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Every year, thousands of children are hospitalized with the flu. The best way to protect your children from the flu is to get them vaccinated. Many parents have questions about whether or not their child needs a flu shot, which vaccine to get, and where to get it.
Primary and specialty care providers at Boston Children’s Hospital have answers to questions about the flu shot and can help make it easier for parents to get their children vaccinated. …
A new school year presents a lot of new opportunities like new teachers, new subjects and the possibility of new friends. But that newness also comes with a good degree of uncertainty, which can be frightening for a student with a chronic illness, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). That anxiety can be especially strong if the diagnosis is new, and the upcoming school year will be your child’s first with IBD. …
Bedwetting, otherwise known as urinary incontinence or enuresis, is fairly common, often embarrassing and sometimes difficult to talk about. It is estimated that about 20 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls, ages 6 to 7 years old have some problem with daytime or nighttime wetting. Still, many kids are reluctant to talk about wetting with parents, friends and teachers. Parents themselves often have a hard time confronting the issue.
The Voiding Improvement Program (VIP) at Boston Children’s Hospital offers a comprehensive approach to bedwetting tailored to each child’s individual needs. “Our program is driven by highly skilled and compassionate nurses who understand both the physiologic and emotional issues surrounding urinary issues,” says Pamela Kelly, the program’s nurse director. Treatment may include biofeedback training, relaxation therapy such as guided therapy and behavioral therapy.
Kelly and VIP’s director, Dr. Carlos Estrada, offer five tips for managing your child’s wetting issues. …
Every child gets a cough from time to time; there’s really no escaping them. It’s completely normal for children to catch several colds a year, especially if they are in daycare or go to school, and common allergies can cause a cough too.
Most of the time, it’s nothing to worry about. Most of the time, some rest, plenty of fluids, honey (for children over a year old) and some patience and TLC do the trick. But sometimes, it’s important to call the doctor. Here’s when you should worry about a cough: …
