Memorial day weekend

The doctors and staff of Willow Creek Pediatrics would like to wish our patients and their families a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

As with every holiday, there will be a doctor available on Memorial Day to see patients with urgent medical problems. We will book patients in consecutive order and stay until our latest scheduled patient is seen. If you need an appointment or need medical advice, please feel free to contact the office on Monday after 9:00 am. We also will have a doctor here Saturday and Sunday. Phones turn on at 8:00 am on Saturday and 8:30 am on Sunday.

New Parking Stalls!

 

YEAH!!! We have three new stalls for parents of small children or expectant mom's at our office. We know how hard parking can be and we hope these will help. . They are located right up front just west of the doors. There is also a 15 min drop off spot if you are coming in to pick up a prescription or other items. Thanks for being such great patients! We love having your children at our office! 

Asthma Triggers: That time of the year again!

 

Certain things cause asthma “attacks” or make asthma worse. These are called triggers. Some common asthma triggers are

• Things your child might be allergic to. These are called allergens. (Most children with asthma have allergies, and allergies are a major cause of asthma symptoms.)
• House dust mites
• Animal dander
• Cockroaches
• Mold
• Pollens
• Infections of the airways
• Viral infections of the nose and throat
• Other infections, such as pneumonia or sinus infections
• Irritants in the environment (outside or indoor air you breathe)
• Cigarette and other smoke
• Air pollution
• Cold air, dry air
• Odors, fragrances, volatile organic compounds in sprays, and cleaning products
• Exercise (About 80% of people with asthma develop wheezing, coughing, and a tight feeling in the chest when they exercise.)
• Stress

Be sure to check all of your child’s “environments,” such as school, child care, and relatives’ homes, for exposure to these same things.

Help Your Child Avoid Triggers

While it is impossible to make the place you live in completely allergenor irritant-free, there are things you can do to reduce your child’s exposure to triggers. The following tips may help.

• Do not smoke or let anyone else smoke in your home or car.
• Reduce exposure to dust mites. The most necessary and effective things to do are to cover your child’s mattress and pillows with special allergy-proof encasings, wash their bedding in hot water every 1 to 2 weeks, remove stuffed toys from the bedroom, and vacuum and dust regularly. Other avoidance measures, which are more difficult or expensive, include reducing the humidity in the house with a dehumidifier or removing carpeting in the bedroom. Bedrooms in basements should not be carpeted.
• If allergic to furry pets, the only truly effective means of reducing exposure to pet allergens is to remove them from the home. If this is not possible, keep them out of your child’s bedroom and consider putting a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in their bedroom, removing carpeting, covering mattress and pillows with mite-proof encasings, and washing the animals regularly.
• Reduce cockroach infestation by regularly exterminating, setting roach traps, repairing holes in walls or other entry points, and avoiding leaving exposed food or garbage.
• Mold in homes is often due to excessive moisture indoors, which can result from water damage due to flooding, leaky roofs, leaking pipes, or excessive humidity. Repair any sources of water leakage. Control indoor humidity by using exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen, and adding a dehumidifier in areas with naturally high humidity. Clean existing mold contamination with detergent and water. Sometimes porous materials such as wallboards with mold contamination have to be replaced.
• Pollen exposure can be reduced by using an air conditioner in your child’s bedroom, with the vent closed, and leaving doors and windows closed during high pollen times. (Times vary with allergens, ask your allergist.)
• Reduce indoor irritants by using unscented cleaning products and avoiding mothballs, room deodorizers, or scented candles.
• Check air quality reports in weather forecasts or on the Internet. When the air quality is poor, keep your child indoors and be sure he takes his asthma control medications.
• Decreasing your child’s exposure to triggers will help decrease symptoms as well as the need for asthma medications.

--Info from healthychildren.org and AAP

April is Organ donation month

April is Organ Donation month. Here are a few facts to keep you informed.

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**Did you know that every year more than 1700 children are saved by organ donation?

**Did you know that there are more than 2000 children waiting for an organ donation?

Organ and tissue donation saves lives—and gives sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, new faces or new hands to those who have had terrible accidents. It’s a donation that literally changes everything for the recipient; it’s a donation that gives life and hope in the truest way possible.

But there aren’t enough donors. While every day about 79 people of all ages receive an organ donation, every day 21 people die while they wait for one.

Organ donation isn’t always easy to talk and think about—because while some donations (such as bone marrow or kidney donations) come from people who are alive and well, most (such as heart or lung donations) come from someone who is dying. Nobody wants to think about that.

But we all do need to think about it—because there may come a time when the unthinkable happens and a doctor will come and ask us about organ donation. Time is of the essence when answering. That’s why it’s better to think about it and never have to answer the question than to not think about it and waste precious, life-saving time.

Did you know that 8 lives can be saved by one donor?

That’s a lot of lives to save. It doesn’t make the tragedy of losing someone we love any less—but saving lives is a beautiful way to honor our loved one, and let something good come of something unspeakably horrible.

 

To learn more about organ donation, and register to be an organ donor yourself, visit www.organdonor.gov.

Dog Safety Reminders for Children

With summer approaching quickly we thought we would remind you of some great safety tips with dogs. Have a wonderful and safe Spring!

• Always ask permission to pet a dog that is not your own
• If you have permission, walk slowly and let the dog sniff the back of your hand before you try to pet it.
• Do not stare into the eyes of a dog. They think you might hurt them when you do this
• Pet dogs under the chin or the side of the face until they are comfortable with the attention
• Never tease a dog when playing with them
• Never try to play with a dog if they are sleeping, eating, or caring for their young
• Never approach or tease a dog that is tied outside or in a fenced area
• Never approach a stray dog
• Tell and adult if you see a stray dog wandering around
• Do not pot and assistance dog (assistance dogs sometimes wear special vest) Assistance dogs work hard to keep their owner safe and should not be distracted

Welcome to our Medical Home Coordinators!

Introducing our Medical Home Coordinator team!

What is a Medical Home Coordinator? A medical home coordinator is someone who helps our office in finding resources for parents. It is a link for the families to the physicians. They do everything from help find resources for Mental health issues, special needs resources, social groups, of finding a specialist doctor for your child. They also help with referrals, prior authorizations and a various other reports and education for our patients. Both of our Medical Home Coordinators are also Lactation Consultants. We love having them at our office and want you to know a little more about each of them.

Noemi (Left in picture)

Noemi has worked at Willow Creek for 1 1/2 years. She loves helping parents find resources for their children. She also is a lactation educator and helps newborns with feeding issues. Noemi is a mom of four and can relate with the challenges of motherhood. She received her bachelors in nursing degree at the University of Utah. She worked at the Emergency Room for 2 years and then moved to the OBGYN department. She spent 10 years in postpartum and nursery and loved working with new mom's and babies.  In her free time she loves to read, hike, travel and participates in triathlons. She also has a ballet background and teaches dance in her spare time. She is from Hungary originally and she speaks Hungarian but unfortunately doesn't use it much at work but we love to hear her talk this beautiful language. Noemi did such a wonderful job in our office that we added Mary to our team. We love Noemi and her love of life and enthusiasm she gives to our office. Welcome Noemi!

Mary (right in the picture)

Mary has worked at Willow Creek for the past 6 months. Mary has lived in the West most of her live and loves living in Utah! She has lived in Southern California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. She entered nursing school after graduating college in Ohio. She has always known she wanted to be a RN and care for babies and children. She has worked in Special Care Nurseries, Labor and Delivery, NICU, PICU, Clinical Coordinator at PCMC for Division of Pediatrics  and also a Lactation Educator.  Her favorite free time activities include hiking with her family, mountain biking, yoga, pilates and swimming. She enjoys ethnic cooking, entertaining and traveling with her family. We love having Mary as part of the team.

Noemi and Mary can be reached at our office 801-942-1800

Spring Break Safety Tips

 

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Spring break is a great time for the family to get away from the cold, dark days of winter and have some fun in the sun. Keep your family safe while on your trip by following these tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). These are great tips to use year round for travel also!

Sun Safety for Babies

• Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight. Move your baby to the shade under a tree, umbrella or stroller canopy. Dress babies in lightweight clothing that covers the arms and legs, and use brimmed hats.
• It is okay to apply a small amount of sunscreen on infants under 6 months if there is no way to avoid the sun. Remember it takes 30 minutes to be effective.

Sun Safety for Kids

• Select clothes made of tightly woven fabrics. Cotton clothing is both cool and protective.
• Try to find a wide-brimmed hat that can shade the cheeks, chin, ears and back of the neck. Sunglasses with ultraviolet (UV) protection are also a good idea for protecting your child’s eyes.
• Apply sunscreen to areas of your child’s skin that aren’t covered by clothing. Before applying, test the sunscreen on your child’s back for an allergic reaction. Apply carefully around the eyes, avoiding eyelids. If a rash develops, talk with your pediatrician.
• If your child gets sunburn that results in blistering, pain or fever, contact your pediatrician.

Sun Safety for the Family

• The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Try to keep out of the sun during those hours.
• The sun’s damaging UV rays can bounce back from sand, snow or concrete; so be particularly careful of these areas.
• Wear commercially available sun-protective clothing, like swim shirts.
• Most of the sun’s rays can come through the clouds on an overcast day; so use sun protection even on cloudy days.
• When choosing a sunscreen, look for the words "broad-spectrum" on the label - it means that the sunscreen will protect against both ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) rays. Choose a water-resistant sunscreen and reapply every two hours or after swimming, sweating or towel drying. You may want to select a sunscreen that does not contain the ingredient oxybenzone, a sunscreen chemical that may have hormonal properties. 
• Zinc oxide, a very effective sunscreen, can be used as extra protection on the nose, cheeks, tops of the ears and on the shoulders.
• Use a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. The additional benefits of using sunscreen with SPF 50+ are limited.
• Rub sunscreen in well, making sure to cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet and hands, and even the backs of the knees.
• Put on sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outdoors - it needs time to work on the skin.
• Sunscreens should be used for sun protection and not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

 

Beach Tips*(these could be Lake tips also)

• Children and adults should never swim alone.
• Provide touch supervision. This means that an adult is within arm's reach anytime your young child is in or near water.
• Be aware that pools and beaches in other countries may not have lifeguards, and pools may have unsafe drains systems. Supervise children closely.
• At the beach, stay within the designated swimming area and ideally within the visibility of a lifeguard.
• Be aware of rip currents. If you should get caught in a current, don’t try to swim against it. Swim parallel to shore until clear of the current.
• Seek shelter in case of storm. Get out of the water. Get off the beach in case of lightning.
• Watch out for traffic – some beaches allow cars.

INFO from the AAP and **www.healthychildren.org