The Pediatrician Is In

A Few Last Words

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:58:44 -0800

The first of my blogs on parenting and children went up a little over two and a half years ago. I learned a lot from writing them, and I hope some of you found some of them helpful, too. It is one thing to be a pediatrician seeing one child at a time, and another thing to connect with a wide audience. Doing that has taught me that some things I think of as common sense are actually controversial. Other ideas -- not always the ones I expected -- struck a more resonant chord. ...

Get Your Children to Eat Vegetables

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:14:14 -0800

When the 7^th edition of Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care came out, some people were upset by the nutrition advice. Dr. Spock, who was born at the very beginning of the 20^th century had, by the last years of his life, become a vegetarian. He believed that the typical American diet, high in cholesterol and saturated fat, was bad for children. This was years before the obesity epidemic became a household worry. Dr. ...

Dads Are Lucky

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:39:02 -0800

A big man was standing next to a little baby. They were in an exam room in my clinic. The mom and I were sitting across the room. "Whew!" the man said, "She really needs a new diaper." Then the man went about changing the diaper. The mom and I watched. "You know what happens when you're a dad and you change your baby's diapers?," I asked. The dad looked a bit puzzled for a second. "She loves you forever, that's what happens." We smiled, dads bonding over diapers. ...

Is Your Child Lactose Intolerant?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:41:48 -0800

A 9-year-old boy came to see me for Attention Deficit Disorder. I'll call him Jack. I had been treating Jack's ADHD with methylphenidate, the active drug in Ritalin and other brands. Like my other ADHD patients, he came to see me every three months. At each visit, we talked about his school work, how things were going at home and with other kids, his growth, and his feelings. I needed to make sure that the medication was working well, without bad side effects. ...

Not Talking: A Sign of Autism?

Sat, 24 May 2008 06:20:29 -0800

Every month I see a few toddlers who are not talking. Most are boys; all are worrying their parents. Some have autism, and others don't.

There are so many children with autism now, that almost everybody knows somebody who knows somebody who has an autistic child. Parents, daycare providers and teachers are all on the lookout. Ten years ago children with autism were often diagnosed as late as age 4 or 5. These days, it seems that most are diagnosed by 3, if not before. ...

The Best Way to Potty Train

Fri, 09 May 2008 08:59:10 -0800

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to tell you that I get no money from any maker of diapers, drugs, or potties. Well, to be honest, no one has made me an offer. But I am talking with a publisher about writing a book on toilet training. And even though there are already a million toilet training books out there, mine will be different, because I really believe that there is no one right way to do it. ...

Vaccines and Autism - Errors and News

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:10:54 -0800

I know I shouldn't write any more about vaccines and autism, because I could do it forever and probably not change a single mind. But I have to. First, I have to apologize for an error. I was wrong when I stated that the three vaccines in MMR are not sold separately. The vaccines are indeed sold as Attenuvax, Mumpsvax, and Meruvax, although most pediatricians don't stock these products. ...

Vaccines and Autism: Facts and Fears

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:08:35 -0800

When I wrote "Should You Refuse Vaccines?," I was not trying to stir things up. I just wanted to say publicly what I say privately to any of my patients who ask that same question. I had the idea that the debate about vaccines and autism was over. And it is over, at least among mainstream pediatricians and related scientists. But, as I learned from