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One of the most common viruses that affects children is adenovirus. It infects the mucus membranes and can cause illness in the respiratory tract. “Adenovirus accounts for about 10-percent of respiratory infections, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but is a huge amount,” says pediatrician Dr. Sue Hubbard. Adenovirus can cause conjunctivitis (pink eye), sore throat, cough, GI problems like diarrhea, vomiting, cramping and even blood in the urine. However, Dr. Hubbard cautions that the symptoms vary from person to person.

One of the most contagious viral infections a young child can get is called Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease, or Coxsackie Virus. It is an intro-viral infection, which means it can not be treated or cured with antibiotics. Pediatrician Dr. Sue Hubbard, co-host of The Kid’s Doctor radio show says hand-foot-mouth is normally seen in toddlers but older children and even adults can catch it. Symptoms include fever, irritability, drooling, loss of appetite, sore throat and blister-like lesions on the bottom of the foot, palm of hands and sometimes on the buttocks by the diaper area. But Dr. Hubbard warns, “You don’t always see children with a classic presentation of symptoms.”

I keep hearing that there are lice out there! Lice are a part of childhood, albeit the gross part, but it really has nothing to do with where you live or go to school or how often your kids take their baths, its about hair. Lice are obligate human parasites and require a human scalp to live, they can only live off the host for 6 -25 hours The most recent issue with lice is that they are becoming resistant to the over the counter products like Rid and Nix that have been recommended for years. These are still first line treatment as well as trying to remove as many nits (egg casings) as you can with a nit comb.

Choosing who will be your child's pediatrician is one of the most important decisions a parent will make.

If you have a child who loves to spend most of their summer vacation in the swimming pool, there is a chance they could develop a painful condition called “swimmer’s ear.”

Lice are a common problem in school-aged children and can be hard to get rid of. Lice can live for 24 to 48 hours on the human head and have a 21-day life cycle. The eggs, or nits, of lice can usually be seen in the hair and can cause itching. The Kid’s Doctor, pediatrician Dr. Sue Hubbard says that you should only treat the person with an infestation. It is normally not necessary to treat the entire family or the entire house. The most common form of treatment is to use an over-the-counter product, like Nix, that contains permethrin.