Children's Health Issues

Should Parents Spank Their Children?

Dr. Ben Kim — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 04:00:00 +0000

Updated on July 8, 2024.

According to National Family Violence Surveys and a number of research studies, over 90 percent of parents use some form of punishment that involves inflicting physical pain when disciplining their children.

In considering this statistic, the questions that come to mind are: Read more

An Often Overlooked Cause of Vomiting

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

Children's Health Issues

Most parents don't realize that not getting enough food can be the cause of unexplained vomiting in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.

Where there is no fever, stomach flu, or any other common cause of vomiting in younger children, vomiting is often caused by low blood sugar. Most typically, this happens to children between 8 months and 4.5 to 5 years of age. Read more

Appendicitis Treatment Options

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Natural Health Care

How do I know if my child has appendicitis? Few parents get through the journey of raising children without wondering this at some point.

In the late 90s, one of my early mentors, the late Dr. David Scott, showed me a whole stack of cases of diagnosed appendicitis that he had helped children and adults recover from through rest and water fasting. Given the wealth of his experience utilizing water fasting to help people overcome countless health challenges that allopathic medical care typically addresses via surgery and/or medication, I had good reason to wonder if excision was the best first line treatment for appendicitis.

Today, some within conventional medicine also question the decision to use excision as a first line treatment for appendicitis. Studies like "Antibiotics as first-line therapy for acute appendicitis: evidence for a change in clinical practice." are prompting some physicians to try a combination of intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy in mild to moderately severe cases of appendicitis where there is no clinical evidence of perforation. Read more

Mindful Parenting for Gritty Children

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:06:26 +0000

Emotional Health and Well-Being

Children's Health Issues

If you're raising young children or even teenagers and wonder from time to time if your approach to parenting will yield emotionally intelligent, courageous, and persevering progeny, I think you'll find Dr. Angela Duckworth's book on Grit to be a worthwhile read. Read more

The Drop Box

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 17:21:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Throughout the world, abandoned babies are found every day in woods, dumpsters, creeks, laundromats, and under subway seats. Poverty, psychological distress of teenage pregnancies, and undesired gender are common root causes of child abandonment.

In 2009, a South Korean pastor named Lee Jong Rak and his wife installed a drop box in front of their home, a box that has become a depository for unwanted babies, many with disabilities. The Drop Box is a heartbreaking documentary that tells their story. Please feel free to view the trailer here: Read more

What To Do For A Fever

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Of all the concerns that parents have contacted my office about over the years, one of the most common ones has been what to do with a child's fever.

In addressing this concern, it's vital to understand that a fever serves to protect your body against infection and trauma in three major ways: Read more

Breastfeeding Tips For First-Time Moms

Margaret Kim — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

This article was originally published in May, 2006

It's no secret that breastfeeding provides both a mother and her baby with numerous physical and emotional health benefits.

Unfortunately, some new moms who have every intention of nursing their babies end up switching to formula within the first few weeks of their babies' lives. Read more

Vitamin K at Birth: To Inject or Not

Dr. Ben Kim — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:37:18 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

Before my wife gave birth to our first child, our primary midwife asked us to think about whether we wanted our child to receive a vitamin K shot after he was born or not.

Vitamin K shots are routinely administered to newborn babies because 1.8 out of every 100,000 babies who do not receive vitamin K injections suffer permanent injury or death due to uncontrolled bleeding in the brain that may be the result of having extremely low levels of vitamin K in their systems. Read more

Cold Medicines Dangerous For Infants And Toddlers

Dr. Ben Kim — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 01:35:58 +0000

Health Warnings

Children's Health Issues

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning not to give over-the-counter cold and cough medicines to children 2 years of age or under without consulting with one's doctor.

This warning is the result of research that was conducted in response to the deaths of three infants in 2005; all of them were found to have dangerous levels of pseudoephedrine, a nasal decongestant, in their systems. Read more

How To Prevent Your Toddler From Being Jealous Of A New Sibling

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 00:47:47 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

Jealousy. Nowhere is this emotion more evident than in a toddler who suddenly finds a new baby in the house to gobble up mommy's and daddy's attention.

My mother-in-law once told me about walking into a room to see her then-5-year-old son about to smother his infant sister's (my wife) face with a pillow. In the same breath of laughter, she went on to tell of another time when she was nursing her youngest, when suddenly, her baby screamed in pain. My mother-in-law wheeled around to discover that her son had pinched his baby sister on the arm while he was behind his mother's back. Read more

Death By Lethal Vaccine Injection

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 24 May 2006 05:00:00 +0000

Health Warnings

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

Preface

Having a son of our own, it was crushing to read the following story about a mother and father losing their precious baby. I greatly respect and appreciate the courage that it must have taken for Christine Colebeck to share her experience with others. Thank you, Christine, for sharing Laura's story with us.

- Ben Kim

***

By Christine Colebeck Read more

Skin-To-Skin Contact Is Healthy For Mothers And Their Babies

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 06:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

One of the reasons why my wife and I decided to have a home birth was to ensure that our baby would go straight where he belonged as soon as he entered the world: to my wife's chest. It saddens me to know that providing newborn babies with immediate physical contact with their mothers is not always given the priority it deserves in today's health care system. Read more

Breastfeeding: Best for Baby and Mother

Margaret Kim — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 06:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Healthy Pregnancy

One of the most powerful ways of giving your baby a healthy start in life is by breastfeeding. The following are a few of the numerous physical and mental benefits of breastfeeding: Read more

Junk Food Still Clear And Present In Our Schools

Dr. Ben Kim — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

Just ran across an article on Yahoo News that provides some sad statistics on junk food in our schools.

The U.S. General Accountability Office reported yesterday that 9 out of 10 U.S. schools offer junk food like candy bars and soda to students that directly compete against school lunches. Read more

Love & Kindness As Primary "Treatments" For Depression In Children

Dr. Ben Kim — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Children's Health Issues

To me, there are few health conditions that are more sad than depression, particularly depression among children and teenagers.

A recent study out of the University of Sweden indicates that depression among children and teenagers is strongly linked to the following psychosocial factors:

1. Being shamed and humiliated.
2. Being obese.
3. Having separated parents or unemployed parents Read more