Answers to the Questions You Forgot to Ask

We know that children can inherit Dad's blue eyes, curly hair, or athletic ability. But exciting new research suggests fathers may pass along much more than just their genes. A father's health and life experiences before conception may leave tiny b…

Parents spend an incredible amount of time thinking about what goes into their baby’s body. But what about the environment surrounding our children while they sleep? Babies spend 10 to 16 hours a day sleeping, often with their faces just inches fro…

Knee injuries are now one of the most common serious injuries in student athletes, especially in middle school and high school sports that involve cutting, jumping, and pivoting. Sprains and strains still top the list overall, but injuries like ACL …

What do you picture when you think of a food allergy? Do you picture hives, swelling, or trouble breathing that happens within minutes of eating a trigger food? Well, that is not true with Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)! FPIES …

The food pyramid has been redesigned, and it’s getting attention. Meat and dairy take center stage. And many families are wondering: what changed — and what should we do differently? Should We Trust the Dietary Guidelines? First, it helps to under…

Dizziness. Brain fog. A racing heart when standing. Crushing fatigue. I see these symptoms all the time. And too often, kids are told their labs are normal and it must be anxiety. Sometimes it is anxiety. But sometimes it’s POTS. …

Over the past few years, I’ve seen more and more kids whose lives are taken over by gastrointestinal symptoms. At first, I thought this surge might be related to COVID and all the stress that came with it. But over time, a pattern became clear…

From viruses and vaccines to screens and anxiety...headlines don’t always tell the whole story. From my perspective as a pediatrician, here’s a look at what we learned — and what we got wrong! 1. Young Kids Really Do Carry the Most Germs (We Were…

Every parent wonders the same thing at some point: Who is my child when I’m not there? On the playground. In the classroom. At a friend’s house.Kids are constantly making social decisions—often without an adult in sight. And those moments can feel…

The wrapping paper is flying, everyone’s gathered together—and then it happens. Your child opens a gift, their face falls, and the holiday mood instantly shifts. Gift disappointment is one of the most common—and stressful—parenting moments during t…

The holiday season is here—twinkly lights are glowing, cookies are baking, and the delivery driver might know your dog’s name by now. But if you’ve ever watched your child rip open a present only to say, “Oh… socks,” you also know that this season i…

Be honest — have you ever wanted to shove your partner (or maybe even your kid) because they were snoring?We love our sleep, and nothing ruins it faster than the sound of a tiny chainsaw buzzing in the next bed. But when that snore is coming from y…

If your child has suddenly slipped into baby talk—“me want snack,” “carry meee”—you’re not alone. Baby talk is incredibly common, and in most cases, it’s a short-lived, harmless phase. But when it goes on…and on…it can test even the most patient par…

Every parent has had that moment—the one where your calm, reasonable adult brain gets hijacked by a tiny human in a dinosaur T-shirt. Maybe it happens in the cereal aisle. Maybe it happens when you ask them to put on their shoes for the tenth time. …

Do you ever feel like you’re tiptoeing around your child—careful with every word, changing plans to avoid a meltdown? You’re not alone! I hear parents say it all the time: “I feel like I’m walking on eggshells.” It’s an exhausting way to live. You…

A mom recently told me she overheard her 13-year-old son at a sleepover explaining that girls can’t get pregnant if they’re standing up. He said it with confidence — the kind of confidence only a 13-year-old boy can muster. What really happens when…

A few weeks ago, I met a toddler whose parents told me he could “talk” to Alexa. He asked her to play The Wheels on the Bus and even said “please.”But when I tried to chat with him, he wouldn’t engage with me. That moment stopped me. For decades, w…

If your child doesn’t need shots this year, do you really need to bring them in for a checkup? As a pediatrician—and as a parent who’s currently three months overdue for my own well visit—I get why you might ask that question. Between school drop-of…

Screens aren’t the enemy. They’re part of how we live, work, and connect. But when they start crowding out sleep, movement, and real connection, they chip away at the things that make kids (and parents!) healthier and happier. The good news? You do…

Every parent has thought at some point that a weird baby movement was a seizure. So I’m here to tell you about my favorite baby seizure fake-outs. Movements during Sleep All babies have some abnormal movements during sleep. Babies don’t have muscl…

Not long ago, I saw a 10-year-old soccer player in clinic. Her coach had told the family she needed to quit basketball, play soccer year-round, and “get serious” if she wanted to stay competitive. Her parents asked me, “Is that true? Should we do it…

Imagine this: your child is sitting on the couch, watching TV, when suddenly their chest tightens, their hands tingle, and they can’t catch their breath. Their face looks terrified, their body goes limp, and they say they feel like they’re dying. Y…

When someone loses a child, it’s hard to know what to say. The pain is unimaginable—and for many of us, that fear of saying the wrong thing keeps us from saying anything at all. In this week’s episode of The Pediatrician Next Door, I spoke with Han…

Have you stared at a jar of peanut butter wondering if giving it to your baby is safe—or if you might end up in the ER? The idea of introducing allergenic foods to a baby can feel terrifying, but the latest research actually says: do it, and do it e…