Health

The Chesapeake Family List of over 600 of Maryland's Family Favorite Doctors and Health Care Providers was compiled as a result of your, the readers', recommendations. Find out what health-care providers your fellow readers recommend!

Only those Maryland doctors and practitioners who have earned the trust, admiration and professional respect of parents are included. Listings cannot be bought. Each of these practitioners have been nominated by local parents during the months of February through April 2010. Practices include Chiropractors, Dentists, Orthodontists, Pediatricians, OB/Gyns, Midwives, Birthing Centers, Hospitals, Family Practice Doctors, Therapists, Opthalmologists, Optometrists, Laser Surgery and more covering central Maryland including Anne Arundel, Calvert, Howard, Prince George's counties and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

If your teenager needs braces but worries about how traditional metal braces will affect her looks, many options exist other than metal braces.

Innovations like Invisalign, self-ligating and lingual braces can all help your teenager look good while straightening their smile—all without using metal braces.

The biggest concern of a teen’s life should be about what type of car she wants and the latest fashion trends, not her orthodontic treatment plan.

Not excited about hearing from her orthodontist that she needed braces, Brianna Weigman began to do some research to find a treatment that wouldn’t drastically change her appearance. After some basic Internet research, Brianna found Invisalign, a series of aligners that would give her that perfect smile without the metal.

Surprisingly, in 2005 appendicitis was the third leading cause of hospitalizations in children in Anne Arundel county. Not every abdominal pain is appendicitis, but it's clearly important to understand when stomach pain signals trouble. 

According to the National Institutes of Health's National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, appendicitis is the main reason, nationwide, for emergency abdominal surgeries. Appendicitis happens when your appendix becomes infected, and it's most common in people aged 10 to 30. The appendix is a tiny, finger-shaped pouch attached to your large intestine on the lower right side of the tummy, and it appears to have no useful function.

My son lives to play; it's all he wants to do. Everything and anything can be a toy. Most times this isn't a problem, but sometimes play has be curtailed to make room for school work, acts of basic hygiene, and the like. A recent study presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in England further fuels the argument over how much play time is good for kids, and which type of play is the most beneficial. 

Researchers at the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) quizzed 505 young adults on their play experiences as children. Additionally, they collected information about their weight, health, and health habits. The researchers identified four types of play with this group: active play, play that involved technology, playing alone, and creative play, and all were linked to a variety of of adult health profiles.

Participants who had the most creative play time as kids appeared to have a healthy diet and important heart-smart habits such as a regular exercise regimen. The young adults who had the most active play time were in the best health and engaged in the most exercise as adults. However, those who reported having the most restrictions on their play and having the least amount of play time were the most likely to have bad health habits and to be overweight.

It seems telling a child to "go play," can not only get him out from under foot, but may also be the best thing for his long term health.

When your child is diagnosed with a major illness or is severely injured, coping with the situation can put stress on your family, your marriage and your very self. But there is help for those whose child is severely ill or injured, from professionals, support groups and volunteer organizations in Maryland that specialize in severely ill children. 

“She cannot die,” I remember thinking. I just finally met her after nine months, felt her little fingers grab onto my hand and held her close to finally breathe in that angelic baby scent.  By her second day of life, the doctors suspected that something was wrong with our precious baby girl, Ayah. After five weeks of testing she was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare and incurable liver disease that would eventually require liver transplantation. In the weeks and years to follow, my family and I were faced with the greatest challenge of our lives and from it we have learned the greatest lessons.