Opinion: Biting by a toddler

A biting question

To the editor:

I have some concerns with the "Ask the experts" section in the March 2008 issue. The question involves an 18-month-old who is biting at daycare. First, the authors recommend that a child who is bitten be given sympathy, then be removed from the biter with a "time out." I would think it better to place the biter, rather than the victim, in time out. Second, the authors recommend asking questions to the 18-month-old biter such as "Should we bite our friends? Why not?" and "What could you do next time you feel (insert emotion)?" Either the children the authors see are vastly brighter than the ones I come across, or the answer is misguided.

Tongue tie is prevalent

To the editor:

A fellow pediatrician and I were discussing the ankyloglossia article (January 2008). We have separately been noticing that the condition is more common than we previously thought. Hopefully this will lead to more moms who are able to successfully breastfeed. At times it can take two months to get an appointment with an ENT, and so we will be looking to perform the procedure in our office. Thank you for the insightful article.

Christine Whitman, MD Takoma Park, Md.