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Robert Needlman, MD
Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 17:00
When Feeding the Brain, Start with Dessert
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
I am constantly struck by the similarities between feeding children and reading to them.  There are some obvious ones: both activities involve nurturing; both require engagement and cooperation; in both situations there is the potential for power-struggles, frustration, and messes that need to be cleaned up. (OK, maybe a book doesn’t make as much of a mess as, say, oatmeal; but you get the point.) Read Full Post
Monday, January 9, 2012 - 05:55
Ready for School, in Pleasantville
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
Pleasantville, Tennessee, is the home of Reverend Michael Pearl. His teachings on corporal punishment have gained notoriety following the deaths of three children... Read Full Post
Tuesday, September 13, 2011 - 01:42
Back to the Grind
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
Labor Day was always a little sad when I was a kid, because it marked the end of summer, which meant the end of freedom and the beginning of the grind. I’ve been doing “back to school” checkups for the past month or so, checking immunizations, vision, and hearing, and reminding kids that their days of staying up ‘till 2 and sleeping ‘till 12 were numbered. The parents hold out the usual consolation prizes: new clothes, maybe a lunchbox, fresh notebooks and pencils at the very least. But kids know this is a bad deal. They accept it, most of them, grumbling. Read Full Post
Monday, June 6, 2011 - 04:27
The Love of Reading
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
I can’t really remember being read to as a young child. But I’m sure it happened, because when I became a father I discovered that some picture books would make me emotional. I’d be reading to my daughter, and all of a sudden find that my voice was choking up and my eyes were tearing. And it wasn’t because the stories were especially sad. It happened with The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton, and with Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, and with lots of other books, too. It was actually a little irritating. Read Full Post
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 - 06:21
New Literacy Materials for Parents of Children with Disabilities
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
Imagine a young child with cerebral palsy who cannot walk or even sit up without help.  Now imagine what can happen if a loving parent reads to him every day. At first, perhaps, this is nothing more than a time to cuddle and look at pretty pictures together, or, if the child is young enough, to wag the cardboard pages back and forth, pat them, and chew them. It is a start.  After many happy hours, the child has come to know the names of all of the pictures in his books.  Read Full Post
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 - 06:36
Hardship and Hope
by Robert Needlman, MD
Mom Congress
I’m a pediatrician, a clinic doc. I work at MetroHealth Medical Center, the public hospital in Cleveland. Mostly, I see children with runny noses and failing grades, parents with long workdays and short paychecks.

Today I saw something new and remarkable.  A public library opened a branch right in the center of the hospital. Read Full Post

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22 Wackiest Baby Products Ever

Super-strange gear you’ll never need but will LOVE laughing about (we don’t even know what a Placenta Brooch is!)