In many of our local supermarkets, there is a section of organic produce in addition to produce that is traditionally farmed. For those of us selecting and preparing food for our families, we often wonder what items, if any, we should purchase with the organic label.
When I shop, I typically choose traditionally farmed foods for my family’s meals. There are certain items ...
Read more...
I visited with 5 charming teenagers last week. Four of them had something in common: These teenagers are texting in the middle of the night, nearly every night.
Texting in the middle of the night is not a new phenomenon. Over 2 years ago, reports on teenagers texting at night began to surface. One study concluded the average teenager sends 34 texts after lights out. ...
Read more...
During a routine office visit, I was discussing activities and extracurriculars with a bright 10-year old girl. She loved talking about her dance team, gymnastics, and her new hobby of horseback riding.
Towards the end of our conversation, however, she said something that surprised me: “And, I am addicted to Pinterest.”
I turned to her mother, who was also in the exam room, and asked, “Did you know she is on Pinterest? ...
Read more...
If you ask for a spoon in my house, you may expect to be directed towards a drawer of neatly nestled stacks of stainless.
Instead, you will likely find this a tangled mess of silver and plastic in no apparent order.
I used to be bothered by a such a disorganized silverware drawer, but that was years ago. I have let go of ...
Read more...
Gunman. Elementary school. Death toll rising.
The news of Sandy Hook was paralyzing. Anger, sadness, and confusion bubbled into my mouth until I could not speak. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to leave work – to grab my kids – to be home.
As the tragedy of the moment continued to stream across my computer, like a horrific movie script impossibly true, a stinging email from the ...
Read more...
Parents worry when their children do not eat vegetables.
And, I understand why.
Parents know that vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, and get frustrated when they are consistently left on their child’s plate.
The result? Parental “veggie-stress.”
Although veggie-stress begins at the family dinner table, it can be amplified by the rather faddish way parents talk about poor vegetable eaters within playgroups. Conversations among parents can ...
Read more...
Soon-to-be parents come to “interview” me almost every day. Typically, they come prepared with a long list of questions for a pediatrician. I answer them as best as I am able.
For parents soon-to-be-expecting sons, I am frequently asked about circumcision.
Most parents are just curious about how the procedure is technically done, when their baby can get the procedure, and how many of “these ...
Read more...
In a pediatrician’s office, summertime is teen check-up time.
And, I love it.
Annual checkups are a time for me to catch up on the school year, brag about amazing extra-curricular accomplishments, and swoon over summer vacation plans. It is also a time for anticipatory guidance, private conversations, and facing the often sobering reality of teen life.
Throughout this past year, I have had the privilege of being involved in ...
Read more...
Two articles recently caught my eye while I was spending some time on Twitter. First, an op-ed piece was published on Time.com discussing how patients and doctors perceive the use of the online health information. The article was closely followed by the results of a recent PEW research study which stated that 80% of Americans used the internet to “prepare for or recover from” their doctor ...
Read more...
I have many, many patients and their families who are very active travelers. Business flights, vacation trips … some of you really rack up the miles.
It is with shock and disappointment that I must report; Delta Air Lines has made a very poor choice.
An ad, produced by the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), is currently being shown to passengers on Delta flights through the month of November. The ad encourages ...
Read more...
"A comprehensive and extremely useful roadmap for doctors."
-Eric Topol, MD, author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine
Learn More...
Past 6 Months
Dear lawmakers: This is what it’s like to be a doctor today
Matthew Moeller, MD | PhysicianA gun owner responds to Sandy Hook
Edwin Leap, MD | PhysicianIs Chris Christie too obese to run for president?
Jeffrey Parks, MD | PhysicianIf I’m wrong about guns, can you please explain why?
Claire McCarthy, MD | PhysicianPrimary care doctors may no longer be needed
Doug Olson, MD | PhysicianWalgreens moves into primary care, and it’s our own damn fault
Kevin Pho, MD | Kevin's Take