By Natalie Do
“Something’s gotta give,” Anne ponders after looking at her overwhelming schedule. She has to leave the office by 5 p.m. to pick up her son. Knowing that she can’t fit in everything, Anne cancels her lunch and moves the dentist appointment to tomorrow. She has to rearrange her priorities to make her day work.

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By Peter S. Waldstein, M.D., F.A.A.P and Julia A. White, M.D., F.A.A.P
Getting your children caught up on vaccines before school is extremely important. Starting last year, adolescent vaccinations came into the spotlight with the new requirement for all 7th graders to be up to date on the Tdap (Tetanus and Pertussis) vaccine after the large pertussis outbreak in 2010. There are other vaccines that adolescents should have as well, including the meningococcal vaccine (Menactra or Menveo). (more…)

How divorcing parents can help their children during this difficult time.

By Rachel Bernstein
Have you ever dreaded a moment so much that you delay it, find every excuse not to have it, and hoped you could hire someone else to do it? That is how the parents I talk to in my practice often portray the moment when they have had to tell their children they are getting divorced.

While it is always a life changing moment, there are ways to lessen the pain initially, and even afterwards.

Children prefer for things to be familiar, for their world to be predictable, and for life as they know it to remain basically unchanged. Divorce throws a wrench into all of those needs and wishes, at least at first. That is why there is often a reaction on the part of your children that is a cry for their family to stay the same, but is also a cry for the loss of the wonderful naivite’ of childhood when things are as they have always known them to be. (more…)

Q&A with Beverly Hills Orthodontists Dr. Monica Madan and Dr. Erin Cohen about sports drinks and their relationship with your teeth.

Sports drinks are a staple for any workout. During exercise, you sweat to help relieve the body from heat. Sports drinks rehydrate the body while replacing carbohydrates and electrolytes, like sodium and potassium. Although sports drinks are nothing new to the market, their effect on teeth has not been at the forefront of discussion – until now. (more…)

By Sharon Vandermerwe

Q: When is a baby ready to be sleep trained?
A: Of course like everything in this life, it varies. My experience has led me to believe that babies are ready to be sleep trained when they are ten to twelve lbs (4.5 to 5.5 kg).

Q: Is the baby’s length of sleep dependent upon whether the baby drinks breast milk or formula before bedtime?
A: There doesn’t seem to be too much of a correlation between the two when it comes to sleep length.

Q: Should a baby be woken up, if they nap for more than a two hour stretch during the daytime?
A: If a baby sleeps for more than a two hour stretch, the baby should be woken up. When babies sleep for longer durations during the day, they have a much harder time differentiating between day and night. (more…)

Q & A with Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeons, Dr. Payman Danielpour and Dr. John Layke about the pros and cons of botox.

Q: When do I know I’m ready for botox?
A: You should do botox before the formation of frown lines, crows feet or forehead wrinkles.

Q: I don’t want people to know I have botox. How can you make it look natural?
A: At Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group, we believe helping our patients bring out their natural beauty by enhancing and refining not changing their appearance. We are known for putting less botox than most surgeons. You can always add more but you can’t take it away. (more…)

By Peter S. Waldstein, M.D., F.A.A.P and Julia A. White, M.D., F.A.A.P
In our practice the last 6 to 8 weeks, we have seen a large increase in both cases and questions about RSV. Infections caused by RSV spike every year during the winter and early spring months. Due to the recent increase in RSV activity, we thought discussion of the symptoms and treatment would be useful.

What is RSV, and what are the signs and symptoms of infection?
RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a viral infection that is seen very commonly in young children. It is passed via contact with respiratory secretions or droplets of an infected person.

For most children, the infection will likely look similar to any other viral cold – runny nose, cough, congestion, and possible fever. The cough will typically worsen over the first several days often sounding very mucousy, sometimes slightly barking. Once it starts to improve, you may see a cough that lingers for around a week to 10 days. (more…)

By Sharon Von Der Merwe
Q: If I am breastfeeding how can I make sure my baby is eating enough?

A: After the feeding, if the baby spits out milk, that will be a clear indication that your baby has consumed enough.

Q:How can I get my baby to sleep longer stretches in the evening?

A: After a complete feeding, your baby will sleep longer but try to feed your baby in a dark lit setting, so the baby recognizes that it’s nighttime and will naturally sleep a longer duration.

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By Dr. Shoreh Selki
Raising cavity free kids is no longer an idealistic dream for parents. By following a few simple guidelines, we can make it an achievable reality. As a mother of three, I understand the challenges parents face in the battle against dental decay; shops full of attractive looking junk food, soda and snack machines in every corner, sugar loaded birthday parties and class parties. In the recent years, tooth decay has been identified as the single most common chronic childhood disease, yet 90 percent of all tooth decay is absolutely preventable. (more…)

Tips on healthy skin.

By Rebecca Casper
Q: How do I take care of my skin in dry, cold weather?
A: More exfoliation and more hydration. Enzymes and Hydroxy acids are the best. Stay away from harsh polishing beads that can actually make dehydration more intense and contribute to aging skin. Indoor heating systems literally suck the hydration out of our skin, so we need to remember drink more water as well. If you don’t already, now is a good time to start taking a blend of Essential Fatty Acids, like Omegas, to help keep your skin vibrant from the inside out. (more…)