struggle but that's not what I'm writing about here. Over the ye … [Read more...] about Motherhood Saved My Life
Alarming Autism Increase
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the surveillance survey report, "Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 8 Years." A shocking 1 in 68 US children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the new report. A previous report, "Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in US Children, … [Read more...] about Alarming Autism Increase
GMOs On Your Skin?
Since humans first began domestication of plants and animals nearly 15,000 years ago, we have been using selective breeding and grafting to modify their traits so they will be more valuable to us. Michael Pollan's book, Botany of Desire, details how certain plants, such as tulips and apples, evolved to be what they are today through this hybridization. It wasn't until 1973 th … [Read more...] about GMOs On Your Skin?