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10 Summer Safety Tips
As summer sneaks up on us, it’s important to recognize that children typically have more outside play time, less structure and more exposure to health related risks. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Sun Exposure: Sunshine is a great source for vitamin D, but fair skinned children need only 10 to 15 minutes of face and arm exposure midday for natural vitamin D intake. After that, sunscreen is needed for protection against skin cancer and sunburn. Apply sunscreen with SPF of 15 or more, 30 minutes pre-exposure and every 1½ to two hours while outdoors. Loose, light clothing and hats should be worn and try to limit exposure from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Family activities that promote healthy lifestyles
When families do things together that are active and stimulating, children are more likely to make better choices for themselves. These local family day trips facilitate discussion, learning and exercise, cost less than a movie and support healthy living.
Vitamin and Dietary Supplements in Children
Dr. Eckman with patient.Considering the wide variety of marketed products and confusing information on vitamins and supplements for children, it may be difficult to make sense of what is recommended at what ages and for what reasons. Thankfully, we have excellent scientific data and standardized recommendations by pediatric experts such as the American Academy of Pediatrics to help guide us. This article covers some of the specific nutritional concerns for children and summarizes current recommendations to help make the best choices for ensuring optimal nutritional health for your child.
Just Plain Mean: An Anti-bullying workshop from Prescott College
Prescott College proud to present “Just Plain Mean: An Anti-bullying workshop” at 6:30 – 8:30p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2012, at Prescott College’s Crossroads Center (220 Grove Avenue, Prescott, AZ 86301). For information contact Prescott College Diversity & Inclusion Committee via the Office of Student Life at studentlife@prescott.edu or 928-350-1005. This educational event is free and open to the entire community.
This workshop is designed for parents, educators, students and community members. It focuses on the nature of bullying and aggressive behaviors in childhood from ages 2 – 12. This workshop will give insights to the behaviors and strategies to prevent and/or reduce the impacts of bullying.
Power of Attorney form now available online
To help parents and guardians who need to leave a child in the care of another adult, we have created a form consistent with the Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S. 14-5104) which states: A parent or a guardian of a minor or incapacitated person, by a properly executed power of attorney, may delegate to another person, for a period not exceeding six months, any powers he may have regarding care, custody or property of the minor child or ward, except power to consent to marriage or adoption of the minor.
ADHD: Getting the Facts
The acronym ADHD stands for “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” The name is a pretty good description of the symptoms, that is, some people with this condition have problems paying attention, some have problems with being hyperactive/impulsive, and most actually have problems with both attention and hyperactivity. It is a common disorder as psychiatric conditions go with up to eight percent of school age children meeting the diagnostic criteria.
Tis the season…Holidays, flu and RSV abound!
It’s that time of year again – the holidays! It is also flu and RSV season. Both influenza (the flu) and RSV are viral infections and cannot be treated with antibiotics.
Influenza comes on suddenly with fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and a dry cough. Progressively sore throat, runny and stuffy nose, and cough become more prominent. Occasionally croup or pneumonia can develop.
Influenza can be prevented by vaccine, either a live nasally administered version (flumist) or a killed injectable type (flu shot). Vaccination is recommended for everyone six months of age and older. It should happen every year, since immunity wears off and the vaccine is updated to cover new strains and other changes in the virus. Vaccinations are available at most pediatrician offices, Yavapai County Health Department and many pharmacies. Most insurances cover all costs of flu vaccines, and children without insurance are eligible for free vaccinations through Vaccines for Children (VFC).
High Tech and Healthcare
Technology and the internet impact healthcare in many ways. Ponderosa Pediatrics works hard to embrace new technologies and give patients opportunities to access information and research various health related issues.
Our website, www.ponderosapediatrics.com, contains links to various sources of reliable health related information. Sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Centers for Disease Control and WebMD offer reliable and proven information widely accepted by pediatricians nationwide. However, this information cannot replace the training, expertise and experience offered by licensed clinicians and should never be used in lieu of medical care and doctor’s attention. These sources are interesting reads and provide good general information, but outside the context of doctors, could prove wrong and have serious consequence.
What is a heart murmur?
In the course of a typical day at the office, one particular scenario frequently comes up. While examining a patient, I will detect a heart murmur. When I mention this to the parent, usually there is a look of alarm, ranging from simple anxiety to bordering on panic. Because this is such a common situation, it is appropriate to shed some light on what a murmur is, and what it typically means.
The Waiting Room Blues
One of the realities of healthcare is that it takes time. I’ve had only one primary care physician who I could always count on to be on schedule. However, if I wanted an appointment where I could discuss issues in detail, I had to tell the scheduler in advance the specific details to include. If I did not, I had to schedule a second appointment. That was great for time conscious patients, but not so great for patients who wanted their providers to really know them and understand their health. This takes time.
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