Infection & Disease
A Pediatrician’s Thoughts on Changing Vaccine Recommendations
I have been a practicing Pediatrician since 2011 – longer if you include the time spent in my Pediatric residency program from 2008-2011. During that time, I have seen the social landscape surrounding vaccines vary drastically – from a burgeoning…
Respiratory Syncytial Virus – Old Problem, New Solutions
This is the third year in a row that I have updated this article, but that is because it is such an important winter topic in the health and safety of our youngest patients and I want to make sure…
Jaundice
Physicians are trained to look for visible signs of illness. These can be physical deformities, stereotypical facial characteristics, skin changes, and a multitude of others. Today, we discuss jaundice, a very noticeable physical manifestation of disease. What is jaundice? Jaundice…
Influenza – Winter’s Recurring Threat
The Influenza virus, usually referred to as “the flu,” causes an illness that affects the respiratory system, particularly the trachea (windpipe) and the lungs. In the United States, Influenza infection occurs from the Fall to the early Spring. There are…
Infection Control in Schools and Childcare Settings
Pediatrics is an area of medicine that is very cyclical – in the summer we see a lot of kids for well child checkups and sports physicals, while in the winter we see lots of respiratory infections like pneumonia, RSV,…
Seasonal Allergies – When It’s “That Time of Year”
The first winter we lived in Austin, Texas, I became well-acquainted with what is locally known as “Cedar fever.” Upon walking outside one morning my eyes immediately swelled up and watered profusely, my nose ran like a faucet, and I…
Measles Outbreaks – Why You Should Protect Your Child
Measles infection (also called rubeola) is caused by a Morbillivirus and is highly contagious. It is spread quickly and easily through respiratory secretions when a person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. It initially infects the respiratory tract but spreads to affect…
Symptoms of Illness: Cold vs Flu
When people describe an illness as “the flu” in my office, it can mean many things. A bad cold, influenza, a gastrointestinal illness. To medical providers, “the flu” always refers to an infection with the Influenza virus. On the contrary,…
