Farmington Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, LLC

08/25/2026

As a reminder for the school season, your child’s backpack should never weigh more than 10-20% of their body weight. To avoid straining your child’s muscles, it's also important to choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back. Make sure to also pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. 🎒

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08/24/2026

Does your child cry, cling to you, or become upset when it’s time to say goodbye? Separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development and can be especially common during the toddler years.

While goodbyes can be difficult, consistent routines can help your child feel more secure. Try keeping departures short and sweet, creating a familiar goodbye ritual, and reassuring your child that you’ll be back. Click here for more tips. 👇

Separation anxiety varies WIDELY between children. Some babies become hysterical when mom is out of sight for a very short time, while other children seem to demonstrate ongoing anxiety at separations during infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool.

08/20/2026

Knowing how to safely store and prepare breast milk can help keep your baby’s milk fresh and reduce the risk of contamination. Here's a helpful guide on how to properly store and prepare expressed breast milk.🤱

When it comes to breast milk, how you store it depends on how soon you want to use it. Follow these safety guidelines.

08/19/2026

E-bike crashes are now the leading cause of injury for school-aged children in emergency rooms. 🚲 🏥 Because they can travel much faster and are heavier than traditional bicycles, they are more dangerous than regular bikes.

It is recommended that children under 12 should not ride e-bikes or use motorized scooters designed to reach speeds greater than 10 mph. For teens who ride e-bikes, it's important that they wear a properly fitted helmet, follow traffic laws, avoid passengers, and understand how the bike’s speed and controls can help reduce the risk of injury.

Check out this guide for important e-bike safety recommendations for children and teens. 👇

Are electric bikes (e-bikes) safe for kids? Learn pediatrician-approved guidance on e-bike safety, age recommendations, training, helmet use, injury risks, laws and tips to help children and teens ride safely. ​

08/17/2026

Is your teen starting college this year? 🎓 While this is an exciting milestone for your child, it is also a time for them to take on more responsibility for their own health and well-being.

From getting enough sleep and eating nutritious meals to staying active, managing stress, and knowing where to go for medical care, building healthy habits can make the transition to college life a little easier.

Before move-in day, students should also make sure they're up to date on recommended vaccines, know how to access their health records and medications, and understand their health insurance coverage.

Check out this guide for healthy tips to help college freshmen start the school year off right. 👇

​It is important to have a checklist for the college freshman’s health and safety needs. Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

08/13/2026

Back-to-school can feel overwhelming for kids with dyslexia, especially if they have anxiety about reading out loud in class or making mistakes. Understood has a tool for finding strategies for everyday challenges, preparing for conversations with teachers, and exploring accommodations that may help your child at school. 🏫

It can also help parents role-play difficult conversations, troubleshoot routines that aren't working, or create personalized stories for their kids. Check it out here. 👇

Since we launched the AI-powered Understood Assistant on U.org, it’s become a go-to resource for anyone who wants expert-vetted information on learning and thinking differences.

08/12/2026

Has your baby started pinching, scratching, or even biting while breastfeeding? 🤱😬 While it can be uncomfortable, these behaviors are actually common and can happen for several reasons.

Older babies may pinch or scratch as they explore and develop fine motor skills, while biting may happen during teething. Babies may also do these things to adjust milk flow, soothe themselves, or simply because they’re getting full or losing interest in feeding.

There are simple things you can try, from giving your baby something to hold to offering a chilled teething ring before nursing or adjusting their breastfeeding position. Learn more here. 👇

What does it mean if Baby is pinching, scratching, or biting you while breastfeeding? And how can you cope with these behaviors? Learn about it in our blog.

08/11/2026

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Kids can experience a variety of eye conditions, including astigmatism, blocked tear ducts, amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and other vision problems. Early detection and treatment are especially important because untreated eye conditions can sometimes lead to lifelong vision impairment. 👁️

Regular vision screenings can help identify potential concerns early. If your child doesn’t pass a screening or you notice changes in their vision or eyes, your pediatrician can help determine whether further evaluation is needed.

Check out this guide for more info. 👇

There are many different eye conditions and diseases that can affect a child's vision. Early detection and treatment is so important to avoid lifelong visual impairments. Learn about some of the more common eye conditions and eye diseases here.​

08/06/2026

Social media trends, like certain challenges, can spread quickly, making it important for families to talk with kids about making safe choices online. Some of the social media challenges that are appealing to teens can be dangerous. Being aware of what these challenges are and how they impact kids can help you have open conversations with your adolescent and protect them from participating in dangerous activities. 📱

Here's a guide to learn more and get tips on how to talk to your kids. 👇

Social media challenges can be fascinating to teens, who can be both impulsive and drawn to behavior that draws attention. These trendy challenges, which range from microwaving gel-filled toys to misusing allergy medicines, can cause serious injuries and poisonings, and some can even be fatal. Being...

08/05/2026

As a reminder for and , there are many ways breastfeeding supports a baby's health and development. 🤱

Breast milk contains antibodies and other beneficial components that help protect babies from infections while their immune systems are still developing. Breastfeeding has also been associated with a lower risk of certain illnesses, including ear infections, respiratory infections, and stomach viruses.

Learn more about how breast milk strengthens your child's immune system. 👇

​Breast milk is the food naturally designed to best meet the needs of human babies. It has all the necessary nutrients, in just the right amounts, and is easy to digest. Beyond the nutritional benefits, here's a great bonus: Breast milk also helps build and support your baby's immune system. Re...