New babies and growing families is one of the fun parts to my job. I have worked in Pediatrics for25 years and have always found  great pleasure in teaching a new family how to safely care for that newborn. But something unusual is happening, more and more today. These bundles of joy are arriving earlier and earlier.

Why? Good question.

We know that babies born even as little as two weeks early are more likely to have history of respiratory illnesses and problems adjusting to this world. The simple act of feeding them effectively and safely…

Obstacles are everywhere. As a parent we have to always be ahead of that young child, as they only see adventure and not danger. To any parent that has seen the look of awe as a toddler takes his first step-they are off and your life will never be the same. Many new parents are told to baby proof as soon as the baby comes home from the hospital but few do. ‘We have time for that-they say’. Well before you know time has arrived and coins are in the…

According to the Centers for Disease Control, each year about one in three older adults will experience a fall. Many of these falls occur in the home due to the presence of safety hazards. I have found the stairwell to be a common area for falls to occur.

Fortunately safety hazards can be corrected. Follow these steps to improve the safety of your stairwell.

1. Simply remove any clutter which also includes the shoes on the steps or that favorite sweater hanging off the handrail
2. Make sure there is adequate lighting available
3. Repair any damaged steps…

Cold and flu season is among us and the weather does not seem to know that it is truly winter. Are you or your kids coughing a lot? Maybe you are fighting some lingering post-nasal congestion and wondering how to stop it without taking prescription medications (as there is always a place for medication-overuse is never good long term)?

If colds linger for more than a week, a doctor’s appointment may be in order especially if accompanied by fever. Here are some handy over the counter, easy ways to remedy a…

Recently, I was reading through emails from friends and family and someone had sent me a chain letter. I read it quickly and it took me back to my childhood. It was all about how raising children today has changed significantly from when we were kids. For example 40 years ago, your parent would send you outside to play all day — there was no fear that anything bad would happen, and you always came home in time for dinner. Today children come home to their computers and spend little, if any,…

Have you ever tried to finish a home improvement project without using the right tools? How did it turn out? As a new homeowner, I’ve learned the results aren’t pretty.

Along the same lines, using the right equipment can enable people with certain physical limitations to safely accomplish every-day tasks in the home. If you use any of these common household items for these (or similar) reasons, allow me to share with you a few safer options.

1) Avoid holding onto the towel rack to enter and exit the bathtub or shower.…

Everyone knows someone who has asthma. While it is very common throughout the United States, it is particularly prevalent in the northeast.

Why is it so high here and is there anything that can be done to change that? I’m glad to say that there is something that can be done to change it, and it is called getting informed and controlling your symptoms. Medication management is very important in any disease but environmental changes often bring the biggest impact on symptom control. This means that there are things that you and…

Neti pots have been in use for a very long time all around the world. If you have never heard of them it is used to flush the nare-nose of secretion. If you are an allergy sufferer you may use one when the seasonal allergies become unbearable. For some children, it is a method to clear blocked sinus passages with a warm water solution. Kids tell me that it looks like a ‘terrible teapot’ in other words they don’t like BUT do like the fact that they breathe better after…

For families that care for an ill child at home the work is 24/7, and the stress of daily care can take a toll on everyone. But much research on home care in children supports that these children often do so much better at home. They continue to maintain their role within the family. Surround yourself with those that love you, and you love and anything is possible. Here is a thought:

H — Happiness lives there;
O — Overwhelming love and safety;
M — Me and my family, strong together;
E — Everyone I care…

Life Skills is something we, as adults, take for granted since we feel pretty independent in all our daily living needs unless we suffer from some illness that requires assistance. But our children, specifically our teenagers, are poised at the ready to enter the big world of adulthood. Are they ready? Better yet are we ready? How do you prepare your teen or young adult out of college to handle daily independent living in a positive way?

Things are very different now then they were 20 or more  years ago. To…