What Causes Bone Tumors in Children?
Unfortunately, the cause of bone tumors in children is unknown. Tumors are growths- lumps of tissue- that are not normal and form when abnormal cells grow without the normal controls to stop them.
Understanding Pediatric Autoimmune Disorders
When our body’s immune system turns against us, it is because of an autoimmune disorder. In autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakenly begins attacking healthy cells and tissues.
What is Cerebral Palsy?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of disorders that affect your child’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.
Behavioral and Learning Disorders and Developmental Delays
Like most childhood medical conditions, identifying symptoms and early diagnosis are important to supporting your child’s health, growth and quality of life.
What You Need to Know about Brain Injuries in Children
Also called pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBI), traumatic brain injury is a broad term describing a range of symptoms that can be mild, moderate or severe. TBIs result from a direct or indirect blow to the head.
Bone, Joint and Muscle Infections
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, joint, bone and muscle infections in children are often caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus; these infections are more commonly known as Staph infections.
What You Need to Know about Pediatric Diabetes
Pediatric diabetes is a condition in which a child’s blood sugar (also called “glucose”) is too high. We take in sugar through the foods we eat, and insulin, produced in the pancreas, helps get that sugar into our cells to give us energy.
What is Cleft Lip and Palate?
During the first five to nine weeks of pregnancy, the two sides of the baby’s face come together (fuse). The lip forms between the second and seventh week of pregnancy and the roof of the mouth (palate) during weeks six to nine.
Understanding Asthma Symptoms and Treatment for Children
Asthma tends to run in families and has been linked to allergies and obstructive sleep apnea. Approximately one in every 15 children has asthma, which can occur at any age.
What is Pediatric Epilepsy?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, pediatric epilepsy affects about 470,000 children and is the most common childhood brain disorder in the United States. Children with epilepsy have unprovoked seizures caused by a sudden change in electrical activity in the brain.
What Causes Bed Wetting in Children?
If your child wets the bed at night, you are not alone. According to the National Kidney Foundation, 5-7 million children in the United States wet the bed at night.
How to Protect Your Family from a Measles Outbreak
As of March 6, 2025, the United States has had three measles outbreaks and a total of 222 cases across 12 states- a significant increase when compared to 2024.
Parte 2: Terapia de salud/Behavioral Health Therapy
Gracias por acompañarnos estamos aquí en DMG estamos en el Departamento de Salud Mental y comportamiento y quiero saber qué es lo que tienes ahí platícame Qué significa eso Este es un corazón se es una actividad que hago con mis pacientes
Terapia de salud/Behavioral Health Therapy
Muy buenas tardes gente la Tricolor aquí me encuentro con arlín en dmg Sears y nos va a estar platicando de su rol aquí tan importante para los niños nombre serlín yo trabajo aquí desde el 2019 mi error es que integrar el cuidado…
What is Spina Bifida?
Spina bifida is a birth defect in which an area of the spinal column does not form properly, leaving a section of the spinal cord and spinal nerves exposed through an opening in the back.
¿Qué es un trabajador social y cómo apoya a los pacientes y familias de DMG CRS?
Hola qué tal Muy buenos días Nos encontramos otra vez en dmg aquí me encuentro con Gabriela Gabriela Muchísimas gracias por tomarte un tiempo de tu vida tan ocupada aquí y vamos a empezar Qué es una trabajadora social una trabajadora es más una persona para poder ayudar a esas familias agarrar los recursos…
Healthy Nutrition Habits for Your Child
DMG Children’s Rehabilitative Services (DMG CRS) registered dietitian, Dominica Dieffenbach, RDN, shares why starting your child off with healthy nutritional habits is critical to their future health.
Living with Spina Bifida
As a child with spina bifida grows, complications associated with the disease may surface and potentially deteriorate some of their physical and mental functional abilities. The goal of treatment is to monitor for these issues and try to prevent them.
Tips for Getting Children with Special Needs Vaccinated
By Troy Nelson, MD, medical director and pediatrician
Whether it’s childhood immunizations or vaccinations for the flu or COVID-19, getting a vaccine is an anxiety-causing process for many children. If your child has special needs or a complex medical condition, getting vaccinations can be more stressful for both you and your child.
Here’s some tips for supporting children with special needs getting vaccinated.
Before the Appointment
- Ask for an appointment on a day and time that is not busy in your pediatrician’s office.
- See if your child’s provider recommends pre-medicating with an over-the-counter pain reliever or using a topical numbing cream or spray.
- Be honest with your child and explain to them what will be happening. For some children, it might be appropriate to prepare a couple days in advance; for others it might be the day of the appointment.
- If possible, ask if your child can receive their vaccination in the car instead of going into the clinic.
Day of and During the Appointment
- Try to remain calm before and during the appointment. Children pick up on nervous or anxious energy, especially from their family. If you are calm, your child is more likely to remain calm.
- Bring your child’s favorite stuffed animal or doll with them for comfort.
- If your child has a favorite provider, nurse, or medical assistant at your pediatrician’s office, ask for that person to be present to support your child.
- Ask that your child be vaccinated in a quiet exam room, away from noise, the waiting area, and other people.
- If appropriate, encourage your child to take some deep breaths.
- If able, help your child relax by asking them to shake their arms and legs in a silly way.
- Walk around with your child after the vaccination to distract them instead of sitting.
- If multiple vaccinations are being administered, ask the provider to take a break in-between if it will help your child.
- Reassure your child that they will be fine, and you and the provider will be there to support them.
- Reward your child. If your child is having more than one vaccination in a single appointment, you may want to reward them after each vaccination with a sticker or other small item they like.
As pediatricians, our goal is to make every child’s appointment positive and comforting. Partnering with parents or guardians is key to this goal and making your child feel confident and safe with their medical providers. We’re here to listen and support you in managing your child’s health and wellness.
The Importance and Safety of Childhood Vaccinations
By Pamela Murphy, MD, pediatrician
Contents:
As a pediatrician, I am asked frequently about childhood vaccinations. Are they safe? Do they cause one disease while trying to prevent another? As a parent or guardian, it’s our responsibility to provide safe care for our children and asking questions and getting the facts from credible sources are part of that responsibility.
U.S. public health officials and physicians have been combating misconceptions about vaccine safety for more than twenty years. Despite these efforts, childhood immunization rates have fallen in the past two decades resulting in resurgences of vaccine-preventable diseases such as whooping cough (pertussis) and measles. For example, in 2010, California saw more cases of whooping cough than any year since 1947, according to research published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
August is Immunization Awareness Month. Let’s look at what childhood vaccinations are recommended when and address the most common misinformation about childhood vaccinations.
Recommended Childhood Vaccinations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has easy to review children’s vaccines schedules by age group on their website. Most pediatricians and primary care providers (PCP) have these vaccinations available and can administer during a scheduled appointment.
Early Childhood: Birth to Age 6
- Chickenpox/varicella
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Influenza (flu): recommended annually from age six months and on
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Pneumococcal conjugate disease (PCV13)
- Polio (IPV)
- Rotavirus (RV)
Children: Ages 7-18
In addition to any vaccines missed that were recommended during early childhood, the CDC recommends the following vaccines for kids ages 7-18:
- Flu (annually)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY)
- Tdap (the DTaP booster)
If your child has certain health conditions that put them at increased risk for serious diseases, your pediatrician may also recommend the following vaccinations be administered:
- Pneumococcal
- Serogroup B meningococcal (MenB)
COVID-19 Vaccine
The CDC also recommends children ages six months and older receive the COVID-19 vaccination, and children ages five and older also get the booster. The COVID-19 vaccination is not available at all pediatrician/PCP offices. For more information on COVID-19 vaccinations for children, including locations providing these vaccinations, visit the Maricopa County Public Health website.
Childhood Vaccinations: Debunking the Myths
According to PublicHealth.org, the following are the top three myths about childhood vaccinations.
Myth #1: Vaccines increase the risk of autism.
This hypothesis originated in 1997 from study by a British surgeon who concluded that the MMR vaccine was increasing autism in children in the United Kingdom. The article “has since been completely discredited due to serious procedural errors, undisclosed financial conflicts of interest, and ethical violations.” The physician author lost his medical license, and the paper was retracted.
Myth #2: Infant immune systems can’t handle so many vaccines.
The cells in the immune system are constantly being replenished, making it near impossible for a baby’s immune system to be overwhelmed by immunizations. In fact, babies are exposed to numerous bacteria and viruses every day; vaccines are minor in comparison.
Myth #3: Natural immunity is better than vaccine-acquired immunity.
While in some cases, catching a disease and getting sick (i.e., “natural immunity”) results in a stronger immunity to the disease than a vaccination, the risks outweigh the benefits. For example, if a child were to catch the measles, they would face a one in 500 chance of death from symptoms; in contrast, having a severe allergic reaction to the MMR vaccine is less than one-in-a-million according to the CDC.
As families travel more, especially internationally, the risk of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases increases. Even if the disease is not prevalent in the United States, it may be in other countries. COVID-19 gave us a strong example of how quickly a virus can spread from one continent to the next.
If you have questions about childhood immunizations, talk with your child’s pediatrician/PCP. We’re here to help you keep your child healthy and happy.
