The hard part of getting a flu shot used to be deciding whether or not you wanted one.

This year, the hard part is finding one.
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Busy pediatric offices, where parents likely had trouble making appointments, lots of absences at area schools, and even shortages of Tamiflu, all pointed to a rise in flu cases.

And high levels of flu cases means a high level of swine flu cases, since the CDC reports that 99% of all subtyped flu A viruses being reported to them are indeed the 2009 H1N1 swine flu virus.
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Although swine flu never really seemed to go away since it began last spring, as we continued to see a small number of cases all summer, it has really started to pick up the last few weeks since kids went back to school.

Surprisingly, Texas is not one of the 21 states that is seeing widespread cases of flu yet. We are still just seeing regional flu activity here, which likely means that we can expect to see more and more flu cases in the weeks and months to come.
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Since most kids get off of their routines during the summer, back to school often means getting back to a regular sleep schedule.

Unfortunately, although most kids may have a very inconsistent sleep schedule in the summer, since they may not have to get up early in the morning, they may get more sleep in the summer than at any other time during the year.

How many hours does your child sleep in the summer when he is able to wake up naturally?

How many does he get during the school year?
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Your pediatrician has likely been busy this summer, but not seeing sick kids, like he or she might in the winter. Instead, this is a time of year that many pediatricians and parents get caught up on well child exams, sports physicals, and immunizations.

It can also be a good time for a back to school check-up, especially if your child has any kind of medical problem like allergies, asthma, food allergies, or ADHD, etc.
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If your child is entering either kindergarten or the seventh grade, then you are likely aware of the new school immunization requirements in Texas, including that children:

• entering kindergarten in the fall need to have had 2 doses of MMR, 2 doses of Hepatitis A, and 2 doses of the chickenpox vaccine.
• entering the 7th grade in the fall need to have had 2 doses of the chickenpox vaccine, plus his 12 year boosters, which include the Tdap and Menactra vaccines.

Of course, this is in addition to all of the other immunizations that children routinely get as part of their routine vaccine requirements.

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Chiggers are a typical summer time nuisance that seem particulary bad this year.

And since what most people know about chiggers are myths and old wives tales that aren't very helpful, that leaves children even more miserable when they get bit by chiggers.

Among the myths about chiggers are that they:

• are insects
• burrow under your skin
• should be treated with nail polish or bleach baths
  

The facts are that chiggers are a type of tiny mite that is easily scratched off while it is feeding on your skin. Since chiggers rarely stick around very long, treatments should usually target the main symptom that your child will have after a chigger bite -- itching. And you don't need to suffocate a chigger with nail polish or bleach.
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The FDA and CDC are warning people to not eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough because they may be linked to an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7.

Nestlé has voluntarily recalled all of these Nestlé TOLL HOUSE refrigerated cookie dough products and advises that you should either throw them away or return them to your grocery store for a refund. This includes all varieties of Nestlé TOLL HOUSE refrigerated Cookie Bar Dough, Cookie Dough Tub, Cookie Dough Tube, Limited Edition Cookie Dough items, Seasonal Cookie Dough and Ultimates Cookie Bar Dough.

It does not include any other Nestlé TOLL HOUSE products, including already baked TOLL HOUSE cookies purchased outside the home, all varieties of Nestlé TOLL HOUSE morsels, chocolate baking bars, or cocoa, and Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream products with Nestlé TOLL HOUSE cookie dough ingredients.

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Vaccines are important. In fact, some people would call them one of the most important health achievements of the 20th century.

Of course, some people would debate that fact.

There is no debate that vaccines can be expensive though. 

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It likely seems like just about every kid has their own cell phone these days.

Cell phone companies that offer free phones and family plans that make it relatively inexpensive to add an extra phone for the kids don't make it easy to hold off kids who want a phone either.

While a cell phone can be almost essential for teens these days, especially once they start driving, it seems like kids are getting cell phones at younger and younger ages.

Should you get your kids a cell phone?

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