OTC-Over the Counter Medicine INFO you should know

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"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!

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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!