Dr. Erin L Shanks MD

Recommended Articles

• What Is Jaundice: Get the Facts

  Jaundice is the yellowish color that often appears on the skin of newborns. This condition develops when bilirubin builds up in the baby’s blood. While pregnant, the mother’s liver gets rid of the infant’s bilirubin; however, after birth, the child’s liver eliminates the bilirubin on its...

• The Value of Clinical Intuition: Kids also Experience Drug Side Effects

  Clinical intuition is difficult to describe. Personally, it is the art of integrating nonverbal information that a patient presents in order to reach a diagnosis, reducing the need for diagnostic testing. This is especially important in children who often react differently to procedures, tests and...

• What Causes Toxic Synovitis?

  Children who develop or complain of limping must be examined to make sure that their condition is not an orthopedic emergency like in the case of septic arthritis. After being examined, children's parents may hear about a toxic synovitis diagnosis. Such diagnosis might sound scary, but it is...

• Do I Have the Mumps?

  The mumps is a highly contagious airborne viral infection, which manifests in a specific shape of the face and neck. The causing agent is the virus of mumps (paramyxovirus). Timely vaccination (MMR) is the best way to prevent complications that arise in 95% of cases. The mumps virus can be...

• What if I Do Not Want My Child to Undergo MMR Vaccination?

  The MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine is recommended for all children as it is the safest, most effective way to protect children against three diseases that can have serious, even fatal, consequences.  Measles is a highly contagious viral infection whose initial symptoms include fever,...

• What Are Fraternal Twins?

  Fraternal twins definitionFraternal twins are commonly known as "non-identical twins" and can be simply defined as siblings who share the same womb but with different amniotic sacs and placentas. Biologically, they are said to be "dizygotic" meaning two different sperm cells fertilized two...