Friday, July 29, 2011

Fact Friday - Infants' Acetaminophen Concentration Change




There has recently been a change in the concentration of Infants' Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol). It has changed from 80 mg/0.8 mL to 160 mg/5 mL. This will mean a change in the dosage you are used to giving your infant. Click on the images above to view the old concentration dosages versus the new concentration dosages and be sure you verify which concentration you are giving your child before actually giving it to them.


If you have any questions regarding which dosage you should be giving your child, please feel free to contact the office!


We hope you have a great weekend!


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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Summer Tip: Playground Safety

Here is another tip from our Summer Safety Ideas for the summer : We hope you are all having a great and safe summer!

Playground Safety

The playground should have safety-tested mats or loose-fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches (6 inches for shredded rubber). The protective surface should be installed at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.
  • Equipment should be carefully maintained. Open “S” hooks or protruding bolt ends can be hazardous.
  • Swing seats should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas.
  • Make sure children cannot reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body part.
  • Never attach—or allow children to attach—ropes, jump ropes, leashes, or similar items to play equipment; children can strangle on these.  If you see something tied to the playground, remove it or call the playground operator to remove it.
  • Make sure your children remove helmets and anything looped around their necks.
  • Metal, rubber and plastic products can get very hot in the summer, especially under direct sun.
  • Make sure slides are cool to prevent children’s legs from getting burned.
  • Do not allow children to play barefoot on the playground.
  • Parents should never purchase a home trampoline or allow children to use home trampolines.
  • Parents should supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.
To read more or see the full article click here
**Info from AAP
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Friday, July 22, 2011

Fact Friday - Holiday Hours

The Willow Creek office will be open on Sunday, July 24th to see patients with urgent problems. You can call the office after 9:30 to schedule an appointment or for medical advice. Monday, July 25th, we will also be open for urgent care only. You can call Monday morning after 9:00 to schedule an appointment or for medical advice. We will be back in the office for regular office hours on Tuesday, July 26th, if you are in need of medication refills or immunization records.

The doctors and staff of Willow Creek Pediatrics would like to wish you all a happy and safe holiday weekend!



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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Childhood Obesity and the "Media Diet."

     "Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in America – with 17 percent of children aged 2 to 19 obese," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The huge increase is more than three times the 1980 childhood obesity rate."      A report released in June by the American Academy of Pediatrics "has a new suggestion: ban companies from advertising junk food during children's television programs." The AAP has long called for "parents to put their kids on a 'media diet'"; and now the organization is "going a step further by calling on Congress to ban fast food and junk food ads" during shows directed at children. The statement also "cites several studies" establishing that "TV ads prime children to prefer and request high-fat and high-sugar foods" and that poor "snacking habits while watching TV may contribute to weight gain."
     Since that plea from the AAP and CDC, 17 US food and beverage companies including Kraft, Nestle and Coca-Cola, presented self-imposed regulations designed to adjust the products they advertise and market to children.  According to the regulations, the companies would have to choose to make there products healthier or cease advertising them to children after Dec. 31, 2013. The move comes from the response to federal calls to create advertising guidelines to combat childhood obesity.
To read the full articles click here and here
Thanks to Dr Jopling and Dr Lynch for there great articles and we hope more companies will start making there own self-imposed regulations to benefit children.

Info from**
 Los Angeles Times (7/15)
ABC News (6/28) reports,
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Sunday, July 17, 2011

New Boost Til 8 Website!!

Announcing a new website that you MUST check out http://www.boosttil8.org/ It is a new website for Utah children that helps explain the new "boost until 8" law protecting kids. More children ages 6 to 14 die from traffic crashes than from anything else. But even more startling is the fact that over half of the 4- to 7-year-olds who die in crashes are buckled in seat belts. The truth is that these younger children are not safe in seat belts alone. They are not adequately protected by seat belts alone.

In Utah, children up to age 8 (through age 7) must be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat when traveling in a passenger vehicle. There is an exception to the law that states that children younger than eight are not required to be in a booster seat if they are at least 57 inches tall (4'9"). At that point, they should use the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt without a booster.

We HIGHLY recommend you checking out this website. It has a very powerful short video that will hopefully make you look at your own child's safety seat. It also has so many resources including, booster basics, list of fitting stations, and a question and answer section that answers so many questions.

It takes just a few minutes to check out this website and all of our doctors at Willow Creek Pediatrics think it is a great reminder to buckle up with a booster, and the correct way.


**Info from the boosttil8.org
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Friday, July 15, 2011

Fact Friday - Boating Safety


We are sure many of you have some fun boating trip planned throughout the summer! Sometimes it can be very easy to "forget" about safety when you are having such a good time in the boat! Here are a few reminders from the American Academy of Pediatrics on boating safety:





  • Children should wear life jackets at all times when on boats or near bodies of water.



  • Make sure the life jacket is the right size for your child. The jacket should not be loose. It should always be worn as instructed with all straps belted.



  • Blow-up water wings, toys, rafts and air mattresses should not be used as life jackets or personal flotation devices. Adults should wear life jackets for their own protection, and to set a good example.



  • Adolescents and adults should be warned of the dangers of boating when under the influence of alcohol, drugs, and even some prescription medications.





      • For the full article and many more great tips on boating safety, click here.




      As always, if you ever have questions regarding life jackets or boating safety, please feel free to contact the office!

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      Tuesday, July 12, 2011

      Creative way to prevent the summer slide

      You are half way through the summer--(We know hard to believe)--Your kids may be getting a little bored and it’s important to keep those brain muscles flexed with fun learning exercises. Dr Jopling found an article from Accredited Online Colleges that created this comprehensive list of 50 creative ways to fight the summer slide. It show that ordinary summer activities like opening up a lemonade stand or going to a baseball game can be turned into learning opportunities. Have fun looking through this great list and we encourage you to try one or two from each area with your kids this summer.

      50 ways to prevent summer brain drain
      READING AND WRITING
      Keeping up with reading and writing skills over the summer is key to maintaining learning throughout the year — so pay special attention to these creative learning activities.
      1-Create a book club: Make reading social with a summer book club for kids
      2-      Keep a journal: Encourage kids to stay sharp in their writing by keeping a journal, discussing summer activities and more.
      3-      Find summer writing camps: Older kids can check out summer writing camps, often available through local newspapers.
      4-      Read throughout the day: Offer reading opportunities morning, noon, and night, with the newspaper, websites, books, magazines, and more.
      5-      Write a comic strip: Develop creativity, writing, and humor with a fun comic strip.
      6-      Read books about summer activities: Before heading to the beach or a baseball game, pick out a book that discusses the activity.
      7-Email friends and family: Have kids write to friends and family over email to keep in touch while also keeping up with their writing practice.
      8-      Encourage reading in bed, even if it pushes bedtimes: Allow your children to read in bed, even allowing them to stay up later as long as they are reading.
      9-      Start a blog: Create a blog for your child to update over the summer, and share it with family and friends.
      10-      Read everywhere: Read street signs, billboards, and anything else you can find while you’re on the go this summer.
      11-      Designate a family reading time: Create a time when your whole family reads, individually or as a group.
      12-      Buddy up: Pick out books for your kids to read together with their friends for fun and a shared experience.
      13-Pick up comic books: Build a renewed interest in reading with comic books this summer.
      14-      Read aloud each day: Even if it’s poolside, listen to your child read aloud every day.
      15-      Summer reading camp: Scholastic offers a Summer Challenge, a virtual reading camp that engages kids in competitive reading over the summer.
      PLACES TO GO
      Going out and getting active is a great way to have fun and learn this summer.
      16-Go to a baseball game: Discuss strategy and scores while taking in a baseball game.
      17-      Visit museums: Museums often have summer programs for kids, so stop by and check out what they have to offer.
      18-      Go out to eat: Do menu math at a restaurant, asking kids how much food they can afford with a certain amount of money.
      19-      Go on tours: Whether it’s a chocolate factory or a glassblowing studio, take advantage of tours so kids can learn how everyday items are made.
      20-      Camping: Camping offers an excellent opportunity for discussing nature and the world around you.
      21-      State and national parks: Parks offer a multitude of learning opportunities, and fun family experiences as well.
      22-      Visit the zoo: Take a family field trip to the zoo to see the animals and learn about animal life.
      AT HOME
      Try these ideas on summer days when you’re sticking around the house.
      23-Get crafty: Adopt a daily craft activity to do as a family every day.
      24-      Build a treehouse: Combine outside fun with construction by building a backyard treehouse, remembering to discuss measurement (and safety) as you go.
      25-      Create a lemonade stand: The classic lemonade stand offers many lessons in math and business.
      26-      Play board games: Board games build thinking skills and are a fun way for kids to play and learn over the summer.
      27-      Track daily temperatures: Fight the summer slide while tracking the summer heat wave by tracking the temperature each day with your kids.
      28-      Calculate your family’s emissions: Use the EPA personal emissions calculator to discover your emissions as a family, and discuss how you can improve.
      29-      Plant a garden: Teach kids about nutrition and growth with a summer garden.
      30-Count money when playing Monopoly: A family game time with Monopoly can turn into a math lesson when kids act as the banker.
      WEBSITES
      Use these websites to have fun learning this summer.
      31-Kids Off the Couch: Get a weekly newsletter with great ideas for getting kids out and learning for the summer and throughout the year.
      32-Storyline Online: Visit Storyline Online to watch videos of actors reading children’s books out loud.
      33-Smithsonian Kids Collecting: Kids can start a collection over the summer with the Smithsonian’s program.
      34-Thinkfinity: Thinkfinity has fun games and learning activities for year round learning.
      ACTIVITIES
      These are just a handful of the fun learning activities you can try this summer.
      35-Make grocery store visits educational: Think about the grocery store as a great place to practice math skills, and bring that same idea home to the kitchen, too.
      36-Build a robot: Find cool and kid-friendly robot projects to take on over the summer.
      37-Create a picture journal: Keep your child engaged and thinking about the activities you’re doing this summer by using a camera and notebook to create a picture journal.
      38-Create a puppet theater: Make puppets with outgrown gloves from the winter, and create a story for kids to act out.
      39-Citizen scientist: Turn kids into citizen scientists this summer, putting them to work as scientific researchers in projects over the summer.
      40-Build your own game: Check out projects that allow you to build a game over the summer.
      41-Play car games: Play ABC games during long car trips.
      42-Map out your trip: Involve your children in vacation planning by helping them create a map for your trip.
      43-Programming: Using programs like Scratch and Kodu, even young children can get started on programming over the summer.
      44-Finish schoolbooks: Often, school books like math journals aren’t completed by the end of the year-put them to good use and finish them over the summer.
      45-Do art projects: Practice drawing, take pictures, or sculpt together, and discuss the meaning of art while you’re doing it.
      46-Visit the YMCA: Find a great YMCA summer program for your kids to enjoy.
      47-Public library incentive programs: Public libraries often have interactive programs for students over the summer, typically with incentives like pizza or tickets to sporting events.
      48-Summer camp: From web design summer camps to ones that promote healthy eating and exercise, summer camps can keep kids active mentally and physically.
      49-Summer school: Many school districts have programs targeted to students who need to learn over the summer, so find out if there’s one in your area.
      50-Day camp: Camp doesn’t have to be a 6-week sleepover affair to be effective-check out day camps for summer learning activities, too.
      Info from http://www.accreditedonlinecolleges.com/blog/2011/50-creative-ways-to-fight-the-summer-slide/
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      Friday, July 8, 2011

      Fact Friday - Are Your Child's Vaccines Current?

      Can you believe it is already time to think about school registration? If your child is going into kindergarten or junior high school this fall, they are probably due for immunizations! The following are the state requirement for immunizations for school age children:

      A student born BEFORE July 1, 1986
      4 DTP/DT
      3 Polio
      2 Measles
      1 Mumps
      1 Rubella



      A student born AFTER July 1, 1986


      5 DTP/DTaP/DT - 4 doses if 4th dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      3 OPV (Oral Polio) or 4 IPV (Inactivated Polio) - 3 doses if 3rd dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      2 Measles
      1 Mumps
      1 Rubella



      A student born AFTER July 1, 1993
      5 DTP/DTaP/DT - 4 doses if 4th dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      4 Polio - 3 doses if 3rd dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      2 Measles
      1 Mumps
      1 Rubella
      3 Hepatitis B



      A student born AFTER July 1, 1996


      5 DTP/DTaP/DT - 4 doses if 4th dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      4 Polio - 3 doses if 3rd dose was given on/after the 4th birthday
      2 Measles
      1 Mumps
      1 Rubella
      3 Hepatitis B
      1 Varicella (chickenpox) -history of disease is acceptable, parent must sign verification statement
      2 Hepatitis A



      EFFECTIVE May 7, 2007


      A student born AFTER July 1, 1993 and entering the 7th grade must have:
      1 Tdap booster -Td may be given for the Tdap booster to satify the 7th grade requirement
      1 Varicella (Chickenpox) -history of disease is acceptable, parent must sign verification statement 3 Hepatitis B



      IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS (includes children in a licensed day care center, nursery or preschool, child care facility, family home care, or Head Start Program)


      Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis
      Polio
      MeaslesMumps Rubella
      Haemophilus Influenzae type b
      Hepatitis A
      Hepatitis B
      neumococcal
      Varicella (Chickenpox)

      NOTE: Rotavirus and Influenza vaccines are recommended, but are not required for students in early childhood programs.

      Children attending early childhood programs are required to be immunized appropriately for age. This means a child has received all of the doses of each vaccine appropriate for his or her age, but is not considered "adequate for school entry". Children are to be immunized according to current immunization schedules.

      If your child is due for immunizations, please call our office as soon as possible to set up a well visit, as some of our doctors are booking out into October. Remember, our doctors, as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend all children over 2 years old have a well visit annually. If you are not sure if your child is current on their immunizations or on their well visits, please feel free to contact the office!

      **Information provided by http://www.immunize-utah.org/
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      Wednesday, July 6, 2011

      And The Winner Is.....



      We would like to thank everyone who participated in our summer blog contest! It has been so awesome reading the things that families are doing this summer to incorporate healthy habits into their family activities! The following is a message from Dr. Jopling:


      "Before we announce the winner of our current contest , we want to thank everyone for trying a F.U.N. time with your family. Things have changed a lot since I first wrote about healthy lifestyles for families back almost 20 years ago. Now there are multiple resources from many organizations that are promoting these important concepts. The only constant is that the process starts at home.


      Remember, it is as simple as turn off the "screen" and turn on your child's "imagination"; get outside and run, laughing and screaming, with a game of tag or take a "nature hike" in your back yard or neighborhood park; give each of your children an opportunity to be "chef for the day" as you help them plan, shop, prepare and finally clean up for "their" family meal. Please let us know what things you found particularly successful for your family and keep up the good work. It is always well worth the effort."


      Congratulations to blogger "Melissa", who left the following comment telling us what she is doing to incorporate F.U.N. into her family's summer activities:


      "This summer we plan to go swimming and biking a lot! My kids LOVE being outside. Of course we will have lots of sunscreen on. We also like to grill chicken, veggies, and fruit in the summer! My kids are already great eaters so it's fun to make all of it for dinner and know they are eating healthy."


      Melissa, keep your eyes out for an email from us letting you know how to get your 4 day passes to Lagoon!


      Thank you so much to everyone who participated in this summer's contest! Watch in the coming months for another great contest with more awesome prizes!
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      Sunday, July 3, 2011

      Fourth of July Firework Safety


      We hope you are all having a safe and wonderful Fourth of July weekend! The AAP(American Academy of Pediatrics) continues to urge families NOT to buy fireworks for their own or their children's use. Each July 4th, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. Despite the dangers of fireworks, few people understand the associated risks - devastating burns, other injuries, fires and even death. The AAP is part of the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks, a group of health and safety organizations that urges the public to avoid the use of consumer fireworks and to only enjoy displays of fireworks conducted by trained professionals.

      However, here are a few tips if you choose to be around Fireworks this weekend.

      Fireworks Safety Tips: From the Consumer Product Safety Commission or www.cpsc.gov
      **Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
      **Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
      **Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
      **Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. **Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
      **Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
      **Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
      **Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
      **Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
      **Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
      **After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.
      **Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.

      To read more about firework safety go to www.cpsc.gov/info/fireworks
      Also click       here for a great link about safety for kids and fireworks.
      Or check out this website http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/fireworkssafety.htm
      Happy Fourth of July from everyone here at Willow Creek Pediatrics!


      **info from AAP and cpsc.gov
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      Friday, July 1, 2011

      BIG Thanks!





      We just wanted to send out a BIG thank you for everyone's leads, thoughts and well wishes in the search for Hannah, the dog! She was found this morning and returned safely home! Thanks again to everyone who sent out their thoughts and prayers!





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      Happy 4th of July!

      Don't forget, the Willow Creek office will be open on Monday, July 4th. There will be a doctor in the office to see patients with urgent medical problems. You can call Monday morning after 9:30 am to schedule an appointment or for medical advice.

      The doctors and staff of Willow Creek Pediatrics would like to wish you all a happy and very safe 4th of July weekend! See you next week!



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