Ask the Doctor Dr. Betti Hertzberg Ressler is a Board Certified Pediatrician on staff at Miami Children's Hospital. Dr. Hertzberg developed the toilet training video "Let's Go Potty." She is the co-author of "The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies for Children."   Recent questions "I was told that I should feed my 3 month old baby every 4 hours, whether or not he is acting hungry. Lately, he has been putting up a fight. I am afraid that eating will become a negative thing for him. He is breastfeeding and weighs 17 pounds. What do you suggest I do? Should I feed him on demand? How far should I let him go between feedings? He can go 8 hours during the night without eating." Dr. Betti's Suggestion "What is the normal amount of sleep for a 2 month old? My son seems to sleep for 20+ hours a day. He will sleep one full day besides feeding and diaper changing then he will sleep very small short naps lasting 10 minutes at a time the next day. Is this a sign of illness or developmental problems?" Dr. Betti's Answer "I'm the mother of a 10 1/2 year old and she is getting kind of moody and I think she is beginning to grow pubic hair. I assume she must be maturing early and her period will come soon. So I wanted to know is an 11-year-old too young to use tampons? Should she just use pads?" Dr. Betti's Suggestions "My 22 month old daughter has begun telling me when she has "poo-poo" in her diaper. Is this an indication to me that it's time to start potty training? Where and when do I start?" Dr. Betti's Answer "My son is two years and seven month old and it has been very difficult for me to potty train him. He doesn't want to go to the potty and he asks me to put his diaper on when I tried to put him underwear. I don't know what to do." Dr. Betti's Advice "Our son is 7 months old and besides the Hep B shot he received at birth, we have not had him vaccinated. We were going to schedule him for all of the routine shots when we started hearing all of the controversy - pro & con. Death, mental retardation to name a few of the tragedies as a result of getting some vaccines, and of course, death and serious illness as a result of not getting the vaccines - UGH! How do we determine the best path for our child?" Dr. Betti's Answer "My daughter is five years old and her motor skills are on target but her comprehension and verbal skills are lagging. I've consulted an ear nose and throat doctor who told us that she "just didn't want to talk." He also told us that she has severe dry wax which builds up in her ear. Our Lunsford said that this would not cause her to have a speech problem. I've had her evaluated at a local school but they said since she's not aware of her stuttering they can't do anything for her. I'm very frustrated and don't know exactly what the next step is." Dr. Betti's Advice "My son is 26 months. He is potty training and is doing great. He never has any accidents, but he still wets the bed. He wets at night and during his nap. I have stopped giving him milk after 8:30 he goes to bed at 9) if he's thirsty I give him small sips of water. Any suggestions on how to help him go to the restroom at night?" Dr. Betti's Advice "I have tested positive for Group B strep and am concerned what this is going to do to my baby. My doctor told me it was no big deal and that he would just give me antibiotics during labor but will this ensure my baby will be ok?" Dr. Betti's Answer "Believe it or not, my 4 year old son put a raisin in his nose, it got stuck, and we ended up in the emergency room to have it removed! Do other children actually put things in their noses or was this an unusual incident?" Dr. Betti's Answer "My daughter is 4 yrs old and I have a son who is 7 months and whenever they are awaken or startled they kind of shake, not like ceisures just mild shaking. What does this mean. I get scared when they do that. Please let me know what you think." Dr. Betti's Advice "My 9 year old daughter has developed rather unattractive "warts" on the bottom of her feet. What are the best treatment for this problem?" Dr. Betti's Advice "My 2 1/2 year old daughter is right on target for motor skills but is a year behind on verbal and comprehension skills. We have her in an early childhood intervention program and her hearing test showed no lost. What would you suggest we check or who to consult next? " Dr. Betti's Advice "I recently took my seven year old daughter for her physical. The doctor informed me that she is about 10 pounds over the curve for her weight and age. I don't want to start putting her on a diet at only 7. She is very active and gets lots of exercise so I tend to think some of her weight issues is hereditary. Do you have any advice?" Dr. Betti's Advice "My 11 year old son takes medication for his ADHD. Can a pediatrician comfortably prescribe and manage this medication or is it better suited to the psychiatrist who first diagnosed his condition?" Dr. Betti's Advice My 6 year old daughter developed Scarlet Fever and had to be treated with antibiotics. Her pediatrician told me that Scarlet Fever is an untreated and more advanced form of strep throat. If this is indeed the case, why didn't she demonstrate any symptoms of strep throat which would have enabled me to have her treated immediately? She seemed to be fine one day, extremely sick with full-blown scarlet fever, the next. Dr. Betti's Advice My 10 year old daughter is incredibly prone to insect bites. Even when no one else is getting bitten, they seem to go for her! Any suggestions? Dr. Betti's Advice My 12 year old daughter experiences difficulty sleeping due to fear of the dark and being alone. Is this normal for her age? Dr. Betti's Answer My son developed a disorder called ITP-whose symptoms mimic those of leukemia- Bruises appeared all over his limbs and his platelet count dropped very low. What is the cause of ITP and is there anything that can prevent it from recurring? Dr Betti's Answer This information is not intended to be a substitute for visiting your pediatrician. If you or your child has specific concerns, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.