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Category "Pediatrics"

20Sep2022

Protect Your Child During Cold and Flu Season With These Tips

Cold and flu season is just around the corner, and you want to keep your child as safe from these illnesses as possible. While it seems impossible to fully avoid the cold or flu, it is still important to take the steps to minimize your child’s risk of catching either illness. You can protect your child during cold and flu season with these tips.

Maintain Your Child’s Health

First, you want to ensure your child is leading a healthy lifestyle. Your child needs a well-balanced diet to get the nutrients they need to strengthen their immune system. You can also boost their immune system by making sure they get regular exercise and nine to 14 hours of sleep each night.

Stay On Top Of The Flu Vaccine

If your child is six months or older, talk to their pediatrician about the flu vaccine. This vaccine can help them build up immunity to fight off the flu virus. It should be noted that your child may still catch a cold or another strain of the flu, so it is important to take other precautions as well.

Make Hand-Washing A Habit

It is easy to spread germs when children touch everything, so you need to make hand-washing a habit for your child. They should especially wash their hands after touching shared items and playground equipment. You also want to ensure they wash their hands before each meal. If they cannot get to a sink, encourage them to use hand sanitizer or hand wipes until they can wash their hands.

Teach Your Children Good Hygiene

Now is the time to ensure your child knows how to practice good hygiene. Teach them to sneeze or cough into their sleeve to prevent the spread of germs. This way, your child is doing their part to keep the cold and flu at bay. The more people who cover when coughing or sneezing, the less likely they are to spread germs to others.

Keep Them Home When Sick

If your child does become sick, be sure to keep them home from school and other activities. You do not want your child to spread their cold or flu to others. In addition, you do not want to risk them feeling worse after they get home. Once again, the risk of germs spreading lowers when everyone takes precautions when they are sick.

Whether your child is under the weather or you need to schedule a flu vaccine, Kids 1st Pediatrics offers the care your child needs. You can schedule an appointment at kids1stpediatrics.net.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
13Sep2022

Is Your Child Under The Weather? Signs Your Child Has Caught The Flu

Flu season is coming up fast, and your child may catch the virus even if they are vaccinated. It is important to pay attention to the signs and symptoms to ensure your child visits the pediatrician as needed. Now, you may be wondering if your child has caught a cold, the flu, or another virus. To help you determine your next step, here are several signs your child has caught the flu.

Lack of Appetite

A child suffering from the flu may not have much of an appetite, or they may not have an appetite at all. Your child may also experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, which does not help with their appetite. Both could be a sign of the flu or stomach flu, so you want to have your child examined by a pediatrician to get an accurate diagnosis.

Respiratory Ailments

Your child may also show signs of respiratory ailments with the flu, such as a cough, runny nose, and sore throat. However, these are also symptoms of a cold and Covid-19, so you need to watch for other signs of the flu. If you are still unsure, their pediatrician can administer a flu test and a Covid-19 test to diagnose your child’s illness.

Body Aches

If your child has the flu, they may complain of body aches. The muscles in their back and legs may feel sore, but these aches are normal with the flu. In addition, your child may also experience a headache. Some children even have stomach aches with the flu, which also causes their loss of appetite. Unfortunately, a child with the flu is usually miserable.

Fatigue

You may notice your child is more tired than usual when they have the flu, especially if they are usually active and playful. The best thing you can do is allow your child to get the rest they need. They need to recharge their body and save their energy for fighting off the flu. In some cases, your child may feel dizzy and need to lie down.

Fever

A child with the flu may also have a fever as high as 103 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Their fever may also be accompanied by chills and the above symptoms, such as fatigue and body aches. If you are worried about your child’s body temperature, contact their pediatrician immediately.

It is important to note that symptoms of the flu can come on suddenly. If your child is showing signs of the flu or any other illness, schedule an appointment with Kids 1st Pediatrics. You can schedule an appointment online at kids1stpediatrics.net.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
26Aug2022

Keep Your Child Safe From Germs While Visiting The Pediatrician

It is no secret that the pediatrician’s office is full of germs. After all, many of their patients are feeling under the weather. You may be worried about your child catching a cold, the flu, or other viruses while playing in the waiting room. Luckily, you can keep your child safe from germs while visiting the pediatrician with these tips.

Limit What They Touch

Start by putting a limit on what your child can touch while in the waiting room. For example, they should only touch the chair they are sitting in as they wait for the pediatrician. In addition, you want to give them a limit on how many toys and books they can touch, especially if other children were using these items just several minutes ago.

Supply Your Own Entertainment

One way to limit what your child touches in the waiting room is to supply the entertainment yourself. You can allow them to bring their favorite toy or book from home, or you can keep them busy with a tablet and headphones. This way, you know who has been touching the items your child is using in such a high-traffic area.

Encourage Hand Washing

It is important to encourage your child to wash their hands once it is their turn to see the pediatrician. You can ask their pediatrician about stopping by the restroom or using the sink in their office. Another option is to have your child wash their hands after the appointment altogether. This keeps your child from contacting and spreading germs.

Bring Hand Wipes

It never hurts to bring hand wipes for your child to use after they have finished using the items in the waiting room. You may even be able to use the wipes on the items beforehand, but it is best to ask the receptionist before wiping down the items. Hand wipes are also convenient for sanitizing after the appointment altogether, especially if you forget to have your child wash their hands.

Ensure The Staff Is Clean

There is nothing wrong with politely asking their nurse and pediatrician if they have washed their hands before they examine your child. They understand that a pediatrician’s office is a high-traffic area, especially when they have a day full of appointments. Luckily, many nurses and pediatricians also wear gloves as an extra layer of protection.

If it is time to schedule your child’s annual visit to the pediatrician, consider Kids 1st Pediatrics. You can easily schedule an appointment online by visiting kids1stpediatrics.net.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
19Aug2022

Tips For Scheduling A Pediatrician Appointment For Your Toddler

Getting your toddler to sit still at the pediatrician’s office is not always easy. When you add in feeling tired or hungry with a toddler who may already feel nervous, you have a recipe for disaster.

The time of your toddler’s appointment can make a huge difference in their experience, so here are several tips for scheduling a pediatric appointment for your toddler.

Avoid Scheduling For Naptime or Mealtime

It is best to avoid scheduling your toddler’s appointment during their nap time or mealtime. Your little one cannot take a full nap or eat lunch in the waiting room, and this could result in a very unhappy toddler. When you schedule their appointment, talk to the receptionist about what times you need to leave open. They may have an opening that fits your toddler’s schedule.

Prepare Your Toddler In Advance

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to schedule an appointment around your toddler’s nap time or mealtime. In this case, it is best to prepare your toddler for the appointment in advance. If your toddler’s appointment is during nap time, you may want to put them to bed earlier the night before to ensure they are well-rested. If their appointment is during lunchtime, it may help to pack a few healthy snacks.

Keep Your Toddler Occupied

Your toddler may be cranky because they are tired or hungry, or they may simply feel nervous about their appointment. It helps to bring their favorite toy or book as a form of comfort. Another idea is to load their favorite television show on your phone or tablet to keep them occupied, but be sure to bring headphones or keep it at a low volume.

Ask About The Less-Busy Days

It never hurts to ask the receptionist about scheduling an appointment on a day that is not as busy. This way, you do not have to worry about your toddler feeling overwhelmed by a packed waiting room. It also makes it possible to get in and out of the appointment quickly because of the shorter wait time. You can also save time by checking in online before the appointment.

Try To Get The First Appointment

You can also ask the receptionist if there are any days with the first appointment available. While you may need to get up earlier than desired for this appointment, you do not have to wait for any patients to be seen before your toddler. This means you can head home by the late morning or early afternoon, which is perfect for avoiding an appointment during nap time and mealtime.

When you are ready to schedule your toddler’s next appointment with the pediatrician, check out Kids 1st Pediatrics. You can learn more about this practice at kids1stpediatrics.net.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
22Jul2022

Ideas For Keeping Your Children Occupied At The Pediatrician’s Office

Whether you have an anxious or bored child, keeping them occupied while at the pediatrician can help the appointment go smoothly. Luckily, there are several ways to keep children from getting fussy or restless while in the waiting room. Use the following ideas to keep your children occupied at the pediatrician’s office.

Stimulation

What better way to keep your children occupied than with mental stimulation? You can provide an activity book with mazes, word searches, brain-teasers, or Sudoku puzzles, or you can bring a wooden puzzle, Rubik’s Cube, shape sorter, or sensory toys to the appointment. The stimulation you provide depends on your children’s ages, but these activities keep them occupied while improving their focus and problem-solving skills.

Reading

You can also allow your children to read while in the waiting room. Most waiting rooms provide books and magazines for children, but you can also bring reading material from home. If your children are still learning to read, use this time to help them brush up on their reading skills.

Toys

It never hurts to bring a few small toys to keep them occupied as they wait for their appointment. A stuffed animal or action figure may be enough to keep them busy, or you can bring travel games such as magnetic Tic-Tac-Toe and handheld Simon. It is best to choose a toy or game that does not encourage loud noise.

Screen Time

Another idea is to provide a little screen time with a tablet or handheld video game. Then, your child can focus on their favorite show or game while they wait for their pediatrician. They may even be excited to tell their pediatrician about the show or game. Of course, you also want to provide headphones to keep from disturbing other patients.

Chatting

There is nothing like chatting with your children as you wait for their appointment. You may want to tell jokes, riddles, or stories to keep them laughing, or you can use this time to discuss the week, upcoming events, or fond memories. Chatting with your children keeps them occupied while giving you a chance to bond.

Whether you are telling jokes or providing screen time, remember to use your indoor voice or headphones as needed. You may be sharing the waiting room with other families.

When you are ready to schedule an appointment for your child, consider Kids 1st Pediatrics. You can schedule an appointment at kids1stpediatrics.net

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
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