5 Tips for Raising Heart-Healthy Kids and Teens
By Meghan Pembroke For National Heart Month, five Seattle Children’s providers share their tips for helping kids and teens build strong, healthy hearts. Make a heart-healthy resolution for your family this February: 1. Protect young athletes with pre-sport heart...
Why Your Child should Visit their Pediatrician Instead of going to an Urgent Care Clinic
By Amanda S. Penny, MD Several recent news reports point out the growing tendency of young Americans to only seek acute medical care at an urgent care clinic rather than by visiting their primary doctor. Here are six reasons why it’s best to see your primary care...
25 Random Acts Of Kindness You Can Do With Your Kids
Let’s face it: The world is a scary place these days. Our political climate is charged with anger, our country is in mourning over yet another devastating shooting, and everywhere you look, it seems like people are frustrated. Even the aisles of the grocery store are...
How to help your child make friends (ages 6 to 8)
By Kate Rauch Your child is in grade school and out to explore the world. But she is a bit of a loner and seems shy or reluctant to make friends, and this has you worried. Other kids your child's age seem to have no trouble in the social-life department, easily making...
Sports Benefit Girls In Many Ways
The benefits of sports for girls are well-known. Sports teach girls commitment, respect for others, how to relax, concentrate under stress, set and achieve goals, accept responsibility and failure and be gracious winners. Extensive research shows that physical...
How Can I Help My Child Be More Physically Active?
Being physically active has many health benefits no matter what age you are. It’s especially important to help kids develop and grow into healthy adults. The American Heart Association recommends that kids and teens (ages 6-17) get at least 60 minutes of moderate to...
Fireplace Safety Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics
Nothing quite creates a winter holiday ambiance as well as a log in the fireplace and family gathered around to appreciate its warmth and pleasing light. Of course, playing with fire is dangerous for children, so please remember these tips from the AAP before you...
9 Reasons to Eat Dinner as a Family
Courtesy of almost every family sitcom made in the last 60 years, the family dinner as we know it is an occasion for meatloaf, mashed potatoes, at least one fight over the salt shaker, and a few failed attempts at finding out how school was. Though cliche, this...
Teething Necklaces and Beads: A Caution for Parents
When parents see their baby suffering, they just want a solution. Teething necklaces and beads have become an increasing popular alternative treatment to ease teething pain. But, are they effective and safe? The answer is no. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...
How To Help Kids Overcome Their Fear Of Doctors And Shots
Juli Fraga for NPR Like many kids, Lisa Sparrell's daughter never liked getting shots at the doctor's office. "At first she'd cry some, but was quickly placated with rewards like a lollipop or a sticker," says Sparrell, who lives in Honolulu. But last year, Sparrell's...
When can I start giving my baby peanut butter?
Amanda Cox, MD, FAAAAI Many parents have questions and concerns about when peanut butter can be safely introduced, because it is the leading cause of fatal and near-fatal food allergic reactions in the United States. New Guidelines on the Introduction of Allergenic...
Cervical Health Awareness Month
Cervical Health Awareness Month is a chance to raise awareness about how women can protect themselves from HPV (human papillomavirus) and cervical cancer. HPV is a very common infection that spreads through sexual activity, and it causes almost all cases of cervical...
Winter Safety Tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics
Whether winter brings severe storms, light dustings or just cold temperatures, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some valuable tips on how to keep your children safe and warm. Please feel free to excerpt these tips or use them in their entirety for any...
RSV: When It’s More Than Just a Cold
By: Andrea Jones, MD, FAAP Almost all children get RSV at least once before they are 2 years old. For most healthy children, RSV is like a cold. But, some children get very sick with RSV. What is RSV? RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus) is one of the many viruses...
Healthy New Year’s Resolutions for Children and Youth from the American Academy of Pediatrics
The following New Year's tips are from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnPAgaNXIv8&feature=youtu.be Preschoolers I will try hard to clean up my toys by putting them where they belong. I will let my parents help me brush my...
New Year’s Eve Safety Tips
New Year’s Eve is a wonderful time to celebrate the start of a new year. And fireworks are a wonderful way of celebrating! However, all too often, New Year’s Eve festivities involve excess alcohol. Just like driving and drinking do not mix, shooting consumer...