Children’s Health Category
Through the GenerationsDr. Amy’s Inaugural Children’s Book
Desert Health contributor Amy Austin, RN, PsyD, LMFT has published a warm and educational children’s book based on real characters from her own life. The book tells the story of Shaina, a striking black poodle, and her best friend Chuckles, a llama. The unlikely pair were actual friends and Shaina, Read more…
Through the GenerationsWhat My Mother Taught Me
My mother and I could not have been more opposite. She said I came out of the womb with my little fingers daintily pointing into the air. She was one of 11, born to a fruit and vegetable peddler father and a mother who emigrated from Romania and tried her Read more…
Medical NewsChildbearing in the Time of COVID-19
I deeply feel for my pregnant patients right now. I really do. What is supposed to be a time of joy, hope, and excitement has, for the most part, become a time of stress, anxiety and uncertainty. An event that usually brings families together has, unfortunately morphed into a solitary Read more…
Medical NewsOral Health in Children
As children grow, it’s important to monitor their oral health and development. Preventing many common problems is easier than trying to correct them once they arise. Being aware of how to take care of our children’s teeth and what issues to look for can help immensely in development. We usually Read more…
Medical NewsOnline Learning: The New Educational Medium?
In 2020, not only has technology proven to be a vital resource in business, educational and governmental environments, it continues to serve as another potential replacement to jobs that were once firmly secured by a warm human brain. It was once thought that teachers could never be replaced. From the Read more…
Natural OptionsGeneration Z’s Challenge to Hold
Families across America are witnessing snapshots of high school seniors graduating respectably this year without prom or public ceremonies. The media has focused on Generation Z and the impact this moment has on young adults abruptly finishing school with absent closure and the unknown of how and when college commences. Read more…
Natural Options“My Tummy Hurts”
One of the most common reasons for a child’s doctor visit is digestive complaints. Children can experience chronic abdominal pain, intermittent abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea and general discomfort from eating. These symptoms often cause them to miss school, leave school early or refrain from social activities. Parents may try at-home Read more…
Through the GenerationsNick’s Story
Pregnancy is a wondrous time. It is filled with joy and anticipation and daydreams of what is to come. But what if midway through the pregnancy that joyous daydream is interrupted with news of a problem? My son, Nicholas, had a condition called congenital hydrocephalus which was diagnosed at my Read more…
Through the GenerationsTeaching Kindness and Addressing Bullying
In today’s school age children, acts of bullying can begin as early as preschool years and continue to escalate throughout the elementary years and beyond. Bullying is a distinctive pattern of harming and humiliating others.1 Nearly a third of children 12-18 years old report experiencing bullying by being made fun Read more…
FitnessOvertraining Youth Athletes
One evening I was working with a group of young athletes from various sports, and one stood out because of the way her body wasn’t responding to the warm-ups. This fourteen-year-old was pale and appeared very sluggish and somewhat disoriented. I pulled her aside and asked how she was feeling. Read more…
Financial HealthHow to Talk to Your Kids About The “S” Word…SAVINGS!
It’s back to school time again and excitement is in the air for students and parents. Whether the kids are starting kindergarten, heading off to college, or somewhere in between, for many of us, this means long lists of school supplies, new clothes, new backpacks, and a drained wallet. Nevertheless, Read more…
Through the GenerationsTeaching Kids About Personal Safety
Recent events have prompted parents, educators, and childcare providers to reevaluate how to properly teach children about personal safety which, in this context, is how to ward off tactics used by child predators to isolate and victimize a child. Any person in charge of a child’s wellbeing should review how Read more…
Natural OptionsPreventing Children’s Water Accidents
In the United States, drowning continues to be the second leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 claiming the lives of roughly 1,100 children in 2006¹. Those at greatest risk for water accidents or drowning includes this group and teenage boys. Summer also presents greater risk for Read more…
Natural OptionsIs MTHFR Genetic Testing Necessary for Children?
Personal genetic testing has been available on the direct consumer markets for several years. Companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com use a simple cheek swab to collect DNA data. The data can then be instantly uploaded and analyzed by other websites for genetic mutations related to potential health issues. While Read more…
Medical NewsHelping Kids Overcome Challenges
Did you know that many well-known film and television actors of have had to overcome speech or language challenges? That list includes Bruce Willis who struggled with stuttering; Eric Roberts who also grappled with stuttering, and his sister, Julia Roberts, who had to overcome her speech impairment. Bill Withers who Read more…
Through the GenerationsEnhancing Gratitude During the Holidays
The holiday season, a season of giving and receiving, is an excellent time to instill the essential life value of gratitude in children and adults. It can be so easy, and fun, to buy kids an item they have been waiting months to receive and share that moment of joy Read more…
Live Your WellestPreparing Body for Baby
When family naturopathic doctor Shannon Sinsheimer started noticing the rise in autism rates and unexplained medical conditions in her own young patients, she decided to do something about it. “When I started practicing medicine, autism rates were 1 in 123. Twelve years later they are 1 in 58,” says Sinsheimer, Read more…
Medical NewsHealth Career Connection Internship
Twenty-two undergraduate college students from the Coachella Valley participated in the Health Career Connection Internship program this summer though OneFuture Coachella Valley. They spent ten weeks as full-time, paid interns at eighteen healthcare related sites across the valley, working on high-impact projects for valley residents. A special focus for this Read more…
Medical NewsTaking Care of Our Kids
You may find it surprising to learn that the number of children 17 and under in the Coachella Valley exceeds the number of adults 65 and over.1 While schools and services are being built to support this growing demographic, our greatest need may be in medical care–especially in the east Read more…
FitnessThe Health of Our Kids
Over the past 15 years, poor nutrition and obesity of our country’s youth has become a real health concern. Multiple studies estimate that 40 percent of all youth ages 6-17 skip breakfast and snack all day. Of these, 50 percent are middle school students, while 36 percent are in high Read more…