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Questions and Answers by SUSAN J. MARGOLIN, M.D., M.P.H. If you have a question for the pediatrician, please e-mail it to ESALAMON@SBHCS.COM or mail it to Elizabeth Salamon, Public Relations, Saint Barnabas Medical Center, 95 Old Short Hills Road, West Orange, NJ 07052 Dear Dr. Margolin, Q. I have a 12-year-old girl I am worried about. She is always tired when it is time to do chores. How much can I expect from her? A. The most important chore for a 12-yearold is homework and the completion of that “chore” should always be expected. In addition, it would not be too much to expect a 12-year-old to contribute to the work of the household. Children of 12 can set the table, empty the dishwasher, or dry dishes, take out and return trashcans, make their beds, care for pets, etc. 15 to 30 minutes of simple chores daily would be reasonable to expect from a 12-year-old. TV and non-academic computer time should follow the completion of chores, not precede it. Dear Dr. Margolin, Q. My son always seems to get the Coxsackie virus infection in the summer. What is it and can we avoid it? A. Coxsackie virus is a late spring, summer, early fall virus that is hard to hide from. The infection of coxsackie has many manifestations which range from a nonspecific fever to respiratory symptoms with conjunctivitis or sore throat to rashes of various kinds and occasionally to more serious illness. The virus can survive on environmental surfaces for periods long enough to allow transmission from one person to the next. Fortunately, most disease caused by coxsackie is relatively mild. Dear Dr. Margolin, Q. For her first two years, my daughter had a wonderful appetite. Now, at age three, she seems to eat less at meal times. This is especially frustrating at dinner when she seems more interested in talking than eating. Any suggestions? A. Children between the ages of 18 months and 2 years have decreasing appetites and lose interest in food. Most pediatricians suggest that children in this age group have food placed on a small plate at mealtime so that the amount of food does not appear to be overwhelming. It is also a good idea to limit the amount of fluid intake (milk, juice, etc) at a meal so that solid food is eaten first. At the end of mealtime the dinner plate should be removed and the child should be told that there will be no other dinner provided. Then, you have to stick to your guns (easy for me to say). In a short time your child will learn to eat at mealtimes. [ top ] |
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