Growing Together - Fall 2007

Fall 2007
Vol. 31, No. 3

Acrobat PDF version of Growing Together also available

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Growing
Together is published quarterly for parents and families in the Miami Valley
area by The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. The purpose of Growing
Together is to show how
Dayton
Children’s
and families
are working together to
keep all
children healthy and safe.

Additional
copies of
Growing
Together are available by writing to
Dayton Children’s,
c/o Marketing Communica-
tions, One Children’s
Plaza, Dayton, Ohio,
45404-1815
or by calling
937-641-3666.

Your
suggestions
and comments are also appreciated.

Visit our web
site at www.
childrens
dayton.org
– your online
source of child
health and safety information

David Kinsaul, FACHE President and Chief Executive Officer

Vicki Giambrone
Vice President, Marketing and Development

Susan A. Brockman
Editor

Contributing Writer:
Moira Alter

Photography:
Tom Suttman Dayton Children's Staff Photographer
Andy Snow

HealthBeat

“Handy” tips for reducing
school absences

When preparing kids for back-to-school, don’t forget to teach them about good hand washing. The top five causes for missed school – colds, “stomach flu,” pinkeye, sore throat and ear infection – can be spread by poor hand washing.

Hila Collins, RN, infectious disease nurse at Dayton Children’s, joins national experts in offering the following tips:

Wash hands when they are dirty and
before eating.
Do not cough into your hands.
Do not sneeze into your hands.
Do not put your fingers into your eyes, nose or mouth. Nose picking and eye rubbing can help spread nearly every respiratory illness!

How to wash your hands

Use soap and warm water.
Scrub your hands very well.
Wash between fingers, under fingernails, backs of hands and wrists.
Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a paper towel.
Use the paper towel to turn off the water. Don’t use your hands.

Singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice is about the same as 20 seconds – the time children should spend washing their hands.

Hand washing is particularly important:
After using the restroom.
Before eating or drinking.
After playing with or petting your favorite animal.
After playing outside.
After touching your face or hair.

Dayton Children’s has once again partnered with Kohl’s Department Stores on the “Take a minute for kids” health and safety campaign. See more on Kohl's "Take a minute for kids" including podcasts.

Back-to-school tips

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s almost back-to-school time. The experts at Dayton Children’s join the American Academy of Pediatrics in providing the following tips. For more information on any of these topics, call the Family Resource Center at Dayton Children’s, 937-641-3700.

Backpack safety

Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.
Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the pack. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight.
Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles. Wearing a backpack regularly on one shoulder may also increase curvature of the spine.
Consider a rolling backpack. Keep in mind, however, that these must still be carried up stairs and may be difficult to roll in the snow.

Before and after school child care

During middle childhood, youngsters need supervision. A responsible adult should be available to get them to school in the morning and watch them after school until you return home.
Children approaching adolescence (11- and 12-year-olds) should not come home to an empty house in the afternoon unless they show unusual maturity for their age.
If alternate adult supervision is not available, parents should make special efforts to supervise their children long distance. Children should have a set time when they are expected to arrive at home and should check in with you or a responsible adult by phone.

Developing good homework and
study habits

Create an environment that is conducive to doing homework.
Set aside plenty of time for homework.
Establish a household rule that the TV stays off during homework time.
Be available to answer questions and offer assistance, but never do a child’s homework.
To help ease tired eyes and neck – as well as brain overload – let a child take a 10-minute break every hour.
If your child is struggling with a particular subject and you aren’t able to help, a tutor can be a help. Talk with your child’s teacher for recommendations.

Health tips for college-bound teens

When groups of kids are in close quarters such as dorm rooms, apartments, cafeterias and classrooms, the risk of infection is great.

Dayton Children’s joins the American Academy of Pediatrics in helping you prepare your young adult for college:

Wash hands often. See article above on hand washing.
If your child gets sick, determine if it’s caused by a virus or bacteria. Illnesses caused by viruses are best treated with rest, plenty of fluids and relieving the symptoms with over-the-counter medicines. Illnesses like strep throat, sinus and ear infections are caused by bacteria. These are often treated with antibiotics. If your child is prescribed antibiotics, he or she needs to take all of them exactly as directed.
Be sure your child’s immunizations are up to date. According to Sherman Alter, MD, director of infectious disease at Dayton Children’s, college-age kids need to be current on the meningitis vaccine, which protects children from bacterial meningitis. A new vaccine – meningococcal conjugate vaccine or Menactra – is recommended for all kids 11-12 years old. It is also recommended for students entering college who may not have been vaccinated. This vaccine is approved for individuals ages 11-55 years only and is preferred for adolescents. The old vaccine – Menomune – is recommended for persons 2 years of age or older with certain risk factors.

If you have questions about protecting your child as he or she heads off to college, talk to your pediatrician or family doctor. Also, be sure your child knows how to contact the doctor while away at college to get the best care possible.

Safety tips for children with special needs

Children with attention disorders such as ADHD get hurt more often, according to Safe Kids USA. Highly active, impulsive boys seem to be at greater risk for injuries.

Tips to help protect your child:

Recognize common dangers. Young children can drown in less than one inch of water, drinking mouthwash can cause a young child to go into an alcohol coma and children can fall out of a window that is open just five inches.
Use visual reminders. “Mr. Yuk” or other stickers from poison prevention centers help kids recognize poisons. Children with ADHD may be developmentally immature and have poor memories. Stickers with phrases such as “Don’t touch” and “Off Limits” may help alert them to dangers.
Make rules specific and clear. Together, decide what places are off limits such as the roof, the oak tree, the second-floor deck. Make a chart of safety rules and post it in your child’s room and kitchen.
Role-play and rehearse. Develop and role-play risky situations with your kids. Ask what they would do; role-play that and other choices.
Arrange for supervision. When they are playing or going to the park, make sure they are supervised by an adult or responsible older child who can be a role model.
Child passenger safety. Standard child restraint devices may be used for many children with special health care needs and are the preferred choice if they can be used safely. Premature or small infants should not be placed in car safety seats with a harness-tray/shield combination or an armrest that could directly contact the infant’s neck or face during a car crash.
Wheelchairs. Tips and falls account for 42 percent of injury incidents among wheelchair users. An accessible exit from the home is critical in case of a fire. The fire department should be told if there is a child with a disability in the home.

If your child doesn’t want to go to school

While all children will occasionally resist going to school, about five percent of children frequently resist going to school by coming up with reasons to stay home.

Does your child complain of headaches, stomachaches, nausea or dizziness? These may be symptoms of school avoidance, whereas vomiting, diarrhea or fever are signs of a real illness. If your child’s symptoms occur only during the week and not on weekends, school avoidance or school phobia may be a problem.

Why would a child be afraid to go to school? According to Julie Stucke, PhD, a child psychologist at Dayton Children’s, they may complain of a headache because they have difficulty discussing the real issue.

“Children may have a fear of failure, are being teased by other children, or are worrying about their parents, but don’t know how to tell you that,” Dr. Stucke explains. This does not mean that your child’s pediatrician or family doctor should not perform a physical exam.

“Your child’s doctor can rule out any physical conditions that might be causing your child’s symptoms, and may also be helpful in dealing with the emotional issues leading to school avoidance,” she says.

Once your child gets a clean bill of health from the doctor, find out why he or she does not want to go to school. Gently state some possibilities – are you being teased, are your struggling with one of your classes, are you afraid to use the bathroom, etc? Be sympathetic and supportive.

Depending on your child’s degree of school avoidance, you could try a couple of things.

“For some children, a step-by-step approach may work best,” Dr. Stucke says. For example, the child may get up, get dressed and be driven to school, but does not go in the first day. The next day, the child may attend just his or her favorite classes.

“Be sure to talk to your child’s teacher about what is going on. Together, you can be most effective in ensuring your child is again comfortable with school,” she says.

If problems persist, do not hesitate to seek help from a psychologist or mental health professional who specializes in treating children.

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Table of Contents

Health Beat

"Handy" tips for reducing school absences

Backpack safety

Before and after school care

Developing good homework and study habits

Health tips for college-bound teens

Safety tips for children with special needs

If your child doesn't want to go to school

Features

Taking control
of seizures

More about seizures

Living with diabetes

More about
endocrinology

Pediatric experts in your neighborhood
- Warren County