Growing Healthy
School Tips
Print this Article Are you ready? …School Tips It should come as no surprise that success — or failure — at school starts at home. Studies have linked poor academic performance to factors such as a lack of sleep, poor nutrition, obesity, and a lack of parental support. Making the First Day Easier Remind your child that she is not the only student who is a bit uneasy about the first day of school. Teachers know that students are anxious …
Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons Aged 0 Through 6 Years United States
(Click on chart for pdf version with footnotes) This schedule indicates the recommended ages for routine administration of currently licensed vaccines, as of December 1, 2008, for children aged 0 through 6 years. Any dose not administered at the recommended age should be administered at a subsequent visit, when indicated and feasible. Licensed combination vaccines may be used whenever any component of the combination is indicated and other components are not contraindicated and if approved by the Food and Drug …
Fight Flu Fear! 5 Points for Parents to Consider
1. As things stand now, the vast majority of children who develop flu-like symptoms this Fall will have a few miserable days, and nothing more. And those days are best spent at home–not in the ER or a doctor’s office. 2. If you are worried, call Dr. O first. Don’t take your child in to the ER without calling. Two reasons: Your child may not have H1N1 but could become exposed by being around sick children. And after several hours …
Flu Update
Print this Article As the school year shifts into high gear, many children are out sick with the FLU! According to the CDC records, Georgia is one of the hardest hit states. Jacksonville also has had its fair share with the Influenza H1N1 strain “The Swine Flu”. But don’t panic! Stay calm and just follow the universal precautions of infection control, such as frequent hand washing, not touching your mouth, eyes or nose, and avoiding crowded public places with infants …
A.L.A.R.M. – An Autism Guide for Parents
Print this Article | A.L.A.R.M. Flyer Autism spectrum disorders are not rare; many primary care pediatricians care for several children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatricians play an important role in early recognition of autism spectrum disorders, because they usually are the first point of contact for parents. Parents are now much more aware of the early signs of autism spectrum disorders because of frequent coverage in the media; if their child demonstrates any of the published signs. Parents please raise …
The Seasonal and Swine Flu: Vaccinate for Both
Print this Article I have been reading the latest information on the seasonal flu and the swine or H1N1 flu every day. This has been the first stressful flu season for me in my 16 years of being in practice. It has been quite confusing to health care providers because of what has been reported in the media in terms of when and how much of the H1N1 vaccine will be distributed by the government and who will get it …
Detecting Autism Spectrum Disorder, High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome in your Child
Print this Article As verbal individuals with autism are frequently misdiagnosed, I’d like to take this opportunity to alert you to their display of symptoms. Your child may have received a diagnosis of: ADD or ADHD Intellectual Disability, Mental Retardation or Learning Disability Adjustment Disorder Conduct Disorder Oppositional Defiant Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Bipolar Disorder, Affective Disorder Schizophrenia Auditory or Sensory Processing Disorder, Dyspraxia In the early years: Development of language and communication is atypical Delayed speech or repetitive use …
DO VACCINES CAUSE AUTISM?
Print this Article A letter I recently received from the mother of a patient got me thinking about vaccines and the debate over whether certain vaccines somehow play a role in causing autism. The vaccine-autism controversy offers many examples of how our current culture sometimes distorts the scientific approach to medicine in favor of untested holistic approaches. Many researchers, most notably from the University of Pittsburgh, have published an extensive number of articles emphasizing that autism may be traced to …
TRAINING TASTEBUDS FOR HEALTHY EATING
Print this Article When I was a kid, I didn’t like to eat eggs. I used to hide them in flowerpots. (The flowers bloomed beautifully – I should have taken this as a hint!) But my distaste for eggs would disappear instantly if my Mom asked me to bake with her. I remember I used to fight over the cake batter with my sister, so Mom had to split the chocolate cake batter into two equal parts. Those were sweet …
New Year’s Resolutions: Getting Your Kids Active!
Print this Article As we enter the New Year, people often think of what their New Year’s resolution should be. Sure, many adults make the resolution to exercise more and eat better, but what about those same resolutions for their children? The rate of obesity has reached epidemic proportions for America’s children and adolescents. As of 2006, 15% of the pediatric population was overweight, with that percentage rapidly climbing (Evans, Renaud, Finkelstein, Kamerow, and Brown, 2006). Obesity puts the patient …