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Posts Tagged "Kid’s 1st Pediatrics"

28Jun2021

Getting Back to the Pediatrician

Getting your child back to the pediatrician after a long year of lockdowns and quarantines can be tough, but it’s also necessary. Though many non-necessary visits have had to be put off, many parents now find themselves making up for the lost time as they help their kids get back to something approaching normal. For many, though, getting back to the pediatrician requires a bit of extra work.

Preparing Your Child for the Visit

The first step you’ll need to take to get your kids back to the pediatrician is to contact your doctor. While things might have changed over the last year, your pediatrician still has a vested interest in making sure that your child receives the best care possible. If you haven’t been in for some time, this might mean updating yourself on waiting room procedures and expectations for patients.

It’s also a good idea to make sure that your child is ready to get back to the doctor. If you have a very young child, this means setting his or her expectations for what’s going to happen. For some, this might mean letting your child know that there might not be toys to play with while he or she waits. For others, though, it might mean talking about shots or even what it means to go to the doctor.

Ensuring Information is Up to Date

You may also need to remember to update some paperwork. Insurance changes, addresses changes, and other issues still need to be processed, and some doctors now prefer you to fill out paperwork ahead of time. As most parents know, though, filling out paperwork while watching a sick child has never been easy so this might actually be a bit of an improvement for many.

It is, however, important that you get back to the doctor when you need to do so. Though things might have changed on the outside, you should still expect to receive the same level of care that you’ve always received. While adaptation is necessary, it is always good to know that your child’s physician still has his or her best interests at heart.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
21Jun2021

Teamwork with Your Child’s Physician

It’s always important for a parent to be able to talk to his or her child’s physician. Doing so isn’t always easy, though, especially if you find yourself intimidated by the idea of talking with an expert about your child’s health. Taking the time to learn how to talk to a doctor is always a good idea, and following the steps below can help you to have a better relationship with your child’s pediatrician.

Be Direct

One of the biggest hurdles in talking to your child’s doctor is not ensuring that he or she knows that you want to talk about something. When you schedule an appointment for your child, make sure that you’re direct with the doctor about your concerns when he or she is in the room. It’s always better to talk to the pediatrician face-to-face and to be able to address things directly rather than waiting until later.

Be Specific

It’s also a good idea to bring as much specific information to your discussions as possible. If you feel like your child isn’t sleeping well, for example, you might want to specifically state about how often your child is waking up every night and how long it has been since your child has gotten a good night’s sleep. Your child’s doctor certainly doesn’t expect you to come in with a diagnosis, but he or she can always work better when he or she has more actionable information with which to work.

Remember, You Are a Team

Maybe the most important thing to remember, though, is that you and the child’s doctor are on the same team. Even if you don’t agree with him or her, you’re both working to make sure that your child is in the best possible health. As such, it’s always good to go in with the attitude that the two of you are going to work together and that your doctor’s advice is always in the interest of helping your child.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
20Oct2020

Protecting Your Child from Influenza This Year

Protecting your child from influenza is important every year but is even more important this year with the added concerns of COVID-19 still swirling across the United States. Those who are already sick with influenza may find it even more difficult to fend off a COVID-19 infection and could end up with more serious health concerns. Additionally, it is important to decrease as much work for medical teams around the country as possible to free up resources for fighting the novel coronavirus. Here are a few ways that you can protect your child this fall and winter.

First and most importantly, be sure that your child receives an influenza vaccine.

October is an excellent month to get this shot as it should last through the rest of the influenza season. However, even if your child does not get the shot this month, your doctor will still be able to give it in later months. According to the CDC, very young children, especially those younger than 5, are at high risk of developing serious complications should they develop influenza. Your child can receive an immunization as long as he is at least six months old.

Second, you can still take numerous steps to prevent an outbreak of influenza in your family even after family members get the influenza vaccine.

Stay away from sick family members and friends, and stay at home yourself if you are feeling under the weather.

Teach your child to cover his coughs and sneezes with a tissue or his arm. Tell him to wash his hands for at least 30 seconds after blowing his nose. Singing Happy Birthday while washing up can be an easy way to measure the correct amount of time.

Although it can be difficult for children to keep their hands away from their faces, it is vitally important for reducing the spread of germs. In particular, encourage them to stop rubbing their eyes.

Finally, be sure to keep frequently touched surfaces in your home clean and disinfected at all times.

This is particularly important if someone in your family is sick, but it should be done regularly even when you all are healthy. Use disinfecting wipes or sprays to clean doorknobs, light switches, countertops, and faucet handles.

If your child still needs an influenza vaccine this season, contact Kids 1st Pediatrics to set up an appointment time.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
13Oct2020

What You Need to Know About Pink Eye

Although not a terrible health risk in most cases, pink eye is still something that most parents will gladly avoid. It is highly contagious and can create much discomfort and eye drainage. Because of this, if your child is diagnosed with pink eye, he will likely need to spend time on his own at home recuperating before heading back out to school or sports.

If you are not sure whether your child actually has pink eye, there are a few common signs you can look for before getting your pediatrician’s opinion. The eye will most likely appear pink or reddened. Your child may spend a lot of time rubbing his eye or may complain that it feels as if something is in his eye. Another clear indicator of pink eye is a watery discharge along with a yellow or green-tinged discharge that can crust the eye shut during sleep.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should bring your child into Kids 1st Pediatrics as soon as possible to get an official diagnosis. With treatment, pink eye can clear up quickly. Without treatment, however, your child may remain contagious for two weeks.

Treatment for Pink Eye

Many cases of pink eye are caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotic eyedrops. It can be difficult to put eyedrops in your child’s eyes. However, even if his eyes are closed, you can drop the ointment into the corners of his eyes, where it will flow into the correct spot as soon as he blinks his eyes open. After using antibiotics for 24 hours, your child will not be contagious any longer and will be able to return to school and his other usual activities.

In addition, you will want to keep his eyes clean. Use a warm, wet, soap-free cloth to remove drainage. Your child may find this warmth soothing to his symptoms as well. If your child wears contacts, you will want to switch to glasses for the time being so that the eye does not become reinfected.

In most cases, pink eye should clear up within three days after initiating treatment. If your child is still dealing with the same symptoms, make another appointment with his pediatrician at Kids 1st Pediatrics. In some cases, the infection can spread even further into the eye and may need a different type of treatment.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
28Sep2020

Easing Your Child’s Emotional Stress During This Difficult Time

No one in your generation has ever parented during a pandemic, and you may be wondering where you can turn for expert help. You may not know how to address your child’s questions or fears during this time, and you may find the emotions of your whole family are spiraling out of control. Decreasing emotional stress is particularly important for children whose brains are rapidly developing. However, with all of the changes in the world, your child may feel more worried than ever. Here are a few tips to get both of you through this difficult time.

Encourage Open Sharing

Let your child know that you are open to hearing anything about how she is feeling. Your child needs to know that her feelings are completely normal.

Use Empathy

Tell your child that you understand that she is nervous or anxious and that it is good to talk about these concerns. Reassure your child of all that is being done to keep her safe.

Help Your Child See the Positives

Help your child see how much she can enjoy this special time as a family. If there are new things that you are doing, such as wearing face masks in public or washing your hands more often, find a way to make the experience fun.

Keep Your Child Occupied

Avoid constantly rehashing the negative things that are happening. Keep your child busy with school, imaginative play, or other things she enjoys doing so that she can get her mind off the negatives.

Engage in Fun as a Family

Let this be a special time to do things together as a family. Institute a family game night or turn one evening every week into a pizza and movie night.

Of course, it is not just the current pandemic that may make your child feel anxious and stressed. A serious accident, a natural disaster, or even recurring trouble in the home or at school can leave children wondering where they can turn and how they can deal with their big emotions. While stress is a normal human reaction, it should be dealt with swiftly so that it does not cause long-term harm. If you need any help with this or are concerned about physical or mental symptoms, your child may be exhibiting, set up an appointment at Kids 1st Pediatrics today.

Kids Staff
Pediatrics
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