Just say the words head lice and you’ll have parents, teachers and pediatricians cringing. These little creatures, about the size of a sesame seed, mostly affect school-aged children between 2 and 12 years old. Lice also create unnecessary fear and panic.

With the cold weather and snow finally here, I’m just waiting for the calls from worried parents about lice and nits …Continue reading this post

New parents have a lot of questions. Two of the most common are when to start looking for a pediatrician and how to find a pediatrician.

Honestly, it’s never too early to start looking for a pediatrician. Once you know you’re pregnant, go ahead and start the search. However, first be sure you understand the difference between …Continue reading this post

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week on a study that found having older siblings already vaccinated for chickenpox reduced the likelihood of infants developing chickenpox by 90 percent. Other medical studies have shown similar large decreases in the number of infants who got sick with measles, whooping cough and the flu when their families were up to date on vaccinations. These studies are a reminder that young infants are more vulnerable to many diseases. The younger infants are when they get sick, the more likely …Continue reading this post

Recently, I was privileged to attend the Health Care Heroes Awards program sponsored by BizTimes, a biweekly news magazine here in Milwaukee. During this event, Robert Rohloff, MD, a pediatrician at Children’s Medical Group Southwest Pediatrics, was honored as a health care hero.

Dr. Rohloff was recognized for his work instituting a more family-centered way of caring for kids that led to a change in the clinic’s approach to health care. This medical home model is being implemented more widely across the country, and thanks to Dr. Rohloff, Southwest Pediatrics is …Continue reading this post

A number of children in the Milwaukee metro area recently have been diagnosed with pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough. Whooping cough is particularly worrisome for parents of infants, because children have to be 2 months old to receive the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine.

Whooping cough is a highly contagious respiratory infection. Although it first seems like a regular cold, whooping cough can turn more serious. It causes coughing so bad that it’s …Continue reading this post