Patricia Wen's front page story, "Children's Access to Mental Health Care is Growing," in which she describes the "co-location" of mental health care services in pediatric practices, brought me back to the summer of 2011 when I attended a meeting of a working group of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of
Pediatrics (MCAAP.) The task of this working group, a subgroup of the MCAAP task force on mental ...
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Sam burst into the office, a two-year-old wild bundle of energy. Squealing with delight -- or was it distress; it was hard to tell -- he ran from toy to toy not looking at me or his mother, Jane. He was unable to engage with anything. Jane had brought him to see me in my pediatric practice because, “he hits me, has explosive tantrums, and I can’t take him anywhere.” ...
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For the families who lost children, their world as they knew it has effectively ended. Yet somehow the sun rises again and the next day is here. For the rest of us grieving along with these families, the only way to move forward is to take what President Obama called "meaningful action." I interpret this to be action that is radical and significant enough that it will somehow give meaning ...
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When I write from my clinical experience as a behavioral pediatrician, I am careful to change identifying information to protect the privacy of my patients. It is rather freeing, therefore, to write about characters in a novel. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova, who is also a neuroscientist (perhaps she took the story from some real cases) offers some important insights into this complex subject.
The story revolves around Sarah, a 37-year-old mother of three ...
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I've been thinking about the phrase, "the fallacy of simple answers," in preparation for writing about a new book I was asked to review, Pills are Not For Preschoolers. Author Marilyn Wedge gives a clear and compelling argument for the use of family therapy in treatment of behaviorally symptomatic children. Unlike the title suggests, the book is not primarily about preschoolers, but offers multiple examples of her successful work ...
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I am a devoted fan of Zumba, specifically as it is taught by my wonderful teacher, who has a dedicated following. She has been out for the past month, home with a newborn and two year old. Last week, she came with her baby to try to take the class, now being taught by a substitute, also a regular member of her class.
"I need this for my mental heath, " ...
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In my behavioral pediatrics practice, it is not uncommon for parents to go to great lengths to put up a good front. They feel terrible shame about moments of out-of-control behavior, and also fear that I will blame them for their child's troubles. They focus primarily on "what to do" about their child's difficult behavior. However with time, and the realization that I am interested in understanding, not shaming or ...
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The little boy, who looked to be about two, darted away in a fit of giggles. His young mother, who seemed thoroughly worn out and exasperated, ran after him, grabbed him by the arm and said in a harsh whisper, "You must stand here!"
We were on line waiting to board a Southwest Airlines flight. For those of you not familiar with the Southwest system, there are no assigned seats. Rather, ...
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It was a peaceful Saturday morning at Fuel, a local coffee shop in Great Barrington. People sat quietly murmuring with friends over coffee and muffins, or intently working at their laptops. I was doing the final edits for my forthcoming book Keeping Your Child in Mind, when I looked up to see a small boy of about two years tottering down the narrow aisle holding a plate with an ...
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Recently I was interviewed by a reporter about the effects of the newest baby monitors on parent-child relationships. A teddy bear with a camera in its nose hooks up to a TV, allowing parents to watch their baby's every move.
One product called an exmobaby is actually worn against the baby's skin and measures heart rate and respirations. A CEO of ...
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Past 6 Months
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