Search Results for: blog choosing a pediatrician or specialist for your child

“My Child Keeps Staring into Space.” Is it ADHD? Or a Seizure Disorder?

Before we found the right medication and dose for my stepdaughter Sunni, who has ADHD, she would often stare into space. One of her teachers explained that Sunni would sit in her chair with her head tilted and her eyes focusing on some imaginary object far away. “I can always tell when I’ve lost her focus,” the teacher said. At home, Sunni occasionally would get glassy-eyed and drift into her own thoughts. I began to get a little bit concerned about it, so I mentioned it to her doctor. He wanted to be sure that the staring wasn’t a symptom … Continue reading →

15 “Steps” to Find the Right Education Program for Your Child

The path to find the right education program for your special son or daughter can be confusing. Many parents get lost, stuck, or just don’t know which way to go. Here is a map to help you find your way. (If your child is preschool-aged, he or she will benefit from early intervention.) 1. Get an accurate diagnosis. It’s absolutely vital that you understand whether your child has a specific learning disability, ADD/ADHD, an emotional disturbance, mental retardation, is gifted, falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, or has a mixture of several disorders. If you’re still searching for answers, follow … Continue reading →

The Well Child Plan

A recent article in USA Today discussed revisiting the Well Child plan. For those not familiar with the well child plan, these are the visits pediatricians plan to meet with infants and toddlers in order to assess that their development is on track. They do this by weighing, measuring and discussing how the infant and toddler is doing in a variety of areas is a way for pediatricians to catch everything from speech delays to mental development issues long before they become a problem. The issue that pediatricians are revisiting is the fact that Well Child visits are supposed to … Continue reading →

Can Your Pediatrician Fire You?

Can you imagine your pediatrician firing you? Can you imagine how you would feel if the pediatrician informed you that you can no longer bring your child to their practice? It’s actually happening in some areas where parents are refusing immunizations for their infants for whatever reason. Some parents are not comfortable with immunizing an infant due to religious or medical practices. Still others would prefer to wait if their child has a cold. Many pediatricians will go ahead and give an infant their shots as long as the baby is not running a fever. If you’re like me, the … Continue reading →

Choosing a Pediatrician or Specialist for Your Child

I’ll never forget the doctor’s visit where I sat across from my son’s pediatrician, describing his congenital cataract. I was very concerned about what it might mean. I had done a lot of research, and knew the possibilities. As I ran one scenario past the doctor, she gave me a blank look. She had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. “Have you heard of that condition?” I asked. Somewhat reluctantly, she admitted she never had. As I mentioned more concerns, she nervously turned her back and got out a notepad. “What were those terms again?” she asked. It … Continue reading →

Fatherhood and Doctor’s Visits

We’ve spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices lately. A chiropractor who does many things other than spine adjustments to treat his patients has discovered and helped many of our family health problems. My wife Tristi was in a wreck that totaled both the semi truck and the Hyundai her friend drove. So we’re experienced with both getting well, and getting vehicles off crowded, icy roads. Visits to doctors’ offices are usually done by the children’s mother. As our family roles change, or as semis are taken out by Hyundais, fathers also get to bring their children to visit … Continue reading →

Old Growth Charts Blamed for Fat Babies

I’m sad to say it, but some pediatricians are just not up to date on breastfeeding. I would understand, to some extent, misinformation from say, my general practitioner. I would understand misinformation from my dermatologist. After all, their specialty is not connected to babies per se. I don’t understand misinformation from pediatricians’ offices. (I do have to insert here that my childrens’ pediatrician is wonderful and I picked her because she is really very breastfeeding ’friendly’.) Every once in awhile someone will pop up in the forums or send me a PM saying that their doctor doesn’t think the baby … Continue reading →

Could You Repeat That Again, in English?

The doctor phoned with my son’s kidney biopsy results, and I was more than prepared. I’d been pacing around, jumping at every ring of the phone. I wanted to know whether my sixteen-year-old son had lupus or not, and how his kidneys were functioning. I had already been a bit snippy with the receptionist at the Department of Pediatric Nephrology the day before, who had told me that some “Nurse Diane” would be calling. I insisted that the doctor phone instead. She did, although she didn’t initially seem to happy about having to do it. The pediatric nephrologist (kidney specialist) … Continue reading →

Finding Doctor Right

Before you can decide on what pediatrician is Doctor Right for you, you need to decide what kind of pediatrician you want for your baby. There are a number of options available to you including: Pediatrician – doctors who specialize in infants, children and pre-adolescents Family Physicians – Family practitioners are sometimes preferred because they are a doctor for the whole family – while they do not specialize in children’s medicine, they can often treat your family broadly and you can collect your health visits into one fell swoop Solo practitioners – if the physician you choose has his or … Continue reading →

“You’re not my BOSS!” Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Our family was on vacation, and my nine-year-old stepdaughter was up to her usual antics. It started with teasing her brother. As he screamed, I called her out of the room and made her sit at the kitchen table next to me. She began to get very mouthy and rude. I then had her sit on a chair, away from the activity of the family, for twenty minutes. That’s when she began a tirade of dramatic remarks, namely that I hated her, the whole family hated her, and that she was “always punished for no reason.” She screamed, stomped her … Continue reading →