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.
Recently, parents have been asking me an earful of questions about why their children get so many ear infections. They also ask what can be done, if anything, to prevent them. Causes of ear infections The majority of ear infections in children are caused by viral germs. Viral germs get better simply with time. The […]
Parents are often hot to ask me questions about convulsions, or seizures that are associated with fevers. We call these febrile seizures. What are febrile seizures? Febrile seizures, which can involve shaking of the arms and legs, usually last for only a few minutes, if that. These seizures are followed by drowsiness in addition to […]
Parents have been bringing up lots of questions about their babies who tend to spit up a lot. Let me try to keep down their concerns and provide some information on this “spitting up” topic we call infant heartburn or reflux. Spit up specifics Now, all babies will spit up or vomit small amounts of […]
Did you know that unintentional falls are the number one cause of non-fatal injury among children? Every year, 2.8 million children are treated in emergency department for fall-related injuries. The risk is not the same for all children. Approximately 80 percent of fall-related injuries for children age four or younger occur in the home. For […]
With school back in session, I am frequently asked what parents should be doing to ensure that homework gets done. Let me take on that assignment and provide a few tips. More than just homework Homework, though perhaps not your child’s favorite after school activity, isn’t just about a specific assignment. Homework also teaches your […]
September 18 is National Backpack Safety Awareness Day. Follow the tips that follow to keep your child or children healthy and safe. With the school year started, many parents are buying school supplies. One item to pay attention to is the quality and size of the back pack you purchase for your child. Why Backpack […]
September 15-21 is Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Week. One way to protect your child now and in the future is for you to make sure you and everyone who rides with you is buckled up on every trip. Why is this? Research shows that when caregivers buckle up, kids do, too. Remember, children learn by […]
Parents of children playing contact sports have been heading me off at the pass asking me if they need to worry after their child has had a concussion. What is a concussion? A concussion is a temporary loss of brain function due to a direct injury to the head and a shifting of the brain […]
Parents are frequently testing me with the question of how can they better learn what is happening in school, when the usual response to how’s school is “fine” or “nothing happened” to simply end the conversation. So, let me try to take on that assignment and offer some advice. How you ask matters How you […]
More than 19,000 emergency room visits per year in the US are due to eye injuries in children. The most common causes of eye injuries among children are related to recreation. Basketball and baseball/softball are the two most common causes of sports related eye injuries in children. Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun is another […]
