Healthy Children

Stories on gay, trans, and gender-nonconforming kids have been all over the news lately with Florida's "Don't Say Gay" Bill and Texas suggesting state agencies investigate certain gender-affirming services as child abuse.

So what can we do to combat this harmful rhetoric? Joining us for this conversation is Dr. Kathryn Lowe.

She is a pediatrician on the executive committee of the Section on LGBT Health and Wellness with the AAP. She is also an author of the new book called You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body, published by the AAP, which is a gender-inclusive book about puberty for all kids.

Transgender, Gender Diverse, Non-Binary, Cisgender. There are a lot of new words to describe sexual identity and presentation especially if your child is figuring out who they are, and this may be new to you.

So today we've brought in Dr. Ilana Sherer to break down some of these terms and answer some common questions on gender and more.

Dr. Ilana Sherer has a general pediatrics practice in Dublin, California at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation/Sutter Health with a specialty in caring for gender-nonconforming and transgender youth. She is also a member of the AAP Section on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health and Wellness.

It’s imperative to encourage reading in your family.

Reading to your young child can boost vocabulary and reading skills before entering school. Cultivating a love of reading in your older children can open up a world of imagination and opportunity.

Time spent reading with your infant is actually conversation time. You can still read the words in the board book but interact with your child by talking about the pictures.

Make time to read as a family. Younger children will enjoy the tale. Look up information about topics with older children to learn more about the story.

Build excitement for reading by taking your child to get a library card. Encourage older children to belong to a book club. Share books that are meaningful to you so you can discuss them. Make reading important in your home.

Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS in this encore episode from August 2017, to share how you can create lifelong readers.

Human milk has been shared since the olden days. Informal milk sharing takes place when one mother has a surplus of breast milk and another has a need. These moms get together so their babies both receive sufficient nourishment.

Formal milk sharing or milk banking takes place when moms donate their surplus breast milk to a profit or non-profit agency. That agency then screens, pasteurizes, and distributes the milk.

With informal milk sharing, there are some risks. The health of the donors is the primary concern. Moms should be in good health after a healthy pregnancy. Blood testing is valuable to prevent the passing of hepatitis B or C or HIV. Current eating habits, smoking, and alcohol consumption are also concerns. Toxin exposure, regular medications, and supplements are good to know. How is the milk expressed and stored? The milk should contain no additives (like cow’s milk) or be watered down. You want your baby to have the safest, best possible sustenance.

If you are considering informal milk sharing, an in-person conversation with the donor mother should help you assess her fit as a donor for your child.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a policy statement for pre-term infants in a hospital setting, strongly endorsing the use of pasteurized donor milk. There isn't currently a policy statement regarding informal milk sharing for healthy infants in the home setting. The AAP doesn’t currently endorse the practice, but it is common. You should discuss it with your pediatrician if you are considering participation in informal milk sharing.

High-risk infants have an immature immune system and are at high risk for infection. Pre-term infants should stick to pasteurized donor milk from a milk bank where donors are screened.

Listen as Dr. Margaret Parker and Dr. Michelle Brenner join Melanie Cole, MS in this encore episode from 2018, to share their best advice for milk sharing.

It’s imperative to encourage reading in your family.

Reading to your young child can boost vocabulary and reading skills before entering school. Cultivating a love of reading in your older children can open up a world of imagination and opportunity.

Time spent reading with your infant is actually conversation time. You can still read the words in the board book but interact with your child by talking about the pictures.

Make time to read as a family. Younger children will enjoy the tale. Look up information about topics with older children to learn more about the story.

Build excitement for reading by taking your child to get a library card. Encourage older children to belong to a book club. Share books that are meaningful to you so you can discuss them. Make reading important in your home.

Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS in this encore episode from August 2017, to share how you can create lifelong readers.

The CDC released its latest numbers in a report on autism in December of 2021.

An estimated 1 in 44, 8-year-old children have been identified with autism according to an analysis of 2018 data. This is higher than the previous estimate published in March 2020.

We are discussing these findings today including racial and ethnic disparities in autism, and early identification with Dr. Kristin Sohl.

Dr. Sohl chairs the AAP subcommittee on autism as part of the Council on Children with Disabilities and is a pediatrician with extensive experience in medical diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of children with a concern of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Parents want to help kids feel great. Many look to herbal supplements to aid health and performance. How do you know these supplements are safe?

First, the health supplement industry is not regulated. They could potentially be contaminated with something unsafe. There can also be potency irregularities on the shelf.

However, many companies self-regulate. Check the label for evidence of screening by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). This means it isn’t contaminated and potency matches the label.

Additionally, tell your providers what products you’re giving your child. Some herbal products react poorly to medications. Your provider can prescribe medications with full awareness of your child’s supplements.

A healthy diet and enough sleep go a long way to support your child’s wellness.

For children on antibiotics, probiotics can nurture good bacteria. Start probiotics at the same time you begin antibiotic treatment.

Zinc reduces the duration of respiratory symptoms by three to four days. Start zinc within 24 to 48 hours of the start of infection. It can cause the loss of a sense of smell in some people, so zinc supplements are not recommended on a regular basis.

Fish oils or omega-3s are often lacking in the foods we eat. They promote better mental health and can support the efficacy of psychiatric medication.

Be wary of anecdotal recommendations. Just because it worked for your friend doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Listen as Dr. Cora Breuner joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss which supplements you can share with your child and when, and which supplements it’s better to avoid in this encore episode from November 2018.

January is always a time of New Years Resolutions, and resetting your goals and intentions. This year is no diffferent, but COVID sure has thrown us some curveballs in health, lifestyle, and wellness.

So today we're chatting with Dr. Lanre Falusi about action vs. avoidance goals, reward systems, and good resolutions for our kids, such as drinking more water, looking out for bullying, making new friends, and getting more sleep. 

Dr. Falusi is a primary care pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Her work as a pediatrician for over 15 years has focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. She and her husband are the parents of 3 energetic little girls. She is also the co-host -- along with another doctor- mom -- of a podcast called “Health and Home with the Hippocratic Hosts” about parenting, health, and finding balance in life.

Dating can be thrilling for teens. However, some young relationships can become violent.

As teens try to figure out how the world works, they may endure emotional, mental, and physical abuse in the name of “love.”

Red flags can include social media control, sexting stalking, cyberbullying, and bruises

Open conversation with your child to find out who is being texted and how young relationships are going. Don’t pass judgment but ask questions and listen. You have to be an ally if your teen needs help leaving a bad relationship.

Call 1-800-SAFE or text Love Is Respect at 22522 for help.

Listen as Dr. David Hill joins Melanie Cole, MS to discuss teen dating violence in this encore episode from February 2019.