Asthma & Allergies
Allergy medicine for kids can be tricky. There's so much to choose from on the shelf, and there's advice from well-meaning relatives to "just give them Benadryl! They'll stop sneezing and sleep great!" Don't listen to that advice, friends. The
Medications
Few things are more frustrating than starting a new medicine for your child and seeing no improvement. When my kids are sick and need an antibiotic (or any medicine, really), I just want it to work! Most antibiotics take some time to be effective. So the good news is that
.... and what parents frequently forget! A kid's travel medication checklist is one of those things you don’t think about until you need it. When you do, it’s usually not convenient. It's never fun to Google for the closest pharmacy at 10 PM while on
Imagine it’s the month of May. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and parents everywhere are finally recovering from cold and flu season. We made it. We really made it. Then your child runs inside, and you hear it. The sneeze. Then another. Then the sniffing begins. No.
Seasonal and environmental allergies in kids occur when their immune systems overreact to a normal substance in the environment. Pollen in the summer, ragweed in the fall, and dust in the winter are common allergens that can wreak havoc on little noses. With continual exposure to the offending allergen, children
December was full of news stories about norovirus outbreaks. Unfortunately, that trend has continued into spring. You'll hear a story about someone being sick with a stomach bug everywhere you go! The 2024-2025 GI illness season is officially one for the books. What is Norovirus? Norovirus is a
If you asked any of my mom friends what the most frustrating common kid illness is, I'd be willing to bet the mortgage that most would say strep throat (with the stomach bug being a very close second). Unfortunately, frequent strep throat infections are a rite of passage
Expert-backed advice from pediatric pharmacists. Because kids don't come with a medication guide.
Choosing the right sunscreen for kids can be confusing. SPF numbers, mineral vs chemical options, sprays, lotions, oh my! —It’s a lot. Information overload! I'll stroll into CVS or Target to do my sunscreen shopping with the best intentions, only to be victimized by marketing, while also
Tick bites in kids are one of those things that can send parents into a spiral. Especially if you live in an area where Lyme disease is prevalent. Unfortunately, ticks are common where I live, and my family spends a lot of time outdoors walking the dog. The pup is
If it seems like your child is constantly sneezing, sniffling, or rubbing their eyes whenever the seasons change, you might be dealing with seasonal allergies. Spring allergy season is here! Warmer climates have already seen a pollen burst, and we frozen Eskimos up in the Northern part of the country
There are many reasons why children may need medicine. Sometimes it's occasional. Your child has a high fever and refuses to eat or drink. To make them more comfortable and prevent dehydration, giving ibuprofen or acetaminophen is often recommended! Sometimes they require an occasional antibiotic when kids catch
I don’t like to brag, but I consider myself a bit of an expert at giving yucky medicine. I worked for years at a children’s hospital, where I learned all the tricks of the trade from superstar pediatric nurses. Between nursing and pharmacy, we were usually able to
I've been puked on more times in my life than I care to remember, and 99% of those times have been from one of my children bringing home the virus of the month (or week?) from school or daycare. It's like a fruit of the month
Once winter rolls around, allergy season usually winds down in our house. Personally, I don’t love the winter because cold air hurts my face (why do I live somewhere where the air hurts my face?!), but there are some perks – playing in the snow and the lack of pollen!
Cold season has a special talent for humbling parents. One minute, you are confident and well rested. The next, you are standing in your kitchen at 2 a.m. holding a humidifier manual, trying to understand the English language with only one eye open. As a parent, I will fully
My children’s holiday meals usually consist of half a roll, 14 cookies, and whatever soda or juice they manage to con out of a nice unsuspecting relative. If we’re traveling for the holidays, that one holiday meal becomes 6 to 9 meals… leading to constipation. Constipation in children,
It’s family road trip season! If you have ever packed snacks, water bottles, entertainment, and extra clothes only to realize halfway into the trip that you forgot the barf bags, you are not alone. Kids’ motion sickness has a way of announcing itself loudly, and it will leave parents
The holidays create extra challenges for children with food allergies or special diets. Ensuring holiday party food safety requires planning, careful cooking, proper food preparation practices, and clear communication with your kids, other caregivers, and any adults who may offer them food. This quick guide outlines steps parents can take
I'll never forget when I first started working in a pediatric hospital (too many years ago now), the ICU and medical floors were filled with kids sick with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). It was a little shocking to me; we didn't learn much about it in
