Halloween Safety

This was posted on our Facebook page, but I wanted to bring it here as well. 
Halloween Safety tips from Healthy Children.org

Remember to check us out at ACMA facebook page  and give us a like or even a review!

Vaccine myths

This is a lovely little article that covers most objections that I have heard to vaccination.
Anti vaccine myths and misinformation

Facebook Plug!

We have finally entered the realm of facebook!  Please like us and check back for (hopefully) weekly posts that we have found from trusted sources. 

Abilene Children's Medical Association

No juice required

New recommendations have been released that say no need for any juice for kids under the age of 1. Read all about it at the healthychildren.org post below.
Note: sometimes your physician may prescribe juice specifically for treating constipation but not for nutrition.

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Where-We-Stand-Fruit-Juice.aspx

Trampoline safety

Trampolines are a good form of exercise and great fun but like everything else you need to consider the risks involved.
https://www.facebook.com/AmerAcadPeds/videos/10155092292755432/

"Dry drowning"

The latest buzz word in pediatric medicine in social media is "dry drowning".  Like every media hype, there is some truth and some exaggeration.  This one has the added in complexity of terminology confusion. 

This article is good brief version: "Dry drowning" what parents need to know
Here is the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) drowning prevention advice: Drowning
While these two discuss the misinformation spreading: on dry drowning and Drowning in a sea of misinformation

Healthy eating on the go

Sports and other extra curricular activities are revving up leading to busier schedules.  Temperatures are rising leading to hot practices and games.  How do you make sure that your kids are getting good nutrition and staying well hydrated?  Here is a link from the American Academy of Pediatrics parent's website www.healthychildren.org giving some advice.

Sports nutrition for busy families

Sleep can save your mind

During a well check, I ask some basic questions about several different areas of life to try and figure out where we need to focus our time:
- Is your kid doing ok in school?
- Are they brushing their teeth?
- Do they have friends (Are they developing socially?)
- Do they eat at least some vegetables?
- Do they sleep ok at night?

I feel like over just my short 5 years of practice, the question regarding sleep has become more and more of a problem.  There have always been a few people that have pathologic sleep problems that need professional help.  But now "basic" sleep hygeine does not seem to be basic anymore.

Here is a great article from healthchildren.org with a great reminder of the little things you can do to help improve your child (or your own) sleep.

Sleep and Mental Health 

Miralax

Is miralax really just anti-freeze causing my child to go crazy?
Read Doc Smitty's answer:
Is Miralax safe?
followed by
7 questions answered about miralax

a "croupy" cough

Happy New Year to everyone!

Every area of knowledge comes with its own vocabulary, including the field of medicine.  Unfortunately, I think patients have learned to use certain words with a newer broad definition without realizing that it has a very specific meaning.  Some examples would be "wheezing" "croupy" and "lethargic". 

Doc Smitty at Cook Children's Hospital has a great post about what a "croupy" cough really means and what to do about it.

"croupy" cough

Things you always knew that are not quite true

There are several tidbits of wisdom that have been handed down from grandmothers and grandfathers alike that are not backed up by science. 

Read Dr. Smitty's blog post to see if you have been guilty of saying any of them:
Winter Old Wives' Tales

New Screen Time Guidelines have been released

In the ever changing world of electronics, it is hard for research to keep up and thus hard for groups that make recommendations to keep up.  However the American Academy of Pediatrics is doing their best and have updated their recommendations. 

Doc Smitty from Cook Children's has summarized them into 11 useful facts to guide us.

11 facts about screen time rules

Time to get rid of your anti-bacterial soaps!

There has been an underlying focus on eliminating unnecessary antibiotics from our environment to prevent the development of "superbugs".  Most of the attention has been towards careful prescribing of antibiotics only when needed.  However, recently the FDA has taken steps towards eliminating antibiotics in household ingredients including soap. 

what to know about antibacterial soap

Today's vaccines are safer then then the ones you got as a child parents!

The American Academy of Pediatrics (the professional society for pediatricians) has been emphasizing vaccines and what pediatricians can do to reassure parents about them. 

I have had families in our practice request a modified shot schedule due to concerns that their children will get too many shots too soon.  While I would rather do a modified schedule than not give the vaccines at all, the safest and most tested shot schedule is the official CDC one. 

I was lead to a great blog post discussing how vaccines today are so much simpler and safer than the ones we had when we were growing up.  Take a read.  Maybe it will reassure you that it is not only ok but best to follow the recommended shot schedule.

vaccines 101 too much too soon

7 ear infection myths

7 ear infection myths

Take a look - how many of these have you heard before (or believed)?

Breastfeeding schedules

I will admit that breastfeeding is something that I do not know as much about as I wish I did.  Thankfully, I have some great help from the lactation consultants at our local hospital when my moms need it.  This week, I'd like to share a blog post about a common breast feeding myth: The essential 3 hour feeding interval.

Infant feeding intervals

Essential Oils in Pediatrics

• A fellow Pediatrician I greatly respect compiled his meta-analysis of essential oils in the pediatric population:

http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/essential-oils-and-their-use-on-children
http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/essential-oils-and-children---more-questions-answered/
http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/how-safe-are-essential-oils/

• Here is a chart of essential oils to avoid in children that I borrowed from our Pediatric pharmacy newsletter.  

< 2 yrs	Basil Benzoin Black Seed Cassia Clove Garlic Ginger Lily Hyssop Lemon Leaf	Lemongrass Massoia May Chang Melissa/ Lemon Balm Myrtle honey Myrtle (lemon)/Sweet- Verbana Oakmoss	Opopanax Oregano Peru Balsam Saffron Sage (Wild- Mountain) Savory Styrax Tea Leaf	Tea Tree Treemoss Tuberose Turpentine Verbena Ylang-Ylang
< 5 yrs	Anise/Aniseed	Fennel	Myrtel aniseed
< 6 yrs	Cajuput Cardamon Cornmint Galangal Ho Leaf/Ravintsara	Laurel Leaf/Bay- Laurel Marjoram Myrtle red Niaouli	Peppermint Rambiazana Rosemary Sage (Greek) Sage (White)	Sanna Saro
< 10 yrs	Eucalyptus
All Children	Birch	Chaste Tree	Wintergreen

• In addition to these, the endocrinologists at Cooks recommend avoiding Lavender due to concerns for prepubertal gynecomastia in boys. (breast growth)

• FYI: Thieves blend contains eucalyptus and so should not be used in children <10.   

Edris AE.  Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review.  Phytother Res. 2007;21 (4): 308-323.
 Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety: A guide for Health Care Professionals. 2nd ed. London, England: Churchill Livingstone; 2014'

No water for babies

Summer heat is not over yet and it is important that everyone drinks plenty of water. Everyone but babies that is! See below for why.
http://www.checkupnewsroom.com/the-deadly–reason-you-should-never-give-your-baby-extra-water/

Can there be too many vaccines?

Here is a nice series of blog posts about vaccines:

Vaccine additives: vaccines-dissected-part-1

How can our little ones handle so many vaccines at once:  vaccines-dissected-part-2

What about vaccine side effects: vaccines-dissected-part-3

Carseat Tips

Carseat Tips

For such a basic piece of safety equipment, car seats can be complicated to install and use correctly.  Check out this link for a list of common mistakes parents make.

10 Common Carseat Mistakes