I Said I’m Not Eating It!

Toddler Eating Habits: How Do They Grow?

Question from Melissa:  So, my daughter (16 months) is not the best eater these days. I’ve read a million things on various websites about toodlers and eating, but I’d like to know what you think. This is the situation: she doesn’t eat ANY vegetables except some avocado on occasion; she regularly skips meals (so, has on a good day she has two meals and a bit of a snack); and much of her diet is diary (milk appx. 20 oz. and cheese) and bread (whole grain, but still…). This seems a horrible diet to me. Though I introduce different things to her, she doesn’t seem to like much of anything else. How many calories should she have in a day and should I just give her a multivitamin and not stress about this??

If I had a nickel for every parent who felt this way….

And thus begins the fun of toddler eating.  Even babies who would eat *anything* at 12 months old suddenly seem to stop eating when they become 14 to 16 months old.  But not to despair!  The average toddler only eats 1 good meal every one to two days.  At the other mealtimes, they just pick.  With these bird-like appetites, it seems amazing that they get enough calories to grow!  But somehow they all do.

Just Callin’ the Doctor, Mom

Tugging on the Ears: Is it an Ear Infection?

Between 9 and 12 months of age, many parents bring their little one in to see me because they are worried about an ear infection. Their child has started tugging on, batting at, scratching, or generally messing with their ears. The good news? These children almost never have an ear infection, unless there are other suspicious symptoms.

I don’t know why, but this seems to be the age when babies discover their ears (the feet and hands have long lost their novelty).

So, if you see your smiling, cheerful baby without a fever or other signs of illness batting away at his ears, there is no need to worry. On the other hand, if your child seems unusually irritable or lethargic, develops a fever, and is tugging on his ears, you should head on in to the doctor’s office for a quick look.

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Aargh!

Fresh or Frozen: Assisted Reproductive Technology Works Both Ways

I knew that one of my favorite families had two sons who were conceived through IVF but I hadn’t asked their mother the details. On a recent visit for the younger child’s checkup, I did. “Our first was fresh”, she said. “This one”, she said, pointing to the giggling, curious, healthy 6 month old on my exam table, “was frozen.” She and her husband are quite pleased, she told me, with how they both turned out.

Fresh vs frozen? Though the couple had suffered from infertility for a number of years, they were able to conceive with the use of modern reproductive technology. These boys were both conceived in a test tube with her husband’s sperm and the eggs of a donor. They were both fertilized at the same time, but they waited for a couple of years to implant the second embryo: in the meantime, my now 6-month-old thriving patient was frozen.

I’m very pleased to relate that from my point of view, as their pediatrician, both the fresh and frozen are perfect: healthy, happy, and thriving. This family is very thankful for modern assisted reproductive technology, which has helped them create a lovely lovely family.

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Bliss….

Rejoicing in Wrinkles: How to Pick a Pediatrician

As a relatively young female physician, I need to balance professionalism and personality.  I try to be a young, hip, vibrant pediatrician that connects with parents and kids, while at the same time projecting an air of competence, authority, and even wisdom so that families trust me.

I have a relatively informal manner, and I laugh a lot.  But when I need to be serious, I am.  

I wear a white coat, and I wear red boots.

I am still mistaken for a nurse and often get comments about how young I am to be a doctor.  But I also care for patients whose parents are degree-decorated professionals ten to fifteen years older than I am, and they need my advice and listen to what I say.

You Must Be Kidding….

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