Pediatrics Now

  I opened a fortune cookie the other day, expecting it to say something relatively nonsensical or meaningless, only to have it read: “Money is not everything. You can buy a doctor but not heath.” This fortune tells the story of more people than most of us can count, including most of us ...

Yesterday, New England Cable News hosted a 2 hour prime time special on H1N1. I was honored to be invited on air as the pediatric health expert along with the area's top health professionals in emergency medicine, OB/GYN, public health and infectious disease. We covered a great deal of ground in ...

  “Hey mom”, my 15 year old said as she walked in the living room with that ‘I’ve been thinking about my life look’ that teens get once they enter high school. “How much homework did you have when you were my age?” “This could potentially be a trap”, I thought. “Answer carefully”, I told m...

  We had an interesting experience today. My husband is scheduled for a routine test tomorrow and was notified by letter that he had to register ahead of time for the test. The test is going to take place at our local hospital. The letter clear had instructions with the name of the test a...

  There’s an epidemic at our malls: parents taking their small children up and down escalators in strollers of all sorts of sizes and shapes. I ended up behind one such parent yesterday and found strollers heading up and down all afternoon. Some were small, some large. Some had bags danglin...

At last weekend's American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, a few of us were asked to comment to Good Morning American Weekend about our feelings about H1N1 (Swine Flu) and the vaccine, in particular. None of us were privy to the comments each other made and I think you'll find the consistency of w...

  During my recent travels to DC, I was privy to conversations about teenagers, business transaction, child care arrangements, marital issues, gossip, among other things! These conversations have occurred while someone I didn’t know was on a cell phone yabbering away in a variety of settin...

 Yes, even doc-mom bloggers get sick! It hit me last week out of the blue like a Mack truck that decloacked on a superhighway with out warning. So, I suspect it was one of the flu viruses that have been on our minds recently. I thought about attempting to blog, even fired up the computer at ...

  There’s a disturbing statistic floating about parents’ view of H1N1. According to a recent survey by CS Mott Children’s Hospital, only 40% of parents plan to get their kids the H1N1 shot. The reason: “they are not worried about H1N1”. This statistic completely stuns me given the amazi...

This week's new Autism study in Pediatrics has created a great deal of conversation...and confusion!I discussed the study today on Fox Boston to help shed some light on what this study is really about...and what we can learn about it's implications for the future of Autism: For more information, ...

  By now you’ve likely heard about the new Autism study out today in Pediatrics. It’s a solid study that adds great value to the Autism landscape. To help clarify questions raised by the study, the American Academy of Pediatrics has put together a very comprehensive Q&A that is worth ...

The Pediatrics Now September update is live and has all the latest information on H1N1 and the Seasonal flu to help you stay informed and up to date. This month's highlight's include:New School Year, New Flu Season H1N1 has sure made our lives more complicated, hasn’t it?As if one flu season was...

If your a bit confused about the H1N1 vaccine recommendations, you are in good company! They are a bit confusing because this year's flu season is a bit confusing. To add insult to injury, the recommendations for H1N1 are just similar and dissimilar enough from "seasonal flu", Influenza A&B, ...

This week is Turn Off Week, formerly TV Turn Off Week. Your mission: keep all screens off in your home for the next week, for you and your kids.There are events going on in just about every state this week so check out what's happening in your area. But, you don't have to participate in an organi...

Traditions embody so much of Rosh Hashanah that it seems fitting I republish this post each fall, on this day. And, before you ask...yes! I do know where Nana's table cloth is this year :) L'Shana Tova. ~ Dr. GwennToday is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As today approached, I found myself ...

CNN posted today that "Facebook is as large as the US Population." That's a lot of computers connecting in a lot of homes and communities all over the world but at what cost?None to Facebook. They announced today they are finally making money. But what about to us and our kids? Are we paying a pr...

Did you see these recent celebrity outbursts?First, Serena Williams on the court of of the US Open showing one of the worst displays of poor sportsmanship ever displayed by an elite athlete in a very, very long time:Second, Kanye West at last night's VMA awards attempting to steal Taylor Swift's ...

Do you use digital media to connect with your kids? I do?Here's a snapshot of my family's story as told to PBS's Digital Nation:I'd love to know how you connect with your digital natives...aka tweens and teens! Leave your stories in the comments or email me the details. ©2009 Pediatrics Now....

  In a recent interview with Dr. Oz on Good Morning America, Dr. Oz told Diane Sawyer that he doesn’t think any of the proposed health care plans will work. Why? As Dr. Oz told Diane: "What we haven't done is get to the very root reality of the flaws we have in the health care system....

Feeling frantic with the back to school frenzy already? You are in good company!I just returned from My Fox Boston where Kim Carrigan and I talked about a potpourri of topics on all of our minds this week from juggling schedules to finding time for family meals to how to keep our kids active and ...

Thank you to the Nurse Practitioners for taking the time to create the "100 Pediatric Health Blogs Every Mom Should read" list, and for including Dr. Gwenn Is In among such wonderful doctor bloggers, who do so many amazing things for the health and well being of children and families on and off l...

  Just wanted to share a great story with you. I was at a doctor’s appointment the other day when I noticed a family waiting for one of the parents to be called. The mom was called in and the dad sat there for a moment looking at these 2 very young and rambunctious kids. I looked over and...

It used to be that we'd get all our kids settled back to school and then enjoy a bit of a pause before the other shoe fell with the inevitable concern over another flu season. With Swine Flu, Influenza H1N1 not taking a summer vacation and showing no signs of letting up, we didn't have that luxur...

  I have a new pet peeve. It’s called the “willful violation of posted no cell phone zone” callers. It drives me completely bonkers! I thought about it the other day when I was waiting in a big down town Boston physician’s office waiting room. All the waiting rooms in this facility are ver...

  Nielson Wire yesterday posted a summary of a Scarborough Research study that may surprise you. According to the study, teens actually know what “being healthy” means. As reported by Nielson Wire, “92 percent percent of teens aged 13-17 say that health and a healthy lifestyle are important...

Is social media a fad? Watch this video and come to your own conclusions:Thanks to Marian Swan from Linked In's Social Media and Health Care group for circulating this around as seen on UnMarketing Blog.©2009 Pediatrics Now. All rights reserved.PEDIATRICS NOW® is a registered trademark of Pediat...

  Last Sunday I watched a review copy of CBS’s The Good Wife, which will premier on Tuesday September 22 at 10pm ET. I again watched the preview pilot with my husband and almost 15 year old daughter and we were complete riveted! The show stars Julianna Margulies and Chris Noth and is based...

  I was sent a review copy of the CBS comedy Accidentally on Purpose starring Jenna Elfman, which will debut on September 21, on CBS at 8:30pm ET. So, last Sunday I sat down with my husband and almost 15 year old daughter and tossed it in the DVD. The premise of the shows revolves around a ...