Medication Tips & Safety
Every holiday season, my house turns into a candy crazed place of chaos. Between Halloween leftovers, goodie bags, classroom parties, and Christmas stockings, my kids somehow manage to hide treats in every corner of the house. Despite my best efforts, I’ve found candy canes mushed into couch cushions, Halloween
Skin Conditions
If your child uses or has been using the antihistamines cetirizine (Zyrtec) or levocetirizine (Xyzal) as a maintenance therapy, this one’s for you — and yes, this includes you grown‑ups too! The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a safety alert about a rather unexpected outcome:
Behavior & Development
Twice a year, most of the country sets its clocks forward or back, and parents everywhere groan. Fall is especially tough. The rest of the country gets an extra hour of sleep, but parents of young kids somehow lose three. I don’t understand how that math maths, but it’
Parent Rx
Every school year seems to start with a pile of forms, 16 different color-coded folders, a long and oddly specific school supply list (Ticonderoga brand pencils only?!), and at least one mystery permission slip that arrives two weeks late. If your house is anything like mine, this mess of
Medications
Dicloxacillin is another type of antibiotic in the penicillin class (we’ve discussed several!). The most common use in children is to treat skin infections; if your child has a suspected staphylococcal skin infection, such as impetigo, a boil, or cellulitis, your pediatrician might prescribe dicloxacillin. It’s a penicillinase-
Ear, Nose & Throat
As soon as the temperature drops, my kids seem to catch every sniffle within a five-mile radius. From October to May, someone is sneezing, sniffling, or coughing. It’s a great time. Along with the runny noses and coughs, one thing parents often notice in winter is an increase
Health & Wellness
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! Our neighborhood has lots of kids, and we have a blast trick-or-treating. I also have a mean sweet tooth, so I thoroughly enjoy confiscating some of my kids' candy – you know, for safety! As much as I enjoy sneaking candy,
Fever & Infections
Every kid experiences a fever at some point during childhood. My children, in particular, tend to get them at 3 AM, while on vacation, or during holiday events. There’s also the always fun first fever of the school year. Never a dull moment! This guide explains fever reducers, when
Respiratory Viruses
Scenario: it’s 2 AM, and you’re pulled from a deep sleep (or as deep as it ever gets when you’re a parent) by the sound of a cough coming from the bedroom down the hall. Instantly, your ears perk up, your head turns toward the source of
Medication Tips & Safety
When my daughter was 4, she had a strange rash with some hives. We believe a virus caused them. After talking to her pediatrician, I decided to try an antihistamine. Cetirizine (Zyrtec®) would have been ideal, but I was out! So I gave her a dose of liquid diphenhydramine (Benadryl®
Medication Tips & Safety
If you’ve ever given your child a dose of medicine and immediately started the countdown as if it’s rocket launch time, you’re not alone. I’ve done it too—when my toddler is cranky with an ear infection and I squirt amoxicillin in their mouth, then stare
Medication Tips & Safety
Parents often ask why a doctor chooses one medicine over another, or why a drug used in adults isn’t recommended for kids. The short answer is that pediatric care has its own unique science! Doctors consider several factors, including how medicine is metabolized in growing children, its mode of