As we enter the cold and flu season, many adults will experience fevers associated with viral illnesses. When a child’s fever is high they are also at risk for febrile seizures — the most common type of seizure affecting children aged 6 months to 5 years. Let’s look more closely at this common pediatric health condition.
It is hard to believe that we are already preparing for the fall sports season. My son recently went to football camp and it brought to mind the fact that many students are due for their sports participation physical – required every other year by the state athletic association. While getting a physical may seem like a hassle for parents and students alike, it is an important step in assessing the health of your child.
Lifestyle assessment. A sports physical is a great way to have face-to-face time with your family’s health care provider – giving you the opportunity to discuss your family’s lifestyle and how it impacts your lives. Drug and alcohol use should always be discussed during this encounter, as this continues to be a problem with our youth.
We are in the peak of the cough and cold season. As adults, we reach for a variety of over-the-counter medications to ease our symptoms, and as parents we do the same for our children. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that we treat our children differently, and in fact, they recommended that we do not use cold medications for children under the age of two. In older children, these medications must be used with extreme caution, and possibly not at all. A recent study has shown that despite recent announcements concerning overdosages in children, about 7,000 children visit Emergency Departments annually due to complications from taking over-the-counter cold medications.
As another wonderful summer concludes, we’ll been busy preparing for the upcoming school year. We have spent time shopping for school supplies and clothing. My wife, who is a teacher, has been in her classroom preparing for her students. Ultimately, preparation is the key to a successful year for both the student and the parent. But preparation extends beyond school supplies and clothing. There are several things you can do to help your child be mentally and physically ready for the demands of the upcoming school year.
Each year at this time and for about two weeks prior, there is a lot of moaning and groaning about the impending school year from my two children and my wife – who is a teacher. The thought of another year of work after a spectacular summer is always “challenging,” especially when you factor in shopping for school supplies and clothes.
One essential of the wardrobe is a backpack, which needs to be fashionable, as well as functional. Recently, there has been concern about the musculoskeletal health of children and teenagers who carry backpacks. Let’s take a closer look at this piece of luggage and how it affects our children.
What is backpack safety? Over the years, various medical organizations have addressed concerns about the use of the backpack and associated injuries and health conditions. It has been shown that children and teenagers that improperly use a backpack are at risk for the development of back, shoulder and neck pain. This is usually due to heavy loads distributed unevenly within the backpack.
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