Health & Milestones

Celiac Diagnosis in Kids: Blood Tests, Biopsy, and the Gluten Challenge

If you are in the testing stage for celiac disease, you are probably living in limbo. Your child is uncomfortable, you are trying to do the right thing, and every instinct is screaming, “Let’s just cut gluten and see if it helps.” I get it. I used to be the triage nurse on the phone telling parents...

Craniosynostosis vs. Positional Flat Spots

If you have found yourself staring at your baby’s head from every angle under the living room lamp, welcome to one of the most common parent spirals. I saw it constantly as a pediatric triage nurse, and I have absolutely done it with my own three kids. Many head shape changes in infancy are...

Toddler Buckle Fracture After a Fall: Wrist Pain With Little Swelling

If your toddler took a seemingly small tumble and now refuses to use their hand, you are not overreacting. One common injury after a low-energy fall is a buckle fracture (also called a torus fracture ) of the wrist. It can be sneaky because swelling may be minimal and your child might not point to...

BRUE in Infants: What It Means and When to Follow Up

If you have ever watched your baby suddenly go quiet, change color, or seem “not quite there” for a few seconds, you already know this truth: a short event can feel like an eternity. In pediatrics, one label you might hear after a scary episode that resolves quickly is BRUE , short for Brief...

Breast Milk Jaundice in Newborns

If your newborn still looks a little yellow and you are breastfeeding, it can feel like the internet has two settings: “totally normal” or “go to the ER right now.” Let’s turn the volume down. There are two common breastfeeding-adjacent reasons jaundice can linger, and they sound confusingly...

Perioral Dermatitis in Kids

If your child has a cluster of tiny red bumps around their mouth (sometimes around the nose or eyes, too) and it keeps coming back no matter how much “eczema cream” you use (especially steroid creams), you are not imagining things. There is a common, very frustrating rash called perioral dermatitis...

CMV in Newborns: Screening, Breast Milk, and Next Steps

If you have just heard the words cytomegalovirus or CMV next to your newborn’s name, take a breath. CMV is common, and most babies who are exposed after birth (including through close contact or breast milk) do very well. And even with congenital CMV (infection during pregnancy), most babies are...

Newborn Hearing Screening “Refer”: What It Means and What Happens Next

If your newborn’s hearing screen came back as “refer” , I want you to take one slow breath. In the hospital world, “refer” is a frustrating word because it sounds like “failed,” but it really means: your baby needs a repeat screen or a more detailed follow-up test . It is not a diagnosis. As a...

Group B Strep in Pregnancy

If your prenatal lab results just came back with “GBS positive,” take a breath. I know it can sound scary in the middle of an already intense season of life. In pediatric triage, I saw a lot of parents spiral after reading late-night internet horror stories. The truth is this: Group B Strep is very...

Postpartum Preeclampsia: High Blood Pressure After Birth

Most parents expect the tough stuff to happen during pregnancy and delivery. Then the baby arrives, you go home, and everyone assumes the danger zone is over. But there is one postpartum complication I always want families to have on their radar: postpartum preeclampsia . It can show up after...

Infantile Spasms: Subtle “Jackknife” Movements and When to Get Help

If you have ever watched your baby do a quick little crunch, a head bob, or a sudden “folding” at the waist and thought, Was that… a seizure? you are not alone. Some seizure types are obvious. Infantile spasms often are not. They can look like tiny movements that come and go in clusters, especially...

Breast Abscess While Breastfeeding

When you are breastfeeding, it is normal to wonder, Is this just mastitis… or is something more going on? Most breast infections improve with the right plan. But sometimes a pocket of infection forms that antibiotics alone often cannot fix. That is called a breast abscess , and it deserves quick,...

Flu in Babies Under 12 Months: Red Flags and When to Call the Doctor

If you are reading this with one hand while the other holds a warm, fussy baby, I see you. Flu season can feel extra scary in the first year of life, not because you are doing anything wrong, but because babies have tiny airways, less ability to compensate when sick, and they dehydrate faster than...

COVID-19 in Babies Under 1: Symptoms, Feeding, and Care at Home

If you are reading this at 2 or 3 AM with a warm little baby on your chest and a cold knot in your stomach, take a breath. Many infants who get COVID-19 have mild symptoms and recover with supportive care at home, but very young babies can get sick faster than older kids. The tricky part is that...

Childhood Scoliosis: Ribs, Asymmetry, and When to Check a Spine

If you have ever stared at your child’s back while they brush their teeth and thought, “Are those ribs uneven?”, welcome to a very normal parenting moment. Sometimes what you’re seeing is posture, growth, or muscle tone. Sometimes it is scoliosis, a true curve of the spine that can change during...

Testicular Torsion in Boys: When Sudden Scrotal Pain Is an Emergency

If your son has sudden testicle or scrotum pain, I want you to hear this clearly: this can be an emergency that needs surgery within hours . Testicular torsion is one of those rare parenting moments where “wait and see” is not the safe move. I know that is scary. It is also empowering, because when...

Laryngomalacia: Noisy Breathing in Newborns

If your newborn makes a high-pitched squeaky sound when they breathe in, you are not alone. As a pediatric nurse and a mom who has done plenty of 3 AM "is this normal?" listening sessions, I can tell you this: noisy breathing can look dramatic and still be harmless . One of the most common reasons...

In-Toeing and Out-Toeing in Toddlers

If your toddler suddenly looks like they are walking “pigeon-toed” (toes in) or “duck-footed” (toes out), you are in very good company. I saw this all the time as a triage nurse, and I have also done the late-night hallway stare-down with my own kids thinking, Is that new? The good news is that...

Your Baby’s First Dental Visit

That first tiny tooth is equal parts adorable and slightly alarming. Suddenly you are responsible for dental hygiene on someone who thinks toothpaste is a food group and the exam chair is a jungle gym. The good news is that a baby’s first dental visit is usually quick, gentle, and more about...

Fluoride Toothpaste for Babies and Toddlers: Safe Amounts by Age

If you have ever tried to brush a tiny human’s teeth, you already know the truth: most toothpaste does not get “spit.” It gets licked, swallowed, or smeared on a cheek like frosting. The good news is that fluoride toothpaste is still safe and recommended for babies and toddlers when you use the...