Influenza is here, including in my house. Influenza is the disease you and your kids (hopefully) got the flu shot for. It is a respiratory illness with high fevers up to 104 degrees for up to 5 days, chills, headache, cough, runny nose, sore throat, myalgias (muscle or joint pain) and malaise. It is not the “stomach flu”. …Continue reading →
David Melbye, MD
Fifth’s disease
I have seen three children with Fifth’s disease this week so I thought I would pass along some information about it. There are also diseases 1-4 and 6, but I won’t bore you with those details. …Continue reading →
What’s a parent to do? More on VapoRub
With so much recent info about children’s cough and cold medicines, including VapoRub, it leaves parents wondering what exactly they can do for their children who are sniffling, sneezing, and coughing.
An article I was asked to contribute to, Watchful Waiting, in Tuesday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel addresses this very issue.
Should I stop using VapoRub?
There has been a lot of talk about VapoRub recently in the news. It all stems from an article published in Chest, a medical journal. When researchers at Wake Forest studied the effects of VapoRub on ferret tracheas (apparently their tracheas are very similar to ours, who knew?), they found that it caused increased mucous secretion which is the opposite of what you want when your child has a cold. …Continue reading →
Peanut butter recall: What you should know
I’m sure you all are aware of the peanut butter recall because of the possibility of Salmonella exposure. Check your cupboards to make sure you don’t have any products on the list (recall list link). This does not affect major brands of jar peanut butter or girl scout cookies. Salmonella is a bacteria that causes fever, abdominal cramping and diarrhea that often is bloody. …Continue reading →