Maria, a 14-year-old girl, came to the office late one Friday morning with a chief complaint of right lower abdominal pain.   Mom was concerned that she might have an appendicitis. Maria said the pain woke her up at 6 AM and was sharp and constant. It did not radiate to her back or elsewhere […]

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As summer is rapidly coming to an end, countless sports physicals have been performed to get the student-athletes eligible for their sport.   I recently did one of these exams on a 15 year-old football player who was going to be a sophomore. He was brought in by his dad. As I was finishing my […]

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April 2025   RISKS OF WATER BEAD INGESTION in Pediatrics, vol 155, issue 2, Feb 2025 pg.58. Here is a new hazard for informed parent readers as Haugen et al describes the risks of water bead ingestion.   “Water beads consist of water-absorbent polymers made of polyacrylamide that can expand from -0.2 to 56 mm […]

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The Things That Newborns Do…..   I really enjoy the newborn visit. Usually, two days after discharge the proud parents and tiny baby come in for the first office visit. This is to monitor the baby’s weight as well as to check for jaundice. The parents are beaming with pride, yet are a bit apprehensive […]

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I was doing a well-check on a six year-old boy, and he couldn’t be any healthier. His growth and development was excellent and his blood pressure and vital signs were normal.   As we were finishing the exam, my nurse handed me the results of his urinalysis. It was normal except for a “large amount […]

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