Mama Doc NJ

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General Pediatrician providing accessible high quality care to children of all ages. Kids don't come with handbooks, I'm here to help. Follow me for tips.

Check out my website for more information on joining the practice.

10/17/2026

The human body really is fascinating. Did you know that babies are born without knee bones. This area starts off as soft cartilage. The knee bone starts to ossify (harden) around ages 2-6years. Makes sense that young kids can crawl all over the floor without discomfort. Genius design!

10/13/2026

Hives are actually a pretty common concern that comes up in my pediatric practice. Parents are often wondering what their child is allergic to, but the most common of hives is actually viral illnesses. Common every day viruses. The hives can appear anytime during the course of-beginning, middle, end and sometimes even a week or so after the initial symptoms resolve.

The hives are not contagious but can be itchy and uncomfortable. They can seem to come and go over the course which may be just 1-2 days or even several weeks. Hives often look worse after bathing or with exertion/sweating. Antihistamines are typically the first line in treatment.

Up to 30% cases of hives don't seem to have a specific trigger. A small percent can be associated with drug or food allergies or other allergy.

As always, check in with your child's pediatrician to review symptoms and medication doses. Go to the ER if hives are associated with difficulty breathing.

09/01/2026

I'm Dr. Piron, board certified pediatrician and owner of MamaDoc NJ. Discussing car seat and booster seat safety comes up daily in my practice.

Most people know that infants and toddlers should be in car seats, but what are the recommendations for older kids and booster seats?

Here are the highlights:
1) stay in a forward facing harness seat at least until age 4 and until your child has outgrown the height or weight max for the seat (this is often through age 5-6 for many carseats). Don't rush the transition. Use the harness seat for as long as safely possible
2) once out of the harness seat, use a booster seat until your child is at least 4'9". Booster seats use the seatbelt but lift your child up into a safer position until they are big enough. The booster ensures the belt hits them properly across the lap and shoulder to provide the most safety and avoid potential injury.
3) Some states may have age cut offs, but most safety experts will recommend going by height and position in the seat instead of using an age cutoff. Most kids will hit the target height between ages 8-12
4) fit check to test if your child is ready to come out of the booster: they must sit all the way back, knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat and feet flat on the floor. Seatbelt crosses low over the hips and across the mid shoulder, and your child is able to stay in this position the entire trip.
5) all children should ride in the backseat regardless of car seat/booster seat status until age 13

monmouthcountynj

07/25/2026

Bright colors for the win when it comes to safety. As a pediatrician and a mom, I take water safety very seriously. We need to use all the tools in our kit to prevent accidents. Yes, kids need to learn to swim and adults need to properly supervise, but an added layer of safety could be the color of the swimsuit.

If something happens and your child becomes submerged, the color of their suit may help you/others find and assist them quicker. In submersion events, every second counts. Go for the bright fluorescent colors that stand out more in the water and avoid colors that don't contrast well. You want to be seen! Embrace the neon colors and stay safe.

07/23/2026

As a general pediatrician parents often ask me how they can get their kids to drink enough water during the day. It can sometimes be a challenge. Kids are busy and often don't want to take breaks to drink or they just forget or they say water is "boring". Drinking enough water throughout the day is important for overall health. You also need to drink all throughout the day and not try to squeeze in your daily requirement all at once. Here are some e strategies to try with your kids and family. And don't forget to model healthy habits by drinking enough water yourself.

-let your kids pick out a special cup or bottle that is just for water. It can have a fun color or design or maybe even let them decorate one themselves

-my kids always seem more excited to drink water with ice. Plain ice cubes work or you can freeze fruit into the ice cubes for a tasty treat once your water is gone and ice melts

-not all of our water has to come from drinking. Foods have water too. Encourage water rich foods especially on those hotter and more active days. Watermelon anyone?

-make it a game, join in with them if you can.

-set a timer for water breaks during the day as a reminder to encourage sips all throughout the day.

What tricks do you use that have been successful?

06/22/2026

Happy Father's Day to all the men out there who are showing up, trying their best and being there for their kids! Enjoy your day!

06/13/2026

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient important for bone health but also for neuro, immune and muscle health.

We absorb vitamin D through our skin from the sun and we can also ingest it through the foods we eat everyday.

We best absorb it from the sun during spring and summer. During these peak times our bodies can generate more than the daily required dose of vitamin D. Your body won't overdose on Vitamin D generated by the sun, but of course we still need to be mindful of sun exposure and use sunscreen for other reasons.

You can overdose on vitamin D taken by food or as a supplement, so it is important to speak with your doctor before supplementing especially if considering higher doses. We can get vitamin D through foods like salmon, tuna, sardines, egg yolks and shiitake mushrooms. Some dairy products and juice may also be fortified with vitamin D but not all -check the labels.

Stay safe out there and enjoy a little bit of sunshine ☀️

06/11/2026

Happy International Day of Play!

Play is essential. It is fundamental to our kids development, growth and well being. It's probably something as adults we could embrace more!

Children learn essential skills -social emotional, critical thinking, fine and gross motor and more all through play. It is a way for them to explore their environment and use their imagination as well as process emotions. Play can give them opportunity to practice independence and build strength and confidence.

Too often as parents we stress over scheduling and organizing and engineering activities and opportunities for our kids. Sometimes we just need to step back and let them have unstructured free play (screen free!) Not just our young kids, the older kids benefit too!

Hope you find some time today and everyday to play!

04/30/2026

At age 1 we typically recommend weaning off of formula and so often parents are told or feel pressured to switch to cow's milk or some milk substitute. This can be especially stressful to parents if their child doesn't seem interested in the milk.

Good new is that cow milk (or any milk) is not required to maintain a healthy diet for your children.

-Yes, milk can be incorporated into a balanced diet and can offer a good source of things like protein, fat and calcium. There are other ways to get these nutrients through solid foods
-If your family doesn't drink milk routinely, it's ok to just offer water during the day along with a healthy balanced diet
-if you do include milk, be mindful not to offer too much. Some milk is ok. Too much can lead to health problems
-chocolate milk and flavored milks should be offered sparingly if at all
-milk alternatives are fine to include in the diet, but should be the plain/unflavored versions if drinking regularly.
-Alternative milks do not have the same nutrient profile so be mindful of this if you are trying to find a nutrient match and not just something else to offer to drink. Pea and soy milk are the closest alternatives
-breastmilk is ok to continue! Your toddler should be drinking some water during the day too, but you don't have to stop breastmilk and give cows milk unless you want to

Always check with your pediatrician if you have specific concerns regarding your child's nutrition or growth.

04/22/2026

This is a really common question I hear as a pediatrician. It can be confusing for parents because there are different options an available on the shelf at the store. In general, the children's formulation can be safely used even in kids under 2, with just a couple of things to keep in mind.

Ibuprofen (Motrin)
-only safe for ages 6 months or older
-can be given every 6 hours if needed for pain or fever
-Infant version is more concentrated but otherwise the same active ingredients. This means that the volume you give of the infant version will be smaller than what you give of the children's version. Check with your pediatrician if you need to confirm your child's dose
-I recommend keeping only one version in your home to avoid confusion and accidental over/under dosing
-If you need/want to keep both versions in the house, mark it clearly so it's easy to see which version you're grabbing

Acetaminophen (Tylenol or Genexa)
-safe for all ages (even under age 6 months). Infant and Children's versions are the same concentration. The volume you will give is the same for both
- Infant versions tends to cost more and come with a medication syringe
-can be given every 4 hours as needed for fever or pain
-double check the appropriate dose with your pediatrician if you're not sure

These medicines are typically safe when used at appropriate doses and intervals. Keep track of when you last gave the medication and double check with other care givers before giving the next dose (in case they also gave a dose). There are of course certain situations where it may not be recommended to give Tylenol/motrin so always follo the direct advice of your child's pediatrician if you're not sure

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39 Avenue At The Commons, Suite 200A
Shrewsbury, NJ
07702

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