Monthly Archives: June 2014

Sunburned!

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As the summer gets going into full swing with Independence Day weekend, days by the pool and in the backyard, and lots of sports, sun exposure is always a concern.

How do you keep your kids healthy, happy and sunburn-free while still giving them lots of time outdoors?  And when sunburn does occur, how should you treat it?

Prevention.  Check out our blog from last summer about sunscreens here.  Bottom line:  use sunscreen liberally and limit sun exposure.  You don’t have to get a sunburn to cause long-term skin damage.

Babies and toddlers.  See this detailed article from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  Very young children are especially vulnerable to sunburn and heat stroke.  Under 6 months they should be kept out of direct sunlight and in the shade as much as possible.  Use the sun cover on the stroller.  Take a canopy to the older kids’ soccer games—it’s not only a good place to put the infant, but the rest of the family can get out of the sun, too.  Be aware that reflective surfaces, like sand or the concrete around pools, can still allow for sunburn even when you’re under an umbrella or other cover, no matter what your age.

In addition to limiting time outside in the hot part of the day, here are other considerations for the very young:

  • Dress them in lightweight, light colored clothing that covers arms, legs and the head.
  • Use sunscreen on any exposed skin.  There are several types that are appropriate for tender baby skin.  Don’t ever spray directly onto the face, but into your hand first.
  • Put a brimmed hat on babies and toddlers, or spray their scalps with sunscreen.  A fully-brimmed hat can protect scalp, ears, and partially protect face and neck.

Possible skin damage.  Don’t forget that everyone, even those with darker skin, are at risk of skin damage from the sun.  Exposure over time can lead to skin cancers later.

Treatment.  Sooner or later, most everyone will have a sunburn no matter how hard you try to prevent it.  What to do?  It depends on the severity.

  • Minor burns (red, warm to the touch) can be treated with cool compresses, acetaminophen and rest.
  • More serious burns can cause blisters, fever and chills, headache or other feelings of malaise, even infection.  If the burn is very serious, call your pediatrician.

So, by all means enjoy the summer sun, just be careful of getting too much exposure!

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Reading is fun, but what if your child has dyslexia?

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Many people delight in reading a good book over the summer and families often take trips to the library or virtual trips to Amazon.  But for some, reading is a chore or nearly impossible.

Dyslexia, also known as Developmental Reading Disorder (DRD), is a learning disability that starts with the brain, though it doesn’t at all mean that the affected person has lower intelligence.  It’s simply the inability to process words properly and can involve auditory and oral issues as well as reading.  A person with DRD might have trouble distinguishing letter and word sounds when someone is speaking, as well difficulty recognizing written words.  DRD may sometimes be clustered with learning disabilities that inhibit writing and/or arithmetic skills.

If you’re concerned that your child may have dyslexia or another learning disability, speak with your pediatrician.  She’ll ask questions about family history and the particular difficulties your child is having, and may schedule (or refer for) a neurological exam or other testing.

Treatment involves specific types of tutoring and coping skills, depending on the type and severity of the learning disability.  The pediatrician or an educational psychologist can help you find the right program for your specific situation.

Learning disabilities often lead to boredom, behavior problems, and low self-esteem.  The frustrations of not being able to read at grade level or perform schoolwork correctly and in a timely manner can be very stressful.  For that reason you may want to arrange some counseling for your child as well.  Psychological coping skills are just as important as educational coping skills.

For more information, this National Institutes of Health article is very helpful, and the source of much of the information in today’s blog.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

When testicle pain can be a surgical emergency

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Sudden, severe testicular pain should always be taken seriously.  It can be a sign of testicular torsion, a dangerous condition that requires immediate surgery.

Testicular torsion occurs when the spermatic cord inside one testicle becomes twisted, which cuts off blood supply to the testicle.  If surgery isn’t performed within 6 to 12 hours, then the testicle might have to be removed.  There is even the danger of permanent infertility.

While testicular torsion can occur at any age, it is most common between the ages of 12 and 20.  Rapid growth of the testicles during puberty can cause torsion, as can exercise or an injury.  However, torsion can occur during inactivity, even while asleep.

If your son complains of extreme testicular pain, even if it goes away, report this to your pediatrician.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), up to 50 percent of patients with testicular torsion have had scrotum pain before.

Other symptoms:  the scrotum can become enlarged, red, and very painful; abdominal pain may accompany torsion, along with nausea and vomiting.

The AAP article also tells how the condition is diagnosed:

  • “Physical examination by a urologist;
  • Urinalysis, to detect presence of white blood cells;
  • A radionuclide scan or scrotal doppler ultrasound, to assess blood flow to the testicles;
  • Some urologists will take a patient with typical symptoms of torsion directly to the operating room.”

The bottom line:  take testicular pain very seriously.  It could be an emergency.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Manners? Yes, please.

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Summertime is easy—so they say.  It can also be an easier time to remind children and teens about good manners.  Hopefully, you will have more times of relaxed conversation when you aren’t trying to juggle homework, school and extracurricular schedules all at once.

Manners are important because they remind us of the value of every human being.  Saying please and thank you is respectful, whether those words are spoken to someone in the family, a teacher or coach, or a complete stranger.  Being helpful ingrains kindness in the helper and encourages it in the recipient and observer.

What are age appropriate manners?

  • Ages 2—5.  Teach children to say please and thank you at the right times.  Children at this age usually love to help people, so encourage that tendency.  At the playground, they can help a younger child, with supervision.  At home, they can learn to pass the potatoes.  When meeting someone, they can shake hands and learn to answer questions that are asked.
  • Ages 5—7.  As the child develops physically and emotionally, so should their moral growth be progressing.  Teach good phone manners by practicing in a game.  Have a “manners night” once a week at the supper table, where everyone has to speak politely and initiate good conversation.  Give a small reward at the end of the meal for the person who showed the best manners.
  • Older children.  Learning to smile and maintain eye contact during a conversation is important as children grow.  They can learn to ask people about themselves, and to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate questions.  Your suppertime conversations can engage their imaginations and teach them how to talk to other people.
  • Teens.  When our children mature into teens, they often become less receptive to their parents’ helpful instructions on manners, but that doesn’t mean you can let them off the hook.  By now they should know your standards, and you should be able to witness them using their manners at home and elsewhere.  Teens who are mannerly, you may tell them, will likely advance at school and work because others respond positively to our good behavior.

Perhaps the main thing to remember about teaching manners to your children is this: be an example.  Use please and thank you when you remind them about their chores.  Treat your spouse and other adults and youngsters with respect.

If you are often cross with them, they will reflect that attitude back to you and to others.  But if you treat them and others kindly, they will learn to mimic that behavior, both consciously and unconsciously.

Expect good manners from your children and that is likely what you will get.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Appendicitis

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Do you ever wonder whether abdominal pain warrants a call to the doctor, or even a visit to the emergency room?  How can you tell?

One worry with children and teens is appendicitis.  The appendix is a small, tubular-shaped organ in the lower right abdomen, that has no known function.  Sometimes it can become inflamed and needs to be surgically removed.  If left alone, an inflamed appendix can rupture and cause very serious illness.

Appendicitis can occur at any age, and is often difficult to diagnose.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a great article here about appendicitis.  The main symptom is pain, which begins as a “vague stomachache near the navel,” and then is described as a combination of a sense of fullness and pressure on the lower right side.  Here is the complete list of symptoms they give, some of which are similar to stomach viruses, and some of which are different:

  • “Persistent abdominal pain that      migrates from the midsection to the right lower abdomen
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Gas pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Low fever, beginning after other      symptoms
  • Tenderness in the right lower abdomen
  • Abdominal swelling
  • Elevated white blood cell count
  • Appetite loss.”

Call your doctor immediately if your teen or child experiences these symptoms.  Have him lie quietly and “don’t offer water, food, laxatives, aspirin or a heating pad.”  Any movement can increase her pain.  If appendicitis is suspected, a blood test (to determine white blood cell count) will likely be taken, possibly with other diagnostic tests.

 

© 2014 MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved