The University of Vermont Medical Center HealthSource blog is your leading source for children’s health articles and news from industry experts. Read through a collection of children’s health articles and tips on a variety of topics such as mental health, behavioral issues, nutrition, safety, development and more. The HealthSource children’s health blog features an array of regular authors and contributors from the medical world including doctors, nutritionists, nurse practitioners and healthcare experts.
When we think of the safety of kids in cars, the first thing that comes to mind is vehicle crashes and the importance of using car seats and booster seats. However, there are other dangers in and around vehicles that could seriously harm or even kill a child. Here are some tips on how all […]
Parents have been sailing up to me with questions about how to make sure their children are safe when boating. This is especially true for fathers who want to be out on the water on Father’s Day this coming weekend. Well, let me try to navigate through their concerns and provide some information on this […]
The possibility of children getting Lyme disease really ticks off parents. Lyme is on the rise and children who play outdoors in areas where deer ticks live are at risk. Last year, Vermonters reported almost 500 cases of Lyme. Northern New York has their fair share as well. Symptoms of Lyme disease include skin, heart, […]
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. It’s the day that the World Health Organization and its partners highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other products containing nicotine are bad for our health. They may result in long-term risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. They may also […]
The Burlington Discover Jazz Festival is here, which means downtown Burlington will be busy with public events and big crowds. When there are a lot of people in a public space, there is a risk of a child getting lost. Let me offer some direction so you can find your way on this important topic. […]
Grandmother, aerospace worker, mother, software engineer, aunt, father, daycare employee, attorney, teacher, healthcare worker. What do these people have in common? They all unintentionally left a child to die in a hot car. Heatstroke is the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths for children. On average, every 8 days a child dies from heatstroke in […]
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, so what better time for me to deliver some information on this issue. First of all, teen pregnancy rates are lower than they have been in three decades. Does that mean you should not discuss this issue with your teen? Not at all. Teen pregnancies are higher in […]
As we approach swim season, we want to remind everybody about the dangers associated with prolonged breath-holding, especially when preceded by hyperventilating or excessive physical activity before swimming. How We Breathe The buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the bloodstream triggers the body’s urge to breathe. When the body exceeds its normal level of CO2, […]
With spring sports season here, parents have stepped up to the plate and pitched lots of questions in my direction. They want to know whether their young athlete could injure themselves from too much practicing, resulting in an overuse injury. What is on overuse injury? An overuse injury is an injury that causes damage to […]
Mother’s Day is a perfect occasion for a fragrant bouquet of flowers, unless those nearby are suffering from spring allergies. So how can we tell the difference between a seasonal allergy and a common cold? I’m itching to explain it to you. Allergies affect 40-50 million Americans. Children with allergies will do a lot of […]
