The Questions Parents Should Be Asking Their Pediatrician—but Aren’t

by Rachel GarlinghouseJanuary 8, 2024

You’ve probably asked your child’s pediatrician all about feeding schedules, vaccines, sleep struggles, and food allergies. Perhaps your little one suffers from constipation (or groan, the opposite), cries when you place them in their crib, or just had their first fever. While all of these are valid new-parent concerns, we’ve got some news for you. There are even more questions you need to ask your child’s pediatrician.

Luckily, Dr. Candice Jones, a board-certified, Florida-based pediatrician is here to clue us in. In addition to being both a doctor and a mom, Dr. Jones hosts the KIDing Around With Dr. Candice podcast and is the author of High Five Discipline: Positive Parenting for Happy, Health, Well-Behaved Kids. The next time you take your baby (or toddler) to the doctor, be sure to ask them about these six critically important topics.

Safe Sleep Practices

Sleep—rightfully so—is one the main concerns new parents have. Not only are parents downright exhausted, but the baby is, too. While many new parents focus on simply getting a little (or ideally, a lot) more shut-eye, it’s critical that parents understand and practice safe sleep practices. Dr. Jones reminds us that we must work to prevent SIDS, also known as sudden infant death syndrome, and she wishes parents would ask more about it.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers SIDS-prevention guidelines. First, infants should always be placed on their backs. Their sleep space should be a “crib, bassinet, or portable play yard” that contains a “firm, flat mattress and a fitted sheet.” Swings and carseats are not suitable safe sleep spaces. The baby’s sleep space should be free of any “loose blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, bumpers, and other soft items.” When possible, breastfeed the baby and “avoid smoking.”

Water Safety

As summer quickly approaches, you may want to enjoy the water with your little one, be it a sprinkler, a swimming pool, or a local splash pad. Don’t forget about bath time, too. The goal, of course, says Dr. Jones, is to “prevent drowning.” However, any outdoor water activities also bring on the risk of your baby getting overheated, dehydrated, or sunburned. Remember to ask your pediatrician about safe water practices in every sense of the phrase.

The AAP reminds parents that babies can drown in a mere one to two inches of water. Never, ever leave your little one unattended in or near water. Gather bath time supplies and have them within reach prior to bathing your baby, and always check the water temperature prior to bathing to prevent burns. Always check to make sure bathrooms (think, toilets—a bowl of water), swimming pools, and even large containers (examples: pet water bowl and coolers) are secure. Younger babies are immobile, but as they get closer to the toddler years, they become very water-curious.

After-Hours Illness

Any experienced parent will tell you that kids rarely get sick when it’s convenient for parents. Whether your kid spikes a fever on a weekend, a holiday, or late into the night, Dr. Jones wants parents to be prepared. So when exactly do you cal the pediatrician after hours? The threshold to call the after-hours line is different from doctor to doctor, so be sure to ask questions like: What (fever) temperature concerns you? What other symptoms warrant a call, such as lethargy or vomiting? What fever and/or symptoms require us to go straight to urgent care or the ER? Bottom line: When in doubt, make the call.

Johns Hopkins Medicine shares these guidelines for parents. Take your child to the ER when “your child less than 2 months old” has a fever of “100.4 degrees Fahrenheit” or above. A suspected broken bone, a child hitting their head (and showing signs of passing out or losing consciousness), a seizure, dehydration, fast and heavy breathing, or “gasping for air,” and any “gaping cuts” warrant a trip to the emergency room.

Growth and Development

Dr. Jones says that one question all new parents should ask their child’s pediatrician is: Is my child developing and growing well? She forewarns that parents shouldn’t “assume your child is doing well in these areas if your doctor doesn’t mention it.” As the parent, you know your child best. Dr. Jones points out that “early detection and intervention of developmental delays and any growth concerns should be addressed.”

She also shares that these can be “overlooked in busy clinics,” so parents have to be and stay aware of their child’s growth (height, weight, and head circumference) and development. One of the best ways to do this is take a notebook and pen to every appointment and take notes, especially if your child’s doctor’s office doesn’t use a digital record-keeping medical system that patients can access online.

Carseat Safety

One of the most confusing and mind-boggling issues new parents face is carseat safety. What was considered safe and acceptable when we parents were children is no longer ok. There are two issues to make sure you ask the pediatrician about. The first is to ask is: Can I leave my child in their car seat—and for how long? Remember, never, ever leave your child in an unattended car. The second question to ask is: Which carseat is best for my child, and what are the guidelines for making sure my child is properly secured in the seat? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers this detailed response.

Did you know there are four different types of carseats ranging from an infant seat to a simple seatbelt? The NHTSA’s car seat finder tool allows you to enter your child’s birthday, height, and weight to help you choose the best car seat. They also remind parents that it is critical to “choose and use the right care seat correctly every time your child is in the car” to keep them safe.

Parenting Quandaries

Dr. Jones reassures parents that “nothing should be off-limits” when talking to your child’s doctor about “the health and well-being of your child.” Questions about discipline, attachment, speech and language, eye and ear health, skin concerns, and even creating boundaries should all be fair game. You can feel reassured that your kid’s pediatrician may have resource recommendations, and they have the ability to make referrals for speech evaluations, for example.

No matter how many books promise to be an all-inclusive guide to raising a baby or toddler, the research and standards are continuously changing. This is why it’s important to not brush aside your “silly question” or concern and approach your child’s pediatrician with honesty and a willingness to learn. A great doctor will gladly educate you, and when they cannot, they’ll offer you a resource or referral. Of course, you can also access Dr. Jones’ podcast or read her book for ideas, but always bring up specific-to-your-child concerns with your doctor.

Pediatric Nurse Shares 3 Signs That Your Sick Kid Needs to Go to the ER

by Christina MarficeSeptember 11, 2023

Wondering if your sick kid needs to go to the emergency room? Here are the signs that they need urgent medical care, straight from an ICU nurse

‘Tis the season. The kids are back in school, which means they’re cozying up in their little Petrie dishes, coughing and sneezing all over each other, and bringing home every illness under the sun. For people who have kids, fall and winter are better known as “those months when at least one family member is sick 100% of the time.” But one of the most stress-inducing things about the onslaught of never-ending illnesses is sussing out what’s regular mom anxiety about having a sick kid and what’s actually a medical emergency. When is it time to pack up a congested, fever-ridden kiddo and seek out help ASAP?

Thankfully, this pediatric nurse is here to help. TikTok user @alittlestitioushere is board-certified in neonatology and pediatrics and works in a children’s ICU. In a now-viral TikTok video, she shares symptoms parents should watch out for.

“Our pediatric ICU has totally exploded about the past three nights, and all of the new admissions are respiratory illnesses leading to respiratory failure,” she explains at the start of her video. “These kids are on 20 to 30 liters per minute of oxygen high flow and some of them are on BiPAP, which is like a ventilator but without the tube in your throat.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@alittlestitioushere/video/7276106919683575082

She explains that the illnesses she sees landing kids in the hospital right now include those that parents are probably very familiar with, like RSV, rhino-enterovirus, and human metapneumovirus (hMPV). She also offers a few tips to help keep kids healthy and stop the spread: Keep kids home when they’re sick, keep unvaccinated newborns home all the time, don’t let anyone kiss your new baby, and wash your hands after going out in public.

Then @alittlestitioushere shares the three signs she says parents should watch out for if they already have a sick kid at home. If you see any of these, she says, it’s time to take your kiddo to the ER ASAP.

First, struggling to breathe.

“Any muscles that are extra that shouldn’t be used for just normal breathing like sucking in between the ribs, breathing hard with the belly, sucking in above the collar bones,” she says. “You know, just anything that just looks like more so than usual. That’s something that you don’t want to wait until the morning. They need to go to urgent care, the ER. Don’t let that get ahead of you.”

The second sign is lethargy. She explains that because kids are so resilient, when these illnesses start to wear them down, it’s usually a pretty bad sign.

“If we felt the way they did, we wouldn’t get out of bed,” she says. “Kids will just go and go and go. So, if your kids starting to get tired out, they need to be seen in the ER.”

And finally, look out for nasal flaring—when your child’s nostrils widen while they breathe. It’s usually a sign they’re struggling to get enough oxygen.

“Just make sure it’s not because they’re so congested in their nose,” she clarifies. “Saline drops in the nose and suction them out real good. If they’re old enough, let them use the neti pot with distilled water, things like that just get all that snot out.”

Having a sick kid can be scary. But knowing the signs to watch for makes it a little less so.

Pediatric ER Doc Warns Parents About Sadly Common Hose Water Burns

by Christina MarficeJuly 31, 2023

A pediatric ER doctor took to TikTok to warn parents about spraying their kids with a hose that’s been sitting out in the sun

On a hot summer day, there’s nothing better than cooling off by jumping in a pool—or, when no pool is available, getting sprayed by a sprinkler or garden hose. And while hoses have been providing kids with hot-weather entertainment for generations, there is one danger to keep in mind—and a pediatric emergency room doctor took to TikTok to warn parents about it.

Dr. Free N. Hess is known for her child safety videos online. This one from 2018, which has been making the rounds yet again, shows a baby in the ER with severe burns, and she’s warning parents that the cause of those burns is surprising: a garden hose.

@dr.free.hess

Many parents are doing what they can to keep their kids cool right now. Please be mindful of how easily burns like this can happen! #childsafety #burn #burnsurvivor #summer #safety #summersafety #pediatrician #pedimom

♬ original sound – Dr. Free N. Hess, Child Safety

“A type of burn that we see in the pediatric ER all the time is burns from the water in the hose outside,” she explains. “This particular baby sustained significant burns when his mom picked up the hose outside thinking she was going to cool him off in the summer and [the water] was super, super hot.”

Dr. Hess said this type of burn is “super preventable, but something that most of us don’t think about very often.” She explained in her video that water in a hose that’s sitting outside in direct sunlight can reach temperatures of 130-140 degrees, which is hot enough to burn a child. In some places, especially where extreme temperatures can happen, the water can get even hotter than that.

To prevent burns, simply let the water run for a few minutes so any sitting hot water gets flushed out. Then, the hose will be safe for kids to play with.

She added, “If you are going to use your hose outside, make sure that you let the water out away from any children and pets, away from the pools you might be filling, and please make sure that it’s turned completely off so that your kids don’t accidentally pick it up and spray it on themselves or each other.”

How to Prep Kids for Blood Draws, Shots & Other ‘Scary’ Doctor Stuff

by Casey ClarkMay 31, 2023

While you can always expose your child to some episodes of Doc McStuffins to ease anxieties about going to the doctor, there are still some medical procedures and protocols that kids may find daunting

Let’s be honest… even as an adult, going to the doctor’s office can be scary. Shots and other medical procedures, beeping noises, and blood droplets are just a few unpleasantries that typically accompany a check-up or sick visit. Now imagine how your little one feels about all this: they leave a waiting room filled with vibrant colors and endless toys and enter a sterile environment for an appointment with a person they barely know, with little to no input into what’s going on.

“Fear of the unknown is worse than knowing what to anticipate so framing things in a positive light and without too much detail is best. Explanations need to be at the level of understanding for the child’s age, so keeping them simple and light,” says Denise Scott, MD, a pediatrician with JustAnswer and author of Feed Your Child’s Future Health, Prevent Disease Before It Starts.

To help prepare kids for scary blood draws, shots, and other things, we spoke with pediatricians to find out how to make a child feel most comfortable during these (potentially) scary medical procedures.

Shots and Blood Draws

medical procedures like shots can be scary for kids — iStock

Two common medical procedures call for needles: shots and blood draws. This can be anything from the flu shot to the tetanus shot and a comprehensive blood panel at a checkup. While they may be scary, it’s important to let your kiddo know what to expect.

“For shots and blood draws, let them know they can scream and cry and do not have to watch but they need to hold very still. Tell them it will feel like a quick pinch or the snap of a rubber band, and you can even demonstrate this to yourself or your child if they are willing,” says Scott.

Additionally, you’ll also want to explain to them how keeping an arm or leg loose and relaxed rather than tensing the muscle can help make the process easier for both parties.

To help ease the pain afterward, have the option of fun Band-Aids to choose from and perhaps a lollipop on standby. These types of distractions will help your child forget about the minuscule amount of pain they just experienced.

X-Rays

If a child happens to break or fracture a bone, then an X-ray is typically a standard medical procedure done at the doctor’s office or in an emergency room. Some kids might find seeing a detailed image of their bones to be fascinating, however, other kids may not be as interested.

“It’s super important that your child keeps very still when getting X-rays, so the picture is clear. Plus, getting it right the first time limits their exposure to radiation,” says Harvey Karp, MD, pediatrician and CEO of Happiest Baby.

For school-age kids, Karps suggests explaining that getting an X-ray is like playing freeze tag, and they’ve been tagged. You can tell them that as soon as the picture is taken, the X-ray tech will “unfreeze” them.

“In certain circumstances, wrapping your child—no matter their age—swaddle-style may also help them stay still and feel calm,” says Karp.

Nose and Throat Swabs

little boy prepping for a medical procedure — iStock

Whether your child needs to be tested for COVID or strep throat, that typically requires throat and nose swabs. This can be both scary and uncomfortable for a child, but Krupa Playforth, MD, a board-certified pediatrician and founder of The Pediatrician Mom has a few pointers to make the process easier.

“My favorite trick for throat swabs is to tell kids to “pant like a puppy” or “roar like a dinosaur” during the actual swab. This serves two purposes: first, it actually opens the mouth wider and elevates the palate, making it easier to do a swab quickly and efficiently because you can visualize what you’re doing better. Second, it serves as a comical distraction for many children, which also helps prevent them from shaking their head or batting away the swab.”

Karp adds to tell your kids to keep their eyes open during the swab to prevent gagging— for help with this you’ll want to pick a spot on the ceiling to have them look at.

Stitches

For those children who are prone to long and deep cuts, they must get stitches to aid in safe and quick healing. Now the thought of stitches can be scary, especially because a child typically isn’t under general anesthesia during this in-office medical procedure.

Small children may have to lay on a papoose board to control their movements. It is like a swaddle for a big kid and is invaluable to the physician to prevent unwanted movement in the arms and legs.

“A parent can help by talking or singing to the child, holding a video for them to watch (if not in the way), or using other forms of distraction,” says Karp. “The child should be aware that they will get a little sting, then the medicine will take the pain away so they do not feel anything.”

Blood Pressure Cuffs

getting your blood pressure checked is a simple medical procedure — iStock

Your child will probably be triaged before seeing the doctor and this typically includes taking a temperature, checking the oxygen level, and getting a blood pressure reading. This might seem like a breeze for adults, but kids may not understand the concept of the cuff squeezing their arm.

“I help them anticipate this by saying that their arm will get a big hug with a special balloon, then loosen again,” says Scott.

Karp adds you’ll want to dress your child in a loose-sleeved or short-sleeved shirt to make the test as easy as possible.

A Group of Doctors Swallowed LEGO Heads in the Name of Science

by Christina MarficeFebruary 3, 2023

These scientists swallowed LEGO heads, measured how long it took to poop them out, and then wrote a scientific paper about it. Yes, really

As every parent knows, kids are always gonna stick stuff in their mouths. Sometimes it belongs there, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it gets spit out, sometimes it gets swallowed. And while there’s a ton of research on how relatively harmless it is for kids to swallow small coins, one doctor noted that the kids he was seeing at the hospital after swallowing foreign objects had often eaten other types of forbidden snacks (like LEGO and other small plastic toys) and that the research about those things winding their way through a toddler’s digestive tract was a little lacking. So he took matters into his own hands (and colon), for science.

Australian ER doctor Andy Tagg recruited five other doctor buddies to help him with this very important scientific study. Then they each picked out a LEGO head and tossed it back with a glass of water. Seriously, you can watch a video of the moment they all sent their little LEGO head buddies on The Incredible Journey.

Then, each doctor spent a few days digging through everything that came out the other end, so they could document exactly how long it took for the LEGO heads to reappear Earthside. The paper, which was published in the Journal of Pediatrics and Children’s Health, includes such very scientific measurements as the Stool Hardness and Transit (SHAT) score and the Found and Retrieved Time (FART) score. Listen, if you completed medical school and are now digging through your own poop to help protect kids, you’re allowed to have a little fun with it.

The doctors found that, on average, it took 1.71 days for a LEGO to complete a Magic Schoolbus-style tour of the human gastrointestinal system. More importantly, they noted that there were no adverse effects to just letting nature run its course, indicating that most kids should be able to pass a swallowed LEGO on their own without a trip to the ER. Parents’ bank accounts everywhere rejoice.

There was one outlier—one of the doctors never pooped out his LEGO head. Did he just get lazy about searching his stool? Did he eat some corn during the experiment and accidentally camouflage it? Or is there still a LEGO head inside him somewhere? The world may never know.

It’s important to note that while most small objects kids swallow can be passed naturally, there are exceptions. Button batteries can cause internal acid burns and may need to be removed surgically. If your child swallows a magnet, a sharp object, or anything larger than a quarter, or if they experience stomach pain or vomiting after swallowing something that isn’t food, you should head to the emergency room.

This Woman’s Wild ER Trip Shows How Infuriating It Can Be When Doctors Don’t Believe You

by Christina MarficeFebruary 3, 2023

In a viral TikTok video, a woman shares how she was dangerously misdiagnosed at the ER because doctors didn’t believe her—twice

Any person (and especially any woman) who has tried to advocate for themselves at the doctor’s office knows what a frustrating experience it can be. Finding a doctor who not only listens to your concerns but also takes them seriously can feel impossible. That was shown all too clearly by a woman’s viral TikTok, where she documented going to the ER for suspected appendicitis (TWICE!) only to have two separate doctors not believe her.

“In today’s episode of, ‘doctors should believe women,’ I went to the doctor 3 weeks ago with extreme right side abdominal pain and my doctor sent me to the emergency room with suspected appendicitis,” Amanda Buschelman started her story. Sounds pretty normal so far, right?

@amandabman

#appendix #beleivewomen #notanxious #inpain

♬ original sound – Amanda Buschelman

Except when Buschelman got to the ER, a doctor there told her she didn’t have appendicitis, she had an ovarian cyst. That diagnosis will make sense to anyone who’s ever had an ovarian cyst—those suckers hurt! But for Buschelman, there was just one problem.

“I don’t have any ovaries, and I haven’t had any for 10 years,” she said she told the doctor. That seems like something a woman would know about her own body, right? Except the ER doctor didn’t believe her. He insisted she was suffering from an ovarian cyst, explained that she probably only had her uterus removed and not her ovaries, and sent her home. To make the whole situation even more infuriating, Buschelman looked up her chart afterward to see that the doctor who didn’t believe her also noted that she was “anxious presenting.” If you feel like you could scream right now, you’re not alone.

Women’s pain has been a sticky thing in medicine for a long, long time. Studies have shown that women regularly suffer more pain than men without any medical intervention because doctors simply don’t take women’s claims about pain seriously. And on the subject of how Buschelman’s doctor called her “anxious presenting?” A recent study showed that women who presented to ERs with chest pain were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than men. Yikes.

After being sent home from the ER, Buschelman suffered for a few days, then went back because her doctor still suspected she had appendicitis. She saw a new doctor, who once again diagnosed her with an ovarian cyst. After looking up her records and seeing that she definitely had her ovaries removed, they finally diagnosed her with a tumor, and when Buschelman had surgery to remove it, well, surprise.

“Guess what,” she said. “I had appendicitis the whole time, and I had my appendix taken out along with that little tumor that isn’t an ovary!”

Doctors, believe women. Full stop.

Parenting with Long COVID Is the Nightmare No One Talks About

by Sarah Kilch GaffneySeptember 15, 2022

When my husband mobilized in the fall of 2020, I thought the hardest part was going to be surviving his absence. A year-long deployment was hard, but a year-long deployment solo-parenting three kids ranging in age from nine months to nine years during the height of the pandemic was an absolute nightmare.

In January of 2021, my husband was exposed to COVID-19 on base. He was only 34 and had no underlying health conditions. If he got sick, we reasoned, he would likely be okay.

But the next day, when his test came back positive, a new nightmare began. Months of complications followed: a suspected TIA (transient ischemic attack, or “mini” stroke), post-COVID pneumonia, and pericarditis. He was repeatedly sent to the emergency room with heart attack-like symptoms and felt like his brain was shrouded in fog.

A year after departing and 10 months after getting sick, my husband returned home with debilitating long COVID—and our family hasn’t been the same since.

Before he fell ill, my husband was juggling work as an ICU nurse, graduate school, his military service, and family life. Now, we are just trying to survive each day.

Everything from brushing his teeth to taking a phone call saps his energy. The basement stairs leave him winded, and he experiences constant chest pain. If something is burning or if a diaper needs to be changed, he can’t tell, because he never regained his sense of smell.

We plan our days and activities around rest needs, appointments, and current symptoms. There is no predicting which days will be tolerable and which ones will be terrible.

Our kids—ages two, five, and 11—have different levels of understanding about his illness (and different frustrations about the fall-out), and we’ve explained things to each one as best we can based on their developmental stage.

When my husband is too exhausted to play or we have to change our plans when his symptoms flare, the kids often get upset, but (in the thinnest of silver linings) they are also developing greater empathy, learning how to support others, and building resiliency. We also try to carve out one-on-one time with them as we are able so they don’t get totally lost in the chaos.

The truth is, my husband and I can no longer divide and conquer the work of parenting, bread-winning, and house management like before. As desperately as he wants to help me by carrying more of the load, he simply can’t, and that was a devastating realization for both of us.

After a year on my own with the kids during the pandemic, separated from family and friends and trying to work with constantly quarantined children, I was aching for some of the burden to be lifted. I remain overwhelmed, and there is no end in sight.

Perhaps the most frustrating part is that there is no clear path forward; the lack of uncertainty and clarity around treatments and prognosis for long COVID patients is bewildering. It’s unsettling to not have a timeline or any clear direction in terms of his care.

Over time, we have found some tools and tactics that have been helpful as we all adjust to life with long COVID:

Honesty. We have done our best to be honest and straightforward with our kids about what he is going through. Everyone does better when we communicate openly..
Counseling. Long COVID turned our life upside down, and we have an amazing family counselor who has helped us process and adapt, as well as better support our kids.
Letting things go. Our house is not the cleanest, sandwiches and cereal are a regular part of our dinner rotation, and many times we just don’t get the things we want and need to done. At the end of the day, we’re doing the best we can, and we’ve worked hard to be okay with that.
Accepting and seeking help when needed. When a mom from daycare bought us a pizza dinner during the deployment, when our neighbors sent their teenagers over to help with shoveling snow last winter, and when another neighbor offered to help with a grocery pick-up order during a particularly stressful time, we gratefully accepted.
Acknowledging that our situation feels impossible while also trying to maintain a sense of humor. My husband and I have a running joke that we repeat to each other daily: “It won’t always be like this.” Things could always get worse, and sometimes they do, but this phrase helps us remember that the kids will get older, he will hopefully make gains with his health, and everyday life won’t always feel so unimaginably hard.

We don’t know if or when my husband will start to feel better, but we try to remain hopeful. We are also focusing on everything we’re grateful for: He is alive, he is finally home, and we are all together as a family.

Button Batteries Are Sending More Kids to the ER than Ever Before

by Karly WoodSeptember 1, 2022

These batteries are particularly dangerous due to their highly corrosive properties

Every parent knows that kids love to put things in their mouths, especially shiny small objects. And while adults know it’s never a good idea to put a battery in your mouth, button batteries are emerging as a leading cause of children’s battery-related emergency room visits.

In fact, a new study is showing these visits have more than doubled in the last 10 years, to the tune of 70,000. Those visits include situations where children have swallowed or inserted button batteries into their ears, nose, or mouth.

“Button batteries are the small disk shaped batteries used to power an increasing number of devices, including remotes, toys, watches and key fobs,” explains the study’s first author, Mark Chandler, a senior research associate at Safe Kids Worldwide.

Since they are so common, one might assume that devices keep them locked up nice and tight, but that isn’t the case. Many of them can be accessed quite easily, by simply sliding off the cover of a remote, for example, and are not considered child resistant.

Just because they are small, does not mean they are any less dangerous than larger batteries. “Button batteries and lithium batteries are particularly dangerous,” Mary Beth Howard, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, told NBC News. “When they come in contact with body fluids, a current is generated, and that produces a small amount of sodium hydroxide, which is also known as lye. It’s highly corrosive, and it can burn a hole through tissue. You can imagine that a hole in the esophagus, the stomach, an ear canal, or the nasal septum is a serious injury that can cause illness and even death in some cases.”

The danger doesn’t stop if the battery is considered dead. Chandler says that most of these batteries can still hold a residual charge that can cause damage, in addition to the choking hazard that remains for leaving one lying around.

Parents should “treat button batteries the same way they treat cleaning chemicals or the knives in the kitchen,” Dr. Christopher Strother, the director of pediatric emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, told NBC News. “You need to put them away so children can’t reach them and then dispose of them correctly.”

So what should you do if your child still manages to ingest a button battery? Dr. Strother says to give your child two teaspoons of honey (if they are older than one year old) then head to the ER. “Recent studies have shown that honey can help protect the child by coating the battery and also by neutralizing the chemical reactions that are happening.”

Now’s the perfect time to do a cursory sweep of your home and put every battery out of reach.

I’m Trying to Love This Body That Both Betrayed and Saved Me

by Rachel GarlinghouseJuly 29, 2022

Is it possible to love and hate something at exactly the same time? This is where I am with my body. Perhaps you are also in this place of polarizing emotions. Being a woman seems to go hand-in-hand with body-image struggles. Our bodies are supposed to protect us, yet they are the source of so much pain—physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. We have to live with it and in it, an inescapable truth.

My first physical battle happened while in my early 20s in graduate school. My husband and I were visiting family over a holiday break when I came down with a strange stomach virus. I lost weight—and then kept losing it. I was 5’8 and had plummeted from size 4/6 to double 0. I was exhausted, frail, and constantly hungry and thirsty.

Though I’d always struggled with anxiety, I was depressed for the first time in my life. I tried to press on between doctor’s appointments and school work, but strangers constantly reminded me of my demise. A guy at the gym walked by and snarled, “Eat a hamburger.” Fellow students and professors gave me worried looks, some of them loudly whispering about me.

I was misdiagnosed as a hypochondriac and anorexic. I was on antibiotic after antibiotic to combat chronic sinus infections. My weight had dropped to just 97 pounds.

On a Friday, the one day I had off, I took a nap. My husband tried calling my phone, but I didn’t pick up. He rushed home, threw me in our car, and took me to the emergency room. After an hour of tests, a doctor told me that I was in diabetic ketoacidosis, was gravely ill, and needed to be in the ICU immediately. I had been an undiagnosed Type 1 diabetic for over a year. I was lucky to be alive, as my body was shutting down from a lack of insulin.

I slowly began to heal and accept my new identity. Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7/365 disease with no cure. However, with good blood sugar control, I was told I could lead a long and healthy life. I embraced the injections, the blood tests, and the scars. After all, I was alive. I rapidly put on 40 (greatly needed) pounds. It was shocking, but welcome.

Eleven years later, my husband and I were parenting four children by adoption. Life was beautiful and busy. When I found a lump in my breast during a self-exam, I promptly saw my doctor, who ordered a mammogram and ultrasound. The results were good. I was told we’d “watch and wait,” but I felt a growing sense of urgency. I sought a second opinion to soothe my anxiety. The biopsy results showed the mass wasn’t “nothing.” It was breast cancer.

I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with breast implants. I made the decision quickly and without much research. My goal was to be done with cancer as soon as possible. I assumed I would have implants until I was older, like grandmotherly, and then have them removed. It didn’t make sense to be 35 and breast-less.

I joked with my friends that I would be the “hot” one. No matter how much my body succumbed to aging, my breasts would be a perfect 10. Plus, though I had danced with cancer, at least my chest would still look somewhat normal.

My implants did look perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I consented to have them on my plastic surgeon’s website. My before-and-after photos looked like a breast cancer fairytale. On the outside, I was the ideal patient. But inside I was a mess. I developed 29 symptoms of breast implant illness. I was bedridden on some days, my body so inflamed and achy that I could hardly move.

It was an easy decision to have them taken out, having gone from generally healthy, active mom to zombie. I had also requested that my plastic surgeon remove my nipples since I didn’t want them resting against a flat chest. I knew being unshapely and nipple-less would take some getting used to.

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A post shared by Rachel Garlinghouse: adoption🤎🤍breast cancer🎀 (@whitesugarbrownsugar)

As I waited for my surgery date, I found another lump. Cancer, again. This time, I had 33 rounds of radiation, 12 rounds of chemo, and a year of immunotherapy.

With my stretch marks and scars, thicker thighs, a flat chest, and now-just-returned hair, there are days I don’t recognize myself. Am I strong or broken? Am I safe or defeated? Am I inspiring or pathetic? I am all of these things.

Now that I’m a year past chemo, I look like a typical 40-year-old mom. I drive a minivan, sip iced coffee, and wear cheap sunglasses. On the inside, I’m often a raging storm. Is the cancer back? Why can’t my clothes fit better? Who am I now? I have faced crisis after crisis, each of which has challenged me to my core.

Being a woman—with our illnesses, our mom bods, our traumas—is a constant battle. We can do all the right things, yet our body image and health issues often remain. Each of us is on a journey that reveals how incredibly strong and vulnerable we are. And none of us emerges unscathed. But this is what I do know: What we do next with what we have is up to us.

Brave Care Offers Same-Day Primary & Urgent Care for Kids of All Ages

by Jamie AderskiSeptember 22, 2021

“Back to school” can be synonymous with “back to the doctor.” There are vaccines and physicals to get in before heading back to class or the field, and with more activity comes the risk of unexpected injuries and illnesses. Having quality care that’s easily accessible (not to mention affordable) is crucial for kids. We love that Brave Care has it all covered in one place, from check-ups or immunizations you need right away (like, today!) to care for unexpected sprains or breaks, with same-day primary care AND urgent care for kids. Read on five reasons why Brave Care is the only care center you need, from birth to graduation.

Book your visit with Brave Care today!

1. There When You Need Them

Unlike other doctors’ offices with standard business hours, Brave Care offers primary and same-day urgent care appointments from 10 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week, 365 days a year. And their pediatric experts, not an answering service, answer the phone 24 hours a day. (Because injuries and illnesses don’t care if it’s a Sunday at 11 p.m. or a holiday…)

2. One-Stop-Shop

It can be tough to juggle all of the care visits that kids require (not to mention your own!). Families can schedule their kiddos’ check-ups, flu-shots, vaccine appointments, sports or summer camp physicals, in-house labs and more. Their clinics have on-site x-rays and over-the-counter medicines, so you don’t need to make multiple appointments at different offices or have extra errands to run.

3. Same-Day Primary Care

That’s right: Same-day primary care bookings are available (this blew us away!). Now you can quickly get the care they need when it’s most urgent (and not two weeks from now). Brave Care exists to guarantee parents and caregivers have a safe, reliable and local practice readily available to them—thank you, Brave Care!

4. Affordable Expert Emergency Care

With kids, accidents are bound to happen—worrying about how much that emergency room visit will cost shouldn’t. Their providers offer the same expert care as the ER at a tenth of the cost. Same-day urgent care appointments are available for injuries requiring immediate attention (like broken bones, lacerations, foreign objects in ears/noses, stitches) and non-life-threatening conditions—from rashes to fevers and stomach aches.

5. Comfort & Safety

Brave Care clinics are designed with families in mind. Their physical spaces are built to make every parent and child feel welcome, comfortable and safe. You can expect inclusive and welcoming care with providers they have specifically chosen to uphold that mission.

Brave Care is here for your family 24/7—book your visit today!

—Jamie Aderski

ML Interest Tag: emergency-room

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Brave Care Offers Same-Day Primary & Urgent Care for Kids of All Ages

1. There When You Need Them

2. One-Stop-Shop

3. Same-Day Primary Care

4. Affordable Expert Emergency Care

5. Comfort & Safety

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