ParentWatch presents Dr. Katz!
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| Dr. Katz, a leading Harvard pediatrician, has answered some of our parents most frequently asked questions pertaining to child care.
He completed his residency in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics.
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| Q: Our school nurse always sends children home if they have pink eye. Is it always contagious, and for how long?
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| Q: I’ve read that pacifiers may lead to ear infections. Is that true and how do you feel about pacifiers in general?
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| Q: I’m a young mother and have to work. I will be giving birth to our first child and have decided to try and breast feed, but am not sure for how long? Does it make a difference how long?
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| Q: My 4-year-old son’s daycare school had an outbreak of what was diagnosed as fifth disease. How did it get that unusual name? Can you tell me something about the disease?
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| Q: Each year there seems to be more and more vaccinations for my child. Is there any risk involved in getting all these vaccinations?
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| Q: A friend told me that breast milk causes jaundice. Is it serious and does it mean breast-feeding has to be stopped?
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| Q: My one-year-old bites his playmates at school and he bites us at home. Do you have any advice to get him to stop biting?
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| My 7 year old is at the 5th percentile for height. How can I know if he is growing normally?
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| Q: My 10-year-old son gets frequent headaches. He’s very high strung and I’ve always thought they were caused by stress. Do you think a doctor should see him?
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| Q: My son is seven-months-old and attends day care. It seems as though he barely gets over one cold or minor illness before the next is starting. What can I do about this?
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| Q: My child was sent home from day care with head lice. I was so embarrassed. They won’t let him back until all the, I think they called them nits, are gone. What are nits? How can you get them off?
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| Q: My child has one nose bleed after another. Sometimes I have trouble stopping them. What is recommended to stop the bleeding?
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| Q: What is impetigo? Someone told me it could come from dirt. Is that true?
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| Q: When should my baby’s first tooth come in? When should we make our first appointment to see a dentist?
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| Q: Can you tell me something about the tubes that are put in the ear for fluid? What do they actually do?
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| Q: I’m confused. What is the difference between a kidney infection and a urinary tract infection? Aren’t they the same thing?
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| Q: My 14-year-old says that acne is not caused by chocolate. I always thought it was. Is he right?
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| Q: My 9-year-old son is still wetting his bed. He has been invited to sleep over at a friend’s house, but is too embarrassed to go. What can we do to help his problem?
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| Q: I’m not sure that I should give my child the new chickenpox vaccine. I’ve read that it might wear off. Do you recommend it?
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| Q: Can you tell me something about pinworms? Can dogs spread them? I also heard that they could be spread in the air. Is that true?
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| Q: What’s the safest car seat? When can my 5-year-old child ride in the front seat with the car’s lap and shoulder straps?
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| Q: How can I tell if my baby has a yeast diaper rash? Is there a special cream I can use? Will cloth diapers help?
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| Q: I read in the papers about a teenager who saved his little 3-year-old brother’s life with a Heimlich maneuver. He had choked on a grape and suddenly turned blue. How can I learn to do it?
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| Q: We were at the beach this summer and had to cut our vacation short because of severe sunburn in our 3-year-old. Now we are planning a ski vacation. Can you tell me something about preventing sunburn? What does “SPF” really mean, and what else should I look for in a sunscreen?
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| Q: What’s the difference between tonsillitis and pharyngitis, and strep throat?
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| Q: When my 3-year-old child has a cough, I usually call my doctor to decide if he wants to see her. Last time he said it’s probably croup. I was surprised that he didn’t prescribe an antibiotic. Can you tell me something about croup?
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| Q: My 16-month-old has been constipated off and on for the last year. I have been trying prune juice, but it doesn’t work. Could something seriously be wrong?
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| Q: My child gets severe poison ivy every year. Is there a shot to prevent it? Also, a friend of mine thinks it’s contagious and I believe it isn’t. Who is correct?
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| Q: Our son is almost six-months-old, and was born seven weeks prematurely. He is a happy baby during the day, but at night sometimes wakes up distraught and crying. Could these be nightmares?
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Q: What do you think about swimming lessons for infants? My baby is a year old. A friend is putting pressure on me to enroll her in a swimming class along with her 15- month-old. There will be six other babies about the same age. She says it will be great fun and it will teach our babies water safety.
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Q: "I’ve read that it’s now best to place babies on their back when they sleep, but I’m uncomfortable doing this for my 3-month-old daughter. Have guidelines really changed? Should I be worried?"
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Q: "Is fever harmful? I've heard that high fever can cause brain damage."
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