Shoals Pediatric Group

11/19/2025

Bookmark for next week, or go ahead and call us if you want an appointment!

11/17/2025

11/14/2025

11/13/2025

A reminder that we are entering sick season! Don't let anyone with "allergies" around your small baby -- it's almost always a virus (meaning contagious) this time of year! What is easy peasy for us as an adults can be very serious for the littles. Protect your babies at holidays, and remember that other kids (meaning very cute cousins) carry everyyyyything.

As a reminder for the 382190 time, you can always blame the pediatricians for a rule that may ruffle some feathers. This means that if you are uncomfortable passing your baby around at Thanksgiving, but don't want to appear rude, you can always tell your friends and family that your doctor said no!

-Dr. Kelley

11/12/2025

Update: I am going to delete any comments from followers in response to a question. I appreciate the input so much, and I know y’all are trying to help other mamas out, but I have to be careful about what is written on our page. I don’t want anything to be perceived as me endorsing something as medical advice if I can’t review it closely. 

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I’m at home with a sick kid today (and recovering from a very late night doctoring and mama-ing), so let’s do an AMA. Ask me anything, EXCEPT for something specific about your child. I’m always going to refer you back to your pediatrician for those questions!

-Dr. Kelley

Picture from seven(!!!) years ago for attention.

11/11/2025

11/10/2025

I was completing some CME (Continuing Medical Education) the other day on teen driving, and some of the statistics were very sobering. Here are a few that really stood out to me. All are taken directly from the CDC website (linked in the comments).

- 44% of motor vehicle crash deaths among teens ages 13–19 occurred between 9 pm and 6 am, and 50% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in 2020.

- Among teen drivers and passengers 16–19 years of age who were killed in car crashes in 2020, 56%B were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Officer Gomez had a recent post about what he sees in the field regarding seat belt use.

- 29% of drivers ages 15–20 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking. Your child should know that driving and driving is NEVER, EVER acceptable. Before handing over the keys, you and your child should have a plan for if they are in a situation where someone is planning to drinking and driving.

- 35% of male drivers and 18% of female drivers (ages 15–20 years) who were involved in fatal crashes were speeding at the time of the crash in 2020.

Driving is a wonderful way to gain independence, providing an opportunity to be with friends, participate in extracurriculars, and/ or keep an after school job. However, teens age 16-19 have the highest rate of MVA out of any age group. Knowing and understanding these risks is of the utmost importance for us as parents and for our kids.

-Dr. Kelley

11/07/2025

I am going to share one of my greatest parenting hacks to date. Harry Potter is really long, but my daughter really wanted to read it. Some nights, I just didn’t have it in me to read for thirty minutes out loud. (Those chapters are long and I talk alllll day.) So, I downloaded the audiobook (free from the library!), and my daughter and I read along while it narrated. We could pause and discuss and answer questions, but it gave me a break when I needed it. Plus, Jim Dale (the narrator) is simply the best. The illustrated version of the book made it even better! If reading a long chapter book seems daunting, check and see if your library offers the audiobook version as a supplement! 

-Dr. Kelley

11/06/2025

Wow! Gas stoves have been linked to childhood asthma. I did not know this. Interesting information.

11/06/2025

If I hear 6-7 one more time, I’m going to scream. 😅

11/05/2025

Crispito Day is bigger holiday than Halloween at my house.

Just wrapped up a weather program at West Elementary in Russellville. As I was walking out, the lunch ladies gave me this… the greatest school lunchroom meal ever! My favorite!

Do you know what it is? 

11/05/2025

Eye Screening in Children Recommendations are based on age.

Newborn - One Year:
These are done as part of your routine well-child checks. I promise we're doing them, but they're quick! And so much of it can be done while we're talking, checking heart and lungs, etc., that you may not even realize it's been done.

Have you ever noticed how much I talk to the babies when doing their exams? It's partly because I love the babies, but I'm also assessing their responsiveness to my voice and face and watching to see how they track my movements.
- Visually inspect the eye for (mis)alignment
- Pupil responsiveness (when we shine the light in your child's eye)
- Watch for tracking
- Some premature infants need a full eye exam by a trained ophthalmologist (eye doctor MD who can perform surgery if necessary) to assess for injury

1-3 Years of Age:
This is when parents really come in. If a parent notices anything unusual at home (squinting, eyes turning out different ways when watching TV or tired, etc.), we will "take a picture" of the child's eyes. This photovision screen is a good first step. Based on the results, we may or may not refer you to a pediatric optometrist or ophthalmologist.

We are also continuing the the tests mentioned above, plus some. I'll often point to something in the room and have them look at it - it shows me how their eyes can adjust from a short to a longer distance.

3-5 Years of Age:
We start routine photovision screens in the office. These check for astigmatism, near- and farsightedness, gaze deviation, pupil size, and more.

Ages 5 and Up:
Yearly screens are recommended. We'll often switch to the "wall test," aka the old school chart with letters. Some kids may fudge because they want glasses (AHEM... MY OWN DAUGHTER), so we'll often verify with a photovision. If anything is amiss, we refer to an optometrist (eye doctor, OD not MD).

Here is a little more detail straight from the American Academy of Ophthalmology:
"What’s the Difference Between Vision Screening and a Comprehensive Eye Exam?
A comprehensive eye exam diagnoses eye disease. Eye drops are used to dilate (widen) the pupil during the exam. This gives your ophthalmologist a fuller view inside the eyes. With dilation and other special testing, signs of eye disease are more evident.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology advises parents to seek a comprehensive eye exam if:
- their child fails a vision screening
- vision screening is inconclusive or cannot be done
- referred by a pediatrician or school nurse
- their child has a vision complaint or observed abnormal visual behavior, or is at risk for developing eye problems. Children with medical conditions (such as Down syndrome, prematurity, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, neurofibromatosis) or a family history of amblyopia, strabismus, retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts or glaucoma are at higher risk for developing pediatric eye problems.
- their child has a learning disability, developmental delay, neuropsychological condition or behavioral issue"

TLDR; You're ok to stick with yearly screens in our office and if there are no concerns from us or you, we don't need a comprehensive eye exam.

- Dr. Kelley