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The facts behind the fiction: what to believe about your child’s health.
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It seems like there are a lot of conflicting reports on children’s health out there. So which should you believe? Dr. Ann Liu, a Medical City Children’s Hospital pediatrician and mother of two, puts your fears to rest about a few widely debated kids’ health topics.
Myth: You should starve a fever and feed a cold.
A.L.: It doesn’t matter if your child has a fever or cold as long as he or she stays hydrated. It’s normal to not want to eat when you’re ill; that’s usually the first sign something’s wrong. By keeping your child well hydrated, you minimize dehydration.
Myth: If you give your child vitamins, you don’t need to worry about vegetables.
A.L.: Keep on offering the vegetables. One day it will actually click that they aren’t that bad. There are two books out, Deceptively Delicious and The Sneaky Chef, that have recipes for “hiding” vegetables in favorite children’s dishes like macaroni and cheese.
Myth: Educational shows like “Sesame Street” and “Blue’s Clues” are beneficial for toddlers.
A.L.: There is no benefit from watching educational TV until the age of 3. Yes, it’s okay for a 13-month-old to watch some educational TV, but I wouldn’t let her spend a whole day in front of the TV. A recent study showed that parents who read to their toddlers every day improved the language skills of their children over those parents who weren’t consistent with reading to their toddlers.
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Dig into these oven-ready, heart-healthy treats.
Warm up your fall with this delicious, kid-friendly recipe that’s fun to make AND good for them, too. The best part? It’s so easy, you’ll look like an all-star in the kitchen!
All-Star Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 egg
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Preheat oven to 375°F. |
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Grease cookie sheets; set aside. |
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In a medium bowl, stir together ingredients. Using your hands, roll mixture into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with a drinking glass that has been lightly greased and dipped in sugar. Lightly grease a small star-shaped cookie cutter; dip in sugar. Press into the center of each cookie. |
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Bake about 9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. |
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Nutritional information
(per serving or 2 cookies): 100 calories, 10 gm carbohydrates, 1 gm fiber, 9 gm sugars, 6 gm total fat, 1 gm saturated fat, 55 mg sodium |
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| Meet Donna Hinschberger, RN, CPN |
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 Donna is a Nurse Manager at Medical City Children’s Hospital. She recommends the Center for Disease Control’s instructions to “Take 3” actions to fight the flu. These include getting a flu vaccine, taking everyday preventive actions (like frequent hand washing, covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze and avoiding contact with sick people) and taking anti-viral medications if your doctor recommends them. Learn more at the CDC website. To meet other specialists like Donna, visit our website,
SpecialistsInChildren.com.
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of sharing with your friends and family—click the “Forward to a friend”
link below. |
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Good Hearted
 It’s not just the doctors and staff at the Medical City Children’s Hospital Heart Center who care about their patients. A group of families whose lives have been affected by congenital heart defects (CHD) have a unique support group: Amazing Little Hearts. Together, they bring meals and gift bags to families in the hospital, host holiday parties—even a Christmas toy drive!
The group formed in 2004 when it became clear that Dr. Eric Mendeloff, Congenital Heart Surgery Program Medical Director at Medical City Children’s Hospital, had a gift for saving children’s lives due to his 97 to 98% patient survival rate. Parents declared him their hero, and started Amazing Little Hearts to help other families take heart in the support and superior medical care at the Heart Center.
“I feel very privileged to be associated with these families,” Dr. Mendeloff says. “They take what we do at the hospital, and they put it into the community. The families in the group really represent the persona of the heart program.”
For more information on Amazing Little Hearts, visit mcchildrenshospital.com, click on “Heart Center,” then “Support Services,” then “Family Support Group.”
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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and that means it‘s turkey time! Here are five fun facts you may not know about this seasonal bird:
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Benjamin Franklin wanted the humble turkey — not the majestic Bald Eagle — to be our national bird. |
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The flap of skin that hangs over a turkey’s beak is called a snood. |
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A male turkey is known as a Tom. Only male turkeys make the “gobble gobble” sound. |
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Most domestic turkeys are too heavy to fly, but wild turkeys can fly short distances. |
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The largest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds. That’s the size of a large German Shepherd! |
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| The flu and the ER: advice from our featured specialist. |
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 Flu season can be a scary time for parents, especially with new strains like H1N1 causing a stir. But when does your child‘s cough or cold turn into a reason to go to the ER? Dr. Fred Johnson, D.O., a Medical City Children‘s Hospital doctor who specializes in pediatric emergency medicine, says that first it‘s important to determine whether or not your child has an influenza-like illness, which is characterized by fever and a cough and/or a sore throat. But even if your child‘s illness meets these criteria, most cases of the flu can be treated at home or by your primary care physician.
So when to go to the ER? Dr. Johnson says go to the ER if your child is exhibiting the following warning signs: difficulty breathing, skin with a bluish or grayish tint, not drinking enough fluids, not making tears when crying and extreme irritability.
Additionally, go to the ER if your child has the flu and is in a high-risk category, such as being under two years old, having a chronic condition like asthma or sickle cell disease or being on long-term aspirin therapy.
For more information, visit texasflu.org.
For more information about Medical City Children’s Hospital and to meet some of our other specialists, visit SpecialistsInChildren.com.
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