How to Talk to Your Teen About Opioid Drugs
Many parents don't believe their teen would ever misuse opioids. As someone who works with youth in recovery, however, I'm here to tell you that it can and does happen even in the "best" of families.
What Every Parent Needs to Know - The HPV Vaccine and Cancer Prevention
If you're a parent of a preteen or teen, we know you have many questions about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. HPV causes cancer. Cancer can be prevented. The HPV vaccine is the first line of defense against several types of cancers.
CT Scan vs. MRI - What's Best for a Sports-related Concussion?
A hockey check, a bicycle accident, a fall from a tree. All are potential causes of a concussion or traumatic brain injury. Concussions, and especially sports-related concussions, can vary in the extent of the injury and the severity of the symptoms.
How Five Seconds Can Change Your Life
Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting. When traveling at 55 mph, that's enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded.
Are you guilty? Just a little? Do you sneak a peek? Only at stop signs or red lights?
Achoo! It Must Be Allergy Season
Nasal congestion. Sneezing. Itchy, red or watery eyes. Throat irritation. Wheezing. These might be the symptoms of a run-of-the-mill cold, or seasonal allergies could be the culprit!
Got Sunshine? Be Sure to Cover Up!
After cold temperatures and dark days, we're all looking forward to spending time outdoors in the warm sunshine! As a primary care pediatrician, I get lots of questions from parents about how to keep kids safe in the sun, and thought I could share some of my advice here.
If You Don't Have a Family Meal Each Day...
...it's time to get out the plates. Table time yields benefits that go far beyond food. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) says that the more often children eat dinner with their parents, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. The center compared teens who had a family meal five or seven times a week with those who did so twice or less. Those who ate together more often were four times less likely to smoke, 2.5 times less likely to use marijuana and half as likely to drink alcohol.
Buying Guidelines for Safe and Fun Toys
Who'd have thought a cute plush puppy could cause choking? Or that dinosaur claw gloves could poke an eye? You know the little boy in your life would love the toy sword but think twice. It could cause a blunt force injury when he swings it at someone.
The Pain Brought on by Opioids
Massachusetts is facing a growing epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose deaths.
Toddler and Tablets
We're living in a technological age; it's all around us. So it only makes sense that children, toddlers and even infants are exposed to iPads, smartphones and tablets at a high rate. Tablet use in young children and toddlers has experts split on how much use is appropriate, if any.
