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Posts Tagged "High Desert"

6May2020

Keeping Your Children Safe from Medications in Your Home

Almost every family has some type of medication at home, and most have multiple medications and supplements in their cupboards. Whether you take a prescription medication, keep acetaminophen on hand, or use supplements daily for good health, the medicines in your house pose distinct dangers to the littlest members of your family. No matter what age your children are, use these tips to protect them from possible overdoses.

Keep Medications out of Sight

If your child does not even know where medications are stored in the home, he will be less tempted to go exploring for them. Whenever you take out a medication bottle for your own use, be sure to put it back in the correct place immediately. Do not leave your children’s medications out where they can see them either.

Store Medications on High Shelves

As you are looking for a spot for stowing medications away safely, search for a spot that is too high for your children to reach. In addition, stay away from shelves next to spots that are easily climbable, such as near countertops or tables.

Only Use Bottles with Child-Proof Lids

Many medications come with child-proof lids. You can also ask for a child-proof bottle at your local pharmacy counter if you need to transfer some medications into safer bottles.

Make Sure to Hear the Lid Click Shut

Of course, child-proof lids are only handy if they are correctly deployed. Be sure that you hear the lid click shut after using it, and try to unscrew the lid yourself to ensure that it is completely closed.

Teach Children About Medication Safety

Instead of being afraid to teach your children about medications and how dangerous they can be, start early by telling your children how medications and supplements are different from candy. Additionally, explain that they should never eat anything they find on the ground, even if it looks like candy.

Keep the Number to Poison Control on Speed Dial

While these tips should decrease any potential for accidental medication ingestion in your home, you may still find yourself faced with the unthinkable someday. Keep the number for the Poison Control Center, which is (800) 222-1222, on your phone’s speed dial. These experts can give you quick advice for how to help your child and whether you need to head to the emergency room.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
27Apr2020

How Routines Soothe the Brain

If you have been a parent for very many years, you certainly know how well your child does with routines. Knowing what to expect helps him remain calm and in control of his emotions. It lets him know what to expect each day and can even decrease temper tantrums and meltdowns. However, did you know that routines and structure can actually soothe your child’s brain?

How Adults Deal with Decisions Differently than Children

The ability that you have as an adult to remain calm in the face of difficulties and to resist certain impulses while retaining a sense of control over your emotions comes from the working of what is known as your external frontal executive network. Your child does not have this inner working yet and will not fully gain control over his impulses until later in his teenage years. Your ability to create a routine can actually soothe your child’s brain and help him make the right decisions when it comes to academics, bedtime, food choices, and much more.

Routines can also help your child stay away from anxiety. Set schedules create important habits, helping children get through certain parts of their days more quickly while ensuring that they complete their tasks well. They may even be able to sleep better and find more enjoyment in the little things of life.

Structure Reduces Anxiety

All routines add structure to the day. They take away the need to make thousands of little decisions and help your child decrease stress by adding predictability to any given situation. When children do not have to expend valuable energy and emotions on smaller decisions, they will feel more in control of themselves when making larger decisions, such as whether they should go over to a friend’s house.

Even if you know very little about executive function, you have surely noted how much better you are able to resist your impulses when compared to your elementary-aged child. By putting routines and daily structures into place, you are providing the firm foundation your child needs to remain in control of his own actions. In turn, you are providing a soothing environment in which your child can grow and thrive. Once your child reaches adulthood, he will be able to put some of these same routines to work for him and will discover that they help to decrease his stress and anxiety at work and in social situations.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
28Mar2020

All About Tummy Time

One of the biggest surprises for many parents is the requirement of tummy time for their infants. In their concerns over breastfeeding, sleep schedules, and developmental milestones, they may forget about the importance of daily time spent on the belly. This practice can actually help your baby develop properly.

What Are the Benefits of Tummy Time?

One of the most important benefits of tummy time is the overall physical strengthening effects for your baby. Your infant will learn how to lift his head and will develop strong muscles in his neck and upper back. In addition, this can lead to an improvement in gross motor skills, which can lead to an earlier development in the areas of rolling over, sitting, and crawling. In addition, getting your baby off his back for at least some of the day can prevent the flat head syndrome.

How Much Tummy Time Should Your Baby Have?

At first, your baby will probably not want to put up with much time on his tummy. In fact, you may find that he can only make it for five minutes or less before he begins crying. You may also find that you need to interact directly with your child for much of the time to keep him content. However, as your child becomes used to this time, you can increase tummy time length each day.

How Can You Get Started with Tummy Time?

It is best to start tummy time as early as possible because your baby will be quite resistant to it the older he is when starting the routine. Tummy time should happen once or twice per day at a minimum. However, as your baby gets used to this time, you may be able to encourage it after diaper changes or upon awakening from a nap.

Consider buying your child a special tummy time mat and pillow, which is perfectly sized for his tiny chest. This will also help him lift his neck and head off the floor to look around and better enjoy himself. You may also be able to use a breastfeeding pillow if you have one. As your child gets older, place age-appropriate toys near him to encourage motor skills and enjoyment.

Tummy time is an important part of every infant’s daily life. If you have further questions about how to get started, check with Kids 1st Pediatrics.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
24Feb2020

Help Your Child Build Strong Bones

Childhood is the most important time to focus on bone health because 90 percent of one’s bone mass is in place by the time he is 20. If bones are not properly built during childhood, there may not be another good time to strengthen these vital cells. In fact, this could set up individuals for osteoporosis and dangerous fractures much later in life. If you are a parent, you should be aware of three key ways that you can affect your child’s health in this matter.

Give Children Plenty of Calcium and Vitamin D

Nutrition is a key component of good bone health. You probably remember hearing your mother reminding you to drink your milk for strong bones. This tip remains true today as milk and other dairy products are great sources of the important bone mineral known as calcium. Even if your child is not a big fan of dairy products, you can find plenty of calcium in many other common foods, such as leafy greens, fish, and nuts, as well as in calcium-fortified bread and juices.

You must also give vitamin D along with calcium because it helps the body absorb this necessary mineral. Vitamin D can be found in some types of fish, as well as in egg yolks and fortified milk. If your child does not get enough vitamin D in his diet, your doctor may recommend a supplement.

Encourage Physical Activity

Weight-bearing activities are important for growing not only strong muscles but also strong bones at any age. Sadly, many children get very little activity on most days of the week, leading to weak bones. Running, climbing, and jumping are all great activities at this age.

Keep Children Away from Secondhand Smoke

Cigarette smoke is a known cause of weak bones at any age. While you may not be concerned about this for your child because he most likely has never tried a cigarette, you should be aware that many people try cigarettes for the first time at a very young age. In addition, secondhand smoke can be just as dangerous for children to breathe.

While these tips can positively affect people of any age, they are particularly important for children who are actively growing new bone cells and especially for those in their teenage years. For more information, schedule an appointment at Kids 1st Pediatrics today.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
17Feb2020

Do You Have a Sleepwalker?

A pediatric parasomnia is a childhood condition that disrupts sleep. Parasomnias are actually much more common in children than they are in adults, and most children grow out of them over time. The most common parasomnia other than nightmares is sleepwalking. Although it can be distressing to see your child walking around confusedly in the middle of the night, there is usually little to worry about.

Common Conditions Involving Sleep

Parasomnias, such as sleepwalking, usually run in families. However, some of them can be caused by brain disorders, sleep disorders, irregular sleep schedules, and general anxiety. Most of the time, children who sleepwalk do not need any treatments as this condition usually goes away on its own by the teenage years.

If your child sleepwalks, you may see him wandering around the house and even participating in seemingly complex activities. Other children may seem clumsy and dazed as they walk. You will know that your child is still asleep because he will not respond to you when you talk to him. Despite popular beliefs, it is not dangerous to wake up someone who is sleepwalking. However, you may find that it is difficult to get your child back to sleep if you awaken him. Instead, you may be able to direct your child back to bed.

What to do if Your Child has these Conditions

While sleepwalking itself is not usually dangerous, it can lead to dangerous consequences if your child is not in a safe location as he walks. For this reason, you may need to invest in extra locks on doors leading out of your home and will want to lock bedroom windows and remove dangerous items from your child’s room.

Similarly, if your child talks in his sleep, there is most likely little for you to worry about unless it happens frequently or goes on for years. Frequent sleep talking could point to high amounts of stress and anxiety in your child, which may need to be treated so that it does not negatively impact other areas of his life.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
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