Family Health

Riding a bike is not only an excellent source of exercise, but it is also a fun activity for families. Whether your child is an experienced or new rider, safety is the top priority. Did you know that more than 2.2 million children have visited an emergency room for a …

The news of tragic deaths of children and adults at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, May 24, is harrowing and heartbreaking. The deaths of innocent young people is indeed horrific and incomprehensible, even as we are still crawling out of a massive global pandemic and reeling from …

Youth sports can be beneficial to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If parents consider the sport, communicate with the coaches and listen to their children about how much they want to participate, if at all, their children may be able to enjoy the experience. Coping with ADHD Brian …

As the weather warms, we are venturing outdoors more and more toward sports fields, bike paths and the open road. With our ever-increasing time spent outside and traveling comes greater risks of injury–particularly brain injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified brain injury as the leading …

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, child development specialist Dr. Mary L. O’Connor Leppert has noticed a significant drop in referrals to the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program, the state’s early intervention program. Referrals have also declined at Kennedy Krieger Institute, where clinicians diagnose and treat pediatric developmental, behavioral …

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new and unprecedented challenges for children—from quarantines and new protocols to illness in families and the loss of loved ones. A U.S. Surgeon General report found that between March and October 2020, the percentage of mental health emergency department visits for children ages 5 to …

Dr. Maria Cordero-Ricardo, DMD, MS, MPH Philadelphia Pediatric Dentistry Philadelphia, Pennsylvania When are children old enough to brush their teeth on their own? I use a helpful benchmark of when children can tie their shoes or cut food with a fork and a knife. That’s a good benchmark of manual …

Dr. Peter Markov, DMD VK Pediatric Dentistry Arlington, Virginia How effective is toothpaste containing fluoride for kids? Fluoride in kids’ toothpaste is one of the most effective and important ingredients to look for! In general, as soon as a child has teeth, we want to make sure there’s fluoride in …

February is American Heart Month. Now is a great time to think about your child’s cardiovascular health. Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle at an early age pays off in the long term. “Our cardiac health as children and adolescents, as evaluated by proxy measures such as weight and blood pressure, reflects our …

Dr. Tracy Bowden, DDS Kids First Pediatric Dentistry Baltimore County, Maryland What’s the best way for children to protect their teeth from injury due to sports and injuries? Many parents bring their children in with mouth injuries for sports, so custom mouthguards or mouthguards that you can buy over the …