Caring for children born with complex heart conditions can be challenging and stressful for families. Treatment involves long hospital stays and sometimes multiple open heart surgeries. Being well enough to go home is a big step, and the transition from round-the-clock hospital care to home requires education and close monitoring. These complex conditions such as…
Pediatric cardiologist Sarah J. Wilkens, M.D., MPH, has trained to care for the sickest children — heart failure and transplant patients. “Ultimately what motivates me are the patients and trying to support their families in these difficult situations,” Dr. Wilkens said. Equally important, she said, is seeing her patients as they grow up — then…
Face masks can be dangerous for babies and toddlers under age 2, but there are steps you can take to protect the little ones from the coronavirus. Babies and toddlers have smaller airways, making breathing through a face mask more difficult than for adults. If they do have trouble breathing, they can’t tell anyone and…
While an abbreviated major league season is just getting underway, much younger pitchers and catchers have been playing at baseball fields across the U.S. As baseball is one of the youth sports where it is somewhat easier to practice social distancing to prevent spread of the coronavirus, many programs have continued this summer. So have…
Keeping healthy during this time is crucial — when was the last time your child saw their doctor? Norton Children’s practices and facilities have resumed all services as before the coronavirus outbreak, while taking extra precautions to keep you and your child safer. If you’ve been putting off vaccinations, a well-baby visit or other medical care…
When was the last time your child saw their pediatrician? Norton Children’s practices and facilities have resumed all services as before the coronavirus outbreak, while taking extra precautions to keep you and your child safer. If you’ve been putting off vaccinations, a well-baby visit or other medical care for your child during the pandemic, you may…
Maybe it’s growing pains or the kind of soreness that any active kid is going to experience. But when is joint pain in children something to take seriously? If joint pain, swelling or stiffness lasts for more than a week without starting to improve, you should make an appointment with a provider who is knowledgeable…
According to Safe Sleep Kentucky, the state’s infant mortality rate is almost double the national average. Safe sleep practices can reduce the risk of any infant dying. What do parents need to know about safe baby sleep practices? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends infants should be placed on their backs for every sleep by…
To jump or not? Trampolines are popular fixtures in backyards, and trampoline parks are popular in cities across the U.S. But how dangerous are trampolines? Pediatric orthopedic surgeons warn about trampoline use and accidents that cause broken arms, wrists, elbows and legs, as well as knee and joint injuries. “We see an increasing number of…
Mothers who experience heavy periods may expect that their daughters will have the same fate. If you’ve had heavy periods and consider it as just “something to deal with,” it may not be the same for your child. Menstruation varies from person to person. What’s considered normal, and what’s considered excessive blood loss for a…
It’s not always easy to practice social distancing with kids. Kids love to explore and play together — so asking them to keep their distance can be tough. But there are ways that parents can teach social distancing — “keeping our hands to ourselves” — that can help families stay healthy together. Norton Children’s wants…
Eli Thompson dreams of becoming a basketball coach. While the sophomore at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, may have his sights set on championship wins on the court, he has achieved an even bigger win in his young life. Eli is a leukemia survivor, beating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common…