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While still adjusting to retirement, I was watching the 2016 Summer Olympics one recent evening when I was struck by a television ad. It was selling audible books, not just for adults, but also [...]

As I prepare to retire at the end of this month, I wish to share some reflections and concerns which arose from my reading of a rather profound book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in [...]

Research into the complex nerve connections of the developing brain has exploded in the last 20 years, and one conclusion is clear: From Day 1, every day counts. We know that children who from [...]

Few diseases commonly affecting children are as confusing to families as asthma. The presenting symptoms can vary, causing parents to debate even whether or not they should start treatment. This [...]

A beloved Virology Professor, C. George Ray, uttered the immortal words “fever is your friend” during my training. He was not trying to discount the genuine concern, at times bordering on terror, [...]

Thrush is a remarkably common, harmless, yet frustrating condition which many of us have had to contend with in our newborns and infants. I still shudder when I recall, as new parents, how long [...]

“Does anyone have a clue what we’re going through?” Likely nothing in our entire lives leading to parenthood will ever quite prepare us for the infant with colic. Though our three children are [...]

Exhausting, complete overload likely describes the emotional state of many first-time (or even experienced) moms and dads: Sleep deprivation, sore nipples for breast-feeding moms, and visitors [...]

Rashes often seem unfathomable to parents. They are amazingly common, unfortunately more so in some children than others, and only a very tiny few are really serious, demanding immediate medical [...]

Introducing KidsDoc Symptom Checker, the best phone app a concerned parent may ever buy. Innumerable are the anxious moments the average parent has spent agonizing over what to do next for their [...]

Potty training techniques and philosophies have evolved dramatically in my career, yet one constant remains: the process seems mysterious. The anxiety thereby generated is only heightened by [...]

Eczema, or atopic dermatitis, refers to chronic, often life-long, sometimes severe, dry, cracked skin, which is typically very itchy. It is one of the four “Atopic Diseases”: asthma, allergy, [...]

Let me preface my thoughts by acknowledging up front my awareness of the wide cultural and personal differences in the approach to weaning. If you are reading this, I will assume some acceptance [...]

Nothing seems quite as mysterious to parents as those dreaded diaper rashes that seem to appear at times with alarming frequency. Though there certainly are diaper rashes that require an [...]

Ah, the picky eater: often the source of much angst, likely even sleepless nights for parents trying to deal with it. The “picky toddler” is almost a brand, yet parents of even school-aged [...]

Introducing table solids into a baby’s diet is for many parents a downright scary proposition. “I’m afraid he might choke on it, and…” you fill in the blank, but be assured, these words [...]

If you are reading this, you are likely the parent of a 3 to 4 month old baby, alternately thrilled, then terrified at the prospect of introducing solids. You are not alone! I would submit that [...]

Melanoma is one of the scariest, most aggressive cancers. Most of us are aware of its association with excessive sun exposure. Dermatologists use a mnemonic, “The ABCs of moles,” to help [...]

Welcome to the crazy world of toddlers: that challenging time of life when every parent’s precious baby hits their teens (in months 🙂 ); when children are embarking on a process called [...]

This chat about cough is a tribute of sorts to the Royal Baby, Charlotte. I have no idea whether there is even a history of asthma in the Royal Family Tree, but I love the name. Asthma should be [...]

What follows assumes your baby is at least 6 months old, and is waking up for a feeding at least once a night. It also assumes that your baby doesn’t consistently put him or herself to sleep at [...]

Below is a simple approach, relatively easy for both parents and babies, which if followed, should achieve 9 to 12 hours of continuous night sleep by 4 months of age. All humans sleep by [...]