How Can I Help My Child Feel Better From Fever?

 

Again, not all fevers need to be treated. In most cases, a fever should be treated only if it's causing a child discomfort.

Here are ways to ease symptoms that often accompany a fever:

Home Comfort Measures

Dress your child in lightweight clothing and cover with a light sheet or blanket. Overdressing and overbundling can prevent body heat from escaping and can cause the temperature to rise.

Make sure your child's bedroom is a comfortable temperature — not too hot or too cold.

While some parents use lukewarm sponge baths to lower fever, this method only helps temporarily, if at all. In fact, sponge baths can make kids uncomfortable. Never use rubbing alcohol (it can cause poisoning when absorbed through the skin) or ice packs/cold baths (they can cause chills that can raise body temperature).

Food and Drinks

Offer plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration because fevers make kids lose fluids more rapidly than usual. Water, soup, ice pops, and flavored gelatin are all good choices. Avoid drinks with caffeine, including colas and tea, because they can make dehydration worse by increasing urination (peeing).

If your child also is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, ask the doctor if you should give an electrolyte (rehydration) solution made especially for kids. You can find these at drugstores and supermarkets. Don't offer sports drinks — they're not made for younger children and the added sugars can make diarrhea worse. Also, limit your child's intake of fruits and apple juice.

In general, let kids eat what they want (in reasonable amounts), but don't force it if they don't feel like it.

Taking it Easy

Make sure your child gets plenty of rest. Staying in bed all day isn't necessary, but a sick child should take it easy.

It's best to keep a child with a fever home from school or childcare. Most doctors feel that it's safe to return when the temperature has been normal for 24 hours.

Sleep Apnea in Children

 

A child’s snoring should NEVER be ignored. It’s as big of a red flag as you’re going to get for obstructive sleep apnea in children, who unfortunately present the condition slightly differently than adults. While the condition normally impacts middle aged men (and goes underdiagnosed even then), it can slip dangerously under the radar for most other demographics. Statistically, 3% to 12% of all children snore, and around 1%-3% percent of all children have sleep apnea.

As dentists, you have front row access to a child’s mouth development, and it’s no hyperbole to say that you could change the course of a child’s life and gift a parent incredible peace of mind by providing a proper diagnosis. No parent wants something as potentially threatening to their child’s health and development as sleep apnea to go unnoticed.

Causes

While infected, enlarged tonsils and adenoids may be the most common cause of sleep apnea, allergies and certain developmental defects (e.g.- Low muscle tone in the mouth/upper airway, narrow air passages, underdeveloped maxillae) are all known causes.

Preventing Labels

Many of the cognitive difficulties caused by sleep apnea (poor attention span, trouble in school), combined with a child’s inability to articulate much of what they’re feeling, have the unfortunate effect leading to a hasty misdiagnosis of ADHD. Worse, the child may simply be dismissed as having a string of unexplained misbehaviors that are unimaginably frustrating for any parent and setting them up for horrible social and health complications later in life (high blood pressure, GERD, diabetes, etc). By simply observing a child’s airway, you can help prevent a child’s development from being impeded by unnecessary, possibly harmful medications and designations. 

Treatment Options

While surgically removing enlarged tonsils/adenoids are the most common treatment, there are other options for managing OSA, depending on the cause and severity of the obstruction. Surgery to correct any preexisting malformations may be recommended depending on the case. Oral/dental appliances may also be recommended for older children whose facial bone growth is mostly complete. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is also an effective option if all else fails.

Symptoms 

While some of the symptoms of sleep apnea in children may take on the same basic form as adults (cessation of breathing during sleep), they do present differently, especially taking into consideration that while adults tend to gain weight due to hormone fluctuations caused by a lack of sleep, many children with sleep apnea tend to demonstrate poor physical development and difficulty gaining weight.

Ask about your patients sleep history if they or their parents recognize the following symptoms. You may want to also inquire about your patient’s allergy history, and observe how their mouth is developing.

• Poor performance at school
• Breathing pauses during sleep
• Daytime sleepiness
• Difficulty with concentration
• Mouth breathing
• Poor attention span
• Behavioral issues
• Bedwetting
• Difficulty growing and gaining weight

Halloween and Diwali Photos

 

October Update from Puri Pediatrics

 

Fall is already here. And children are back in school. Along with all the excitement we have to remember that their health and well-being are very important.

School age children from preschoolers to college students need vaccines.

We are here to help parents make sure all kids and young adults are up-to-date on recommended vaccines and protected from serious diseases. We have started giving the flu vaccine. Please call our office to make appointments. Remember that Autumn is a great time for physicals and elective appointments. Please contact our office at (510) 797-7766 to schedule an appointment.

Don't Be Fooled by These Misleading Labels on Kids' Foods

Food manufacturers know your time at the grocery store is limited, so they want to get your attention—quickly! That's why the front of food packages is such valuable real estate, where an impressive-sounding claim may make us grab one package over the other. That's especially true when we're choosing foods for our kids and want the best option possible.

But some of these front-of-package claims should be taken with a serious grain of salt. Though they're all technically true, they often make the products seem better and more wholesome than they actually are. Here are six prime offenders to watch out for:

1. High Protein

Protein is a hot nutrient right now—and from the looks of food packages, you'd think we're all walking around with severe protein deficiencies. It's true that including protein in meals and snacks is helpful for keeping us satisfied, but the reality is that most people eat more than enough. Even if your child doesn't eat meat, he's still getting protein from grains like pasta, dairy like milk and cheese, and even vegetables. So watch out for packaged foods like frozen pizza touting their protein content. They may contain some protein, but they also likely have plenty of sodium and artificial ingredients.

                                                    2. 100% Vitamin C

I see this claim a lot on sugary drinks like fruit drinks and brightly-colored punches. It's an impressive-sounding claim: the whole day's worth of vitamin C in one glass! But vitamin C isn't actually very hard to get from real food at all. For example, kids ages 4-8 can get their entire day's supply with about three medium strawberries. And it goes without saying, but kids are much better off getting vitamin C from regular food than a sugary drink.

3. Made With Whole Grain

I'm all for whole grains, which have more fiber, protein, and vitamins than refined grains. And a lot of parents are trying to get more whole grains into their child's meals and snacks. But keep in mind that a product can still claim "made with whole grain" even if the majority of the grains are refined—and a sugary cereal that's "made with whole grains" is still a sugary cereal. If you're really looking for a truly whole-grain product like bread or boxed cereal, look for "whole" in the first ingredient.

                                                      4. Reduced Sugar

Many parents (including myself) are looking for ways to keep added sugar in check, so a "reduced sugar" claim can really seem appealing. But before you toss something into your cart, flip over the package to the ingredient list. Instead of simply reducing the sweetness in a product, some companies cut the sugar but add artificial sweeteners to make up the difference. I've spotted this in foods like dried cranberries and even ketchup! Sometimes it's clear from the front of the package that they've done this—but other times, you have to be a label sleuth. Look for ingredients like sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, and steer clear if you want to avoid faux sweeteners.

5. All Natural

Though this sounds great, it actually doesn't mean much. According to the FDA, which doesn't have a formal definition of "natural," a product can claim it's natural if it doesn't contain any artificial flavors, added color, or synthetic substances. That's why you may see the claim on foods like potato chips. Though I think it's always good to avoid artificial ingredients when possible, don't be fooled into thinking the product is especially wholesome because it bears this label.

6. Made With Real Fruit

You'll spot this claim on packaged foods like gummy fruit snacks. There may even be pictures of fruit on the package. But check the ingredient list. If the only sign of fruit is "fruit juice concentrate," don't be impressed. That's essentially a form of added sugar—and your child won't be getting the health benefits of eating real fruit.

Sunscreen

As the warm weather has arrived many of you will be spending time outside, so please make sure to use sunscreen regularly. Please remember that water safety is important around pools and beaches.

EpiPens Are Being Recalled Because They May Not Work

Mylan, the maker of EpiPen, is in the news again, and not because of a crazy new price hike. This time, the issue is even more concerning: Some EpiPens may fail to activate and are being recalled.

In March, the company recalled 81,000 EpiPens in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, according to Forbes. But now, the recall has spread to 13 lots of the EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. Auto-Injector after two reports that the life-saving pen did not activate when needed.

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FDA.gov

Pretty scary stuff, considering that a dose of epinephrine administered immediately after an allergic reaction takes place can mean the difference between life and death. Plus, it’s estimated that 1 in 13 kids has a food allergy in the U.S.

It’s important to note that this recall affects both EpiPens parents keep on hand at home in case of an allergic reaction, but also those they supply to schools and daycares. In fact, my child’s school sent out a newsletter this morning alerting parents about the recall.

Visit Mylan’s site to see full details about the recall, including exactly which products are affected, their lot numbers, and expiration dates. Reportedly the number of pens included in the recall is small, and the generic form of the medication is safe.

• According to a statement by the company, “Mylan is committed to replacing recalled devices at no cost and Mylan would like to reassure patients that there will be no additional replacement-related financial burden to them as a result of this recall.”