Pointers on dog ownership, headaches, bedwetting, and other situations

Key Points

The dangers of watching too much TV

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 2 years watch no TV and that older children watch no more than one or two hours of quality programming. A recent study showed that the more weekday time middle-school children devoted to television, movies, and video games, the more likely they were to do poorly in school.

Owning a dog

Your child's headaches

Try to determine if some activity or substance sets off your child's headache, so he/she can avoid the trigger. Getting adequate rest and sleep, drinking lots of fluids, having regular meals, and exercising every day also prevent and alleviate headaches.

SIDS and sharing a bed

Recent research suggests that sharing the same sleep surface-bed, couch, chair, or cot-raises the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The safest place for a baby to sleep during the first six months of life may be in a crib in the parents' room.

Your child's bedwetting

If your child is 7 years old or older and still wets the bed, talk to your doctor about an enuresis alarm, which is set off by wetness. Many pediatricians believe that using such an alarm, along with parental support and encouragement, is the best way to control bedwetting.

Adapted from Contemporary Pediatrics Guidelines for Parents, 2005-7