Home
About Us
What's New
Medical Information
F.A.Q.
Books We Recommend
Insurance

*Please be aware that information provided on this website is for your further education only. It is not to replace the medical care you would receive from our office in response to specific symptoms and questions.  If you have any questions, call the office.                                                                                    

WHAT'S NEW 

                                               AUGUST 2010  

                   School is just around the corner.....

                                                 

 

 

 

 

School  and Sports Forms

Practices for fall sports will begin this month.  Most forms require that a physical  has been done within the last year.  If your child meets this qualification, forms can be dropped off at the office for completion.  When dropping off forms, please complete as much information as possible and allow 3-5 days for pickup.  Please call the office if you are unsure if your child needs to schedule an appointment.

Back to Top

Preparing to play Sports

Whatever sport your child may be involved in, it is important to prepare properly to avoid injury.  This preparation includes proper nutrition, hydration, conditioning and equipment.

  • Nutrition and Sports

  • Hydration - Parents and coaches need to be sure children drink plenty of fluids before and during any exercise.  A good starting point is about 4 to 6 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes for a 90 pound child.  Athletes should weigh the same before and after exercise.  Cold water is fine for re-hydration, but flavored sports drinks may stimulate your child to drink more.  Fruit juices and soda are not good choices, as they contain too much sugar.

  • Conditioning - warming up exercises and cooling down exercises are important to prepare the body for more strenuous exercise and to prevent injury.

  • Equipment - Proper fitting equipment according to the sport played should always be worn.  Special attention should be paid to appropriate head gear to reduce the risk of serious head injury.

Back to Top

Cheerleading Injuries

Between 1990 and 2002, nearly 209,000, 5 to 18 year olds, most of them girls, were treated in emergency rooms for cheerleading injuries.  To help keep young cheerleaders injury free:

~Make sure coaches are certified.  Coaches should have completed the Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators safety course.

~Don't let kids try it at home.  Explain to them the cheerleaders they see on TV have had extensive training.

~Check out the practice location.  Cheerleaders should practice on materials that can absorb the impact of a fall.  Grass isn't an adequate buffer.

~Scope out the spotters.  If your child is doing  aerial moves, ask whether the spotters have been trained to anticipate falls and know how to catch someone.  Stunting in high school is prohibited.

Back to Top

 

Flu Clinics

Our office will once again be offering the flu vaccine.  Our shipment is expected to arrive in late August and will be given to patients at their well child visits.  Beginning in September, flu clinics will be offered to any patient.  Dates and times for the clinics have not been determined at this time, but will be posted as soon as the information is available.

Back to Top

 

AAP Symptom Checker

The AAP has introduced an online tool that provides parents with information about their children's symptoms and advice on when to consult their medical providers. The symptom checker tool features images that can be used by parents to diagnose rashes and insect bites among children, as well as weight-based dosage charts for over-the-counter drugs.

 Visit www.healthychildren.org and click on symptom checker.

Back to Top

 

Travel Reminders:  

Traveling with a child can be entertaining, exciting, challenging and exhausting.  With proper planning and preparation, a family trip can be pleasant and relatively trouble free.

If traveling by car:    

Be sure that seat belts and car seats operate properly, and that all passengers are safely secured with doors locked before you put the car in DRIVE.

Take breaks every two hours.  Use this time to let infants and children crawl or walk, enjoy a snack or get some fresh air.

Pack extra blankets and clothing if traveling in cold weather.

Include plenty of toys and games to keep children occupied.

Never leave baby or child in the car unattended.

Select hotels and restaurants that cater to children and provide amenities to accommodate your family.

Stop driving if you get tired or drowsy.  Your family is counting on you for a safe trip!

If traveling by air:       

Traveling by air is dehydrating.  Give your infant or child plenty of fluids during the flight.

Feed baby during takeoff and landing.  Frequent swallowing helps alleviate ear pressure, which is very common during a plane's ascent and descent.  Older children should also have a drink or snack to encourage swallowing.

Pack small toys to keep children occupied.

Back to Top

Battery Ingestion Injuries And Deaths On The Rise

In the past few years there has been a significant increase in pediatric button battery ingestions resulting in serious complications. From 1985 to 2009, there was a 6.7-fold increase in the percentage of ingestions with severe outcomes, including 13 deaths. In addition, many devastating injuries have been reported such as exsanguination from esophageal perforation into the aorta, destruction of the wall of the esophagus and trachea, vocal cord paralysis and esophageal narrowing. Children swallowing batteries lodged in the esophagus have required feeding or breathing tubes for months or years and multiple surgical repairs. Two new studies suggest that batteries must be removed from the esophagus within 2 hours to prevent these serious injuries. These studies further demonstrate that the increase in the severity of button battery ingestions by children is directly related to the widespread use of 20-mm-diameter lithium batteries as a power source for common household products. The studies, “Preventing Battery Ingestions: An Analysis of 8,648 Cases” and “Emerging Battery Ingestion Hazard: Clinical Implications,” in the June print issue of Pediatrics (published online May 24), determined that 61.8 percent of batteries swallowed by children younger than 6 years came directly from a product, 29.8 percent were loose, and 8.2 percent were obtained from battery packaging. The most hazardous battery ingested, the 20-mm lithium cell, was intended for use in remote controls in 37.3 percent of cases. Study authors suggest that all consumer electronics powered by 20-mm lithium cells should require a secure battery compartment accessible with a tool (screwdriver) or child-resistant lock to prevent further pediatric ingestions. Parents must be vigilant, too, to prevent these ingestions.

Back to Top

 

Bug Safety

  • Don't use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays on your child.

  • Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools of water, uncovered foods and gardens where flowers are in bloom.

  • Avoid dressing your child in clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.

  • To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently scrape it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail.

  • Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.

  • Insect repellents containing DEET are most effective against ticks, which can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes, which can transmit West Nile Virus and other viruses.

  • The current CDC and AAP recommendation for children over 2 months of age is to use 30 percent DEET. DEET should not be used on children under 2 months of age.

  • The concentration of DEET in products may range from less than 10 percent to over 30 percent. Ten percent DEET only protects for about 30 minutes – inadequate for most outings.

  • The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when back indoors.

 

Back to Top 

Decrease Allergy Triggers  

A little prevention can make home life easier for those who suffer from allergies.

Dust Mites

  • Encase your pillow, mattress and box spring in impermeable covers.

  • Wash bedding once a week in hot water.

  • Dust with a damp cloth so you don't stir up the sedentary things.

  • Get a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

  • Limit the number of stuffed animals in a bedroom.  If you suspect a beloved plush toy may be infested, enclose it in a baggie and put it in a freezer for 24 to 48 hours.  The lack of air will kill the mites.

  • Get enclosed bookcases.

Pollen

  • Keep windows and doors shut.

  • On mornings and windy days stay in.  Pollen is the worst in the morning.

  • Dust with a damp cloth so you don't stir up pollen and send it flying into the air.

  • Get HEPA stand alone air filters.

  • When cleaning, wear a mask so you don't inhale the pollen you stir up or hire someone to do your cleaning.

Animal Dander

  • Avoidance is best.  If you or someone has a pet allergy, don't get a pet.

  • If you don't want to get rid of your pet, follow the rules that apply for pollen and dust mite mitigation, especially ripping out all carpet, washing bedding and using a damp cloth when dusting.

  • Research before buying a pet.  Non shedding or minimal shedding breeds are best.

Mold

  • Use a dehumidifier.  Mold grows in damp situations.

  • Wash visible mold with a solution of 5% bleach to water.

  • Do not have carpet in bathrooms.

  • Remove all plants from the house, soil can get mold.

  • Don't cut your own grass if you have a sensitivity to mold.

  • Pay attention to your bathmat and shower curtain.  Put bleach in the tub with the mat in it, let it sit for several hours.  You may want to open the window for this and keep all children and pets out of the bathroom.

  • If there is mold behind your walls, there will usually be "a musty smell".  Contact a professional for evaluation and mitigation.

Overall Tips

  • Remove all carpeting.  Hardwood, laminates and tile floors are not amenable to pollen and dust mites.  Tile floors are and excellent choice for mold prone areas like bathrooms.

  • Replace upholstered furniture with leather.

  • Restrict the use of chemical cleaners.

  • Avoid mini-blinds, a haven for dust mites, pollen and pet dander.

~excerpt from The Plain Dealer, 3-19-09

Back to Top 

 

 Home Safety

It's impossible to make your home accident proof.  But you can reduce everyday risks, particularly for the children involved in about 2 million home accidents every year.  Children don't know the rules yet and are just being curious.  Almost anything within reach attracts their attention, and with little ones it goes straight into the mouth. Crawl through rooms to check the safety landscape from a toddler's point of view.

~CDC

For more safety checklists geared for parents, grandparents, about home playgrounds  baby products and more, go to  www.cpsc.gov.

Back to Top   

Build a Better Reader

Five easy ways to build a better reader:

1.  Don't sweat mistakes.  If your child gets to a word he doesn't know when reading aloud, don't make him sound it out, just give him the word.  We learn from having our strengths identified not our mistakes magnified.  ~Jeff Wilhelm, Professor of Reading at Univ. of Idaho.

2.  Stay positive.  Don't make reading a barrier to an activity your child enjoys ("You can't go out and play until you've done your reading")~Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook.

3.  Card 'em.  When your child is reading a book with a lot of words, have him place an index card under the line of text he's reading and slide the card down the page as he reads.  This helps kids keep their place. ~Richard Allington, Ph.D., president of the International Reading Association.

4.  Form a team.  Rather than arguing with your child about when she's going to start and how she'll finish a daunting reading assignment, offer to share the burden.  Your child reads one page aloud, you read the next. ~Carol Rasco, CEO of Reading is Fundamental.

5.  Give books as gifts.  Children say they are more likely to read books they own, specifically, ones that were given to them by someone they love. ~Twila Liggett, Ph.D., creator of Reading Rainbow.

Back to Top   

Did you know?

Every well stocked medicine cabinet should include:

  • Motrin and Tylenol for pain and fever management

  • Benadryl for allergic reactions

  • Hydrocortisone cream 1% for eczema/rashes as directed by a physician

Many products are often recalled after distribution for safety reasons.  The following websites are excellent sources of information regarding recalls.

- www.consumeraffairs.com  At the site, click on recalls.  Select children's items.  You can select items back to the year, 1999.

- www.cpsc.com  U.S. consumer product Safety Commission.  Provides information on recalls and product safety news.  Years 1973 - 2005, by month.  Can search the most recent month or by product category.

 

- these allergy tips may help reduce your child's symptoms?

  • shower and shampoo hair every night before bed to remove pollen.  If this is not possible, at least wash face and hands before bed.

  • remove shoes before entering the house or do not wear shoes into the bedroom.

  • keep window shut in the bedroom of the allergic person.

  • avoid handling pets before bedtime that have been outside and are probably covered in pollen.

 

- the top ten household poisons?

  1. Cosmetics

  2.  Cleaning products

  3.  Analgesics such as aspirin, tylenol.

  4.  Plants

  5.  Cough and Cold Remedies

  6.  Foreign objects, such as mothballs.

  7.  Topical treatments, such as creams and lotions.

  8.  Pesticides 

  9.  Oral antibiotics

 10.  Vitamins

 

- that toilet lids should remain closed to prevent " spiraling toilet aerosol", which contains airborne germs, bacteria and particles that are cast into the air with every flush of the toilet.  

Dr. Charles Gerba, professor at the University of Arizona and specialist in microbiology reports that significant amounts of bacteria, virus and microbes float around the bathroom for at least two hours after every flush.  To decrease the amount of these floating germs, close your toilet lid before flushing, use bleach tablets in your toilet bowl and put your toothbrush and cup away.

- the laundry room is one of the places with the highest concentration of bacteria and fecal matter due to the collection of underwear.

Fight germs when doing your laundry and make underwear your last load.  Don't put colored underwear with other colored items.  Use chlorine bleach to clean clothing and your washing machine.

-that many common household plants are poisonous.  Is there danger growing in your house or garden?

The following list includes plants considered to be toxic (poisonous, possibly dangerous).  These plants contain a wide variety of poisons and may cause symptoms from a mild stomachache, skin rash, swelling of the mouth and throat to involvement of the heart, kidneys or other organs.  Many plants do not cause toxicity unless ingested in very large amounts.

House                                Flower Garden                            Vegetable Garden

Caladium                             Azalea                                        Tomato Leaves

Dumbcane(Diffenbachia)      Crocus                                       Rhubarb Leaves

Elephant ear                         Lily of the Valley                         Potato sprouts

Primrose                              Daffodil                                      Mushrooom

Ivy                                       Hyacinth

For a more complete listing contact the Poison Control Center in your area.

Back to Top   

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

   
Gemini Towers - 2001 Crocker Rd. #600 - Westlake, Ohio 44145
Fairview Hospital Medical Building - 18099 Lorain Rd. Suite 304 - Cleveland, Ohio 44111

440-871-5100                

216-476-2300