Dr. Perlstein received his Medical Degree from the University of Cincinnati and then completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at The New York Hospital, Cornell medical Center in New York City. After serving an additional year as Chief Pediatric Resident, he worked as a private practitioner and then was appointed Director of Ambulatory Pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
First of all, remember you are not alone. This is a very common problem (up to 25%
of all babies suffer from colic). Discuss your concerns with your pediatrician
and talk to other parents or relatives who have had similar experiences. Also
keep in mind that colic generally occurs in big, healthy, active, vigorous
babies who are great eaters and who grow very well. Sickly, poor-feeding,
unhealthy babies or babies with significant underlying problems may well be
cranky, miserable, and unhappy; however, these infants tend to be this way most
of the time, whereas the baby with colic generally has episodes at a very
predictable ("set your clock by the beginning and end") time of the day.
Here are some suggestions:
Do not overfeed! Stick to your baby's regular feeding
schedule of timing and amount of milk taken, as measured in ounces
in the bottle-fed baby or in minutes on the breast in the breastfed
baby.
Breastfeeding mothers should avoid milk products ("you
don't have to drink milk to make milk"), caffeine, onions,
cabbage, beans, broccoli, and other gas-producing, irritating foods.
Be sure that if your baby is taking juices, that they are very
diluted, or just offer plain water. If babies are really thirsty,
they will drink it.
Avoid juices (young infants should not be drinking juice anyway).
In the formula-fed baby, try changing to a formula containing whey
hydrolysate (such as Good Start) or try a low-allergy formula (such as Nutramigen, Alimentum, or
Pregestimil). Some research suggests that making these changes can result in a decrease in the number of episodes and duration of symptoms in some infants. It is worth the expense of a week's trial to see if the formula is at all contributing to the colic.
Take a break! When the
anxiety, fear, and tension get to be too much (or perhaps an hour
before!), try to have someone else watch the baby, even for
an hour, and leave the house. Try to keep a positive attitude.
Try walking the baby in a front-pouch-style carrier with his
legs drawn up and pressure off of his belly.
Though there is no clear evidence that physical stimulation helps, many parents swear by it. Some babies seem to be soothed by rhythmic, steady movements, like rocking gently or by sounds, like running the vacuum, or having the clothes dryer within earshot. (Never leave a baby unattended near the dryer, as there is a serious risk of injury.)
Wrap the baby firmly in a comfortable blanket
("swaddling").
Medications, such as simethicone (Phazyme, Flatulex, Mylicon, Gas-X, Mylanta Gas), and other homeopathic treatments have not conclusively proven to be more effective than placebo (sugar pill) and should be avoided unless prescribed by your infant's medical provider. Hyoscyamine (Levsin), an antispasmodic medication used to treat adults with various intestinal ailments, has been associated with serious side effects in young infants.
Recently, there have been some interesting results using certain probiotics (dietary supplements containing live bacteria or yeast and used to aid digestion). It is important to discuss these options with your provider prior to using them.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension and fear characterized by physical symptoms. Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 million American adults.
Gas or "intestinal gas" means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching or farting (passing it through the rectum).
Stress occurs when forces from the outside world impinge on the individual. Stress is a normal part of life. However, over-stress, can be harmful. There is now speculation, as well as some evidence, that points to the abnormal stress responses as being involved in causing various diseases or conditions.
E. coli is the most common cause of bladder infections. Bladder infection symptoms and signs include frequent urination, burning urination, and foul smelling urine. Mild bladder infections may go away by increasing one's intake of fluid. More severe infections may be treated with a few days of antibiotics.
The most common food allergies are to eggs, nuts, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish, strawberries and tomatoes. Symptoms and signs include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, itching, hives, eczema, asthma, lightheadedness, and anaphylaxis. Allergy skin tests, RAST, and ELISA tests may be used to diagnose a food allergy. Though dietary avoidance may be sufficient treatment for mild allergies, the use of an Epipen may be necessary for severe food allergies.
An allergy refers to a misguided reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. When these allergens come in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to it. It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions. The parts of the body that are prone to react to allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and stomach. Common allergic disorders include hay fever, asthma, allergic eyes, allergic eczema, hives, and allergic shock.
It's important to know whether you will breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby prior to delivery, as the breasts' ability to produce milk diminishes soon after childbirth without the stimulation of breastfeeding. Breast milk is easily digested by babies and contains infection-fighting antibodies and cholesterol, which promotes brain growth. Formula-fed babies actually need to eat somewhat less often since formula is less readily digested by the baby than human milk. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of feeding.
Good parenting helps foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness, says Steinberg, a distinguished professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia. It also promotes intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve. It helps protect children from developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, antisocial behavior, and alcohol and drug abuse.
Intussusception is the telescoping (prolapse) of a portion of the intestine within another immediately adjacent portion of intestine. Intussusception affects children between the ages of 3 months and 6 years of age. The causes of intussusception is not clearly understood. Symptoms of intussusception include bilious vomiting, "currant jelly stool," and colicky abdominal pain. Intussusception is an emergency requires immediate attention.
Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
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