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Category "Pediatrics"

22Mar2021

How Much Screen Time is Too Much?

Nearly any baby book will tell you the importance of keeping your child away from screens until the age of two, but most do not go into much further detail. Decreasing screen time not only can protect your child’s eyesight and increase physical activity but also can decrease the incidence of many mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and poor attention in school. Here is a look at general screen time guidelines, along with steps you can take to decrease your child’s screen time starting today.

Not Letting Technology Take Over Daily Life

While screen time can gradually increase as children grow older, it is best to minimize it as much as possible. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for infants, no more than one hour daily of screen-time for toddlers, and no more than two hours daily for school-age children and teenagers, not including school-related work they must do.

As you may have already found, it can be difficult to get your children off their smartphones and tablets and away from the television when they see you constantly using this technology. However, it is important to look for fun solutions and to model healthy behavior in this area as much as possible. Here are just a few tips for helping your children get away from their screens and back to imaginative play, reading, and other activities that work their bodies and minds.

  • Encourage outdoor activity. Purchase a basketball hoop, or play catch in the backyard.
  • Encourage your children to invite their friends over for a sleepover. Play games instead of watching movies.
  • Have a weekly game night rather than a movie night.
  • Help your children pick up a new hobby. Some good options could include sewing, drawing, or woodworking.
  • Take cooking classes together, and let your child cook dinner or bake a new treat once or twice each week.

We know that you have many questions about how to keep your children as healthy as possible, not only physically but also mentally, emotionally, and socially. At Kids 1st Pediatrics, we are here to help you make sense out of all the recommendations you have already received and to give you tips to help you keep your child happy and healthy all the way into adulthood. Give us a call to schedule your first appointment or a return visit for your child today.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
5Feb2021

Helping Your Children Snack Healthier

Too much snacking may have long been a problem for your family, or it may be a problem that recently popped up as your children are spending more time at home these days. Virtual schooling and lack of additional activities mean that your children may be getting bored and turning to snack on calorie-dense foods as a way to pass the time. If you are concerned about your children’s snacking habits, follow these tips to help them make healthier choices.

Stick to a Healthy Schedule

Children thrive with schedules because they love knowing what to expect. Not sticking to a schedule when it comes to mealtimes can leave your children guessing as to when they will next eat and feeling more tempted to fill their bellies with snacks between meals. Older children should not go more than four hours between meals or snacks, and younger children should not have to wait any longer than three hours.

Purchase Healthy Snacks

With their smaller stomachs and faster metabolisms, children will need snacks occasionally, such as between lunch and supper if you tend to eat later in the evening. Instead of opting for calorie-dense snacks, such as chips and cookies that are not very nutritious, purchase such options as Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies with dip or hummus.

Keep Your Children Hydrated

Just like adults, children may think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty. Encourage your children to stay hydrated all day long by investing in a refillable water bottle that they can grab whenever they want.

Give Yourself and Your Children Grace

No matter how hard you try to limit junk foods in your children’s lives, there are going to be days when you are pressed for time or not paying as much attention as you would like. Give yourself and your children grace for that day, and try to get back to healthy habits tomorrow.

Even though not every day is going to go exactly as you wanted it to, you can set your children up for snacking success by planning for the inevitable. By having nutrient-dense foods on hand and even by encouraging them to become more active, you can help children create healthy habits that will stick for a lifetime. For more help with these and other pediatric concerns, reach out to Kids 1st Pediatrics for professional advice.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
2Feb2021

What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus Vaccine

As we continue to be in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, you have probably read every article you can find about keeping your children as safe as possible these days, especially if they have returned to school full-time or part-time. However, one subject that is not addressed often is the new coronavirus vaccine and how it relates to children. Here is what you need to know.

The Development of COVID-19 Vaccines

Currently, the COVID vaccine is not available to children and can only be used on individuals over the age of 16. Therefore, if you have older teenagers in your home, you will want to stay posted on when the state of California opens up immunization dates for this age group. Until then, you will also want to stay up-to-date on immunization options for your own age group. After all, you can help protect the younger members of your household by taking the best possible care of your own health.

However, it is also important to note that vaccine trials have been opened up for some children. Pfizer currently has a completely filled vaccine trial group for children between the ages of 12 and 15. Moderna, whose vaccine has currently only been approved for individuals 18 years of age and older, is also working on filling a study group for individuals between the ages of 12 and 17. These are important steps that must be taken before trials of even younger groups can begin.

Protecting Children from COVID-19

Although your children will not be able to get the COVID vaccine yet, there are still numerous steps you can take to keep them safe during these difficult months. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children should be instructed to wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or to use hand sanitizer. In addition, show them how to use a face mask and how to keep the mask securely over the nose and mouth. Showing them how to cover their coughs and sneezes is important at any point in the year, but it is even more important these days.

While these may be some of the most stressful months you can remember living through, Kid’s 1st Pediatrics can take at least one burden off your mind. Choose our clinic for cutting-edge pediatric care for the youngest members of your household today.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
26Jan2021

How to Get Your Teenagers Interested in Their Own Health Care

While you were intimately involved in the health care of your infant, toddler, and elementary school-age child, the teenage years are the beginnings of independence in many areas of your child’s life. One of the most important areas to consider is health care, which is a major determinant of quality of life for the rest of your child’s life. Not only can you model your own healthy habits, but also you can take some of the following steps to give your child the confidence that he will need to make his own wise decisions over the years.

Let Children Talk on Their Own to Their Physicians

One of the first things you can do is to stop answering all of the doctor’s questions about your child on your own. Instead, encourage your child to speak up while you are still in the room. Eventually, such as around the age of 14 or 15, you can even leave the room to give your child more privacy. The more your child practices this, the more confident he will feel about discussing any type of medical concern he has.

Let Children Know More About Their Diagnoses or Medications

Now is the time to discuss any chronic illnesses with which your child is currently living. Talk about symptoms that your child could experience, tips for keeping symptoms in check, and medications that he is taking. Teenagers love to do their own research online. Direct them to reputable health care sites that will give them accurate information.

Have Older Teenagers Make Their Own Appointments

Once children are in the later teenage years, they should be able to make their own doctor appointments. This will let them choose times that work best for them. In addition, they should get practice in filling their own prescriptions following appointments. Let them know that they can ask pharmacists any questions they have about their prescriptions.

It is important that your children feel good about going to doctor’s visits and receiving appropriate screenings, vaccinations and checkups from a young age so that they retain this confidence as they grow older. Consider partnering with a physician from Kids 1st Pediatrics who works solely with children. We can address numerous types of childhood illnesses and pediatric chronic diseases along with well-child visits, school physicals, and much more.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
28Dec2020

Teaching Your Children About Hand Washing

Hand washing may be a simple chore, but it can be a difficult habit for children to build. In fact, a close examination of some adults’ handwashing habits might reveal that even those who have cleansed their hands for years may not know the correct steps.

Teaching Handwashing Habits for Children

It is vital to learn how to wash your hands correctly and how to teach your child to do the same because this can literally be a life-saving task. Hand washing removes germs from the hands and prevents them from being transferred to other surfaces, to other people’s hands, to food, and even into one’s eyes, nose, or mouth. This season of COVID-19 has especially shown how much hand washing can help. Even the CDC has made this a major recommendation for preventing the spread of the virus.

You can easily teach your children how to wash their hands with these five quick steps.

  1. Turn on warm water, and wet the hands.
  2. Use bar soap or soft soap to create a lather.
  3. Scrub all areas of the hands and fingernails for at least 20 seconds.
  4. Rinse hands under warm water.
  5. Dry hands with a clean towel or paper towel.

In addition to these five steps, follow these additional tips to make the experience as fun and as effective as possible.

  • Help your children know how to get warm water out of the faucet. Children who are scared of getting hot water may turn on only the cold water, decreasing the effectiveness of handwashing.
  • You can make handwashing fun and get your children to scrub their hands long enough by asking them to sing the happy birthday song or the A, B, C song while they scrub.
  • Make sure that children are scrubbing all areas of their hands, including their palms, the backs of their hands, between their fingers, and around their fingernails, during each washing.
  • Show children how to use a paper towel to turn off the faucet in a public restroom to avoid recontamination.

Knowing how to wash your hands is one of the simplest ways to prevent the spread of many illnesses. By teaching your children effective hand washing methods now, you can set them up for improved health for the rest of their lives.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
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