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Posts Tagged "Outdoors"

10Sep2019

What Is Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease?

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease almost sounds like a joke until your child is the one diagnosed with it. This is a very real viral disease that seems to be popping up a bit more lately, causing plenty of concerns and confusion among parents who may have never heard of it before or who may not recognize the symptoms their children are facing and may be filled with dread. However, with over 200,000 cases diagnosed in the United States every year, it would certainly be worth your while to learn more about this contagious disease so that you can recognize it for yourself and understand how to treat it at home.

Typically, children under the age of 5 are most likely to contract hand-foot-and-mouth disease mainly because of the increased skin-to-skin contact and poor hygiene habits among this group. This infection is so named because of the sores that pop up inside the mouth as well as on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

This is a mild viral infection caused by a type of coxsackievirus in the U.S. This virus can be transmitted between children through skin-to-skin contact, through saliva and feces and even through airborne particles. Therefore, such activities as hugging, kissing, changing diapers, and even sneezing or coughing can quickly spread the virus, making large outbreaks at daycares and preschools a distressing possibility. Although symptoms typically last approximately ten days for most children, youngsters will be at their most contagious during the first seven days.

As soon as you notice any symptoms, you should keep your child at home to avoid spreading the infection within your community. The most common symptoms you could see include the following:

  • Fever
  • Poor appetite
  • Sore throat
  • General fatigue
  • Painful mouth sores
  • Red spots on the hands and feet
  • Blistering rash

Most of the time, this infection can be cared for quite well at home once your pediatrician diagnoses your child. Treatment may include over-the-counter pain and fever remedies and mouth sprays to numb painful sores. However, without proper treatment, some children may experience such complications as fingernail or toenail loss, viral meningitis, or encephalitis. However, these complications are quite rare.

Pediatrics
17Aug2019

The Relationship between Sleep and Weight

You certainly know how important high-quality sleep is for your child. After all, you have probably experienced an incredibly crabby toddler who missed his nap or a cranky teenager who only got a few hours of sleep before a big day of classes and tests. While sleep certainly affects a child’s mood, it also impacts a variety of other areas of a child’s physical and mental health. Poor sleep may affect the following:

  • School performance
  • Anxiety levels
  • Depression
  • Memory and concentration
  • Creativity
  • Social relationships

Interestingly, poor sleep has begun to be linked to childhood weight gain. Childhood obesity has made plenty of headlines in the past several years as children in certain developed countries, including the United States, are becoming overweight or obese at alarming rates. Numbers from 2016 show that almost 20 percent of school-age children are obese. Another alarming statistic shows that teenage obesity rates have quadrupled since 1980. 

Although there are many ways to combat these statistics, such as with healthier meals and increased exercise, one easy option of which very few parents are aware is achieving adequate nightly sleep. Sleep cycles are important rhythms in the body that help with growth and development. In addition, adequate sleep is necessary for a good metabolism, which is vital for burning the calories that children and teenagers take in each day. When children are awake longer each day, they are more apt to become hungry and to eat more often. Obviously, a disruption in sleep routines leads to appetite changes and metabolism changes, which can swiftly lead to weight gain.

It can be a struggle to know how much sleep a child should get each night. Keep in mind that recommended sleep numbers are based on children’s ages. Basically, the younger your child is, the more sleep he will need nightly. Here are the general guidelines for daily sleep. Younger children may also take naps to help equal the recommended allotted time.

  • Toddlers: 11-14 hours
  • Preschoolers: 10-13 hours
  • Elementary and middle school-aged children: 9-11 hours
  • Teenagers: 8-10 hours

While your child may not get the recommended amount of sleep every night, this will give you something to aim for as you consider bedtimes and wake-up times. If you have any concerns about your child’s sleep habits or weight, contact Kids 1st Pediatrics for a pediatric assessment.

Pediatrics
10Aug2019

Tips for Dealing with Bee Stings on Children

Bumblebees may look cute in pictures, but what your child may not yet know is that they can inflict painful wounds. Children may be stung by bees because they get too close to them, because they are unaware that bees are nearby or because they react in fright when a bee is buzzing about them. While a bee sting can be scary, it usually is easy to deal with as long as you react quickly.

Get Rid of the Stinger

Your first and most important step is to get rid of the stinger. The stinger is filled with venom, and the longer it remains embedded in your child’s skin, the longer it will continue to cause problems. There are many ways to remove the stinger. You could scrape a credit card across the skin to loosen the stinger, or you may even be able to pull it out with your fingers.

Deal with the Symptoms

Once the stinger is out, you will need to deal with any discomfort, swelling, or skin redness that is bothering your child. An over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, may help, and an ice pack can relieve pain and swelling as well.

Watch for an Allergic Reaction

Some children may experience a dangerous anaphylactic reaction to a bee sting. If your child is suddenly having trouble breathing, develops hives, feels weak or dizzy, or has swelling around the mouth or face, you should immediately take her to an urgent care facility.

When your child is heading outside, you can take certain precautions to decrease the risk of a bee sting. Keep in mind that flower gardens and orchards can be particularly attractive to bees, and you should warn your child to take special care in these types of areas. In addition, ensure that your child wears shoes outside and is not using a particularly fruity or floral-smelling lotion, shampoo, or body misting product.

However, no matter how careful your child is, she may still end up with a bee sting simply by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If that happens, act quickly and calmly, and watch carefully for any type of allergic reaction. If you have any questions at all, be sure to contact Kids 1st Pediatrics where we love to help your children stay safe, healthy and happy all year long.

Pediatrics
13Jul2019

Air Quality and Asthma

According to the American Lung Association, asthma is the most common condition that chronically affects children in the U.S. These children often experience flareups, which could occur from nearly anything, including allergens, chemicals, stress, excitement, and exercise. In the summer, one of the most concerning triggers that parents should be aware of is the hot outdoor air.

Factors Affecting Air Quality

Just when parents are finally able to let their children play outside, they may have to tell them to stay inside instead if the forecast is showing a string of particularly hot, sunny days. The reason for this is that the ozone in the air, which is produced by ultraviolet light from the sun, can increase exponentially on these sunniest of days. Those living in urban areas are particularly at risk, but wind can push the excessive levels of ozone nearly anywhere, including into more rural areas that are typically assumed to have clean and healthy air. 

Children who spend much time outdoors during weather like this may find that they have a harder time than normal with breathing, and they may cough much more frequently. However, this weather can be particularly harmful to children with asthma who may be forced to reach for their rescue inhalers or to take a trip to urgent care. This is because the ozone that they breathe in reacts with the tissues deep inside their lungs to create irritating toxins.

Pay Attention to Air Quality Reports

Parents of children with asthma should carefully monitor air quality. They may be able to do this through the newspaper or through a weather app on their smartphones, but they should know that not all poor air quality days make it onto official alerts. Instead, they may want to find a local app using information from the Environmental Protection Agency that will display up-to-the-minute ozone levels. 

In addition, parents will want to make sure that they keep their children inside during the hottest parts of the day, plan most outdoor activities for the morning, have children take plenty of breaks indoors and find plenty of fun activities for the indoors. In addition, they should be sure that they know exactly where their child’s rescue inhaler is and should know how to use it. 

If you are concerned about your child’s breathing or need a new inhaler prescription for your child, schedule an appointment with Kids 1st Pediatrics today.

Pediatrics
6Jul2019

How Concerned Should You Be about Mosquito Bites?

Now that summer is in full swing, you may notice your children coming back indoors with mosquito bite welts on their arms and legs. Although you probably grew up suffering through the same dilemma thanks to your hours of summer play outside, you have probably heard of the variety of diseases that mosquitoes may now carry. It is wise for you to understand more about mosquito bites and how you should care for them to ensure that your child stays healthy during the warm, brilliant days of summer.

Most mosquito bites will appear as small to medium-sized red welts on the skin. They will be raised and quite itchy. Typically, they are nothing to worry about, and they should disappear within a few days. You should instruct your child not to scratch at her bites so that she does not break the skin, and you may want to use an anti-itch ointment made with steroidal cream for a very severe bite or a case of multiple bites.

Of course, there are some times when you should worry about the bug bites on your child’s body. Call us for an appointment immediately or head to an urgent care clinic or a nearby emergency room if your child develops any of the following side effects:

  • An allergic reaction with major swelling at the site or around the face
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Infection due to excessive scratching at the site
  • Increasing redness or red streaks in the area
  • Body aches
  • Fever
  • Diarrhea

If any of the above side effects develop, your child may have been bitten by a different insect, may be allergic to the insect or may have developed a secondary illness or infection from the bite. Getting medical help quickly can help get your child back on her feet again so that she can enjoy the summer.

In the United States, the only disease that mosquitoes carry that could be harmful to humans is West Nile Virus. If your child has recently been out of the country to areas in Africa, South America or Central America, she could also be at risk for yellow fever, malaria or the Zika virus if she has not been properly immunized. 

For more information about how you can protect your child’s health during outdoor play, contact Kids 1st Pediatrics where our goal is happy, healthy children.

Pediatrics
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