Posts Tagged "Toddlers"

16Nov2019

Dealing with a sick child can be stressful at best and downright harrowing at worst. While you can probably keep a cool head when thinking about the health needs of children from other families, you may instantly find yourself turning to worst-case scenarios when the health of your child is at stake. Of course, quick health care is important, but you may struggle to know where to turn for the best care for your child’s ailment. Is urgent care or the emergency room the right spot for your child to be treated?

How Serious Is the Health Need?

This is the most important question that you must ask yourself as you determine where to take your child. Medical emergencies, such as severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, seizures, very high fevers, and major rashes or allergic reactions to the face, all warrant immediate care in the emergency room or possibly an ambulance ride depending on the severity of the situation. However, urgent care doctors and nurses can take care of other less urgent and severe matters, such as broken bones and sprains, other types of rashes, influenza, earaches, pinkeye, diarrhea, vomiting, minor burns, and sports injuries.

Do You Have Access to a Pediatric Urgent Care?

If possible, try to find a pediatric urgent care facility close to your house. Not only will these professionals be able to provide you with fast care for mild health concerns, but also they will be highly trained in dealing with common health problems associated with childhood. These people care solely for infants, children, and teenagers and will have the equipment and knowledge for treating problems quickly yet accurately.

Does Your Pediatrician Offer Same-Day Appointments?

If you are considering heading to the urgent care, first find out if your pediatrician can squeeze your child in for a quick appointment. The benefits of this approach include money savings and a great rapport between your child and the physician. Plus, the pediatrician will already have your child’s medical history in front of her.

13Nov2019

Vaccines have become a hot topic for many parents, with some fighting vigorously for their cause while fiercely opposed to the other side. As flu season rolls around again this year, parents find themselves faced with the question of whether or not the flu or influenza vaccine is safe, necessary, and the right choice for their children. While this vaccine may not raise the same questions that other common vaccines, such as the MMR shot, raise, it still deserves your consideration.

Is the Flu Vaccine Safe?

One of the biggest questions for parents is whether the flu vaccine is even safe. You should know that this vaccine cannot actually cause the flu, although it may cause some initial symptoms of soreness or fatigue for the first day or two. Getting this vaccine is far safer than testing your luck and hoping that your child does not get influenza, which could lead to days of fierce illness and could even land him in the hospital.

Should Children Get the Flu Vaccine?

You may think that the flu vaccine is only important for elderly adults who have weakened immune systems. However, keep in mind that your child’s immune system is not nearly as strong as yours is and that children who come down with influenza often have serious symptoms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all people over the age of 6 months get the flu vaccine yearly. You may want to opt for the nasal spray flu vaccine if your child is afraid of needles. Although the nasal spray has not been as effective as the shot in past years, the CDC states that it should be just as effective for the 2019-2020 flu season. If your child is under the age of 9 and has never had the flu vaccine in the past, he will most likely need two doses.

Is There Anyone Who Should Not Get the Flu Vaccine?

Almost all children should and will be able to get the flu vaccine this year. However, you should always have an open conversation with your pediatrician regarding any concerns you may have about the shot. There are a few sub-groups of children who may not be able to have this vaccine, including those who have had severe reactions to the flu vaccine in the past and those who are actively ill.

12Oct2019

Once fall arrives, children are spending more time indoors and at school where viral and bacterial diseases are easily passed from child to child via dirty surfaces, unclean hands, and unhygienic practices. While outbreaks of the stomach flu can certainly occur at any time during the year, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention cautions parents and health care providers that the most prevalent time of year for stomach bugs is from the late fall to early spring. Therefore, now is the time to look out for ways to prevent stomach bugs from passing through your household and to understand what you should do if they do arrive.

First, keep in mind that what you commonly call the stomach flu is not a type of influenza at all. In fact, it is generally a virus that causes something known as gastroenteritis. While traditional influenza brings respiratory complaints, gastroenteritis primarily affects the digestive system, causing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomachaches depending on the individual. Moreover, because gastroenteritis is not actually the flu, it cannot be prevented by the flu vaccine.

Second, you should know that stomach bugs are highly contagious and are difficult to prevent passing between family members. If the bug is in your house, try to keep the sick child in a separate room, and have him use his own bathroom if possible. Be sure to clean up with anti-bacterial wipes regularly. To prevent the bug from entering your house in the first place, teach your children to keep their hands away from their faces and to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water as soon as they come inside.

Third, if your child does come home from school with the stomach bug, you should know that it will most likely run its course in 24 to 48 hours. Keep him at home and comfortable. Follow the BRAT diet, which includes bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast and stays away from hard-to-digest foods. In addition, keep him hydrated with specially formulated rehydrating liquids, such as Pedialyte.

If your child’s illness continues for more than 48 hours or if he displays signs of dehydration, such as lethargy or very cool and dry skin, take him in to see his doctor. Kids 1st Pediatrics can often offer same-day appointments for sick children and is always glad to accept new patients.

14Sep2019

Although it is not an incredibly common disease, lupus can strike children at elementary age or in their teenage years, making it something of which parents should be aware of. With the correct treatment from a trusted pediatrician, lupus can be well-controlled, but it requires great vigilance on the part of both parents and health care providers.

What Is Lupus?

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease, which means that the body attacks itself. Although the symptoms of lupus may come and go in a series of flare-ups and remissions, the disease is not contagious, and children can still attend school and participate in as many other activities as are possible even while dealing with lupus.

The cause of lupus is not currently known, but it could be genetic in nature or could be related to a variety of environmental stressors or pollutants. Exact symptoms depend on the individual child and may often mimic the symptoms of a different disease. Therefore, it requires a skilled pediatrician, possibly working with a rheumatologist, to diagnose lupus. Some of the most common symptoms include the following:

  • -Fatigue
  • -Poor appetite and weight loss
  • -Swollen joints
  • -Aches and pains
  • -Fever
  • -Butterfly-shaped rash on cheeks
  • -Mouth ulcers
  • -Headaches
  • -Hair loss

How Prevalent Is Lupus in Pediatric Populations?

Approximately 1.5 million Americans have lupus, and, of these people, approximately 20 percent of them developed the disease before they were 20. Lupus is rarely diagnosed before the age of 5. In addition, 90 percent of lupus patients are females.

How Can Pediatric Lupus Be Treated?

It can be challenging to get a lupus diagnosis because of the non-specific symptoms. However, once a lupus diagnosis is in place, it is important that the child receives treatment immediately to reduce overall damage to the body’s organs. Medications are typically the first line of defense and are specifically chosen to reduce inflammation in the body, to suppress the immune system and to control pain. Your pediatrician may also be able to recommend at-home lifestyle changes, such as exercises and dietary plans, that could help.

Will Lupus Continue into Adulthood?

As a chronic disease, children diagnosed with lupus will still have the disease in adulthood. However, it should be fairly well-controlled by this point, and individuals should be used to managing symptoms and medications. Many patients are able to enjoy healthy and happy futures by seeking quick and complete treatments.

10Sep2019

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.