Many parents have been concerned about the alleged links between the MMR vaccine and a possible link to autism. As I’ve mentioned before, all medical societies continue to state that there has never been convincing proof of this, and now there is even less.… Read the rest
Category Archives: Children
Dry Skin & Kids: What Can Help?
The following is a first post from a guest contributor, Dr Nathanael Goldman. He is a pediatrician at Beijing’s United Family Hospital and also runs his own website, kidschina.org.
During the winter many more children come to the consultation with skin complaints than during warmer months.… Read the rest
Circumcision For Males: Some Real Health Benefits
Circumcision has always had a lot of cultural and religious baggage around it, and the last few years saw more of a medical trend against the procedure. I personally didn’t feel that there was much benefit more than fitting a cultural norm, and since the harm and pain outweighed the benefits, I tended not to recommend it.… Read the rest
Finish Your Chocolate Milk, It's Good For You!
Here’s a fun new study which kids everywhere can show their parents; chocolate milk is good for your heart! This study, just mentioned in this New York Times column, describes how the study group given skim milk plus cocoa powder had lower levels of inflammatory markers as well as higher levels of the good cholesterol, HDL.… Read the rest
Tylenol & Vaccines: Maybe Not A Good Combo?
There’s a very provocative new study in Lancet which may change my clinical practice. As parents know, vaccines are not a fun time for their children, and many doctors recommend pain medicines like Tylenol or Motrin with the vaccines. Now, unfortunately, there is good data from this new study that Tylenol (AKA acetaminophen, Panadol) may be blunting a very important biological immune response which helps to create protective antibodies.… Read the rest
Pregnant Women: Are You Vaccinated Against Flu?
It’s almost like a tidal wave, this outpouring of fear and misinformation regarding flu vaccines. I hope to provide evidence-based data for people to review and provide a basis for a well-informed discussion. Here’s an update: regarding pregnant women, every reputable public health agency is not just recommending but strongly recommending that all pregnant women get both seasonal as well as H1N1 vaccine (when/if available).… Read the rest