Are you about to welcome a baby boy into your family? You might feel uncomfortable thinking about the decision to circumcise your baby or not. By getting as much information as you can now, you will be able to move forward feeling more comfortable with whatever you decide. Circumcision is the surgical removal of the skin that covers the head of your baby’s penis, known as the foreskin. It can be performed by your ob-gyn before your baby leaves the hospital, or later by the baby’s pediatrician. It is performed only if the baby is healthy. What is involved in a circumcision procedure? A traditi ..read more

Your baby’s stool, or poop, is an indication of their well-being, so you’ll want to take note of your baby’s bowel movements. Baby poop can be a wide variety of colors and consistencies. The regularity of your baby’s bowel movements can also vary greatly. What’s normal? What isn’t? The First Poop If you are alarmed by the appearance of your newborn’s first bowel movement, you aren’t the first. Many a parent has been startled by the greenish-black poop encountered in their new baby’s diaper.  It’s called meconium, which is a sticky, tar-like substance that gradually filled your baby’s inte ..read more

Colic is one of the more frustrating and stressful issues that the parents of a new baby can face. Parents and infants often lose precious sleep due to colic. Babies can also be overfed in an attempt to stop the crying bouts. What is colic? What can you do about it? What is Colic? Crying that persists in excess of three hours per day for more than three days in a week is usually identified as colic. It is characterized by crying that begins suddenly and is usually continuous. It typically affects otherwise healthy babies under three months of age. How Can I Tell if My Child Has Colic? A baby ..read more

What is Cradle Cap? Cradle cap or infantile seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic, noninflammatory skin condition that causes crusty or oily scaly patches on a baby’s scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of concentrated sebaceous gland activity. While cradle cap isn’t painful, it can produce oily white or yellow scales that are difficult to remove. It is occasionally confused with another skin condition known as atopic dermatitis. However, atopic dermatitis usually causes pronounced itching, while cradle cap does not. Cradle cap usually appears when babies are between two and six weeks old. It affect ..read more

What is a Drool Rash? Skin irritation caused by constant contact with saliva is known as a drool rash. A drool rash can appear around the mouth and on the cheeks, in the folds of skin on your baby’s neck, and on your baby’s chest as a result of the skin being continuously wet with saliva. These patches of irritated skin may be moist or dry. While drool rash is not contagious, the red, itchy, bumpy patches on your baby’s skin will be uncomfortable for them. What Causes Drooling? Drooling is a natural occurrence. Your baby’s salivary glands typically begin to function between 2 and 3 months of ..read more

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory illness that can be fatal. It is most common in infants, children, and young adults. It is caused by a viral infection that can lead to serious breathing problems. Children at high risk of getting RSV include those with underlying health conditions, such as asthma or allergies; those who are premature; and those who live in crowded conditions. Children younger than one-year-old are at the highest risk for severe complications from RSV infection, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis (inflammation of the airway tubes). How is RSV spread? R ..read more

Our office receives a lot of calls from parents about their new baby’s spit up. What is normal? What is not? Let’s talk about some spitting up facts. The first thing new parents should know is that spitting up is normal and quite common. Roughly half of all babies occasionally experience gastroesophageal reflux, also known as infant reflux or infant acid reflux. After your baby swallows breast milk or formula, it passes down their esophagus to their stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter, a ring of muscles between the esophagus and the stomach, is designed to prevent the stomach’s contents fr ..read more

Your little one woke up with her eyes covered in a crusty or gooey discharge. Her favorite color may be pink, but you’re really hoping she doesn’t have pink eye!  Should you go about your daily routine or call our office immediately for an appointment? What is pink eye? Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is what we call inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane of your eyeball. This part of your eye is called the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva lines your eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. The “pink” of pink eye is caused by inflammation of the small blood vessels in the ..read more

We have entered the dog days of summer and it is hot, hot, hot here in North Texas! Many of us are spending time with our children in the pool, at waterparks, or in local lakes. Even those who religiously apply sunscreen may miss a spot or fail to reapply within the necessary timeframe to preserve effectiveness, and our child may experience a sunburn. We’ll discuss how to relieve your child’s discomfort when fun in the sun has an unexpected side effect! How to treat sunburn in kids Sunburns are a type of radiation burn that causes damage to the skin cells. It’s common to have inflammation and ..read more

Will you be bringing home a newborn soon? You’re likely immersed in preparations and considering a wide variety of parental issues right now: whether to breastfeed or use formula, whether to use disposable or cloth diapers, whether to swaddle or not, and many others. One of the things you may want to decide sooner rather than later is who your child’s pediatrician will be. Do I have to have a pediatrician? Can my child just see our family physician? Family physicians are primary care doctors for patients of all ages and genders. Their residency includes pediatrics in addition to various other ..read more