Holistic Pediatricians

Dr. Chheda – When your baby reaches 6 months old and you’re advancing to solids, they can eat almost everything – with just two important exceptions: No honey No whole milk (though whole milk products like yogurt and cheese are okay) These restrictions apply until they’re a year old. But beyond that, the world of food opens up! Your baby can have: All fruits All vegetables All meats All spices Pizza Pasta Sushi Indian food Chinese food Important preparation notes: Everything must still be mashed up Food should be soft enough to swallow No raw carrots No whole grapes Why introduce diverse foods early? Helps prevent your child from becoming a picky eater later (we don’t want a “mac and cheese kid” at age five) Helps prevent food allergies later in life Introduces varied flavors and textures early Allergy Note: If there is a documented food allergy in the family, please talk to your physician first. But for a normal, developing child with no medical conditions, everything except honey and whole milk is okay at 6 months of age. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate . . .

Dr. Chheda – Let’s talk about eczema. Even with normal skin, if I scratch and scratch and scratch, I can create a patch that looks a lot like eczema. This illustrates the main problem with eczema: the scratching cycle. Kids with eczema are constantly scratching, and their condition never seems to heal. The key goal in treating eczema is to actually stop the scratching first – only then can the skin begin to heal. Breaking the scratch cycle often involves using: Topical treatments: Hydrocortisone Steroid creams Oral medications (antihistamines): Benadryl Claritin Zyrtec Allegra Adderax Whether you use a topical treatment or an oral medication, it’s important to talk to your physician about it. Remember: we need to stop the scratching first before the skin can begin its road to recovery. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – Babies are born with personalities. If you have a really fussy baby, they might grow into a more whiny child. If you have a very calm baby, they might stay calm as they grow up too. But whatever their personality style is, it’s something to cherish and love, knowing that it comes genetically. What’s important is making sure you give your child tips, techniques, and coping mechanisms so they can deal with different personality styles they’ll encounter in their lives. They may meet: People who are extroverts People who are extremely shy and reserved People who like to work in teams People who prefer working alone Your goal should be to expose them to different personality styles so they know how to react in various situations. This is especially true with sibling relationships. Even though siblings share the same genetics and environment, they’re going to have different personality styles. This is actually one of the earliest ways that kids learn to deal with different types of people. Remember: it’s not about changing their natural personality, but about giving them tools to interact successfully with others who may be very different from them. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – The average age of menstruation is 12, but that’s just an average. The range actually spans from 8 to 16 years old. Yes, menstruation can start as early as eight – surprising, but it happens. Why do we menstruate? It’s a full cycle of ovulation – your body preparing for potential pregnancy. When an egg isn’t fertilized, menstruation occurs. The whole point is that your body is getting ready to support a baby. People are saying that menstruation is starting at a younger age in these generations. This is true to a point, but when we talk about generations, we’re comparing from the 1700s to now, not just one generation to the next. Why is this happening? The key factor is nutrition. When your body realizes there are enough calories coming in to sustain another life, the process of puberty, ovulation, and menstruation will start. What I tell my family is: the faster your girl gets to 100 pounds, the earlier she will likely start menstruating. This doesn’t mean menstruation automatically starts at 100 pounds – it’s about the velocity of weight gain. If there’s enough calories going in where she’s gaining weight at a rapid pace, that signals to the body there’s enough nutrition to sustain another life, triggering the puberty process. If there’s a gradual rise to 100 pounds, menstruation will occur at its normal genetic time. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – I want to give a shout out to Dr. Mary Claire Haver and her newest book, “The New Menopause.” I think it’s an excellent book that all women should be picking up by the time they’re 45. There are so many symptoms surrounding menopause and perimenopause that we don’t even realize are related to hormonal changes. The more we talk about it, the more we educate ourselves, the more we can support each other. This will help us learn more and normalize the experience. I really want all women by their mid-40s to pick this book up and read it. It’s very simple to read and easy to understand, but it’s also very evidence-based with lots of facts. It gives you pros and cons on all options. We should be discussing menopause with our healthcare providers and our girlfriends. It’s very important that we all support each other and help each other go through this period of perimenopause and ultimately into menopause. The book is: Simple to read Easy to understand Evidence-based Provides pros and cons on all options Remember, the more we talk about menopause, the more we’ll learn, and the more normal it will become. Let’s educate ourselves and support each other through this important life stage. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – One of the most dangerous things that your child or toddler might get into are these small little magnets, also known as Bucky Balls. They may not be sold anymore, but they might still be around. These tiny magnets are like little balls and are very, very strong. They look like candy, and although they taste like metal, kids will put anything in their mouths. The real danger comes when these little magnets come apart. They’re so small they’re easy to swallow. What ends up happening is that once they get to the colon, they’re so strong that they will attract each other. Two ends of the colon can actually get attached to each other, and that is a surgical emergency. It can cause severe cramping and pain. You can lose part of your intestine, or you might even lose all of your intestine. If you have any of these really small magnets or Bucky Balls anywhere, throw them away. Make sure they are out of your child’s reach. These are very, very dangerous. Remember, these magnets are so small they’re easy to swallow, but their strength inside the body can cause life-threatening complications. Don’t take any chances with these seemingly harmless objects. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Hey guys, welcome to Twin Time! Doctor Mona and Courtney here. Have you ever looked at your twins and thought, ‘Oh, they’re so cute, they always have each other’s back’? Or maybe, ‘Oh my goodness, they always have each other’s back and they’re tag-teaming two against one’? Courtney shares some great stories about her boys. She remembers when they were going to preschool for the first time – super cute, but she was nervous handing them off to other people. Having each other made it easier. But there was also a time when one was in trouble, and his brother put his arm around him saying, ‘Let’s go to our own room because we’re a team. You guys are in trouble.’ Even now in fifth grade, if one is in trouble, they’ll defend and litigate to the very end for their brother. Doctor Mona’s girls are similar. When they were younger, they’d always be each other’s backbone. Now they do it in different ways – like if one isn’t doing well academically, the other will say, ‘She’s doing great, mom, don’t worry.’ We both agree that the twin bond is unique and very special. As parents, we don’t always understand it, but we respect it and want it to stay strong. It’s different from the bond between non-twin siblings. We see adult twins out in stores or at dinner, and it’s heartwarming to see that bond continue… Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – Halloween is coming up, and it’s one of my favorite times of the year. It’s probably one of your kids’ favorite times too. This is purely a kid holiday, though we at the office dress up as well. When your child dresses up in a costume, remember a couple of simple rules: Make sure their face is not covered completely so they can see where they’re going. If you’re going trick-or-treating at night, ensure they have reflective clothing on somewhere. It tends to get a little cold, so maybe have layers on underneath their costume. Some more trick-or-treating safety tips: Only take wrapped candy or wrapped presents. Only go to homes that you know. Only go to homes where the light is on. You don’t want to disturb your neighbors if they don’t want to participate in trick-or-treating. Throw out the candy maybe one piece at a time. The rest of it you can either save or bring to me. Anyway, happy Halloween! Most days of the month try to celebrate Halloween. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate

Dr. Chheda – When you’re trying to lose weight, everybody tells you to move more. There’s this relationship between calories and exercise that seems like a never-ending cycle you can’t break. But we need to have a complete mental reset – a hard reset. Here’s the truth: your weight is mainly controlled by diet. If you want to gain weight or lose weight, it’s diet-related. There are things you need to change in your diet if you want to change your weight. Exercise, on the other hand, controls your strength, your muscles, your endurance, and your tone. That’s what exercise does. Yes, exercise is important, but if we can have a hard reset in our thinking, we’ll realize that to change your weight, you have to change your diet. Running around for an hour, burning off 100 calories, but then eating a 120-calorie bag of Cheetos isn’t going to cut it if you want to change your weight. Whether you want to increase or decrease your weight, it’s diet-related. If you want to change the shape of your body in terms of tone, strength, and endurance, that’s related to exercise. But for weight itself, focus on your diet. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate.

Dr. Chheda – What do you do when your child tells you “no”? When they don’t like your favorite fruit, or when they prefer the rival sports team? How about when they tell you they don’t like your religion, want to follow a different one, or no religion at all? Remember, your child is not supposed to be a clone of you. They will grow up and make their own decisions. They take what you give them, what their friends and the world gives them, and they come up with their own identity. Your child doesn’t want to defy you; they’re just trying to figure out who they are. They might have their own favorite fruit, sports team, or beliefs. This can cause some tension, even lead to divided households. So how do you handle this? Be supportive and open to questions and answers. Don’t immediately get defensive. Your child may become their own person, and that’s okay. Remember that they take what you give them, but also what the world gives them, to form their own identity. Be there to guide them, not to force them into a mold. Transcriptions from AI and may not be 100% accurate