pediatric housecalls Robert R. Jarrett M.D. M.B.A. FAAP

/* ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADDED trial of category code --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- */

Clinical

Conditions

Doctors

Illness

Parenting

Wellness

Commentary

FAQ

Link

Recent News

Resources

Series

/* --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END added code trial ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ */

Showing posts from: Series

Bedtimes and Children’s Thinking Ability

regular bedtimes - child sleeping soundly

In most of our practices, questions about children’s bedtimes are one of the most frequent queries from parents pediatricians receive. And, I thought we had just about covered it until I heard about some new research on: NO bedtimes — or better said, no specific time for bed.
(more…)

Children’s Sleep: Series Intro/Index

boy sleeping at school

Is NOT sleeping or TO MUCH sleeping better; or NOT better? It’s that “best of times… worst of times” issue. They’re both bad… and good; depending on the circumstances, time and age.

That’s why I’ve begun curating the several posts I’ve written over the years explaining the many and varied aspects of the issue. And, with the benefits of the computer programming, whenever I write a new post this index post is automatically updated so is always the most up-to-date.

So… here’s all about sleep in children, teens and young adults:

7 Posts in "Children's Sleep" Series

  • Children's Sleep series: Intro/Index – 13 Aug 2013
    I've noticed the large number of questions from parents which have "sleep" as the core issue. This series is all about sleep, how it works, how much is needed; and… "what's the matter with this kid?"

  • Bedtimes and Children's Thinking Ability – 14 Aug 2013
    It seems that we now have evidence that irregular bedtimes in early childhood may actually impair children's cognitive development and even have damaging long-term health effects throughout life.

  • How much sleep – 20 Jan 2016
    No really! How does sleep work? You think you know… until things change, and you realize you don't know anymore. You've got babies who wake you up at all hours and you've got teens who don't seem to ever get out of bed? What gives?

  • Sleep In Teenagers – 28 Jan 2016
    Right from birth it seems that tired children can crash to sleep anywhere, anytime they are tired. That's all over in "teenhood" however, partly because all of the nervous system changes occurring with puberty.

  • Sleep Expectations and Training, Infants – 6 Mar 2016
    Frankly, the topic of infant sleep is probably the most frequently asked group of questions from new parents and in the “top 3” for all parents; but still…. there's a lot of "wives tails" lurking about in the topic.

  • More sleep training and tips, Infants - Part 2 – 11 Mar 2016
    NOT sleeping through the night is no accident; sleeping THROUGH the night is no accident either; and, good sleep begins with deciding and defining. Infant sleep habits are varied but there are some tips.

  • Sleep in Toddlers, Older Children – 28 Feb 2023
    A good synopsis of this post might be "sleep through the ages." It does change you know, based on the growth of the child AND his/her environment that YOU provide based on family and house "rules." That means: here's what might be making (enabling) the problem that your child might be having and what you can do about it.

Quite a bunch, no? All inform about just a little bit different aspect.

New Concussion Guidelines For Children’s Sports

football-teen-helmit

Being one of the roughest of all children’s sports, it’s a rare parent who hasn’t had a boy who has been conked on the noggin hard enough to see stars, become dazed or actually go unconscious playing the game. YOU CAN’T DO THAT SO CHEAPLY ANY MORE!
(more…)

Childhood Concussion Series: Intro/Index

Childhood concussion is when a child’s head gets knocked around and causes their brain to be bumped back and forth against the hard skull. It always causes at least some tissue damage but children’s bodies being what they are, doesn’t always produce noticeable effects, at least not immediately.

Here is a fairly large collection of posts about the why’s and wherefore’s of the topic, which is receiving a whole lot of interest from the research community, including explanations, examples and even videos.

11 Posts in "Childhood Concussion" Series

  • Childhood Concussion Series: Intro/Index – 23 Jul 2013
    This Childhood Concussion Series has grown into a fairly substantial number of posts, probably because there's a lot of interest in researching this topic, not to mention it's our kids, right? There's not only explanations but videos and examples too!

  • More dangerous than we thought – 24 Jul 2013
    This article begins a discussion about children's concussions and how new research shows that they are more dangerous than we have thought even just last year. We'll even give (and show) real-life examples.

  • New guidelines for sports – 27 Jul 2013
    Let's attempt to explain children's sport concussion injuries and the dilemmas around diagnosis, treatment and prevention. We'll be taking about the new concept of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy as well as rules and regulations.

  • Reading test a predictor of concussion – 30 May 2014
    An interesting finding, if it pans out, is that simple tests (like reading) may be able to help diagnose childhood concussion and neurological impairment. That, of course, helps in treatment and rehabilitation.

  • 10 scary issues – 18 Jun 2015
    There are at least six scary issues about sports brain injuries and many of them involve player, coach, sponsor and even parent dishonesty, such as: denial, pressure to win, mis- or un-informed caregivers, legislation, return to play and repeat injuries (among others).

  • Football and brain damage – 21 Aug 2015
    This post attempts to explain football player's brains—well, as much as that is possible. Of course, that's in order to attempt to explain how they are injured and what happens when are. Sort of like an enigma wrapped in a mystery.

  • 5 things to know – 12 Sep 2015
    A concussion from a contact sport often leads to long term problems - many of which can be avoided if parents understood these five things before letting their children participate. Understanding these five things can help you make informed decisions about return-to-play after an injury.

  • TBI, concussion and early nutrition – 28 Apr 2016
    Here's an explanation of the "Cool Kids Brain Injury Nutrition Study" and the new things it has taught us about children who are injured playing sports receiving brain injuries.

  • Video: Concussion 101 – 6 May 2016
    This video is for kids and parents of kids who have had a concussion and explains in less than a few minutes the three important things to remember if you've had a concussion. It's when that awesome brain of yours gets bumped and thumped around a bit inside your skull and it's a lot more complicated than the doctors who took care of your grandpa or even your dad had any clue about.

  • Video- concussion management – 30 May 2016
    There is more new medical information about concussion, especially pediatric concussions, in the past 3 years than in the previous 10. We now know that it's much more complicated and substantial than we used to think and we're beginning to understand how better to treat children who've been injured. It's explained in this video.

  • Helmits?! Do they prevent concussions? – 5 Apr 2017
    What is a concussion? Probably not what you think it is. In this TED talk, David Camarillo (former football player now bioengineer) gives a lot of great information about concussions and how/why what we are doing to prevent them is letting us down. It's apparent that our safety standards bodies are also inadequate and are actually preventing new protective innovations. Watch with interest, then I'll explain the one weakness of his talk I'm disappointed in.


If you’re interested in reading about other childhood sports injuries, you may like: Common sports fractures.

Bed Wetting (Enuresis) — Part 2

bed wetting alarm pad

Last week I described the problem of enuresis (bed wetting) — how it is fairly common (10-20 percent of seven year olds) and how there are a large number of contributing factors.

I have recently become aware of the statistic that approximately 3 percent of marine corps inductees have wet the bed within a year prior to their induction.
(more…)

Bed Wetting (Enuresis) – 1

The lonliest runner, a michael landon film about enuresis

Some of you might be old enough to remember a movie on television called “The Loneliest Runner” starring Michael Landon about a famous runner who said that he “owed it all to his mother.”

What he said he owed his mother for was the motivation to become a world-renowned distance runner.
(more…)

Sexting, What Parents Should Know →

A link to a follow-up blog post by Hayley Kaplan. This time giving advice for parents about their children sexting on their phones and computers.
[http://what-is-privacy.com/2012/03/what-parents-must-know-about-sexting/]

Sexting, What Teens Should Know →

A link to a blog post by Hayley Kaplan which exposes little known facts about sexting on their phones and computers to teens.
[http://what-is-privacy.com/2012/02/what-children-and-teens-should-know-about-sexting/]

Sexting and Risky Teen Behavior

two teen boys sexting

Perhaps the majority of the readers of this blog are parents and perhaps only a few teenagers visit. With that understanding, this post is about a topic which none of us parents had to even think about while growing up but which we better now, if we know what’s good for us – and our kids.
(more…)

Parenting About Sex, Pressure and Promiscuity Series: Intro/Index

Moral word cloud

It is becoming more clear every day that if we want to maintain even a mere semblance of a moral society, parents are going to have to step it up a bit from what we’re used to.

There’s lying, cheating and mayhem, to name but a few “habits” of more and more “gen z’s”; but, truly, if parent’s aren’t parenting their children about sex, pressure tactics and promiscuity then absolutely nobody is!

A psychology professor I had, way back in the midst’s of time, taught us that: “morality is the most economical means of living in a society.” Self-adherence to moral principles actually enable’s the literal sustainability of a society. Without it, the society eventually self-destructs.

I believe it… more and more every day.

12 Posts in "Parenting - Sex" Series

  • Parenting About Sex, Pressure and Promiscuity Series: Intro/Index – 28 May 2013
    Parenting your child about sex, pressure and promiscuity, not as hard or easy as you might think.

  • Sexting: Risky Teen Behavior – 30 May 2013
    This post is about a topic which none of us parents had to even think about while growing up but which we better now, if we know what's good for us – and our kids.

  • Sexting, What Teens Should Know – 1 Jun 2013
    A link to a blog post by Hayley Kaplan which exposes little known facts about sexting on their phones and computers to teens.

  • Sexting, What Parents Should Know – 3 Jun 2013
    A link to a follow-up blog post by Hayley Kaplan. This time giving advice for parents.

  • Adolescent Gyn or Pelvic Exams – 11 Jun 2014
    Recent advances in disease testing methods as well as research into contraception and infection issues has recently prompted a review and adjustment to guidelines for adolescent gyn or pelvic exams.

  • Talking to Your Teen About Sex – 13 Jul 2014
    Talk doesn't seem to be enough anymore. Here's a link to what the Mayo Clinic has to say about talking to your teens about sex.

  • Parenting about sex and peer pressure – 27 Aug 2015
    If you're not helping your teen to resist pressure about sex… then nobody is.

  • Link - Am I ready for sex? – 31 Aug 2015
    Your teen will probably never ask you if they're ready to have sex; but, they might read a pamphlet about it…

  • Parenting: Healthy Relationships – 2 Sep 2015
    The signs of healthy relationships and how to have one.

  • Link - Sexual attraction and orientation – 6 Sep 2015
    More than ever, every teen needs to find an adult (or near adult) confidant they can relate and talk to. This link to a printable article about sexual attraction and orientation.

  • Talking To Girls About Menstruation – 23 Apr 2016

    Aditi Gupta — Menstruation, Periods and Hygiene

    It's true: talking about menstruation makes many people uncomfortable. And that taboo has consequences: in India, three out of every 10 girls don't even know what menstruation is at the time of their first period, and restrictive customs related to periods inflict psychological damage on young girls. Growing up with this taboo herself, Aditi Gupta knew she wanted to help girls, parents and teachers talk about periods comfortably and without shame. In this TED talk video, she shares how she did it.

  • Medical Consent by Teens For Their Own Care, by state – 3 Jun 2016
    The topic of when your children can give their own consent for their own medical care has been a hot topic for a couple of decades now and is still mostly left up to state law which means that it's still a jumbled and somewhat confusing issue.


 

: