Merry Christmas, Chicagoland! Enjoy this holiday in a happy and healthy way. Good health is one of the best gifts of the season. Invest in your health by making positive choices today. 

With the American Academy of Pediatrics, I’m Dr Don Shifrin.  The AAP believes that every child and teen should have a medical home.  What is a medical home?

Children in the U.S. spend an average of 28 hours each week using screens.  During that time, they will see many commercials designed to sell toys and games. 

Alcohol continues to be the most abused illegal drug among pre-teens and teens.  Consider this:  About 1 in 5 fifth graders have been drunk.  And 20 percent of all eighth graders have reported being drunk at least once. 

The more time your child spends in contact with other children, the greater the chances she’ll be exposed to cough and cold viruses. 

The AAP and CDC no longer recommend use of the nasal-spray flu vaccine.

In just about10 days, neighborhoods will teem with ghosts, goblins and other frightful creatures. 

Disasters such as the recent hurricanes and floods can affect children’s health in ways that are not just physical.

If you have children, you know that getting them to share toys can be difficult.

An endlessly crying baby can stress out any parent, so it’s important to learn how to cope when stress levels get high. First, you can never, ever, shake or strike a baby.