OTC-Over the Counter Medicine INFO you should know

Article Body

"Over-the-counter" (OTC) means you can buy the medicine without a doctor's prescription. This doesn't mean that OTCs are harmless. Like prescription medicines, OTCs can be dangerous if not taken the right way. Talk with your child's doctor before giving your child any medicine, especially the first time.

All OTC medicines have the same kind of label. The label gives important information about the medicine. It says what it is for, how to use it, what is in it, and what to watch out for. Look on the box or bottle, where it says "Drug Facts." ALSO REMEBER... Over-the-counter cough and cold medicine should not be given to children under the age of 4.

Ask the Doctor or Pharmacist

Check the chart on the label to see how much medicine to give. If you know your child's weight, use that first. If not, go by age. Check the label to make sure it is safe for infants and toddlers younger than 2 years. If you are not sure, ask your child's doctor.

Before you give your child any medicines, be sure you know how to use them. Here are some questions you can ask the doctor or pharmacist:

• How will this medicine help my child?
• Can you show me how to use this medicine?
• How much medicine do I give my child? When? For how long?

• Are there any side effects from this medicine?
• How can I learn more about this medicine?
• What if my child spits it out?
• Does it come in chewable tablets or liquid?

Also, always tell your child's doctor or pharmacist:

• If your child is taking any other medicines.
• If your child has any reactions to a medicine.

Call the Doctor Right Away If...

Your child throws up a lot or gets a rash after taking any medicine. Even if a medicine is safe, your child may be allergic to it.
Your child may or may not have side effects with any drug. Be sure to tell the doctor if your child has any side effects with a medicine...to read the full article click below.

For the full article click here
**article provided by healthychildren.org

Fact Friday: Dr Omara's and Dr Jopling's Book recommendations

Recently we had a parent ask what books our pediatricians recommend. Dr O'Mara has two that we thought we would pass along. She has two suggestions that both address different issues. Parenting with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and also Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional life of Boys by Thompson and Kindlon. Dr Jopling also has a lengthly list that can be resourced by our website. Click here for his full list he has several books that can help with serveral different situations. Two books that he suggest are Raising Resilient Children and Change your Brain Change your Life

Have fun reading and if you read one of these books  and have a comment we would love to hear it. What books do you like? More book suggestions to come! Have a great weekend!

Safe Kids Fair

 The Zero Fatalities Safe Kids Fair is at the South Towne Expo Center on Friday and Saturday February 24 and 25th from 11am-7 pm. We have heard great things about this fair and it is free!  Let us know if you go and what you think.? Have a great week! Check out these few websites about the fair and Zero Fatalities.
http://ut.zerofatalities.com/
http://www.safekidsfair.com/slc-common/safekidsfair/index.html
**picture from Zero Fatalities Safe Kids Fair

Fact Friday : Acetaminophen Dosage Confusion can kill

Recently we told you about the new Acetaminophen dosage out on the market. Refer to this post and also this new article that was published in Pediatric News this past month. It can be very confusing and harmful to your child. Please call us if you still have questions and we are more than happy to tell you what the dosage should be. Click below for the full link

A new, less-concentrated formula of infant acetaminophen is now in stores, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to reinforce safety recommendations about use of the drug,
Until now, liquid acetaminophen for infants has been available in 80-mg/0.8-mL concentrations. The new product is a 160-mg/5-mL formula. Physicians should clearly specify which product to use, because confusion over the two formulas could lead to fatal overdoses, according to Carol Holtquist, director of FDA Division of Medical Error Prevention and Analysis.
"If a pediatrician prescribes a 5 mL dose of the less-concentrated liquid acetaminophen, but the parents administer a 5 mL dose of the more-concentrated liquid acetaminophen, the child can receive a potentially fatal overdose during the course of therapy," Ms. Holtquist said in a safety alert. "Conversely, if a physician prescribes a dose based on the more-concentrated liquid acetaminophen and the less-concentrated medication is used, the child might not receive enough medication to fight a fever."
The new formula may also be packaged with an oral syringe, instead of the dropper parents are accustomed to. It's critical that adults giving the medication pay careful attention to the packaging directions, and use the correct device.
"Do not mix and match dosing devices," the FDA warned.
The new formulation is a response to the agency's 2009 recommendation that manufacturers change their infants" acetaminophen concentration to the lower 160 mg, to help prevent unintentional dosing errors that occurred with the 80-mg formula. The new product began appearing in stores earlier this year. "However, since this change is voluntary, products with the old concentration of acetaminophen marketed for infants are still available in stores and in medicine cabinets," the safety update noted.
Physicians should counsel parents carefully about giving acetaminophen to infants, the FDA said. Writing the desired dose and dosing directions on a prescription can help caregivers choose the recommended product and administer it correctly.
"[Physicians] should counsel caregivers on product differences," including how to read the label and instructions. "Caregivers should carefully read the Drug Facts label on the package to identify the concentration of the liquid acetaminophen (in mg/mL), dosage, and directions for use," according to the safety update.

 It can be VERY confusing and if you still have questions, please call and speak to a nurse.

** Thanks to the Pediatric News for this article.

Eating Breakfast a must!

Article Body

Recently a parent asked for suggestions on getting there child to eat breakfast. Here is a great article that was recently in Healthy Children Magazine (AAP approved). To read the full article click on link at the bottom. Here are some great suggestions:

In reality however, skipping breakfast is more likely to cause weight gain than it is to prevent it. A 2008 study in the journal Pediatrics found that adolescents who ate breakfast daily had a lower body mass index than teens who never ate breakfast or only on occasion.

Ironically, the breakfast eaters even ate more calories, fiber, and cholesterol in their overall diets compared to the kids who skipped breakfast. But the kids who ate breakfast also had diets with less saturated fat. “We know that the biggest predictor of overeating is undereating,” Dr. Schneider says. “Many of these kids skip breakfast and lunch, but then go home and don’t stop eating.”

Eating breakfast also has ramifications on school performance. “Study after study shows that kids who eat breakfast function better,” Dr. Schneider says. “They do better in school, and have better concentration and more energy.”

Children who eat breakfast are generally in better health overall, a fact that may be attributed to the types of food often associated with the morning meal. Breakfast provides a golden opportunity to fortify your teen with nutrients that can easily fall by the wayside the rest of the day. “Breakfast is a great time to consume fiber in the form of cereals and whole wheat breads,” Dr. Cochran says. Fiber can help with weight control and has also been linked to lower cholesterol levels.

Breakfast is also an opportunity to feed your child bonebuilding calcium and vitamin D. Kids enter their peak bonebuilding years in adolescence and continue building bone into their early 20s. Although vitamin D is best known for its role in promoting the absorption of calcium, new studies show vitamin D may also boost immunity and help prevent infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer and diabetes. As a result, the AAP recently doubled its recommended vitamin D intake from 200 IUs a day to 400 IUs.

Exposure to the sun triggers the skin to produce vitamin D, but experts generally caution against relying on the sun for vitamin D — too much sun raises the risk for skin cancer. Instead, experts recommending getting vitamin D from foods, including eggs and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, milk, and yogurt — all perfect for the morning meal. Vitamin D is also found in salmon, tuna, and other types of seafood. Kids who do not get enough vitamin D from food should consider taking a supplement.

Take Action

With weight gain and obesity becoming a major public health concern, experts agree that the push to get teens to the breakfast table is an important one. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of the nation’s adolescents aged 12 to 19 are overweight or obese, which sets the stage for serious future health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

So how do you get your teen to chow down in the A.M.? Start by setting an earlier bedtime, which helps ensure that your child will get up in time to eat something. Then make breakfast a priority in your home. Ideally, the whole family can sit down together for breakfast, a practice that should start well before the teen years. “Families that eat together tend to eat healthier,” Dr. Cochran says. “It also gives parents the chance to act as role models in terms of nutrition and eating behaviors.”

If mornings are too difficult to orchestrate a sit-down meal, try having some easy-to-go breakfast foods available for your child. Good options include yogurt, granola bars, dried cereal, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, and dried fruit. Let her take it and eat it on the way to school if possible, or encourage her to go to school and buy breakfast, which most schools now make available. “Ideally, a breakfast should have all the food groups represented,” Dr. Schneider says. But anything nutritious they grab on their way out the door works. “What’s important is that they get some healthy carbohydrates, which provide energy,” says Dr. Schneider.

One beverage that kids should omit from their morning meal: coffee and energy drinks. While the craving for a quick pick-me-up is certainly understandable, caffeine raises blood pressure and heart rate in teens, Dr. Schneider says.

Quick Tips: A Healthy Breakfast on the Fly

There’s no getting around the truth: Adolescents are often in a hurry, and mornings are no exception. While a sit-down breakfast made up of the four basic food groups is the ideal, a grab-and-go breakfast item is the next best thing. Such sources of carbohydrates (good energy for teens) as these should be in your teen’s possession as he or she dashes out the door on a school morning:

• Granola bars
• Breakfast bars
• Dried fruit
• Fresh fruit
• Dry cereal

**This article was featured in Healthy Children Magazine. To view the full issue, click here.

Thanks to the AAP/healthychildren.org for the link

Meet Dr Destiny Gmelch

We are lucky to have Dr Destiny Gmelch as part of our team at Willow Creek Pediatrics. Recently we asked Dr Gmelch some questions and here are her answers! Dr Gmelch will be working nights and weekends to help out our doctors and we are thrilled for you to get to know her better.

Where were you born and raised? Born in Juneau, Alaska, lived all over the NW... Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.
Why do you love being a pediatrician? I just love working with kids.  I knew I would work with kids before I decided to become a physician, so it was just natural to specialize in pediatrics.
How many people/pets do you have in your family? My husband (Ben), son (Oliver, 21 months old), and cat (Clementine).
What are your favorite things to do or hobbies? I have a long history of racing triathlons, including three Iron man-distance triathlons.  I love being outdoors: swimming, running, cycling, downhill skiing, skate skiing, and hiking.
What are your favorite foods? I love Mexican, Indian, and Thai food.
Favorite book or best books your have read? I love all kinds of books, but my favorite all time book is probably Catch-22.
Favorite vacation place? Visiting my family in Oregon and my husband's family in the Napa Valley
One thing on your "bucket list" ? I'd really like to ride my bike across the U.S. some day.
What is your pediatric/educational history? I attended college at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon; medical school at Oregon Health and Sciences University; pediatric residency at University of Utah

Fact Friday: Insurance Compaines are all different

We wanted you to be aware of a few things that have come to our attention lately. First, we wanted to remind you to check with your insurance company for any changes they may have happened after the first of the year. There are thousands of insurance companies and it is impossible for us to know your coverage. Second, we will ask you for an insurance card EVERY time your child is seen. We know that can be an inconvenience but many offices are now requiring you to show insurance or you are considered private pay for that day. So just remember that little card for each visit.

Please be aware:....Well Child Check ups may require additional co-pays or co-insurance if your child is sick or other procedures are required as part of the well child check-up. This is determined by YOUR insurance company, not by our physicians or our office.

We appreciate you and thank you for being such loyal patients! Have a great weekend! 

How to talk to you children after the Powell Tragedy

(From Dr Jopling)--Sometimes things happen in life that seem beyond our comprehension. How could a parent do something so horrific to his children? How can we as parents talk to our children about this? Unfortunately, it is too much in our face to ignore. Each of us has to first come to grips with our own feelings before we can move on to help our children with their feelings. Dr Doug Goldsmith is a child psychologist at the Children’s Center here in Salt Lake City. I have a great respect for his insight in dealing with difficult situations. Here is a link to a recent interview where he gave his suggestions to parents. Watch it, think about it and do your best to individualize it to your children. Your doctor is available to answer questions you may have about how your children are doing.

http://www.connect2utah.com/news/features/guests/stories/vid_12.shtml

All of our staff and doctors here at Willow Creek Pediatrics express our deep sadness and heartache at this time for the family and friends of the Powell boys. We have had several patients ask about how to handle this very tragic situation and hope you can find some answer in this link above.

Fact Friday: Campaign targets Teen Drinking; Parent awareness

Recently we found this article while looking at the website www.ParentsEmpowered.org and wanted to share a new campaign they are launching this year 2012.

Campaign Targets Teen Drinking

Parents need to wake up and smell the alcohol, experts say in a new campaign alerting them to the signs their children may be getting "trashed." For the next several months, local garbage trucks will serve as mobile billboards in Weber and Davis counties to help remind parents to talk with their kids about the dangers of alcohol on the developing brain.Weber Human Services and Waste Management have teamed with Parentsempowered.org to help get the message across, said Zac Snow, prevention specialist with Weber Human Services.The mobile billboards will carry various messages such as, "What part of their brain don't your kids need?" According to parentsempowered.org, a media and education campaign funded by the Utah Legislature and designed to prevent and reduce underage drinking, binge drinking begins as early as the sixth grade. Yet, more than 60 percent of Utah parents are unaware their child is drinking. In addition, 45 percent of Utah kids who begin drinking before the age of 13 will become alcohol dependent. Snow said a teen's brain is more vulnerable to addiction and dependence. "There are two key brain areas that research has indicated are affected by drinking during the teenage years," Snow said. "The prefrontal lobe is responsible for making judgments and controlling impulses. This area is crucial in the development of our personalities and behaviors that we engage in." The other area of the brain is the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory and is also vulnerable to the affects of alcohol because it is still developing.

"Research has found that parents have greater influence over their children's choices to drink than they realize," Snow said. "Recent figures indicate that underage drinking increases among teens whose parents consider drinking acceptable. Research has also indicated that when teens feel close with and involved with their parents and parents feel closer to each other, teens are less likely to drink or start drinking."

Recent data from the Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention Survey (SHARP) in Weber and Morgan counties indicated that close to 60 percent of sixth-, eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders who reported using alcohol in the last year also reported drinking at their own home or someone else's home without permission.

The data also indicates Weber and Morgan counties are higher than the state average for lifetime alcohol consumption among students at those grade levels.

Snow stressed the importance of parent involvement with their children.

"Knowing who they are friends with, what activities they are engaged in, where they are going to be are all part of parental monitoring, having clear rules, expectations and bonding with teens."

Snow said parents should talk with their children about the dangers of underage drinking and make sure they understand the risks. Bonding, setting clear rules and boundaries and monitoring kids can go a long way.

"Underage drinking is a real issue that needs to be taken seriously. Ideally we want underage drinking to stop," Snow said. "Realistically, though, we hope that through utilizing the media and educating parents we can drastically reduce and prevent underage drinking in the state."

Link: http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/01/campign-targets-teen-drinking-parent-awareness

Alcohol affects a child’s developing brain much differently than an adult’s.

A child’s brain goes through rapid change and development between the ages of 10 to 21. Drinking alcohol before age 21 interferes with this development and can cause permanent brain damage.

Alcohol damage can cause your child to: Have poor judgment; develop social problems; get into trouble; have trouble learning and remembering information; do poorly in school; and have problems attaining lifelong goals.

Underage drinking can lead to early alcoholism. More than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before the age of 15 become alcohol-dependent at some point in their lives. In contrast, people who begin drinking at the legal age of 21 have just a 7 percent chance of becoming addicted. Research shows 67 percent of teens who drink before age 15 will try other illicit drugs.

- Facts from the American Medical Association Report & National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol Damage to the Adolescent Brain.

So what can parents do? Here are a few suggestions from there website. Please go and check out the website. This process is transferable to other substance problems and to other different areas including  academics, friends, etc.  It has so many amazing suggestions along with a newsletter that helps you stay current on the alcohol issue HERE in Utah.

• Talk to your child
• Discuss your family values and rules and safe boundaries about alcohol, tabacco and other drugs. Let your child know that he or she cannot cross these boundaries without damaging his or her brain and development
• Help your child make good choices by knowing there friends, schedules and whereabouts. Ensure your CHILD has an alcohol-free social environment
• Stay close to your child and have fun together. Teens report the #1 reason they chose not to drink is parental disapproval.

Even if you only have small children at home this is information is great to share with family and friends who have teens in their home! Check out the website www.ParentEmpowered.org It has SEVERAL wonderful resources.

**info list above and from www.ParentEmpowered.org

Contest and 200th blog post!!!

Today marks the 200th post to our blog here at Willow Creek Pediatrics!!! We have had so much fun sharing information and even more we love our blog "followers" and our loyal patients! To celebrate and THANK YOU we are starting a NEW CONTEST! We are giving away a $50 gift card to Target! So how do you win?....Simple! You need to SCHEDULE a Well Child Exam in the next 30 days! That is it! Recently we told you the recommendations for a Well Child Exam and it is such a great time to get your child in before all the school sign ups, camps, sports etc.....

Just follow these simple rules
#1 The Well Child exam needs to be scheduled for an appointment between Jan 1, 2012 and June 1, 2012
#2 Every child that is scheduled for a Well Child exam gets one entry for that parent (so three children,...three entries)
#3 You must schedule the appointment before March 2nd! We will announce the winner on March 3rd!
#4 If your child has had a Well Child exam during the month of January you will also get to enter in the contest. Just enter the child's name, the date and which doctor they saw. (we don't want to leave you out since we just saw you!)
#5 You must leave a comment on our blog so we know it is booked. Leave a comment that says Dr Name, Date, Child First name only....... Example: Dr Jopling, 3/3, Sam (don't include last name) This is only for our blog readers so make sure you leave a comment.
#6 Winner will be announced on Saturday March 3rd!  So leave a comment before March 2nd
#7 If you don't want to leave a comment on the blog you can email us at willowcreekpediatrics@gmail.com and that will also enter you into our contest!

Let us know if you have any questions and GOOD LUCK!! We can't wait to see who wins!! Thanks again for visiting our blog and being a part of our family here at Willow Creek Pediatrics.