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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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What is Kangaroo Care (Skin to Skin)? What are the Benefits?

Those first moments, when your newborn baby is placed on your chest, is an unforgettable moment. Skin-to-skin contact is not only for satisfying a mother’s desire to bond with their newborn baby, but has also been shown to have significant positive effects on a baby’s health and breastfeeding. By definition, skin-to-skin contact is when a baby

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What is Sleep?

Sleep is an incredibly important part of our natural biological processes.  It involves important chemicals known as neurotransmitters, those being serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and dopamine.  It also involves a hormone called melatonin.   The parts of the brain that are particularly involved in sleep include: the brainstem – which helps regulate wakefulness the pineal gland – which

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Guest Post: Understanding and Responding to Biting Toddlers

Biting is a common phase many toddlers go through. It does not mean that your toddler is going to have behavioural problems in the future or that you, as a parent, are doing something wrong. However, it is an important behaviour to address immediately when it starts to happen.  Understand the ‘why’?  First, it is

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Guest Post: What is Delayed Cord Clamping and Why do we do it?

The first few minutes after your baby is born is a whirlwind of emotions. While you are focused on your beautiful newborn, your healthcare team is busy taking steps to optimize your child’s health for months to come.  After your baby is born, they are still connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is

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Transitioning From Two to One Nap Per Day

I struggled figuring out nap time, and once I had nap time under control the next challenge was transitioning from two to one naps per day. Madi transitioned from two naps to one nap per day when she was 15 months old. George is 14 months old and continues to fluctuate from two to one

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Myths About Speech Delay in Children

Myth #1: Boys take longer to develop speech than girls. Fact: Speech and language development occurs at similar rates in boys compared to girls, typically before the age of 3 years old.  Myth #2: It is normal for boys to have a delay in language. Fact: Language delay should always be investigated.  In fact, boys

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What is Cradle Cap and How Can it be Treated?

Both of my children had cradle cap when they were newborns. Cradle cap, or seborrheic dermatitis, is a relatively common skin condition that can affect infants between the ages of 2 weeks to 12 months.  It occurs most commonly within the first 3 months of life.   What Does Cradle Cap Look Like? Infants will have thick white or yellow

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