The word colic is enough to jar parents’ memories of sleepless nights and hours of frustration and angst trying to soothe their newborn. This particular newborn stage has no definitive treatment, hence there are myriad home remedies and suggestions to treat it.

All the ingredients for a potential health calamity are present

The tsunami survivors face great health challenges. To date there have not been reports of epidemics of cholera or other infectious diseases. However, the massive aid pouring into the affected regions is designed to address the health risks that have the potential to cause further harm.

With the beginning of the school year, cold viruses, potential allergens and other infections are ready to greet our children at the door.

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) strikes deep at a person’s self-preservation instincts. The fear of suffocation commonly leads to a feeling of panic. The ability to diagnose and treat the condition depends upon past medical history, the ability to gather a good medical history of the acute condition and prompt evaluation of the patient’s physical findings.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen March 6 , 2004 Original Title: Nighttime waterworks Bedwetting or nocturnal enuresis affects more than 200,000 Canadians between the ages of five and 19. It occurs three times more often in boys than in girls. This problem causes great parental angst and distress. Children often feel humiliated and ashamed [...]

Dumb and dumber.

That’s what Dr. David Mack, chief of pediatric gastroenterology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, thinks about low-iron infant formulas.

The effects of this current heat wave and high humidity levels are particularly dangerous for children and the elderly. Children have parents who oversee their well-being and protection from the elements. Many elderly people on the other hand do not have this level of care. They remain confined to their residences, nursing homes or apartments, some without the benefit of air conditioning.

As warmer weather approaches, children will be spending more time playing outdoors. So will dogs.

A recent pharmacist’s study presented to the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology indicates 63 per cent do not know how to use an EpiPen and 62.5 per cent cannot recognize the signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 15, 2002 Original Title: Daycare Part III: A little red in the face Part I – Why children fight one cold after another Part II – Children’s eye diseases spread quickly What are the common childhood rashes seen in the school and daycare setting? Initially, many rashes can [...]

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 8, 2002 Original Title: Daycare Part II: Run, Run, Run, as Fast as You Can Part I – Why children fight one cold after another Part III – Childhood rashes hard to diagnose at first Last week, the effects of the common cold and ear infections topped the [...]

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen October 1, 2002 Original Title: Daycare Part I: The Valley of the Nose Pickers Part II – Children’s eye diseases spread quickly Part III – Childhood rashes hard to diagnose at first The beginning of school or daycare normally exposes children to a collection of infectious diseases. With colder [...]

The prevalence of child obesity is growing at an alarming rate. In the United States, the obesity rate for children and adolescents has increased 50 per cent during the past 20 years. Approximately 22 to 25 per cent of all children in the U.S. and Canada are obese or overweight. It is a worldwide phenomenon, with Japan, Australia, the U.K., Europe, Russia and China reporting dramatic increases as well.

Several nutrients essential to proper growth and development may require supplementing — for example, vitamin D and iron.

A recent article about parents holding chickenpox parties to intentionally infect their children perpetuates the popular misconception that chickenpox is a benign disease. One of the parents said: “It’s a natural way to deal with the problem, instead of introducing more chemicals into kids.” She was concerned about whether it provided lifelong immunity and erroneously believed that the vaccine had been available for only six years.

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen August 14, 2001 It is 2 AM and your two week old infant’s breathing sounds raspy and congested. You also notice a strange rash on their body. First-time parents face a multitude of these anxiety provoking events. What can you do to assess if this is normal or not?

Originally published in The Ottawa Citizen July 4, 2001 We know all too well the pain and suffering the victim, their families and friends endure from the scourge of AIDs. Imagine it’s the year 2051 and there is a vaccine for AIDs. AIDs has been virtually eliminated. Small outbreaks continue to occur but for the [...]