The 1.5 million-person mystery: How to recognize and treat autism in children By Peggy Wilkins, PhD Once thought to be relatively rare autism affects as many as 1.5 million Americans. Although we know it is a developmental disability based in abnormal brain development, the exact cause remains a mystery. Up to 5 percent of cases [...]
Preparing your teen for surgery By Lisa A. Smith, MD It’s been said that “minor” surgery is surgery on someone other than yourself. One exception to this old adage is when your child needs surgery. All children can benefit from psychological preparation for planned surgical experiences. Adequate preparation can help children feel less anxious about [...]
Battle the bulge Parents often don’t realize their kids are overweight, studies show By Nita Shumaker, MD Is your child overweight—or even obese? Childhood weight problems are reaching crisis proportions, yet studies show that parents frequently don’t realize their children are overweight. Tennessee ranks in the top five states in the nation for childhood obesity, [...]
Straight talk about curved spines by Julie Zielinski, MD Although all spines have a natural curve, some people develop a sideways curve known as scoliosis. Most of the time, scoliosis develops during growth spurts in adolescence. Girls, ages 11 to 13, and boys, ages 13 and 14, are the most vulnerable, although scoliosis affects girls [...]
By Douglas Laman, M.D. It’s not unusual for infants to spit up shortly after feeding, but almost all infants outgrow the problem by the age of 18 months. Some children, however, develop a more serious condition known as gastroesophageal reflux or “reflux.” What Is Reflux? Reflux occurs when the contents of the stomach move up [...]
Is it a cold…or something more? by Kourtney Santucci, MD Healthy children, in a typical year, will experience six to 12 “cold or flulike” illnesses. These illnesses tend to cluster during the cold weather months, but can occur throughout the year. With each illness lasting an average of seven to 14 days, a child may [...]
Discover the Joys of Cycling by Greg Talbott, M.D. Do you remember the joys of a bicycle ride on a warm summer day? For many of us, our first wobbly journey on two wheels was a defining moment of childhood. Today, about 85 million Americans ride bikes, making cycling one of the most popular forms [...]
Is it a cold…or something more? by Kourtney Santucci, MD “With each illness lasting an average of seven to 14 days, a child may just be improving from one viral illness, only to encounter another.” Healthy children, in a typical year, will experience six to 12 “cold or flu-like” illnesses. These illnesses tend to cluster [...]
Get the inside track on Crohn’s Disease by Jeremy Screws, MD “My stomach hurts!” Sound familiar? It’s a phrase that parents hear often from their children. Constipation, reflux disease, school avoidance, and other, less serious ailments explain the bulk of these complaints. But a few of these children may have a more significant condition known [...]
Top-notch treatment for childhood cancer—close to home By Jennifer Keates, MD New York. Chicago. Atlanta. Memphis. Nashville. What does Chattanooga have in common with these cities? All of these places—including Chattanooga—offer the same top-notch, cutting-edge treatment for childhood cancers. A child at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger receives the same treatment for cancer as [...]
