RSV: What Parents Need to Know This 2025-2026 Season
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, typically starts in late fall and peaks in winter. As of October 2025, RSV activity is increasing in some parts of the country, and reports expect moderate RSV activity this year, similar to the 2024-2025 season. RSV Symptoms RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes symptoms similar to a […]
Survive Cold and Flu Season: Your Ultimate Rescue Kit
Ready to survive this cold and flu season and keep your family healthy and feeling their best? This 2025-2026 cold and flu season is currently assessed as more severe than years prior (moderate severity assessment). Below are some key statistics about this season as of the end of December. Be sure to monitor weekly flu […]
How to Limit Sugar on Halloween
I always recommend to limit sugar on Halloween as an integrative pediatrician. Despite this, Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. My elementary school in Avon Lake, Ohio, circa 1980, had a big Halloween costume contest each year. One year, I decided early on that I was going to win. The preparation for my witch costume started […]
Household Triggers of Eczema: How to Reduce Irritants
Is your home making your child’s eczema worse? Let’s explore the hidden household triggers of eczema. I’ve talked a lot about how both the skin and the gut microbiome affect eczema. While these do have a profound impact on eczema, I want to shine a light on something that we often see fly under the radar: the environment inside your […]
No Sick Days: How to Keep Kids Healthy at School
The new school year is right around the corner (or has already begun!) and that means books, homework, and sometimes a sick child. Around this time of year, I get a lot of quesitons from parents who want to know what I recommend to help keep kids healthy at school. I can’t help with books or homework (sorry […]
Back-to-school Checklist: Start the School Year Strong
Summer is nearly over, and it’s time to start getting your back-to-school checklist together. For some of you readers, you are gearing up to send your child off to college. This guide is tailored toward kids who are going to college, but it is a great checklist even if your kids are still in gradeschool. Regardless of what […]
Summer Constipation: How to Find Relief
If you read my blogs often, you know I talk a lot about diarrhea and bowel movements. Today, we’re talking about the other end of the spectrum… summer constipation. Constipation might not seem like a “summer thing,” but you’d be surprised how often it shows up when children (and adults) are out of their usual routine. This can be […]
How to Avoid Post-Pool Day Meltdowns
Have you ever Googled: “Why is my child losing it after swimming?” Your child is sobbing over a soggy Goldfish cracker. You’re gripping the steering wheel like it’s a stress ball. Sound familiar? Let’s talk about why pool days often end in total emotional chaos, and, more importantly, how to stop the meltdowns before they start. Here are three surprising […]
How to Treat Mosquito Bites: Our Body’s Histamine Response
Camping season is here… which means s’mores, swims, and… swarms of mosquitos (and their bites, unfortunately). So if you’re wondering how to treat mosquito bites, then you’ll want to keep reading. What is a mosquito bite, anyway? When a mosquito bites, it injects a tiny bit of saliva into the skin. This saliva contains proteins […]
Molluscum Contagiosum: What Parents Need to Know
It seems about once a month, I get an email from parents asking how to treat their child’s wart(s). Typically, these parents are asking about molluscum contagiosum. These are common, yet irritating skin conditions that are common in childhood. They are caused by a virus and are easily transmitted through direct contact with the skin […]
