Infant Swim Resource

A Program Making Strides in Water Safety for Infants and Young Children The horrifying image of a nine-month-old little boy who drowned in a drainage canal forty-six years ago still keeps Dr. Barnett awake at night. That’s why Dr. Barnett, a pioneer for children’s water safety and survivor skills, labors twenty hours each day, with only four hours of sleep per night. “I looked... Read More

Summer Outdoor Safety

Tips to safely swing, swim, and enjoy your s’mores Parents, when you tell your children to go out and play this summer, you may know that your yard is fenced with a child-proof lock to keep them close to home, but do you know if your own backyard is safe for them to play without injury? June is Home Safety Month and it’s the perfect time to take a careful look around your yard... Read More

Children Who Stutter…

Communication difficulties are merely the tip of the iceberg. Fear, depression, and loneliness can be the unspoken consequences of the disorder. The experts tell parents when concern is warranted. Imagine that you are a youngster who stutters. Now imagine the fear and panic of standing up in front of your class while attempting to introduce yourself or answer a question. You want... Read More

Women and Stress – Is It Your Hormones?

The Answer May Be on the Tip of Your Tongue Carol had been experiencing insomnia, headaches, irritability, night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings, and low energy. In addition, the 40 year old woman just couldn’t seem to lose those last few unwanted pounds.  Sound familiar? It’s All About Stress Women frequently blame their hormones for these symptoms, usually associated with... Read More

Anxiety in Teens

Your teen is constantly tense, irritable, and reluctant to engage in life. When should a parent take action? Jill, a high school senior,  stands in front of the mirror trying to tame the frizz in her hair. She fights the rising panic she feels every morning wondering how she can possibly keep her grades up for college, have time for dance class, volunteer at church, and still hang... Read More

Parents…Create an Awesome, Treat-Filled Easter Basket

–Only you and the Easter Bunny will know it’s Healthy Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Blue #2, Isoamyl Acetate, Yellow #6, Tertiary Butylhydroquinone, Dimethyl Sulphide, and Red #40…Would you feed your children foods containing chemicals like these?  That may be exactly what you’re doing if you give them a typical Easter basket! Are you aware that certain dyes have been linked... Read More

Tanning Myths and Sun Protection Test – How Does Your Teen Score?

OMG–Prom season and bathing suit weather are fast approaching…Let the tanning begin! Studies show that it’s become trendy for winter-white teenage girls to start making appointments to climb into tanning bed in pursuit of the perfect bronzed look to go with formal attire and bikinis. Research cites one in four fair skinned females between the ages of 13 and 19 years... Read More

Bedwetting

A parent’s nocturnal nemesis, but part of the potty training process for some kids Nocturnal enuresis is the medical term for bedwetting, or involuntary urination during sleep, and can be one of the most frustrating aspects of potty-training in children. It’s estimated that seven million kids in the United States wet their beds on a regular basis. Controlling bladder function... Read More

Want Weight Loss Success? Experts Say Go For Tiny, Simple Changes

We all know how to lose weight, but what really works? Over the past three decades, obesity rates in the U.S. have soared among all age groups, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many weight-loss efforts have relied on the drastic elimination of certain foods and beverages, health professionals say it’s time to focus on the adoption of small... Read More

Tips and tactics to bully-proof your children

Bullying has escalated to new heights and parents are concerned Jimmy is feigning illness again today. Why? So he doesn’t have to go to school. According to NoBully.org, Jimmy is among the estimated 160,000 children who refuse to go to school because they dread the physical and verbal aggression of their peers. Equally worrisome is that, in all likelihood, there are even more... Read More

Get the Family Heart Healthy

A cardiologist with Florida Heart Group offers heart-to-heart advice to lower the risk for coronary heart disease When you think about it, the family unit is a powerful tool when it comes to its members looking out for each other. Wouldn’t it make sense to harness this energy and work together to create a heart healthy unit? The bad news is that there are major risk factors that... Read More

Caring for Your Toddler’s Teeth

Getting toddlers used to brushing their teeth fosters a lifetime of positive dental habits and health Just because your toddler’s baby teeth will one day end up in the tooth fairy’s collection, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the time to properly care for them. Brushing is needed to help remove build-up on teeth that results from sugars found in juice and many... Read More

Heart Disease in Women

Learn the Symptoms and Listen to Your Body…It Could Save Your Life When a local young woman decided to listen to what her body was telling her, it saved her life. Now, she is on a mission to save other women like her. In 2002, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute joined together to create the National Wear Red Day to support women’s... Read More

Yoga… It’s A Family Affair

Going to the mat for a bit of tranquility Step into a neighborhood yoga studio and you are likely to be surrounded by shiny bamboo floors, tranquil green walls, soothing sitar music, and the calming fragrance of lavender oil. A deep sense of serenity washes over you. For family yoga, parents and children roll out their mats and sit comfortably in Easy Pose, or engage in familiar... Read More

Local Family “Keeps Moving” for the MS Society

Keeping active is important to the Frack family of Lake Mary, but not for the reasons you might think. Three and a half years ago Beth-Ann Frack, 48, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a little-known progressive disorder. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system, which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic... Read More

3-2-1… Happy New You!

3.2.1 A Happy You 2011 has arrived! Make it the start of your new healthy life. As the pumpkin pie, holiday cocktails, and sugar cookie memories begin to fade, we’re reminded that the time has come to set or “re-set” our goals. Most are familiar with the popular New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and/or stay fit that seem to resurface with a bang every year. Have you... Read More

A Local Audiologist Speaks Up

A Parent’s Guide to Recognizing and Avoiding Hearing Loss in Children While you may be aware that our planet is becoming noisier and noisier, are you also aware that the rates of hearing loss in children are increasing as well?  These rates reflect both children born with hearing loss and those facing reduced capabilities due to factors in their environment. Approximately... Read More

Diabetes and Kids

Helping parents make sense of a complicated disease Adult-onset diabetes, juvenile diabetes, gestational, type 1, type 2… a bewildering list of terms for parents who may have grown up in an era when type 2 diabetes wasn’t even on the diagnostic radar. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 186,000 children and teens in the U.S. are currently diagnosed... Read More

Is it a Cold or the Flu? Either Way, It’s Not Much Fun

Whatever you’ve contracted, you can manage your cold and flu symptoms with lots of purified water and OTC medication like Contac Cold + Flu. With Contac’s multi-symptom formulations you can take on your sore throat, headache, stuffy/runny nose and nasal congestion in one place. Hang on to your tissues…cold and flu season is here! It’s 7 a.m. on a school day and your... Read More