October 2009

H1N1, Swine Flu…Dispelling Myths

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Yesterday, New England Cable News hosted a 2 hour prime time special on H1N1. I was honored to be invited on air as the pediatric health expert along with the area’s top health professionals in emergency medicine, OB/GYN, public health and infectious disease. We covered a great deal of ground [...]

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Teens need less homework and more free time!

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
“Hey mom”, my 15 year old said as she walked in the living room with that ‘I’ve been thinking about my life look’ that teens get once they enter high school. “How much homework did you have when you were my age?”
“This could potentially be a trap”, I thought. “Answer [...]

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On Line Health Forms Should Be For Patients, Not Health Professionals!

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
We had an interesting experience today.
My husband is scheduled for a routine test tomorrow and was notified by letter that he had to register ahead of time for the test. The test is going to take place at our local hospital. The letter clear had instructions with the name of [...]

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Strollers Are Not Designed for Escalators!

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
There’s an epidemic at our malls: parents taking their small children up and down escalators in strollers of all sorts of sizes and shapes. I ended up behind one such parent yesterday and found strollers heading up and down all afternoon. Some were small, some large. Some had bags dangling [...]

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Catching dyslexia before it catches your child

Any child learning how to read can become frustrated at first, but once he gets the hang of it, reading can become fun. For a child with dyslexia, that day may never come.
Nadine Gaab, PhD, of Children’s Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience is enrolling 4-to-6 year old children in a study to diagnose and possibly reverse [...]

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Support the Pink Ribbon

Submitted by School Kids Healthcare Blog
When someone says October you may think of fall leaves bursting into color or the macabre of Halloween but have you remembered to think pink? October, as we all should know, is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women (the first is [...]

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Jeff Gordon Announces Commitment to CureSearch, Children’s Oncology Group

Submitted by CureSearch - Conquering Childhood Cancer
In an interview with NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon yesterday, he announced his foundation’s commitment to supporting CureSearch and the life-saving research of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG).
“The foundation is committing $2.5 million to support pediatric cancer research and treatment and programs”, Gordon announced. A portion of this generous commitment [...]

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Sorry I’ve been MIA…but I’ve been home sick!

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
Yes, even doc-mom bloggers get sick! It hit me last week out of the blue like a Mack truck that decloacked on a superhighway with out warning. So, I suspect it was one of the flu viruses that have been on our minds recently.
I thought about attempting to blog, even [...]

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Swine Flu Vaccination – Are You Getting One?

Submitted by School Kids Healthcare Blog
All over the internet press releases are surfacing about the availability of the swine flu vaccination. Will you be in line to get a swine flu shot or the nasal spray administered? What about your child?
The CDC considers people 6 months to 24 years old at high risk yet according [...]

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H1N1 Vaccine Hysteria: A Look At The Facts

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
There’s a disturbing statistic floating about parents’ view of H1N1. According to a recent survey by CS Mott Children’s Hospital, only 40% of parents plan to get their kids the H1N1 shot. The reason: “they are not worried about H1N1”.
This statistic completely stuns me given the amazing amount of coverage [...]

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What the new Autism Study Means for You

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
This week’s new Autism study in Pediatrics has created a great deal of conversation…and confusion!
I discussed the study today on Fox Boston to help shed some light on what this study is really about…and what we can learn about it’s implications for the future of Autism:

For more information, check out
33 [...]

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The New Autism Study: Why The Fine Print Matters

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
By now you’ve likely heard about the new Autism study out today in Pediatrics.
It’s a solid study that adds great value to the Autism landscape. To help clarify questions raised by the study, the American Academy of Pediatrics has put together a very comprehensive Q&A that is worth checking out.
What’s [...]

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NEW Family Stories

Submitted by CureSearch - Conquering Childhood Cancer
CureSearch is proud to bring you a new series of online videos we’re calling Family Stories. These videos will give everyone an opportunity to learn how a childhood cancer diagnosis changes the lives of tens of thousands of families in the US.
View the videos now!
Visit 1800blogger to see all [...]

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Should my child get the swine flu (H1N1) shot?

by Adrienne Randolph, MD, MSc, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston

Tilmo, my taxi driver, was there as promised to take me to the Atlanta airport when I left the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He had dropped me off that morning so I could meet with six different influenza researchers and [...]

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Practicing the “Dracula Sneeze”

Submitted by School Kids Healthcare Blog
The “Dracula Sneeze” (raising your upper arm to cover your nose and mouth) makes sense but it may take some old-schoolers a little retraining before they catch on.
Everyone (hopefully) understands they should cover their cough and sneeze however using your bare hand to do it is passé.
If you use your [...]

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Are you ready for H1N1 and Seasonal Flu? Pediatrics Now is!

Submitted by Dr. Gwenn Is In
The Pediatrics Now September update is live and has all the latest information on H1N1 and the Seasonal flu to help you stay informed and up to date.
This month’s highlight’s include:
New School Year, New Flu Season
H1N1 has sure made our lives more complicated, hasn’t it?As if one flu season [...]

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