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Nightmares in Toddlers

Two years ago for an entire week, Madi has woken up suddenly in the middle of the night from nightmares. She is in tears and terrified of the spooky monsters running around her room.  To calm her down, I would end up cuddling her and sleeping with her in her bed. This left me exhausted as

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How Much Sleep do Babies, Children, Teenagers and Adults Need?

Sleep is important for our overall health, it allows our body and mind to recharge. The amount of sleep that we need changes throughout our lifetime. The National Sleep Foundation has established guidelines for how much sleep babies, toddlers, adolescents and adults should sleep. These are the suggested total sleep requirements by the National Sleep Foundation:

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Myths about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Children

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, or Autism) is a disorder that begins in the child developmental period.  Its hallmark is problems with of social communication, social interaction, repetitive behaviours, and restrictive interests. The disorder affects every child differently.  Some children have mild difficulties in social interactions, which was formerly known as “Aspergers Disorder.” Other children may

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Dressing Your Baby or Child for Winter

Outside time and play is important for everyone!  Whether it is a winter walk, or an activity like skating or sledding, there are plenty of activities to be had during the long Canadian winters.   But getting outside in the winter is more challenging with the inclement weather, and proper clothing is important to protect everyone so

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Screen Time and Young Children

When I was a child, our television was always on.  My parents allowed my brother and I to watch television as much as we wanted.  I remember wondering why some of my friends had restrictions on how much television they could watch. As a family physician, I advise parents to follow recommendations set out by the Canadian Paediatric

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What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopment disorder among children and teens. ADHD used to be called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) but this is now outdated terminology.  ADHD is very common.  It is estimated that ADHD affects about 3.4% of children worldwide.  However the prevalence ranges across studies anywhere from 2-18% depending on the population

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How is ADHD Treated?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperreactivity. ADHD is managed with a combination of behavioural, psychological and medication interventions.  Behavioural Management Behavioural management may not be effective in immediately reducing ADHD symptoms, but it is a critical part of ADHD treatment as it can lead to a significant improvement

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How is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Diagnosed?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is one of the most common mental health disorders in children. The core symptoms of ADHD are in areas of attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. As a physician, I often have parents coming into my office with concerns that their child may have ADHD. Sometimes a child’s teacher may bring

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