11 February 2008
Dear Readers: Sincerely,
Dr. Warren hopes to help all who ask his advice and to enlighten all who read Ask Dr. Warren. For your own well being please keep in mind that
advice you read here may not apply exactly to your own situation, and that if you are sick, no information on the web can take the place of a hands on examination by your physican who knows you and cares about you.
Dr. Warren
Thank you for your time.
-LH
Dear LH: You don't tell me whether or not your son is capable of standing flat on the floor or if he is flexible enough to bring his foot up to neutral and past. If not, and PT has not helped, casts, braces, or surgery may be your only options. If the ankle is flexible enough and his Achilles tendon loose enough to put his foot in the right position, in time he may do it on his own. In that case, if you wish to consider treatment, ask the orthopedist about a brace which can be removed for such activities as swimming and even for social reasons as necessary, rather than a cast which must stay on interfering with ease of bathing an some activities.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-(unsigned)
Dear Parent: It is perfectly okay to put your 6 week old on his stomach under your supervision while he is awake.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-D
Dear D: Yes, it is possible to have an orgasm while you are pregnant, and perfectly okay to do so.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-JR
Dear JR: Bed wetting in children is related to the maturity of the central nervous system. It is not a bladder problem. Many children who wet are deep sleepers and sleep right through wetting. The difference between them and other deep sleepers is that the others do not wet and will eventually be awakened by the bladder spasms if they are persistent or severe enough.
Treatments are aimed largely at the bladder because there are medications which can decrease bladder spasm and increase the concentration of the urine causing the bladder to fill more slowly. There are no medications which decrease wetting by effecting sleep. Alarm systems which actually retrain the child to wake up in response to bladder spasms require the child to wake up to the alarm. This would make alarm systems ineffective for most deep sleepers, but some older children will actually enter the program alerted to the benefits of the alarm and wake in response to it.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-A Concerned GrandMother
Dear Concerned GrandMother: Infants may develop yeast infections in the diaper area; however they do not develop vaginal yeast infections. The yeast infection in the diaper area may be itchy, but usually parents seek treatment because it is an angry red looking bumpy rash which does not respond to diaper creams. In spite of how angry it looks, it is not painful.
Pinworms can cause anal itching especially at night when they migrate out from the intestine to lay eggs. Some may inadvertently crawl to the vagina causing vaginal irritation. They are easy to treat and are not serious, but they are highly contagious, and the recurrence rate is high.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-Nina
Dear Nina: Any woman can miss one period without it meaning anything. Missing several periods is fairly common in early adolescence. Malnutrition, large weight loss, vigorous exercise, stress, fatigue, and illness could all contribute to delayed or absent menses. An adult who misses several periods requires further evaluation.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
Thanks for any advice.
-JW
Dear JW: There is nothing about a newborn's physiology which would make flying a danger to the baby, therefore, if you must fly, you can do it at any time; however, if you can delay your flight, it would be preferable to wait until the baby is at least 8 weeks old. The reason for delaying until 8 weeks is that newborns have an immature immune system which does not fight infection well. As a result, any infection in the neonatal period could be serious. To protect the baby against infection, it is best to minimize his exposure to crowds of people. This includes avoiding shopping malls, supermarkets, church, and large family functions (unless the baby can be in a separate room with parents controlling the flow of visitors and visitors washing their hands before handling the baby). Long airplane flights pose a particular risk regarding infectious diseases because the airplane is a closed cabin with recirculated air.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
-D
Dear D: I often see newborns in my office because of their parents' concerns about noises the baby makes while breathing. Most of these are squeaks the baby makes during feedings. The vast majority of these babies are absolutely fine, but breathing is such a vital function that if the parents have any concern that the baby's breathing is not normal, the baby must be checked. While I would guess that your baby is probably fine or you would have been to the doctor rather than sending me an e-mail, the only advice I can give is to see your doctor if you have any concerns about your baby's breathing.
There is no way to stop hiccups in an infant. There is no need to worry about them. They do not bother the baby.
Sincerely,
Dr. Warren
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