New parents often take odd measures

Dear Dr. Gott: I am writing to you out of concern for my 9-year-old granddaughter. My son and his wife have been giving her Dimetapp every night at bedtime since she was a baby. They say it is for her runny nose when she goes to bed. I believe that they started doing this to help her sleep and also to stop her fussing when they put her to bed.

Also, they will allow very little fat or sugar in her diet. Her mother has a very big worry that she will be fat. She is very thin, and I don’t think that she looks healthy.

Dear Reader: New parents often resort to remarkable remedies, some of which can be dangerous, others predictably ineffective.

A lot of kids have runny noses. This condition does not require years of therapy. Two or three days of Dimetapp ought to be enough to solve most upper-respiratory infections; therefore, I recommend that you stop your son from giving your granddaughter Dimetapp every night simply to make her sleep.

Second, kids need fat and sugar in their diets unless they are already overweight. A balanced diet should contain protein, complex carbohydrates – such as bread, rice and potatoes – plus simple carbs, such as sugar. It is not necessary for your granddaughter to be deprived of these products unless, as I mentioned, she is obese.

While you might not have much of a say in her low-carb, low-fat diet, you can certainly express your views and show your son my response to your concerns.

Dear Dr. Gott: I’m writing to you concerning my white blood cell count. Over the period of one year I’ve been having blood tests every six to eight weeks because my primary doctor discovered mine was 2.1. She referred me to a hematologist who, after one year of fluctuating blood tests, recommended I have a bone marrow test. This involved removing a splinter of bone from my hip and two tubes of marrow.

I received a four-page report following this test and the results. They still couldn’t find any abnormalities that would cause my low white blood cell count.

My question to you is, do you think additional testing is needed? My last blood tests showed a reading of 3.1.

Also, my weight is normal, I feel fine, and I’ve been tested for everything from HIV to lupus. I’m not taking any type of medication at all (only vitamins).

Dear Reader: A low white blood cell count can reflect an underlying bone marrow disease, or, in some people, it can be a harmless consequence of aging.

I believe that your doctors are monitoring your numbers appropriately and will surely treat you if the count continues to fall.