Pediatric Health Chat

Expert Answers and Advice

The mission of Pediatric Health Chat

We are surveying CHOP healthcare professionals to learn what topics families are telling them are common sources of conflicting information. We’ll display the trends on this site each month, so you know what pediatric health misinformation is circulating in your community.

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Are you a CHOP provider who wants to contribute to this project? Complete this survey to share your experiences with misinformation in the healthcare setting.

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Safety of Tylenol (Acetaminophen) for Children and in Pregnancy: Frequently Asked Questions

Acetaminophen is a safe, trusted, and effective medicine for children and pregnant women when used as directed. It helps with fever and pain, prevents the need for riskier medicines, and has been used worldwide for decades.

More about the safety of Tylenol for pregnant women >

Treating Fever in Children

Fever can be distressing for caregivers to see. Suspecting their child is ill, many people will reach for a thermometer, take their temperature, and have an emotional response to the number. Is fever bad? Does it need to be treated?

Should we treat fevers in children?

Fever is the body’s typical response to an infection. By raising its temperature, the body is hoping to resist and get rid of the disease.
Most fevers are not a medical emergency. One case where it can be is when fever occurs in a baby less than two months old. Newborns and very young babies with fever should always go to the emergency department for evaluation.
You do not need to treat fevers. Doing so will make your child feel better for a short while, but they will continue to have fevers until the infection is cleared from the body.
To treat a fever, you can work to make your child cooler by putting them in light clothes, giving them a lukewarm bath, or draping them with wet washcloths. Medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen (if your child is older than 6 months) can also help reduce fevers for a short time

Learn more about fevers in children >

Seed Oils in Formula

Formula is designed to be the sole diet for babies who drink it. There is a lot of science that supports the making of formulas, and that science can be confusing. Seed oils represent a way to introduce fats or fatty acids into the liquid formula.

What are seed oils and why does your body need them?

Seed oils come from plants like sunflowers and soybeans and are a type of vegetable oil. They provide important fats that our bodies need but can't make on their own.
These oils help control inflammation, which is a natural process that helps us heal. However, eating too much of them might cause too much inflammation.
Scientists are still studying how these fats affect our health, especially our heart and brain. It's important to eat a balanced amount of seed oils to avoid missing out on necessary nutrients, especially for kids' growth and health.

Learn more about seed oils >

The Recommended Vaccine Schedule

When looking at the vaccine schedule recommended on the Vaccine Education Center website or by the American Academy of Pediatrics – it can seem like a lot to give a baby. How do you know they can handle the shots? What is the harm in spacing them out and delaying them?

Can a baby's immune system handle all the vaccines it receives?

Vaccines are timed to protect babies when they need it the most. At around 6 to 8 weeks, the antibody levels a baby gets from their mothers through the placenta start to decrease. Their immune system is brand new and ready to learn from vaccines.
There is no known benefit to extend the timing of recommended vaccines. It leads to more doctor’s appointments, more pokes with a needle for baby, and less time that a baby will be protected from scary diseases.
Vaccines given early in life help a baby’s immune system learn about 14 different diseases. That can equal 25 shots, because often multiple vaccines are needed to train the immune system to fight a single disease. It’s normal to have questions about these vaccines, but the immune system is ready, and vaccination is part of how a baby’s immune system grows strong.

Learn more about the vaccine schedule >

Saffron for ADHD Treatment

ADHD can be managed with psychosocial and pharmacologic interventions. Children with ADHD benefit from healthy nutrition, sleep and exercise. Some parents wonder if dietary interventions can help manage behavioral symptoms.

Can saffron be used to treat ADHD symptoms?

A few small studies show saffron may improve symptoms of hyperactivity in children with ADHD.
Saffron has a good safety profile, but the optimal dosing for treating ADHD symptoms in children is unknown.
Larger, long-term studies on the safety and efficacy of saffron for ADHD management are needed.

Learn more about saffron for the treatment of ADHD >