September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and we are taking this opportunity to reinforce the importance of looking out for early signs. Cancer in children can happen at any age. Parents should ensure that their children have regular medical check-ups and watch for any unusual signs or symptoms. No one is ever prepared to hear that their child has cancer. Read the full article and find out more.

It's the season to prepare for back to school. Are you ready?! Houston Moms Blog chats with Dr. Manuela Murray, Pediatrician for UTMB. Dr. Murray discusses scheduling your child's annual check-up/sports physical, vaccinating your 12+-year-old for COVID-19, and who may not qualify for the vaccine. She also addresses mental health issues and what can parents/educators do to help students readjust.

After more than a year of “pandemic life”, we are all eager to return to some sense of normalcy. Experts now say that fully vaccinated people are safe to travel with some common-sense precautions. The pandemic is not over but as the vaccine rollout continues travel will be safer and more relaxing.

As April is Child Abuse Awareness month, we have discussed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their proven long-term effects on children and adults. There are many things you can do to minimize the negative impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and to bolster your child’s confidence. In this ACEs article Dr. Beach discusses relationships, discipline, education, when to get help, and to always remember to engage and have fun! [Click title for full article]

As April is Child Abuse Awareness month, we have discussed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their proven long-term effects on children and adults. Our main goal is to prevent ACEs for the children in our community. We hope these articles can help us work together towards that common goal. Families or homes are not perfect! Many families are confronted with these risk factors through no fault of their own. Parents and families can get involved in community groups to decrease risk factors and prevent child abuse and neglect. This article can help you identify those risk factors. [Click title for full article]

Traumatic events that occur in childhood can lead to levels of stress, “toxic stress,” that have long-term effects. Children are especially prone to physical changes in the brain from toxic stress. The negative effects of toxic stress and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are vast and well documented. When families, physicians, and communities work together, we can help prevent the negative impact of toxic stress and ACEs on our children. [Click title for full article]

No one has the "perfect" family. Our UTMB Patient Safety and Protection Team is committed to helping families avoid the consequences of adverse childhood experiences. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each week in April, we plan to discuss different aspects of adverse childhood experiences and explore the strengths in families and communities that can change children's lives by promoting a more nurturing environment. [Click title for full article]

Infants fall. It happens all the time. Given these real and pervasive dangers, is it any wonder that there is little attention given to safe sitting? Falls from unsafe sitting can result in broken arms, clavicles, or even a fracture to the skull. One good habit is to survey your infant’s environment routinely, looking for unexpected dangers. Vigilance is an essential habit of healthy parenting! (Facts to consider can be found in full article.)

Youth who want to return to physical activities and sports will need to be screened by their primary care pediatrician for heart symptoms. An abnormal screening evaluation requires referral to a pediatric cardiologist for an EKG or possibly additional cardiac tests. UTMB Health Pediatrics Division of Cardiology provides clinical services to children and youth from birth through 21 years of age. Pediatric cardiologists provide most of the necessary cardiac testing in an outpatient setting.

It is important to bring your child to their scheduled well-child visits. Well-child visits should happen regularly throughout childhood, and those first visits can be critical for your child's long-term health. A visit with a pediatrician can go a long way to build your confidence and alleviate stress, which is healthy for you AND your baby! Here is what your health care provider is looking for when you bring your child for their visit.

One in four parents have a child with myopia. Research has shown that working up close such as reading or using a tablet increased the odds of developing myopia. A study found that 48% of children are spending more than 6 hours per day online. This is nearly 500% increase from time spent before the pandemic. Schools, teachers and parents must work together to incorporate eye health strategies to help protect children as they learn online. If a parent has any concerns about their child’s vision they should discuss this with their health care provider.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children under one years old. This virus is most common from October to March, and is spread by contact with respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. Almost every child will be infected with RSV by the time they reach 2 years old. RSV is highly contagious but it can be prevented by taking precautions. Always consult with your Pediatrician for questions and concerns regarding your child. #rsvawareness

Many people have watched with interest the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and other states. Advocates point to a potential to increase state revenue. But what about our children? Many women assume that cannabis is safe during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to marijuana is associated with academic underachievement, especially in reading and spelling. A decision to avoid marijuana, and a host of other toxins such as tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs before risking pregnancy is a wise choice in planning for the future of your child.

When songwriters, Joe Goodwin, Larry Shay, and Mark Fisher, wrote the above lyrics, they doubt they had studied the works of Charles Darwin and Paul Ekman on human expressions. However, they did express a universal human truth about smiling. It is the most positive reinforcement. Helping a child grow up with a smile, laughter, and satisfaction is a big part of development. Read full article.

Why has there been a movement against spanking, and should we as a society do away with physical punishment? The practice of spanking appears to be widespread across many cultures, and yet in recent years, 30 countries have outlawed spanking. Research has shown that physical punishment is not more effective than other forms of discipline. Read full Op-Ed.

Toilet training is one of the biggest challenges of parenting a young child! Here are some tips on how to set realistic expectations and make this an important, pleasant milestone for your child. These suggestions are to make the process less stressful.

Sometimes it can be difficult to communicate with teenagers. It is important to figure out some key ways to talk about these things with the teens in your life. The following are some suggestions on how to encourage open communication between parents and teenagers. The most important thing to remember is that the teenage years are just a phase.

Stress is a part of our everyday life, especially for parents during these tough times. Children learn to cope with stressors by watching what their parents do. Redirect thoughts and actions in a positive direction. Too much stress undermines not only how we feel but our day to day choices. These mindful strategies can be used by both parents and their children to build awareness around challenging experiences.

While we would like to believe the best in everyone and hope that we live in a world with only good touch, it is important to know that children can be exposed to bad touch. Abuse, and in particular sexual abuse, is a difficult topic to discuss. We have compiled a list of tips and discussion topics to help you start this conversation with your child. Also, in this article are additional references on how to prevent sexual abuse.