Gun safety

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According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 44 million homes in the U.S. have at least one gun. In this season when your youngster may be visiting in homes of friends and relatives, or even spying for hidden stashes of gifts, it’s a good time to review gun safety.

If you own a gun, it needs to be unobtainable for a young person, not just out of sight. Children, even the very young, have an incredible knack for finding hidden things. A three-year-old, for example, found a gun hidden between his parents’ mattress and box springs. Guns should be unloaded and locked away in a cabinet for that purpose (preferably one that doesn’t have a glass or other see-through door). Ammunition should be kept in a separate, also locked, location.
Talk. Tell your children about the dangers of guns. Be clear about rules and firm about what privileges will be taken away if they break those rules.
Ask. If your child or teen is going to someone else’s home, ask whether or not that home has guns and, if so, how they are stored.
Don’t assume. Children are inquisitive; teens want to fit in. If they see a gun, no matter how well they know your rules, they are likely to want to touch it and play with it.
Also, don’t assume that your child would never choose to be violent toward herself or that he would never choose to harm others. Young people, no matter how good the parenting and how delightful the child, often make bad judgments, especially in the heat of a moment. In addition, mental illnesses such as depression can surface at nearly any age.
Some more statistics from the AAP: A gun kept in the home triples the risk of homicide. The risk of suicide is 5 times more likely if a gun is kept in the home.

For more information from the AAP, check out this link or this video.

Remember, safety is a huge part of staying healthy.

artwork by Corinne

Our own dietician on staff!

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Did you know that Georgetown Pediatrics has our very own dietician? Amy Crist has been with us for about 9 months and is available by appointment through our office.

Working part-time for us, Amy is a registered dietician (RD) with a master’s degree, has also worked at Georgetown Community hospital, and makes her home right here in Georgetown.

Amy loves working with infants, children, adolescents and their parents in developing healthy eating habits, including those who have dietary restrictions. She is a frequent speaker at local elementary schools to teach children about healthy eating and nutrition. She’s even led a support group on breast feeding. She is happy to have an appointment with you and your child or teen to discuss:

breast feeding,
dietary restrictions and planning as a result of disease or condition (diabetes, drug therapies, etc.),
concerns about weight or eating disorders,
helping the whole family develop healthy eating habits,
diet and sports,
picky eaters,
and anything else you want to talk over with a dietician.

Call our office and set up an appointment soon!

Amy Crist, our dietician

Fact or fiction: a few winter health myths

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Do you remember all those things your grandmother taught you about staying healthy in the winter? Many of them hold true (chicken soup really is good for you!), but there are some commonly held beliefs about cold weather and health that just don’t hold up to scientific scrutiny. Here are three.

1. “Stay inside, because cold air will make you sick.” Viruses and bacteria cause illness, not air temperature. Chilly weather shouldn’t keep children from getting the exercise they need. Just be sure to dress them warmly and use common sense. Don’t forget that cold and wet together (think playing in the snow) can cause frostbite fairly quickly.

2. “Never go out without a hat—you’ll lose all your body heat through your head.” Well, not exactly. Yes, staying covered keeps you warm. And yes, staying covered includes wearing a hat. But if your child got on the bus without her hat, she’ll be okay unless it’s super cold. You lose heat through any exposed skin, but no more through the head than through any other part of the body. Just keep your children warmly dressed. A hat or hood is often a good way to feel (and be) warm.

3. “Allergies go away in the winter.” Maybe. If your child has pollen allergies, those will likely improve. But if he has allergies to dust mites or pet dander, those may worsen because of increased time spent indoors. Many people with allergies have a sensitivity to live Christmas trees, not only because of the greenery, but because of outdoor allergens that cling to the needles.

Stay warm and healthy this winter!

Artwork by Damion

Keeping Healthy

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Cold and flu season is here. It arrives with colder weather as people spend more time indoors, in close quarters, where germs are more easily passed from one person to another.

Here are just a few reminders of how to help keep your family healthy.

Wash hands. Good old soap and water are still the best protection against contagious diseases that get passed through touching surfaces, shaking hands, etc. Get your family in the practice of washing their hands often. When soap and water are not handy, use hand sanitizer.
Get plenty of sleep. Being well-rested keeps your immune system stronger.
Don’t share. Okay, you teach your kids to share, but some things ought to be for just one person. Water and soda bottles, lip balm, musical instruments all fall into this category. If you have a youngster in child care, make sure the provider sanitizes toys and tables daily.
Cover. Cough or sneeze into a tissue. If there’s no tissue, use the crook of your elbow instead of your hand. Germs on the hand are more easily transferred to other people or surfaces.

Already have a cold? Continue to do all the above, and make sure you stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of fluids keeps mucous thin and your throat moist. Avoid caffeinated beverages.

It’s going to be a long winter, and your family will likely get colds at some point. Use the common sense advice above, and you may have fewer of them.

artwork by Kennedy

Television–friend or foe?

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Well, honestly, it can be both.

With all the appropriate attention given to the internet these days, and its inherent worries for parents, we seem to have forgotten the conversation about television.

How many TVs are in your home? Who has access to them when? What are your children watching? And what are your kids watching when you’re not watching the kids?

Content on television, even content aimed at youngsters, varies from brilliant to pitiful. Additionally, the volume of television or videos watched can make a difference in your child’s mental and social development.

Any parent these days occasionally pops in a video or turns on the television so you’ll have a few uninterrupted minutes to cook supper, take a shower, or just relax without hearing a thousand questions. There’s nothing wrong with that, to a point, because television has its good and bad aspects.

First, the good. Most American kids today have learned or practiced their numbers and letters with Sesame Street, and have absorbed important social skills from Mister Rogers. Or, they have simply been entertained by cartoons, music, and Animal Planet. There is a big world out there, and television is a good source for information and for reinforcing skills learned at home or school.

But, not all is perfect in front of the TV. Here are some concerns you should be aware of:

Social. Though social skills can be reinforced effectively on the screen, nothing takes the place of real interaction. Turn off the television and play a board game. Perch your child on a chair in the kitchen while you cook and encourage him to tell you about his day. Give the video screen in your vehicle a rest and play a car tag game or have a conversation about your road trip, whether it’s a couple of miles or a couple thousand.
Physical. Too much television means too little physical activity. That can lead to weight gain (especially when high calorie snacks are involved) and other health and wellness issues. Get your child involved in a sport, or just play catch in the backyard.

What to do, then? Here are some thoughts.

Limit viewing time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO television for children under the age of 2, so that they can develop through interaction with adults and other children. They also recommend limiting television viewing for older children to 1-2 hours/day of “educational, nonviolent programs,” supervised by a responsible adult.
Supervise. You should know what your child is watching at all times.
Keep the television out of your children’s bedrooms. Not only will they watch things you don’t want them to watch, their sleep patterns may be interrupted and they may be tempted to “hibernate,” avoiding healthy social interaction with family and friends.
Talk about television programs. Older children and adolescents, especially, can benefit from conversations about their favorite (and your favorite) shows. This is a good way to share something that’s important to your teen, while being sure she knows your values.
Turn it off. Don’t keep the television on for “background noise.” And be sure to limit when you have on the news. Young children don’t need to see scenes of war, destruction, natural disasters. Such images lead to anxiety and sleeplessness.

Television can be a great tool for education and for fun. We just need to make sure it doesn’t take the place of more important things!

artwork by Emily N., winner of our Pumpkin Coloring Contest!

Whooping cough–don’t take it lightly

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Whooping cough. It sounds like one of those old-fashioned diseases that shouldn’t be around anymore. In reality, it’s as modern as today’s news, and more common than you might think.

The good news is that it’s mostly preventable and treatable; the bad news is that it’s still a dangerous disease, especially for the very young.

A few confirmed cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in the Scott County Schools have spurred us to remind you of the dangers of this disease.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection whose most striking symptom is described in its name—a loud, persistent cough that doesn’t easily go away. In an older child, there is a “whooping” sound made as the child tries to catch her breath between coughs. Infants may not “whoop,” but you should call the pediatrician if your infant has a persistent cough that seems to exhaust him, and his appetite has decreased.

This disease affects the lining of the bronchial tubes , and is very contagious because the vigorous coughing disperses the bacteria into the air. Anyone of any age can get it, but it’s most dangerous among the very young.

Infants and young children, in particular, can develop life-threatening illnesses from whooping cough, including pneumonia. Hospitalization is often required. This means that they, and the people around them, should be immunized.

We cannot stress enough the importance of getting the appropriate immunizations at the right ages. The pertussis vaccine doesn’t last forever, and must be taken at intervals to be effective.

Children should have a total of 5 pertussis (whooping cough) vaccines before they start school.
The youngest children are at highest risk and the most vulnerable to this disease, and should have vaccines at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of age.
Booster shots are given at 12-18 months, and
again at 4-5 years of age.
The College of Gynecology and Obstetrics recommends that pregnant women receive a pertussis vaccine with each pregnancy to reduce the chances of whooping cough in their newborn.
Caregivers and other adults who live or work with infants should also be re-immunized, because they’ve lost immunity from their childhood vaccines. They may not even realize they have whooping cough, because symptoms are not as severe. It may simply feel like a lingering cough from a cold, but they can transmit it to the children in their care.

When should you bring your child to the pediatrician for whooping cough? If he has cold symptoms, and you notice that the cough is worsening at about the time when it should be getting better, call our office for an immediate appointment.

There is a test we can do in the office, but it has to be sent to a lab, which takes several days. In the meantime, if the pediatrician suspects pertussis, your child will be started on a five-day course of antibiotics. The child is considered contagious and should not return to school or daycare until the five-day course has been completed.

To read more, check out this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, see our Facebook November 8 reposting of an article from two years ago by our own Dr. Hambrick. The experience of one of his own children having been made dangerously sick by this disease makes him particularly diligent in trying to keep your child healthy. artwork by Macy

: artwork by Macy

On-the-go eating

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Families today are scrunched with work, school, sports, activities, friends…and the list goes on. And while all of you want to make sure your child eats well, that can be hard when you’re running from place to place.

Here are a few QUICK! guidelines to help.

Stay aware. Know what your child is eating when.
Plan ahead. Think about the week’s activities when you’re shopping and save yourself extra trips to the grocery.
Eat together. Whenever you can, have a meal with your kids, even if it’s on the tailgate at the soccer field. Eating is a great time for catching up, and for bonding as a family.
Check it out. Is your child in a sport? Ask the coach if there are specific nutritional guidelines to avoid fatigue and help with energy levels.
Think “nutrition,” not just “fill them up.” Fast food isn’t evil, but a regular diet of it leads to obesity and doesn’t provide all they need. For about the same amount of money, or less, you can pack a healthier meal.
- Shelf-stable milk that doesn’t have to be refrigerated, string cheese, yogurt.
- Carrot sticks, broccoli florets, apples, grapes.
- Sandwiches on whole wheat bread.
- Do a little research. Not sure what your child needs, nutritionally speaking? Here’s the perfect web page from the American Academy of Pediatrics, giving that information for every age group.
- Let them help plan. Sit down with your child or teen one evening and plan some meals and snacks for the week. Use the internet to research healthy ideas. Make some things together, like an easy homemade granola.

It takes a little extra planning, but your family will be much healthier and happier with good nutrition under the belt!

Artwork by Kendall

Halloween Safety

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As the goblins, witches, and zombies in your family prepare for a load of candy this week, don’t forget to consider safety. A surprisingly large number of youngsters end up in the emergency room each Halloween, even though there are simple ways to avoid many injuries.

You may be surprised to know that lots of injuries are related to costuming. Observe these practices and you can greatly reduce risk:

Use reflective tape. It’ll be dark out there, and you want your trick-or-treater to be visible to drivers and others.
Be careful of masks. Just as visibility is important, so is vision. A mask should not inhibit your ghoul from being able to see traffic, curbs, and steps, or any other walking hazard.
Watch the length. Going up steps and over curbs requires a shorter length to keep your skeleton from tripping and breaking a bone or suffering a sprain.
Light up the dark. Send your wizard off with a flashlight, which can double as a magic wand.

Observing is essential. Keep your ghosts in view so you are always aware where they are and who they’re with.

Have a conversation about safety before they hit the sidewalk. Look carefully before crossing the street; don’t go into any home unless parents have said it’s okay; be considerate of others, especially of children who are younger. There’s plenty of candy to go around.

Speaking of candy… Okay, so that’s what it’s all about. But too much candy at once can turn your little zombie into a Tasmanian Devil. Set up some rules ahead of time. How much candy can be eaten on Halloween, and how much should be saved for future treats? Most candy freezes well.

So, when the ghoulish night arrives, be safe and have a great time!

artwork by Kennedy

Calcium for teens

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You might think that once your son or daughter hits older childhood and puberty, the need for calcium drops.

Actually, the opposite is true. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) increases to 1300 mg of calcium for children and teens aged 9-18. Essential bone growth and development are continuing in these years, and it’s important to lay a strong foundation with calcium. Calcium in the teen years can help stave off osteoporosis in later life. Unfortunately, many adolescents, especially girls, don’t receive enough calcium to meet the RDA.

Another important note: our bones stop absorbing calcium in our early 20s, so you are “banking” the calcium you take as a teen for later years. That doesn’t mean you no longer need calcium after your teenage years, but it does highlight the importance of getting the right amount of calcium while the bones are still absorbing it.

What are good sources of calcium? There are two: food and supplements.

Milk and milk products are the best food source, with skim milk providing all 1300 mg in 4 ½ eight ounce glasses per day. Not everyone likes milk, and some can’t drink it because of lactose intolerance.

The American Academy of Pediatrics lists these other food sources for calcium:

“Most foods in the milk group: milk and dishes made with milk, such as puddings and soups.
Cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, cottage cheese.
Yogurt.
Canned fish with soft bones, including sardines, anchovies, salmon.
Dark-green leafy vegetables, such as kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok-choy.
Tofu, if processed with calcium sulfate.
Tortillas made from lime-processed corn.
Calcium-fortified juice, bread, cereal.”

Supplements are a good option, but be sure that any calcium supplement also contains vitamin D which aids in calcium absorption. A daily multivitamin does NOT provide enough calcium to meet the RDA. Don’t take all the supplements at once. It’s best to take part of the supplement in the morning and part later in the day. Check with your pediatrician for additional recommendations.

As you teach your teens to build strong life skills, don’t forget to help them build strong bones as well.

artwork by Audrey

It’s time for flu vaccine!

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Georgetown Pediatrics has this year’s flu vaccine ready for your child. Here are a few answers to common questions about the vaccine.

Why get a flu vaccine? Influenza can be a very dangerous disease, and at the very least can make your child be sick for several days. With a vaccine, even if your child gets the flu, it is typically a milder case.
My child had the flu vaccine last year. Does she really need to have one this year, too? Yes. Each year the vaccine is specifically designed and manufactured to be effective against the expected flu outbreaks for that particular flu season. In addition, the vaccine is effective for a few months. For both of those reasons, the vaccine should be administered every year.
Should my infant or toddler get a flu vaccine? Yes, if he’s at least 6 months old. Children who are 6 months to 2 years old are especially susceptible to the flu and it can be very dangerous for them.
Should my child get the flu vaccine as an injection or as the nasal mist? That depends. The nasal mist is easier for most people to take, and is approved for those between the ages of 2 and 49. Since it is a live (though weakened) virus, the short-term side effects (cold-like symptoms) can be a little stronger as the body’s natural reactions take effect. Children who have a compromised immune system (or who have close contact with someone who has a compromised immune system) should get the flu shot instead of the nasal spray. Also, those with certain health conditions like asthma or wheezing, or conditions requiring long-term aspirin usage should take the shot rather than the mist. More information about the flu mist is found here.
Who should NOT get any flu vaccine? Check with your doctor if any of these conditions apply:
- NOTE: If your child has an allergy to eggs, she may still be able to take the vaccine. Check with your pediatrician.
- If your child or adolescent has had other vaccines within the past four weeks.

We have flu vaccine available now. Call for an appointment. And read more about influenza and the vaccines here.

artwork by Josh