Tomorrow, my son is going for his sixth month wellness check, and routine to that visit is immunization. Ugh. I know these are necessary for him, but there could be anywhere from 3-4 shots depending on what vaccines he needs to receive.
Well, now the FDA has approved a vaccine (Pantacel) against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.

The vaccine was approved for four-dose administration at two, four, six, and 15-18 months, but the initial dose may be given as early as six weeks. Full administration should be completed before the child’s fifth birthday.

It’s well tolerated in …read more

Some children who are exposed to cats in their first year of life may have an increased risk for eczema, a new study reveals.
What’s responsible for the increased risk?
Mutation in the gene for filaggrin, a protein on the skin that helps reduce water loss and protects against harsh environment.
As reported in Medpage Today, scientists from the Copenhagen Study on Asthma in Childhood found that eczema was likely to develop among children who have the mutation and who have a cat in their home at birth. Only those children with the mutation have the increased risk. Likewise, …read more

When Alicia of Mental Health Notes showed me this video of a 6-year old saving a drowning friend, I realized how important it really is to teach our children water survival techniques. The American Red Cross wrote a comprehensive list of water safety tips for children, from pools, lakes and rivers, ocean, water parks, scuba diving and many other venues and activities. I’ll summarize some of them here.
Keeping Children Safe In, On, and Around the Water
Maintain constant supervision. Watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toilet, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child …read more

Here’s a literal meaning to the term “born again.”
A fatal tumor was found in the fetus of Keri McCartney, bigger than the baby itself and robbing needed blood for her to completely develop. So the doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital performed what would be a medical miracle!

Let me tell you, new babies can be very expensive! 
Diapers alone can cost up to $1,500 to $2,000 or more on disposables by the time baby is done with them. That would be anywhere from $0.16 to $0.25 cents per diaper. Now compare that reusable or cloth diapers at around 12 cents a diaper with a washing service, or 3 cents if you wash them yourself. But that’s not all the difference between cloth and disposable. Rashes happen at about the same amount regardless of the type used. Obviously, disposables are a lot more convenient, but they do fill …read more

Sometimes, pain brings people together. Other times, it is victory.
On September 5, television, sports, journalism and music will come together in a primetime television event called Stand Up To Cancer to raise cutting-edge funds for cancer research.
The three major broadcast networks, ABC, CBS and NBC,  will join forces and donate an hour of their primetime on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT), and rally the public around the goal of ending cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death.
The Stand Up To Cancer special will feature live performances by legendary recording artists and stars from film and …read more