Having a baby boy? Congratulations! Along with other decisions to make when having a baby, you’ll have one extra to consider: to circumcise or not. To help you with this important decision, Jason VanderLugt, MD, pediatric hospitalist at Holland Hospital Boven Birth Center, offers some facts and perspective on circumcision.
What is circumcision?
It’s estimated that 100 million Americans struggle with pain symptoms daily, and chronic pain is the nation’s leading cause of long-term disability.
Whether you’re trying to kick the smoking habit or just plain curious, vaping might seem harmless enough. But are electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) better or safer than traditional tobacco products?
Dr. Matt Hilton, Holland Hospital Family Medicine, offers six facts to answer this question and more:
Having a baby is one of the most important moments of your life. Creating a birth plan before he/she arrives can give you added peace of mind and help you focus on what matters most: welcoming your baby into the world.
While it should be flexible—after all, there’s no crystal ball for having a baby—a birth plan is an outline of your specific preferences and goals for your labor and delivery. Here are some suggestions and questions to consider:
When’s the last time you went out with just your best girlfriends? If you’ve been putting that GNO on the back burner, you should move it front and center. Not just for the laughter and the wine, but be-cause it’s good for you.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year—back-to-school season! Between readying backpacks, buying school supplies, and yes, celebratory dancing (no judgment here, moms and dads), these seven tips can help your kids put their best foot forward when that first bell rings:
The dog days are officially here, and that means spending lots of time outside for cookouts, pool parties, lake fun and more. When taking advantage of all this Pure Michigan season offers, remember that hotter weather also increases the potential for injury and illness.
Some common reasons people seek urgent or emergency care during summer include:
When the sun shines in Michigan, it’s natural to want to soak in every moment of those wonderful rays. But when enjoying the great outdoors, don’t forget to protect your skin. Darkened skin color from the sun (or a tanning booth) not only accelerates the effects of aging, but also increases your risk of skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S.
Our lakes are pretty great. After all, we’re not called The Great Lakes State for nothing. Yet despite their undeniable beauty, the Great Lakes can pose great danger. As of mid-July, there have been 37 drownings reported in the Great Lakes (18 in Lake Michigan alone). To put things on a national scale, in the U.S., someone dies from drowning every 10 minutes.
While the statistics are alarming, swimming—whether in a lake or backyard pool—is fantastic exercise, not to mention a ton of fun. Best of all, you don’t have to shun the water to stay safe and reap all its advantages.
When the temperature rises, so does your risk of heat stroke. Heat stroke can happen with prolonged exposure to or strenuous activity in hot temperatures. A less serious (but still concerning) condition called heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke.