ParentingU

South Louisiana has an amazing water safety resource in Shelly Ripple Rogers and Crawfish Aquatics. Shelly is a former NCAA Champion swimmer and a member of the Stanford Swimming Hall of Fame. Now, as CEO of Crawfish Aquatics, Shelly is able to help families gain the skills to be water prepared for a lifetime. On this episode of ParentingU , Shelly explains to host Stephanie some of the basics abo...

Please note : O ur Lady of the Lake Children's Health will continue to monitor the efficacy and safety profile of the COVID-19 vaccine in children, just as we monitor all vaccines in children. Bonus episode: The vaccine is here! Many parents are now asking, what does the vaccine mean for our teens and youth? Returning to ParentingU are two doctors—both pediatricians and both parents— Dr. Christoph...

Bonus episode: Parents are starting to wonder—this time of year usually is when we starting thinking about flu season and flu vaccinations. What impact will COVID-19 have on flu season? We speak to pediatrician Dr. Lauren Bailey to bust some flu myths, get our COVID-19 questions answered, and find out what we can all have in our medicine cabinets at home to be prepared for flu season. This episode...

Bonus episode: The calendar says it's Back to School season, but what does that mean in these times of COVID-19? We have two doctors on this episode of ParentingU—both pediatricians and both parents— Dr. Christopher Funes and Dr. Michael Bolton . How can parents feel confident about children going back to school? What precautions make the biggest positive impact on children's health? How can famil...

Bonus episode: From disrupted schedules to cancelled plans, the pandemic has put us all in a difficult position, and we each have all been affected in some way. Our kids might have thoughts, fears, and feelings (just like we do.) How can parents help kids cope? Dr. Choo ( Dr. Thiravat Choojitarom ) joins us on ParentingU and shares practical, age-appropriate suggestions for how to address concerns...

Bonus episode: Parents have a lot of concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and what it means for keeping kids healthy. To bring you facts you can use, we sit down with Dr. Michael Bolton , of Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health Pediatric Infectious Disease division. Dr. Bolton shares practical tips for what parents can do now, where you can find up-to-date information, who is at most...

Much of healthy eating is a matter of healthy habits. Return ParentingU guest Dr. Aimee Ferrell is joined by Lea Theriot, Pediatric Registered Dietician to talk about helping our kids be happy, healthy eaters. Many attitudes about healthy eating are formed in childhood, and our guests share tips for encouraging kids to try new things, get the nutrition growing kids need, and how parents can model...

A serious issue, but one that parents are wise to address head on, inappropriate drug use is a concern for families. Dr. Lisa Le , Pediatrician with Our Lady of the Lake joins us on ParentingU to help parents open the lines of communication with kids on this topic. If this is a conversation you have been dreading or avoiding, we hope this episode gives you perspective and confidence in confronting...

We travel to the Emergency Room on this episode of ParentingU to speak with Dr. Hitesh Chheda , a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Specialist. What are some of the trends he is seeing in the Emergency Room? What do parents need to know? Dr. Chheda gives special attention to drug and alcohol issues as well as how big of an issue vaping is among tweens and teens. Dr. Chheda provides insights into these...

It's the largest organ in the human body, but might get overlooked in your day to day healthy living. It's your skin! Children's skin needs care and attention— Dr. Sylvia Sutton , pediatrician for Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health and Dr. Jill Fruge , dermatologist with Our Lady of the Lake join us on ParentingU to help us know more about the skin we are in. Our doctors talk about common chil...

They are everywhere and available nearly any hour of the day or night. Devices and gadgets with screens are ubiquitous and the impact of screentime is now on the minds of lots of parents. Dr. Murli Rao , a pediatrician with Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health and Jessica Brayden, LCSW talk about how to navigate our modern world that is full of screens in ways that promote health for children. S...

Asthma is a common condition that parents have lots of questions about. On this episode of ParentingU, we are joined by return guest Dr. Courtney James and by pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Andres Carrion . Our doctors explain what asthma is, what causes asthma, how asthma is treated, and what families can expect if they have a child with asthma. Dr. James and Dr. Carrion address many of the misconce...

Welcome to Season 2 of ParentingU! We're back with a topic that has come into parent's consciousness in a big way in recent years: bullying. While this is an age-old issue, some modern technologies have amplified the impact of bullying on children. Pediatrician Gregory Gelpi, MD addresses the issue of bullying in children on this episode of ParentingU and provides practical tips for dealing with t...

August is here, and that means back to school! This is a bonus episode of ParentingU to help us all get into the swing of things at the beginning of the school year. On the show are two of our pediatricians, Dr. Michelle Flechas and Dr. Ashley Lucas (return guests from Season 1 of ParentingU .) Dr. Flechas and Dr. Lucas share some tips and some of their insight from their expertise as pediatrician...

It's allergy season and we know that can be a tough time for kids. Dr. Sandhya Mani sits down with our host Stephanie to get to the bottom of all the misconceptions around allergies, intolerances, sensitivities and explains how allergy treatment has changed over time. Dr. Mani informs us on some of the myths around allergies and how she works with patients. Some of the questions answered in this e...

Anxiety is something children can experience throughout their development, and parents are more aware of childhood anxiety than ever. Joseph Grizzaffi Jr., MD is our guest on ParentingU and shares how parents can help manage normal anxiety in children as well as what to do if anxiety becomes a problem. Some of the questions answered on this episode: - What is "normal" anxiety in children? - Can in...

Never fear, the teen years are here! On this episode of ParentingU, Dr. Courtney James and Dr. Ruben Battley address one of our most popular topics: life with teenagers . Parents have lots of questions (and sometimes concerns) about this time period, and how to manage not only a teen's development, but also the parent's changing role. Dr. James and Dr. Battley provide real-world suggestions about...

Mealtimes don't have to be a battle! Most parents face picky eaters from time to time. Aimee Ferrell, MD , and Melissa Gonzalez, PhD , join our host Stephanie to talk about the importance of children developing good eating habits early for a lifetime of health. From babies to toddlers and even to teenagers, parents can influence the choices their children make and ensure that they receive the prop...

Concussions can be scary. And it's one of the topics our doctors get asked about most. Should my child play sports? How do I know they are OK after a concussion? These questions are so prevalent in parents minds that we dedicated an entire podcast episode to concussions. Tune in with pediatric ER physician Dr. Chris Woodward and pediatrician Dr. Mark Waggenspack as they offer incredible guidance (...

As parents, we struggle to get our kids to fall and stay asleep. So what's the trick to helping your kids develop and keep healthy sleeping habits? Tune in for our newest episode of ParentingU: The Podcast where we tackle an all too familiar issue — sleep! Sleep specialist Jessica Brown, DO and pediatrician Ashley Lucas, MD discuss normal sleep cycles, sleep issues and tips to help your children d...

Divorce affects everyone in the family, and when a divorce takes place, children have to learn how to cope with a new normal. From multiple holiday celebrations to different rules in different households, divorce can create anxiety. Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health pediatrician Michelle Flechas, MD and clinical social worker Rusty Miller, LCSW discuss challenges children need to overcome whe...

As parents, we deal with a lot of poop. But what is normal? Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health pediatrician Dr. Margaret Patterson and pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Beth McDonough kick off our ParentingU podcast with one of the most common, yet frustrating health issues in children--constipation. You'll learn what normal poop is, when to worry and when you might just need to pass them the p...