GetzWell Articles | GetzWell Personalized Pediatrics

Winter Wellness

November 18, 2023

Now that we’ve “fallen back” to Standard Time, it feels like winter is already in the air even though we’ve still got some autumn ahead of us! And are you hearing more coughs and sniffles out in the world (or even in your own home)? We certainly are. It’s that time of year, and at GetzWell, we want you and your family to enjoy the upcoming holidays without being laid up in bed with colds, coughs, or the flu. Keep reading if you’re interested in some practical suggestions to help keep you and your family healthy and boost immunity. I

“You Matter!”: Defeating Toxic Achievement Culture While Promoting Self-Motivation

October 31, 2023

You may have heard about the new book, Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic–And What We Can Do About It, by Jennifer Breheny Wallace. The author has appeared on several podcasts and news shows, which is how she and her book caught our attention. In Never Enough, Wallace takes a deep dive into achievement culture and shows how it is negatively affecting kids by increasing their anxiety, depression, and isolation. She also identifies concrete ways families and communities can counter these effects and move towards behaviors that will protect kids and send them into adulthood better equipped to manage

Stress Is Making Our Kids Sick: Learn How, Why, and What You Can Do About It

October 5, 2023

Now that autumn is here and school is in full swing, we are hearing more and more about how stressed-out parents and kids are. In addition to signs of anxiety and depression, families are seeing physical symptoms like outsize fatigue, frequent headaches and belly aches, all of which often are caused or worsened by stress. We are seeing an epidemic of mental, emotional, and physical complaints in our children and teens. According to an article published in JAMA Pediatrics in 2022, between 2016 and 2019, anxiety and depression were becoming more common among children and adolescents, increasing 27% and 24%

Getting To Know Your Body’s Anti-Viral Superhero

September 19, 2023

Introduction Q: What’s within your body but not inside your body, about 30 feet long, has 800-900 folds, would cover an entire tennis court if laid out flat, comprises the majority of your immune system, and contains about 3-4 pounds of microbes? A: Your gut! Amazing, right? As I’ve mentioned before, the gut, or the intestinal tract––the long tube that goes through the body from mouth to anus––is a very big deal. Among other things, it helps keep us safe from viruses and other pathogens thanks to its large surface area, the epithelial barrier, which includes epithelial cells, plus proteins

2023-2024 FLU SHOTS ARE IN!

September 5, 2023

Important Flu Season Announcement. Our first partial shipment of mercury free flu vaccines has arrived. Please schedule your appointment as soon as possible. We are offering flu vaccines for the 2023-2024 influenza season to all members (including parents and caregivers). The CDC recommends everyone over the age of 6 months receive a flu vaccine annually. Please be advised that the CDC currently recommends that all adults 65 years and older receive a “high dose” quadrivalent flu vaccine—different from what we provide to children and adults < 65 years in age. 2023-2024 Flu Season Vaccination for influenza remains important this year.

Back to School

August 18, 2023

It’s transition time! As summer moves into fall and school begins again, there’s an opportunity to approach the shift with conscious choices to help ease us into the coming academic year. In this article, you’ll find some suggestions for navigating schedule changes, family transitions, as well as school relationships. Changes to the Daily Schedule During summer, it can feel really good to take an anything goes approach—the kids are on vacation, and as long as everyone gets to camp and work on time, it’s a win. When school’s in session, though, the stakes are higher. The school year can be

Screen Time: Empowered Choices

May 18, 2023

For most of us, the COVID-19 pandemic gave us some new best friends: our screens. During lockdown, screens allowed us to stay connected with people and gave many of us a way to continue to “go to work” and earn a livelihood. Screens gave children a way to continue to attend school. More than ever we turned to screens for entertainment and escape. It was such a unique period that the American Academy of Pediatrics relaxed its guidelines for screen time. As we embraced the advantages that screens and technology offered, we adapted remarkably quickly: we started spending more and

GetzWell’s New Offering: from Stress to Wellness – StressWell!

April 21, 2023

We’re so excited to announce our newest physician, Rachel Gilgoff, MD, who uses a cutting-edge approach to treat and manage stress biology in children and adults. With her expertise we are expanding our services to include: From Stress to Wellness – StressWell! Dr. Gilgoff offers novel interventions and strategies which can balance an overactive stress response system. Is your child struggling? Is your family feeling stressed? Have you been getting the run around and not accessing the answers you want or need? Maybe you prefer to avoid medical treatments, especially pharmaceuticals, but don’t know where to turn. As a parent, do

Teaching Children About Boundaries, Advice from our Pediatricians

April 19, 2023

Our San Francisco pediatricians consider the holistic needs of children, and psychological and emotional skills like “boundary setting” are valuable skills to teach. “The most compassionate people are also the most boundaried,” said Dr. Brene Brown, American professor, author, and podcast host known for her work on courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. Teaching your kids about boundaries, both setting boundaries for themselves as well as respecting those of others, will serve them over a lifetime. A group of researchers from North Dakota State University argues that learning to set age-appropriate boundaries is an integral factor in young people’s development. Boundaries can be

What Toys Babies Need, According to a San Francisco Pediatrician

April 14, 2023

Dr. Julia Getzelman is often asked, “what toys do babies need?” According to Dr. Getzelman, pediatrician and founder of GetzWell Personalized Pediatrics in San Francisco, what babies most need in the first two years is attuned parenting, or attuned caregiving. What is Attuned Parenting? Attuned parenting involves being responsive to the baby’s emotions. For example, they benefit from mirroring for their facial expressions. They need you to talk to them and read to them. Music, for example, is a wonderful thing to share with babies and children. But babies don’t really need toys. Toddlers will enjoy discovering all the nooks

Articles

Winter Wellness

“You Matter!”: Defeating Toxic Achievement Culture While Promoting Self-Motivation

Stress Is Making Our Kids Sick: Learn How, Why, and What You Can Do About It

Getting To Know Your Body’s Anti-Viral Superhero

2023-2024 FLU SHOTS ARE IN!

Back to School

Screen Time: Empowered Choices

GetzWell’s New Offering: from Stress to Wellness – StressWell!

Teaching Children About Boundaries, Advice from our Pediatricians

What Toys Babies Need, According to a San Francisco Pediatrician

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