a. It's low in iron, so giving it too early can cause anemia.
b. Giving it too soon can cause allergies.
c. Cow's milk tastes funny to young babies, so they won't drink it.
d. Most babies are lactose intolerant until age 1.
a. Diarrhea
b. Chicken pox
c. Strep throat
d. Liver disease
e. Flu
a. Around 21 to 23 pounds
b. Around 10 to 12 pounds
c. Around 30 to 32 pounds
d. Around 15 to 17 pounds
a. Antibiotics only kill bacteria, not viruses, and viruses cause many ear infections.
b. Children are already vaccinated against ear infections.
c. The bacteria causing ear infections are resistant to the antibiotics.
a. Clean them daily as soon as they appear, using a damp cloth or a soft toothbrush.
b. Begin flossing when your child is between 2 and 3 years old, since cavities often develop between teeth.
c. Avoid beverages with sugar and acid, including soda, lemonade, flavored teas, and sports drinks.
d. All of the above
a. Regular shampooing prevents head lice.
b. Dogs, cats, and other pets in your home can spread lice and also need to be treated.
c. Children with lice should be kept out of child care or school until all nits are removed from their hair.
d. Recently worn clothes should be washed in hot water.
a. Take her to an emergency room or clinic for blood, urine, and spinal-fluid tests and a shot of antibiotics.
b. Try to comfort and feed her; then try to get her to sleep.
c. Make her more comfortable with a fever-reducer like acetaminophen.
d. Nothing. This is a normal temperature for a baby.
a. Your 2-month-old sometimes looks cross-eyed.
b. On a flash photo, one of your toddler's pupils looks white.
c. Your preschooler rubs his eyes and squints a lot.
d. Your toddler often wakes up with crust around his eyes.
a. It makes the fever and throat pain go away much more quickly.
b. It protects against damage to her heart.
c. It prevents the strep infection from harming her kidneys and causing bloody urine.
d. It allows her to return to school immediately without spreading the infection.
a. His heartbeat speeds up and slows down dramatically while he's breathing normally.
b. There is a hole or another structural problem with the heart muscles, which may require surgery.
c. Your child's heart is beating too weakly, and he may need medicine to strengthen it.
d. His heart makes an extra "whoosh" sound, which is very common and usually the sound of blood moving normally through the heart.
a. She may have had a seizure and needs medical attention.
b. She had a brief "night terror," which is alarming but not dangerous.
c. She's showing signs of food poisoning.
d. She had a nightmare.
a. Getting a cold
b. Dust from stuffed animals or carpeting
c. A bee sting
d. Cold air
e. Running or other exercise
a. Most preventive pediatric-health services, including immunizations, must be covered by insurance with no co-pays.
b. No child can be denied health insurance due to a preexisting condition.
c. Insurance companies cannot place lifetime "caps" on health care for anyone, including children with complex or chronic medical problems.
d. By 2016, nearly 6 million uninsured children will be eligible for health-care benefits.
e. All of the above.
a. Cat poop can harbor a parasite called toxoplasma, which is circulated through the bloodstream and can lead to blindness and brain damage in a fetus.
b. A mom's exposure to cat hair increases a fetus's chance of later developing pet allergies.
c. It can lead to cat-scratch fever.
d. Exposure to cat urine causes early labor and premature birth.
a. Even small amounts of caffeine can cause sleep problems in breastfed babies.
b. It takes about two hours for a mother's body to clear the alcohol from a drink, so you should never have more than one drink between nursing sessions.
c. Antidepressants should not be taken while breastfeeding.
d. Because nicotine doesn't enter breast milk, a mother's smoking has no bad effects on a baby.
a. Don't pick up your colicky baby when he is crying, since this may create bad habits.
b. Bad parenting, milk allergies, acid reflux, and gas are common causes of colic in infants.
c. Colic usually continues until about 6 months of age.
d. Even loving parents can become extremely upset and angry at colicky babies, and they should step away and ask for help if they're about to lose it.
a. The 3-year-old who falls at home while running and hits his head on the ground and cries but remains conscious and feels fine a few minutes later
b. The 5-year-old with a slight fever and crampy pain, which seems to move to the lower-right part of her belly
c. The 1-month-old who spits up after feeding
d. The 8-year-old with a cough, a slight fever, and a headache
a. Car seats should face the back of a vehicle until a child is 2.
b. 41 percent of all kids killed in car crashes were wearing no seat belt and not in a car seat.
c. You can switch your child to a booster seat once he turns 4.
d. Many children can wear regular seat belts after 8 years of age.
e. 99 percent of infants today ride in car seats.
a. Use crib bumpers and extra pillows so she won't hurt herself against the rails.
b. Place your baby to sleep on her back, not her belly or side.
c. Ensure that the spaces between the crib rails are wide enough for her to fit her arms and legs through them.
d. Babies get cold easily, so use several blankets to keep her warm.
a. Tell him not to scratch, and treat it with hydrocortisone cream.
b. Find out what he may have eaten or touched to cause a reaction.
c. Be more vigilant about using sunscreen in the future to avoid sunburns.
d. Take him to the doctor for blood tests and antibiotics.
Give yourself one point for every correct answer.
Wow! You're practically ready to be a pediatrician!
Way to go! You know an impressive amount about kids' health.
You're off to a great start. In order to stay on top of the latest health news, be sure to visit our blog on a regular basis by logging on to goodyblog.com.
Though you didn't ace this quiz, you're taking the time to learn. Brush up on kids'-health basics by checking out our health channel at parents.com/health.
Originally published in the August 2013 issue of Parents magazine.
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