My wife's nephew Jordan had colic bad. In his first months of life he cried non-stop, only quieting in his swing. His mom was so frazzled from fatigue and frustration that when my wife offered to babysit for a weekend, she ran…
This week's guest columnist is Dr. Shauna Bienvenu, a Family Practice resident at the University Hospital and Clinics here in Lafayette. As a resident working in the Pediatric Emergency Department, I've noticed that "fever phobia…
This week's guest columnist is Dr. Jesse Livingston, a family practice resident at the University Health Center here in Lafayette. Rashes are a common reason parents bring their children to the doctor. Sometimes the parents get so…
Every day families bring their kids into the Emergency Department with non-emergencies- runny noses, fevers, rashes, diarrhea. Many of those times mom is a little embarrassed, and says "I called my doctor and they were booked,…
Last week's blog post on eczema brought to mind two other common rashes we see in the Emergency Department: hives and poison ivy. We see hives a lot because it really does look bad, and is associated with bad allergic reactions…
It is discouraging when a parent checks their child into the Emergency Department for a rash. Rashes are rarely an emergency and should be seen by the child's regular doctor. I often go into these patient's rooms feeling grumpy…
It is no secret that doctor's offices and Emergency Departments are extremely busy these days. It is the "cold and flu" season, and RSV season, and that makes for a lot of sick kids. In other columns and blog entries, I have…
Being a new mom is hard. Most moms will tell you that the first months of baby's new life were a blur of fatigue and misery. You are tired from child birth and then from waking up every three hours to feed baby. You are…
A common reason for parents to bring their kids to the ED is belly pain. Doctor’s offices and “quick care” urgent care clinics also send us a lot of kids with belly pain. Everyone has the same basic concern- is it appendicitis…
Every day several families bring their kids in to the Emergency Department with non-emergencies- runny noses, rashes, diarrhea. Then many times the mom, perhaps sensing our impatience with the inappropriateness of that visit,…
It happens at least once per week that a family brings their child in with a frustrating problem. The complaints are vague, like mild fever off and on for weeks or months, or headaches or belly pain, or odd rashes. The problem…
Occasionally I am surprised by some parent’s beliefs. There are a lot of “old wive’s tales” out there which I am used to: fever curdles milk in baby’s stomachs, fever will cook baby’s brain, blowing cigarette smoke in ears is…