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It seems like second nature to most of us, but swallowing is actually an intricate process with multiple stages, from the moment food or liquid passes through your lips until it enters your stomach. If something goes awry at any point in this journey, dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can be the result. …
Family Advocacy Day: Three families take their stories to Congress
Later this June, three patients from Boston Children’s Hospital will be joining other kids and young adults from across the country at the 2018 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. During their visit, they will share their stories with Congress and ask them to protect all children’s access to health care. …
Ask the Mediatrician: Is it OK for kids to play Fortnite?
Can you please offer guidance on Fortnite? It seems to be all that kids 11 to 14 are doing these days. I do not allow my children to play, but saw my godson play and was horrified — the guns all look real, but the deaths show no blood. As a person who grew up in a hunting family and with firearms, I find the game to be irresponsible and addictive, but was surprised by the seemingly positive review of the game from Common Sense Media. Please advise!
~ Flustered over Fortnite, Milwaukee, WI
Sports specialization and injury risk for young athletes
In recent years, sports specialization has become a hot topic amongst both parents of young athletes and medical professionals. There are a lot of questions swirling around early specialization: When should my child begin to focus on just one sport year-round? Are there injury risks associated with specialization? Does specializing in one sport provide a significant benefit for their skill development?
While answers to these questions aren’t always straightforward, in a recent study Dr. Mininder Kocher, an orthopedic surgeon and associate director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine Division, found some compelling evidence of the risks of early sports specialization.