Author Archive for: ‘DrNinaShapiro’
Happy Halloween! Trick or Choke?
What child doesn’t love Halloween? In fifteen years as a pediatric ear, nose, and throat doctor, Halloween is always my slowest workday. What parent would dare subject their child to a doctor’s appointment, or (perish the thought!) a surgery, on the most sacred of sugar-filled days? Everyone gets involved; newborns don some sort of cute, […]
Continue Reading —›
Back to School? Wash Your Hands and Get Your Shots!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… no, not that time… it’s back-to-school-time. And parents everywhere are singing a tune even more joyous than a Christmas carol! And although we live in Los Angeles, and, instead of feeling that cool crispy fall air, we feel the heavy heat of the Santa Ana winds rolling […]
Continue Reading —›
Why Kids Drown in Kiddie Pools
Summer’s here. We’re back in the pool, lake, ocean, or river. But the carefree days of our seemingly endless summers are long gone. Any of us with small children are keenly aware of the risks of drowning for our little ones. And regardless of your views on the Casey Anthony case, and what caused little […]
Continue Reading —›
The Cost of Human Error
In September 2010, a seasoned pediatric intensive care unit nurse administered an accidental overdose to a critically ill baby, giving ten times the amount of calcium that was prescribed. Five days later, this baby, with an already tenuous heart condition, died. The nurse recognized her mistake immediately, informed her superior, and also told the family […]
Continue Reading —›
Pertussis Can Be Fatal: Get Vaccinated
I’ve heard so many reasons from parents, both in my office as well as on the playground, why they choose not to vaccinate their kids: “I’m terrified that they will be that one kid with a rare metabolic disorder who becomes autistic FROM the vaccine”. “She’s so little. I don’t want her body exposed to […]
Continue Reading —›
Don’t Smoke. Really.
The FDA issued a statement this week (June 20, 2011) that cigarettes packages and cigarette ads will have not only harsh warning labels, but will also have graphic photos demonstrating the nasty effects of this habit. Some of the photos include a man who’s had his voice box removed (presumably as a result of a […]
Continue Reading —›
Tonsils: Take ‘em or Leave ‘em
Tonsillectomy used to be a routine rite of passage for children worldwide. Literally millions of kids would get their tonsils out each year in the United States alone. Oftentimes, if one child in the family was having their tonsils removed, the siblings would follow suit, often without a clear medical indication to do so, but […]
Continue Reading —›website by Trillamar Webcraft