The first time I meet the parents of a newborn, I always give them a little lecture. In order to be a good parent, I say, you have to take care of yourself first. You cannot be a good parent (or a good partner, or good at your job) unless you are well rested and [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘General Commentary’
May 11, 2009
Humor in Chaos: Watching The Swine Flu Epidemic Evolve
As I said in a previous post, being on the front line of a potential global pandemic is fascinating and not a little scary. Since I shared my thoughts about swine flu, it appears that though the disease continues to spread, it is currently neither as contagious nor as deadly as experts feared. We will [...]
April 14, 2009
It’s All Fun And Games Until Someone Pokes An Ear Out
I have been getting great pleasure from parents telling me about how their children evoke my name at home (ah, the ego). A 3-year-old patient of mine recently got a *very* small splinter and said to her mother: “If this doesn’t get better soon I’ll have to go and see Dr. Kim.” I think she [...]
March 18, 2009
Teething Woes: Tools to Soothe Teething Pain
The mother of one of my patients, who herself is a doctor (a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases), walked into my office the other day saying: “I’ve just realized that I have been killing my child.” What could make this mother fear for the health of her 6-month-old child, despite the excellent care of two [...]
February 19, 2009
Fresh or Frozen: Assisted Reproductive Technology Works Both Ways
I knew that one of my favorite families had two sons who were conceived through IVF but I hadn’t asked their mother the details. On a recent visit for the younger child’s checkup, I did. “Our first was fresh”, she said. “This one”, she said, pointing to the giggling, curious, healthy 6 month old on [...]
February 12, 2009
Rejoicing in Wrinkles: How to Pick a Pediatrician
As a relatively young female physician, I need to balance professionalism and personality. I try to be a young, hip, vibrant pediatrician that connects with parents and kids, while at the same time projecting an air of competence, authority, and even wisdom so that families trust me. I have a relatively informal manner, and I [...]
January 15, 2009
Tip for Masking Medication Taste
Does your child refuse to take medicine? Have you been sent home with a completely unpalatable concoction? In a previous post I wrote about a patient who refuses her medicine. I gave her mother this photocopied and pencil-annotated list, which is rumored to have been created by someone on the pediatric hematology-oncology service at University of California, [...]
January 12, 2009
A Spoonful of Sugar, Peanut Butter, or Grape Juice: How to Get Kids to Take Their Medicine
What is it about some kids? Some kids take their medicine (ok, expect the really disgusting ones) without a peep. Some even love the taste of medicines and ask for them when they’re not ill at all. I was one of these strange kids. Grape-flavored dimetapp was definitely incentive to develop a little sniffle. Most [...]
January 1, 2009
Beginnings…
“I’m going to break my child!” Every day in my pediatrics practice in San Francisco, California, parents come into my office in a bit of a tizzy. Or a really big tizzy. It is my job, one in which I take great pleasure, to help to calm their worries. Who can blame parents [...]
A Pediatrician's Insights on Child Health, Parenting and Doctoring Kids
October 21, 2009
In the News: Detoxifying Fakery
You must listen to this hilarious piece from one of my favorite local public radio reporters, Sarah Varney. She starts her report with this: “I know, you’re probably thinking, what kind of moron would believe that a toxin sucking foot pad could work. Well, the photos on the front of the box are really convincing.” [...]
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Filed under General Commentary, In The News