When Bullying Is A Problem, Willows Pediatrics Is Here to Help Your Child
Much of what we do at Willows Pediatrics concerns combating disease and maintaining physical health. Yet there is also a large behavioral and emotional component to being a pediatrician, and we do our best to counsel our patients and their parents as they go through developmental stages and experience life’s challenges.
We’ve read studies reporting that 20-30% of students in school are involved in bullying (either as the bully or the victim), making bullying an issue we would like to address. read more…
A Safe Sleeping Environment Helps Protect Infants From SIDS And Other Sleep-Related Deaths
All of the doctors here at Willows are parents, and we’ve all experienced the jitters and uncertainty that can be part of becoming a parent for the first time. Taking care of newborns can be nerve-racking for sure. But with a little information and good parenting practices, we can help you ensure that your little one will be healthy and happy!
That said, one of new parents’ biggest fears is often sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). That term is applied to infant deaths that cannot be explained. Another term, sudden unexpected infant death (SUID) is used to describe any unexpected death from SIDS or causes such as suffocation, entrapment, arrhythmia and trauma. Today we want to address SIDS and the subset of SUIDs that occur during sleep.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised and updated its recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS and sleep-related suffocation, asphyxia and entrapment in infants. Some, like getting regular prenatal care and voiding smoke, alcohol and drugs during pregnancy, are applicable before the baby is born. The remaining recommendations apply to infants up to one year of age and should be used consistently until your child turns one.
Yes, it’s true: children have tantrums. Virtually every parent will, at some point, have to deal with a very unhappy child who shouts, throw things, or crumples to the floor in tears. The doctors at Willows Pediatrics can offer advice on how to help avoid and control tantrums, and reward good behavior. We are happy to answer questions during your child’s physical exams, or for a more in depth assessment we can schedule a behavioral consultation with you to discuss any concerns you might have about your child and his or her behavior.
Tantrums can range from whining and crying to screaming, kicking, hitting, and breath holding. They are most common during the second year of life when toddlers can understand more language than they can express. A toddler’s frustration at being unable to communicate can be a leading cause of tantrums. Other reasons a child might have a tantrum include being tired or hungry, or seeking attention. read more…
If you or your child has used the restroom during a visit here at our Westport office, you may have noticed that instead of soap and paper towels or air dryers, we have alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Why, with the press about the possible negative effects of over-using hand cleansers, would Willows Pediatrics have these in our office?
The first reason is a practical one. When we originally opened our offices at 1563 Post Road East we did in fact, stock the restrooms with soap and paper towels. Unfortunately, young children repeatedly dropped the towels into the toilets and we had clogs on a regular basis. We considered getting air dryers, but had to rule those out due to the fact that our hearing and vision testing rooms are located adjacent to the restrooms and the noise would interfere with the hearing tests.
Willows Pediatrics And FDA Do Not Recommend Cough And Cold Medicines For Children Under Two Years Of Age
Back in 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold
medication should not be used in infants and children under the age of two, and Willows Pediatrics agrees. The FDA found that these products could cause serious and potentially life-threatening side effects in young children including convulsions, rapid heart rates, decreased levels of consciousness and death. This recommendation led to a voluntary recall of these types of products marketed to children under two. read more…
Did you know that, in most cases, a fever alone does not harm your child … and can actually be beneficial? It’s true, and that’s why Willows Pediatrics wants to address the topic of “fever phobia” today!
Many parents and caregivers immediately rush to give their child acetaminophen or ibuprofen the minute they see their child’s temperature rise. That’s not always necessary or the best plan. “Fever is a physiological mechanism that has beneficial effects in fighting infection,” said a recent article in the AAP News. The article also notes that the degree of fever does not always correlate with the severity of illness, and that there is no evidence that fever alone, even high fever, causes any long-term complications. (The exceptions to this would be in children with certain underlying chronic diseases or conditions.)
Most importantly, “Fever, in and of itself, is not known to endanger a generally healthy child; in contrast, fever actually may be of benefit.”
Willows Pediatrics Reminds You To Prepare For Emergencies
Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? With Fairfield County experiencing both a minor earthquake and a major tropical storm in August, it’s definitely a good time to take stock of our lives and make sure we’re prepared when the next weather event or other emergency situation occurs!
Like many people in the area, we at Willows Pediatrics lost power and dealt with issues ranging from flooding to downed tree limbs during Irene last month. That’s why we wanted to share with you some advice on preparing for emergencies. The three steps we recommend for emergency preparedness are (1) get a kit; (2) make a plan; and (3) be informed! read more…
Whether your children have been home for the summer or away at camp, when mid-August hits everyone’s minds can’t help turn to “back to school” time! Along with the excitement of buying school supplies and finding out which teachers your children will have comes a bit of planning and preparation. Today Willows Pediatrics would like to address two big school-related issues: backpacks and school lunches.
On the subject of backpacks, the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is working to educate students and their parents about the dangers of wearing backpacks that are either too heavy or worn improperly. Overly-heavy backpacks or those worn on one shoulder can cause pain in their neck, shoulders and back as well as posture-related issues. read more…
Having a teenager who is learning to drive can be one of parenthood’s most nerve-racking times. Not only are our children being given the keys to more freedom, they are being given control of a potentially dangerous motor vehicle.
Here in Fairfield County, where highways can be dicey and back roads can be slippery, encouraging our youngest drivers to navigate the roads safely is of the utmost importance. Here are some sobering statistics from the CDC: read more…
Willows Reports: Your Child & Social Media
Adolescents and even children are spending more and more time on the Internet. Online activities can provide our kids with entertainment, technical skills and the ability to communicate with others. However, social interaction via the Internet—social media—can sometimes become unhealthy and unsafe, and Willows Pediatrics is here to help advise you of the Internet’s potential hazards.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a clinical report on “The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families.” The report concludes that not all social media sites are healthy environments for children and adolescents and that parents should be urged to monitor for potential problems that can include cyberbullying, “Facebook depression,” sexting and exposure to inappropriate content. In addition, young people who spend too much time on the Internet have been found to have problems that include Internet addiction and sleep deprivation.
As pediatricians, we want to remind you that many of these online behaviors are extensions of issues that are affecting our children off-line in the real world, like bullying, popularity and status, depression, social anxiety and sexual development. Facebook, for example, can be difficult for kids already dealing with self-esteem issues, according to Dr. Gwenn O’Keeffe, a Boston-area pediatrician and lead author of new American Academy of Pediatrics social media guidelines. “With in-your-face friends’ tallies, status updates and photos of happy-looking people having great times, Facebook pages can make some kids feel even worse if they think they don’t measure up.”
With these issue in mind, we (and the AAP) advise parents to:
(1) talk to your children and adolescents about their online use;
(2) become better educated about the technologies your kids are using;
(3) develop a family online-use plan that includes family meetings and emphasizes citizenship and healthy behavior; and
(4) supervise online activity through active participation and communication.
Please note that age 13 is the minimum age for most social media sites. Falsifying ages so your child can participate on these sites can open the door to an unhealthy social media interaction, and it also sends mixed messages about lying. Online safety must always be the primary message being emphasized.
As with all aspects of adolescence, it’s important to find the right balance between giving your child freedom and autonomy and also maintaining a certain amount of control. As parents, it is our job to keep our children safe. Just as we would want to meet our child’s friends and their parents or do some background research on a school or summer program, we should take the time to understand the social networking they are involved in … and to monitor for potential problems.
If you have any specific questions in this regard, please let us know. As pediatricians and parents, we are doing our best to keep up to date on these technologies and their benefits, as well as their potential dangers.