August 24: Mental Health Awareness Day

Mental health and our youth: bringing awareness to an under-reported issue

Blog provided by the following Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric Residents at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio: Dr. Nga Tang, PGY1; Dr. Alyssa Estes, PGY1; Dr. Matthew Sattler, PGY1; Dr. Christian Molony, PGY1; Dr. Ashley Gabriel, PGY2; Dr. Andrew Milera, PGY2; Dr. Cody Clary, PGY2; Dr. Amanda Scully, PGY2; Dr. Lauren Kjolhede, PGY3; Dr. Ann Marie Mojica, PGY3; Dr. Pedro Zavala, PGY3

Children’s mental health is an important part of their well-being and overall health as they grow and develop into adults. Anxiety, depression, bullying, suicide, social media exposure, addiction, and even school shootings are all issues that our children face today.

A common denominator is that all are related to mental health. But how often do we truly address mental health on a daily basis? What if we discover that our children need help? It can seem a daunting task, but we hope we can shed light on this day set aside to reflect on mental health and share resources to help our children and families when they need it most.

Part III: How to survive and thrive as a parent: Reinforcing the good

This is the third in a three-part blog series.

By Elissa Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H.
Pediatric Resident, PGY3
Baylor College of Medicine
The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio

In this final blog in my series, let’s explore ways that you can maintain your child’s good behavior through positive comments and by making the most of the time you spend with each other.

1. Praising versus rewarding
2. Special time
3. Modeling

Part II: How to survive and thrive as a parent: De-emphasizing the bad

This is the second in a three-part blog series.

By Elissa Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H.
Pediatric Resident, PGY3
Baylor College of Medicine
The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio

In this blog, we will explore how you can focus on positive reinforcement and avoid placing attention on negative behaviors by:

1. Eliminating the “Nos,” the “don’ts,” and the “can’ts”
2. Focusing on what they should do
3. Picking your battles
4. Addressing the emotions not the behavior

How to survive and thrive as a parent: Reinforcing the good, de-emphasizing the bad, and preventing the ugly

This is the first in a three-part blog series.

By Elissa Gonzalez, M.D., M.P.H.
Pediatric Resident, PGY3
Baylor College of Medicine
The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio

Part 1: Preventing the Ugly

By ugly, I mean the uncontrollable tantrums, the fighting, the hitting, and the angry outbursts. When we can prevent our child’s ugly behavior, we as parents are preserving our own sanity every day. Here are some guidelines to help prevent these episodes; however, this will not eliminate these behaviors completely since your children are human after all.

1. Bonding
2. Emotions
3. Routine
4. Anticipation
5. Meeting needs

Bonding.  First you must bond. Establishing a strong connection with your child is an important factor in changing negative behaviors and maintaining positive behaviors. With younger children, maintaining a positive warm tone through play and getting down at eye level can help with building connections. In older children, showing interest in their daily activities and being flexible (listening and negotiating) can serve the same purpose. Sharing in decision-making is helpful for understanding each other and empowering your child at any age.

Diez razones por las cuales los pediatras dicen: “la leche materna es mejor”

Por Danielle Roberts, M.D.
Residente de Pediatría, PGY2
Baylor College of Medicine
The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio

En la vida, darle la bienvenida a un bebé al mundo puede ser una de las experiencias más emocionantes y también aterradoras. Muchos padres planean la llegada de su hijo por meses, desde cómo anunciarán el embarazo a los familiares, cuándo será la licencia materna y paterna, preparar el cuarto del bebé…y la lista continúa. Llegará una boquita más para alimentar y es muy importante pensar en qué va a comer el nuevo bebé. Es posible que usted haya escuchado de los muchos beneficios de la leche materna; ¿sabía que hay docenas de maneras en la cuales la leche materna puede ayudar a los bebés y a sus padres?

Ten reasons why pediatricians say, “Breast is best!”

August 1 – 7 is celebrated each year as World Breastfeeding Week.

By Danielle Roberts, M.D.
Pediatric Resident, PGY3
Baylor College of Medicine
The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio

Welcoming a new baby can be one of the most exciting and sometimes scary experiences in a lifetime. Parents may plan for months, starting with pregnancy announcement ideas, scheduling maternity and paternity leave, preparing baby’s room… the list goes on. With one more precious mouth to feed, it’s also important to think about what the baby will eat. You may have heard about some of the benefits of breastfeeding—did you know there are dozens of reasons why breastfeeding is recommended over formula?