expert type icon EXPERT

Randi Edwards

Pediatrician

Dr. Randi Edwards is a pediatrician practicing in Spokane, WA. Dr. Edwards is a doctor who specializes in the health care of children. As a pedicatrician, Dr. Edwards diagnoses and treats infections, injuries, diseases and other disorders in children. Pediatricians typically work with infants, children, teenagers and young adults up to age 21. They practice medical care as well as preventative health care. Dr. Edwards can oversee and manage the physical, mental and emotional health of their patients.
Randi Edwards
  • Spokane, WA
  • M.D. University of Utah Medical Center
  • Accepting new patients

Can my child give me chickenpox?

So sorry to hear that your daughter has come down with chickenpox and needs treatment with anti-viral medication (acyclovir)! This must mean that her case is at least moderate READ MORE
So sorry to hear that your daughter has come down with chickenpox and needs
treatment with anti-viral medication (acyclovir)! This must mean that her
case is at least moderate in severity and with some risk for transmission
to unvaccinated individuals. If you are neither vaccinated nor had the
natural chickenpox, you are at risk of getting the infection from her.

While you will be about 50% protected from the virus causing chickenpox
(varicella-zoster) due to your shingles vaccine, only the chickenpox
vaccine will protect you 80-90% of the time. Additionally, we know that
infection after vaccination is typically much less severe if you have
received the vaccination in advance.

If you have more questions regarding vaccination, your local health
department, physician's office, or cdc.gov section on vaccine-preventable
illnesses can be of help!

Best regards for health and healing...
Dr. E

Can I do anything to stop my child from wetting the bed?

Many children wet the bed into their elementary school years, usually due to the fact that they are heavy sleepers and don't produce enough of the hormone that tells their body READ MORE
Many children wet the bed into their elementary school years, usually due to the fact that they are heavy sleepers and don't produce enough of the hormone that tells their body to stop producing urine at night. Their brains simply don't wake them up enough to get out of bed to pee!

This is called primary nocturnal enuresis. There are several things you can do to minimize the night wetting occurrences, but tincture of time is usually what it takes and most kids grow out of this enuresis by at least 10-11 years of age.

Try these things:
- Limiting fluids 2 hours prior to bedtime.
- Avoid diuretics in children, especially after noon. This includes caffeine and chocolate.
- Make sure your child urinates just before bedtime.
- Adhere to a consistent sleep schedule.

However, it sounds like your child was previously potty trained and is now
having accidents. This is called secondary nocturnal enuresis and can be
caused by other things than mentioned above. It's probably not a bad idea
to see your doctor so they can rule out medical causes such as
constipation, infection/illness (UTI, diabetes, or anatomic abnormality),
sleep disorders (apnea, sleepwalking, etc.), or stress-related causes. Once
these are ruled out, you can feel free to try preventive or natural
therapies, or even medical treatment as your doctor recommends.
Some additional ideas for limiting nighttime wetting:
- enuresis alarm (or parental scheduled waking)
- hypnosis or acupuncture
- synthetic hormones prescribed by physician

Hope this helps!
Dr. E

Newborn constipation, what can I do?

Hi there! I hope you will be relieved to know there is nothing wrong with your baby and she sounds very healthy. It is normal for an infant to have changes in their bowel patterns READ MORE
Hi there!

I hope you will be relieved to know there is nothing wrong with your baby and she sounds very healthy. It is normal for an infant to have changes in their bowel patterns and gassiness is common. Gas drops are safe to use according to package instructions. Massaging a baby's abdomen in a clockwise direction can also be of some help.

Constipation in this age group does not mean skipping days of poopy diapers, unless poop becomes firm or difficult to pass. Gas and discomfort can be increased in babies who are breast fed if mother eats raw cruciferous veggies (broccoli, kale, etc.) and sometimes caffeine or chocolate.

Hope this is helpful. Congratulations on your new addition!

Dr. E