At the Doctor’s Office Regular well-child exams are an important part of keeping kids healthy and up to date on immunizations against many serious childhood diseases. Checkups also are a chance for you and the doctor to talk about developmental and safety issues, and for you to get answers to …
Medical Care and Your 8- to 12-Month-Old
As your baby becomes more independent and mobile, your questions for your child’s doctor may have more to do with bumps, bruises, and behavior than with anything else. You can’t protect your baby from every knee-bump suffered while learning to walk. But you can make sure poisons and medicines are …
Medical Care and Your Newborn
By the time you hold your new baby in your arms for the first time, chances are you’ve already chosen one of the most important people in your little one’s early life — a doctor. You and your baby will probably visit the doctor more often during the first year …
Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment. Some …
Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Basics Doctors often recommend physical therapy (PT) for kids and teens who have been injured or who have movement problems from an illness, disease, or disability. After an injury, physical therapists work to decrease pain, improve movement, and help kids return to daily activities. They teach kids exercises …
School-Based Health Centers
Getting health care for your child can be complicated. Many doctors only offer appointments during the school day, and their offices might be far from school. To see the doctor, your child might have to miss school and you might have to leave work — which isn’t always an option. …
Speech-Language Therapy
In a recent parent-teacher conference, maybe the teacher expressed concern that your child could have a problem with certain speech or language skills. Or perhaps while talking to your child, you noticed an occasional stutter. Could your child have a problem? And if so, what should you do? It’s wise …
Talking to Your Child’s Doctor
Your child’s doctor can be an incredible resource when you have questions and concerns about your child’s health, but finding time for regular checkups and sick visits may be a stretch for your already jam-packed schedule. The doctor may be overbooked and overscheduled, too, so making the most of your …
Teaching Your Child How to Swallow Pills
Swallowing a pill is an important skill that many of us take for granted until we have a child who needs to swallow a pill. Many things — from anxiety to stubbornness — can make it harder for some kids to swallow pills. But don’t worry. Just like any skill, …
The Medical Home
Part of parenting is being in charge of your child’s medical care. Usually, it’s no big deal. You take your child to the same doctor every time for routine checkups and sick visits, and that’s about all you need to do. But what if your child has to see many …