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Newsletter
In this issue:
When Baby Catches a Cold
Wash Your Hands!
Wintertime Activities
It's Time for Flu Shots
Insurance Reminder for Parents of Newborns
Managing Media with Older Kids
Don't Forget Tummy Time
Help for Your Child's Sore Throat
When Baby Catches a Cold 
Cough and cold medications are not recommended for infants and toddlers under the age of two, but your baby has a cold - so what should you do?
- Treat the fever: Ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) are appropriate to treat fever and body aches and make your child more comfortable.
- Saline nose drops: Saline nose drops help thin and loosen mucus. These are available over the counter or you can make your own (1/4 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of tap water.) Try two to three drops in each nostril several times a day and before bed. For infants, do this before meals.
- Hydrate: It can be hard for a child with a stuffy nose to breathe and drink at the same time. Offer frequent small amounts of formula, breast milk, milk or water.
- Humidify: Use a humidifier to help loosen phlegm. 10 to 15 minutes in a steamy shower may help as well.
- Elevate baby's head: Raise your child's head by placing a pillow under the mattress; this helps drain mucus.
- See the doctor: Make an appointment if your child is having trouble breathing, can't drink, is running a fever or isn't starting to improve after 3 to 4 days.
Wash Your Hands!
Practicing good hand-washing technique could help keep your family healthly this winter. Make sure you:
- Wash your hands in warm water.
- Use soap and lather for 15-20 seconds, the amount of time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice.
- Wash in between fingers and under nails.
- Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.
- Make this a habit before eating and after using the bathroom, touching a pet, sneezing or coughing.
Antibacterial soap isn't necessary and is sometimes harmful. Any soap and good technique will do the job.
Wintertime Activities 
Winter is coming, and while shorter days and colder weather may drive us indoors, it doesn't have to plant us in front of the television or computer. Here are some activities that you can do with your children:
- Get lost in a book. Reading aloud is one of the best things you can do for your children at any age.
- Act out stories. Let your children be creative and put on a play.
- Make a fort out of sofa cushions and blankets.
- Play old-fashioned games. Charades, Duck-Duck-Goose, Red Light-Green Light are games that require little or no setup and cleanup.
- Get cooking. Allow your child to help you bake a batch of cookies.
- Make homemade playdough. Mix 3 cups flour, 1-1/2 cups salt, 6 tsp. cream of tartar, 3 tbls. oil, and 3 cups water in a large pot. Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pot. Add a few drops of food coloring and knead.
- Finger paint. Use a cookie sheet, white shaving cream, and food coloring. Let your child squirt the shaving cream into the middle of the sheet. Add a few drops of food coloring and let him create a work of art. Cleanup is easy.
- Get outside - Take a walk and collect pretty fall leaves. Find the local sledding hill. Enjoy being outside.
It's Time for Flu Shots
The arrival of fall means that flu season is approaching, and it's time to consider whether a flu shot would be appropriate for your child. We have begun to administer flu shots, by appointment only. This shot is for respiratory flu only. Children must be at least six months of age. Children ages eight years and under may need two shots one month apart if they have never had flu vaccine before. Children eight years and older need only one shot. The cost of flu vaccine is $50.00. Vaccines for Children does not cover flu vaccine, so if your insurance does not cover the shot, or covers only a portion of the shot, you will be responsible for whatever your insurance does not cover. If you feel you would like your child to have the vaccine, please call our office at 327-1900 to schedule an appointment.
Insurance Reminder for Parents of Newborns
You must contact your insurance company within 30 days of your child's birth in order to add that child to your insurance contract. When contacting your insurance company, it would be a good idea to find out the extent of your well-child benefit. Your infant will be seen in the office for many well-child examinations and immunizations during his/her first year of life. The immunizations are costly, and some insurance plans have a cap on the coverage that does not allow for coverage of all the injections. It is very important that you know what your insurance covers. You will save yourself and our billing office difficulty when filing claims to your insurance company.
Managing Media with Older Kids
Your child wants the hot new video game or wants to create a Web page on the social sites such as MySpace.com. How do you know what is safe and appropriate? How can you get your child to separate himself from the TV or computer? Here are some suggestions:
- Do your homework - Learn and use the film, TV and video game rating systems. Read reviews and talk to other parents about what games and sites kids are into.
- Keep your computer and TV in a central location. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that parents keep TVs and computers out of children's bedrooms. This will help you stay in touch with what your child is doing on the computer and watching on TV.
- Establish consistent "media-free" times, particularly at meal times. Not only does that mean no hand-held games for the kids, but also no cell phones or PDAs for parents. Take it one step further, and work up to a "media-free" day.
- Pull the plug gently. If your child won't turn off a computer game, switch off the monitor. That way the game level will still be preserver for next time.
- Offer a non-TV alternative. Play a family game, go for a bike ride, rake leaves together.
Don't Forget Tummy Time
We all know that placing babies on their backs to sleep is important and has helped to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death syndrome. But tummy time, time spent by baby on his or her tummy, is very important as well. The tummy position helps to strengthen a baby's core muscles, the muscles of the chest, abdomen, back, neck and shoulders. Strength in these muscles helps a baby to lift the head, roll over and crawl.
When your baby is awake and supervised, place him or her on the tummy several times a day for a minute or two at a time. Making it a part or your after diaper change routine will ensure that your baby spends sufficient time on his or her tummy.
Help for Your Child's Sore Throat
Whether it's strp throat, tonsillitis or an ordinary sore throat, there are simple things you can do to help make your child more comfortable:
- Offer plenty of fluids and soft foods such as non-citric fruit juice, soup, ice pops, jell-o, smoothies and warm decaf tea with honey.
- Give non-aspirin pain relievers such as acetaminophen, with a doctor's approval.
- Try cough drops, throat lozenges, throat sprays or salt-water gargles.
- Run a cool-mist vaporizer in your child's bedroom to help keep throat tissue moist and promote healing.
Fall/Winter
2008
Office Hours by Appointment Only:
Monday-Friday
8 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Saturday
8 A.M. to Noon
Holiday Hours:
Thanskgiving Day - office closed; regular hours resume November 27th (8 to 5)
Christmas Day - office closed; regular hours resume December 26th (8 to 5)
New Year's Day - office closed; regular hours resume January 2nd (8 to 5)
If you call for an appointment between 8 A.M. and 4 P.M., we will see your sick child on the day you call for an appointment.
There is a doctor on call after the office closes. Please call the answering service at
384-7710 to contact a doctor, for emergencies only.