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Breastfeeding Challenges When I had my first child, I had no idea that breastfeeding would take work. Like most babies born at or after their due date, my newborn daughter was equipped with the instincts and energy necessary to nurse. But first I had to cue those innate responses –…
Who knew summer could be a health hazard? Yet it is: As Layla O’Leary, outreach coordinator of the UVA Children’s Fitness Clinic, explains, whether it’s the heat, camp costs, or safety reasons, many families find summer to be a “sneaky pitfall. ... While some kids do participate in camp and…
About 32 percent of children and teens in the United States are obese or overweight — a number that’s tripled in the last 30 years, according to the government And all of this extra weight jeopardizes the long-term health of these children. “It’s not about what a child weighs,” says…
Cookouts, patriotic parades and fireworks. What better way to celebrate the summer and our nation’s founding? But the Fourth of July is also a potentially dangerous holiday. Fireworks cause injuries and fires every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2008 fireworks injured 7,000 people and…
Kim Carson knows first hand how scary it can be to have a baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (also called the NICU). That’s why when our Baby Cuddler volunteer program started at UVA in 2009, she was one of the first to sign up. “It’s near and dear…
Katie Norcross is a first-time expectant mom and a program coordinator at UVA. She recently took UVA’s Preparing for Birth and Baby class and shared her experience with us. Katie’s little girl is due July 8. [caption id="attachment_795" align="alignright" width="300"] Expectant mom Katie Norcross took UVA's Preparing for Birth and…
Does your child snore loudly? Did you know loud snoring is most often the result of obstructive sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder for adults and children? Sleep apnea is a condition marked by snoring and gasping for breath during sleep. In children, it’s often caused by oversized tonsils or…
Kristen Burns, social worker for UVA's Comprehensive Pediatric Sickle Cell Program, contributed this post. June 19 is World Sickle Cell Day. The National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 80,000 Americans have this disease, and one in 500 African-Americans are born with it. Every baby in Virginia is tested for…
Sometimes it’s the little things that can mean so much: a warm smile, taking a few extra seconds, holding a door. They may seem small, but they can make a difference. Snow for One Pediatric Patient For one nurse, going the extra mile meant venturing outside last year to get…
"Sunscreen time!" "I don't want it!" Sound familiar? Getting kids, whether toddlers or teenagers, to stand still long enough for you to adequately cover them with sunscreen can be a daunting task. But it's a crucial one; children get most of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18. And since…
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