It’s NICU Awareness for the month of September. 💚 Please see the attached flyer for events that are happening.

Congratulations to our recent alumni, Dr. Sara Nandolia! She received Honorable Mention for her Hypothesis-Driven Scholarly Project in the Texas Pediatric Society E-Poster Contest under the mentorship of Dr. Annie Goodwin. Dr. Nandolia is currently a GI fellow at Johns Hopkins! See all winners here. Congratulations Dr. Nandolia!

Parents are very important in the care of their children’s mental health. It is important that parents assure their child that they can tell them anything without judgement or criticism. This is one of those things that is easy to say and not so easy to do. Second communicate that mental health is HEALTH and it is normal to talk about it and to seek professional help just like you would for strep throat. Many famous people have publicly done so.

It is strongly recommended that a parent requires them to “friend you” on social media and to share their passwords with you. Always consider asking for help from school personnel, a counselor or your doctor.

The July 26 episode of Health Care Unmasked featured UTMB pediatricians Dr. Lauren Raimer-Goodman, Dr. Monica Thint and Dr. Maria Nguyen. The group joined host TJ Aulds to discuss a “Back-to-School Primer for Parents.” To view the episode, visit to https://utmb.us/93Y.

Knowing who the trusted adults are can help build a safe environment and allow children to talk about what they are worried about whether it is bad weather, too heavy back packs, bullies or guns. Being a trusted adult takes practice also.

Keep the gaming device in a central location where there is a lot of traffic and aski children what games they like and why, ask who they are gaming with and if any stranger has contacted them, and be aware of the games’ content and use parental control.

If a parent notices any of the following, they should discuss these symptoms with their health care provider: Your child is extremely and consistently fussy, having problems breathing, has loud snoring, unusual awakenings or difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. It is important to notice if they have daytime sleepiness or behavioral problems.

The residency program wanted to highlight three residents’ work which will be presented at this week’s Annual Southern Society of Pediatric Research Conference in New Orleans! We are so proud of our residents’ scholarly products! We also want to recognize our faculty mentors guiding our residents through the scholarly process.

Family resolutions can be made together to make the family safer, stronger and more harmonious. For family goals to work each family member sees their role and gets a reward for cooperation.

The 2022 Pediatric Educator Awards are:

T-Shirt Sales proceeds benefit the Pediatrics Annual Toy and Book Drive.

Our NICU celebrated the holiday in a fun and creative way for the children and our smallest babies and their families.

Registration is NOW open! Join us at this year's Pedi by the Gulf CME conference. This course is designed to address the challenges faced in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions of infants, children, and adolescents. It will provide participants with a maximal learning experience through lectures, interspersed with question and answer sessions, panel discussions, and workshops of specific interest. Participants will complete an online evaluation after the course.

It is "Recruitment Season!" The University of Texas Medical Branch has been educating physicians since 1892 and has trained more physicians than any other medical school in Texas. The Department of Pediatrics has an ongoing commitment to Medical Education. We have committed faculty, modern and efficient facilities, and a diverse patient population. Pediatrics has a close-knit program with a family feel. We wish all applicants the best of luck, and we are excited to welcome a new TEAM to our family! Take a moment to learn about our program, view our video tours, and a day in the life of a Pediatric Resident.

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]