Development Board Review Questions

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answered toe walking

Is toe walking always associated with some neuro or sensory disorder or can it be isolated?...
Harriet McGurk

answered Explaining death
I was recently asked by the mom of a 3 yr old girl how to approach the topic of death with her. They had no religious affiliation or particular personal beliefs regarding death. Do you have any advice on how to tell a 3 yr old about death and any good reading suggestions for both mom and me?? Thanks!!
Harriet McGurk

answered Gifted Children
In the clinic, we sometimes see extraordinarily bright children, occasionally even under the age of 2. Are there any resources in the community for these low-income families and their gifted children?
I recently saw a 5-year-old girl who had been adopted at age 2 from a Russian orphanage together with her 7-year-old sister. They both have transitioned extremely well. One behavior that remained, and was of some concern to the mother, was their self-stimulatory/soothing behavior of “masturbation” that they both would do prior to going to sleep each night for a short time. They were cognizant of ...
Harriet, I was intersted in looking at (P) children under 5 yrs of age (I) who receive child care outside of the home (C) compared to those who receive care by their primary care taker (O) and how the two groups compare in terms of academic achievement/sociobehavioral development/ medical health...
Harriet McGurk

answered Language
How do and from what/whom do children learn language? My question relates specifically to houses that may be bilingual and/or parents who would like their children to learn more than one language. Is there an advantage or disadvantage to overall language development if a child is learning 2-3 languages at once? Does a child learn exclusively from human interaction or can a child whose parents ...
Harriet McGurk

answered aniridia
Do you think a 3month old with aniridia should be referred to Early intervention to develop the other senses,and/or stimulate vision?Do you know of any studies showing that early intervention can make a difference in visualy impaired infants?Thank ...
Do you have any recommendations for a support group that I can recommend to the mother of one of my 3 yo clinic patients who has recently been formally diagnosed with autism. Thanks...
Harriet McGurk

answered development of smile
I saw a 2 month old baby in the office for well child care. She is not smiling yet. She does focus on objects with contrasting colors, she has been focusing increasingly at mom's and dad's faces, she makes some noises. The fact that she doesn't smile worries me. How much more time do you wait and still say this is within the range of normal? To whom do you refer a child this young (rest of ...
Do you have any suggestions to aid in delivering heavy news such as a new cancer diagnosis? Would you tell the parent and patient together or talk with the parent first? Will your strategy differ depending on the age of the child?
Harriet McGurk

answered genital curiosity
What do you tell parents about the normal developmental stage that kids go through when they learn about the differences between the genders (and their genitals)? What advice do you give parents who are uncomfortable with this type of talk among their children, and who want this subject to be more "private"? If children (young school age, such as 4-6 y.o) touch eachother's genitals, is ...
What would you tell the parents of a school age child who has been worrying a lot about germs and washing his hands excessively? The behavior seems to have just started and I was wondering what the best way is to intervene and prevent this from becoming a full-blown OCD. He appears to be a very bright, verbal, and anxious child. He apparently also insists on going to the bathroom to urinate ...
This morning, Dr. Halfon discussed the use of developmental screening in young children. He commented on the PEDS screening tool and stated that "...even Denver does not use the Denver anymore." I was wondering what your opinion is on the various ways to screen development in the outpatient setting. Thanks.
A friend of mine asked about literature/books for his sister who has a "difficult" child (2-3 years)? I recommended Turecki's book - any others?
Harriet McGurk

answered thumb sucking advice
Dr. McGurk,...
Harriet McGurk

answered IQ Testing
I have heard that meningitis has an influence on IQ level. What are the components of an IQ test and how do they negate learned knowledge?
Harriet McGurk

answered 2 month-old baby girl
I recently saw a 2 month-old baby girl in my clinic. Although she would occassionally engage in her mother's face and smile, she had a tendency to look out into "space" more often than at faces. Would you expect a 2 month-old to be more engaging? Is this abnormal?
Harriet McGurk

answered Hearing Screens
Given the prevalence of CMV in the population, would you recommend hearing tests to screen for deafness due to congenital CMV? Are there hospitals which do hearing screens in infancy?
At what age should a child be removed from the room when discussing a sensitive topic such as domestic violence?
Harriet McGurk

answered thumb sucking
I have a 22 month old female who is developmentally normal who has been sucking her left thumb during the day and night to the point where there is a thick white layer of dead skin. I recommended gauze and vasoline to cover the thumb. Any good suggestions?