May 11th, 2012
Summer is such a great time to spend outside at the pool or beach, at a baseball game, on a picnic or at a playground but we never want play days to be spoiled by painful sunburns. It’s important to protect our children’s skin to avoid sunburns which damage their skin with ultraviolet light. This damaged skin can lead to wrinkles and cancer later on. Actually, one severe sunburn can potentially double your child’s risk of melanoma when they are older.
Here are some simple tips to keep your kids safe in the sun this summer:
1. Once your kids are older than 6 months of age, always put sunscreen on them 15-30 minutes before going outside and reapply at least every 2 hours. If your children have been swimming then reapply sunscreen more frequently. Remember that water-resistant sunscreen wears off in the water.
2. Remember to cover with suncreen the easy to forget areas with the pnumonic “BEENS”: Back of knees, Ears, Eye area, Neck and Scalp.
3. Use sunscreen with Sun Protective Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher and a sunscreen which protects from both UVA and UVB light (a “broad spectrum” sunscreen). Parents who want to use the safest products on the market should use sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These compounds are not absorbed by the skin and are less irritating than PABA or oxybenzone or retinyl palmitate containing sunscreens.
4. My children called sunscreen “SUN SCREAM” because of the less than enjoyable application process. Put some fun in the whole experience by letting older children help you to choose a scented or colored sunscreen. Avoid these fancy sunscreens if your children have sensitive skin or an allergic skin condition like eczema.
5. Wear clothing to protect exposed skin, especially with fair skinned children. Dark-colored, loose-fitting long pants and long-sleeved shirts made from tightly woven fabric offers the best UV protection from the sun. T-shirts generally have SPF ratings below 15. If you are able to see through a T-shirt then the sun can shine through that shirt and burn a child.
6. Wear a hat with a wide brim that will shade a child’s face, ears, head and back of the neck from the sun. Avoid straw hats with holes that can let sunlight through to the skin. Hats should be made of a tightly woven fabric like canvas that will protect skin from UV rays. When wearing a hat any exposed skin must be covered with appropriate suncreen.
7. Wear sunglasses which wrap around the eyes and which block close to 100% of the UVA and UVB rays. This will protect the skin around the eyes, prevent the cornea from burning and will reduce the risk of cataracts later in life.
8. Love the shade, not the sun whenever you can. If you are in the shade still protect your children with appropriate clothing and sunscreen because reflected sunlight off of concrete, hard surfaces, sand or water can still produce sunburn.
9. Any child with a bad sunburn that makes him look ill, produces fever or blisters (a sign of a 2nd degree burn) should be seen in our office. If your child develops a sunburn but remains playful and active and does not have blisters then there are several things you can do to treat the sunburn:
- Place a cool compress over the sunburn.
- Apply an aloe gel over the sunburned skin. If you can, place the aloe container in a refrigerator for a few minutes. A gel which is cooled will be more soothing to the skin.
- Give ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help control pain and treat any fever or chills that may follow the sunburn.
- Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids to help replace fluid losses that accompany sunburns.
Avoid over-the-counter topical pain relievers (anesthetics) that contain benzocaine. These may actually increase the pain and some individuals may be sensitive or allergic to the benzocaine.
Take these precautions and enjoy your time in the sun this summer with your family.
David Roos, M.D.
5/11/12
Posted in General Information, Safety Guidelines | No Comments »
May 2nd, 2012
We want to thank all who participated in our Easter Picture Contest! We also want to thank Ammons Photographic Art for their generous contribution!
The awards will be mailed in the next few days!
1st Place:
2nd Place:
3rd Place:
Posted in News and Updates | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2012
Childhood Obesity
Being overweight is stressful enough, but if you’re a child or teenager, it’s even harder to deal with and be sucessful in loosing weight. Children and teenagers who are overweight or obese are frequently targets for other children and teens to be made fun of and bullied because of their weight. As a result, children may become more isolated or “outcasted” from their peers and suffer from anxiety or depression.
Many children who are overweight in their childhood will become overweight and obese as adults. Obesity increases the chance of developing other heath problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascualr disease. Parents need to be role models for their children and teens and set good examples of making healthy and nutritious food choices, and making exercise and being more active part of their everyday lifestyle. It all starts with healthy examples at home that your children can see every day, and become an active participant every day.
We can also help you in promoting a healthy lifestyle for your children and teens. We encourage all children and teens to have annual physical exams. At this time we will do height and weight measurements and calculate your child’s body mass index or BMI. BMI is a good way to assess whether an individual is overweight. BMI takes into account not just your weight, but also your height to indicate body fat. However, BMI is not a measure of percentage of body fat. A healthy BMI should be over 18 and under 25. BMI’s for children will differ from those for adults. A healthy BMI for a child will be lower than an adult’s BMI. After your child’s BMI is determined, it will be plotted on your child’s growth chart. We will be able to review the percentile and detrmine if your child is at a healthy weight or is overweight. We will also check your child’s blood pressure at their physical. These are important measurements in your child’s health.
The US Department of Health and Human Services has recently issued new guidelines regarding children and cholesterol screening. These guidelines suggest that all children between the ages of 9 to 11 years have their cholesterol levels checked, regardless of family history. More children have been seen with abnormal cholesterol levels, and some have shown the beginning stages of atherosclerosis. When your child has their physical exam, we will recommend checking a lipid panel to look at their cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
We encourage parents to learn about cholesterol and the potential risk to their child’s health. We encourage parents to promote a healthy lifestyle for their children including a healthy diet with more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein. Families should also increase their activity levels, with children getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.
Submitted by Vona Lantz, CPNP
Posted in Diabetes, Well Care | No Comments »
April 10th, 2012
I’m sure back to school physicals are the last thing on most parents’ minds right now but now is the time. Those last few weeks of the summer are usually hectic getting ready to go back to school. Oftentimes parents realize at the last minute that their child needs a physical or a shot before school starts. You can avoid this stressful situation by scheduling your child’s physical in the early part of the summer. Not only are you able to check that off your to-do list, but you beat the back-to-school rush in our office. We always have plenty of open appointments for physicals in May and June, however August fills up quickly. We cannot guarantee there will be an appointment available if you wait until the day before school starts. We recommend scheduling now and scheduling early!
A yearly physical exam is an important time to assess a child’s overall health, catch potential problems early, update immunizations, reinforce healthy behavior, and review normal development and safety measures. These topics are covered in depth during the physical, therefore it is not a good time to address a significant health concern (for example migraines, abdominal pain, etc.) If you do have an additional health concern, it is best to make a separate appointment in order to address the concern more thoroughly.
A physical is good for the entire year since most standard forms simply require a physical exam within the last year. Keep in mind, your child may need a form signed for sports participation, camp, daycare and numerous other activities. It is very helpful to have that yearly physical exam completed when a form is needed. Scheduling now will ensure your child doesn’t have to miss out on his favorite activity. Don’t get caught off guard. Get that physical out of the way early!
A Quick Reminder of School Vaccine Requirements
Daycare: Requires children to be up-to-date on all recommended vaccines for age.
Kindergarten:Children need 3 booster shots: MMR, chicken pox, and polio-DTaP (diptheria, tetanus, pertussis).
6th Grade:Adolescents are required to receive Tdap, a tetanus booster that also includes protection against whooping cough.
-Jaime Fell, PA-C
Posted in General Information, Immunizations, Teens, Well Care | No Comments »
April 4th, 2012
Crown Point Pediatrics and Ammons Photographic Art are proud to present the 2012 Easter Picture Contest!
Enter and have your friends and family vote by “liking “ your photo for a chance to win fabulous prizes!
1st Place: Free sitting and $100 credit with Ammons Photographic Art PLUS a $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us from Crown Point Pediatrics.
2nd & 3rd Place: $25 gift certificate to Toys R Us from Crown Point Pediatrics.
To enter the contest:
1. Go to Crown Point Pediatrics Facebook page through the following URL:
http://tinyurl.com/7yw92up
It will prompt you to sign into your account. If you do not have a Facebook account you can create one.
2. Click on the Competitions icon, upload your photo and start sharing!
Entries will be accepted until April 30th and winners will be chosen and posted May 1st!
Posted in News and Updates | No Comments »
March 15th, 2012
ADHD Behavior Therapy
Most experts recommend using both medication and behavior therapy to treat ADHD. There are many forms of behavior therapy, but all have a common goal–to change the child’s physical and social environments to help the child improve his behavior. Under this approach, parents, teachers, and other caregivers learn better ways to work with and relate to the child with ADHD. You will learn how to set and enforce rules, help your child understand what he needs to do, use discipline effectively, and encourage good behavior. Your child will learn better ways to control his behavior as a result. You will learn to be more consistent. Behavior therapy has three basic principles:
1. Set specific doable goals. Set clear and reasonable goals for your child, such as staying focused on homework for a certain time or sharing toys with friends.
2. Provide rewards and consequences. Give your child a specified reward (positive reinforcement) every time she shows the desired behavior. Give your child a consequence (unwanted result or punishment) consistently when she has inappropriate behaviors.
3. Keep using the rewards and consequences. Using the rewards and consequences consistently for a long time will shape your child’s behavior in a positive way.
Behavior therapy recognizes the limits that having ADHD puts on a child. It focuses on how the important people and places in the child’s life can adapt to encourage good behavior and discourage unwanted behavior. Behavior therapy techniques include:
1. Positive reinforcement–complimenting and providing rewards or privileges in response to desired behavior; for example, the child completes an assignment and is permitted to play on the computer.
2. Time-out–removing access to desired activity because of unwanted behavior; for example, the child hits a sibling and, as a result, must sit for five minutes in the corner of the room.
3. Response cost–withdrawing rewards or privileges because of unwanted behavior; for example, the child loses free-time privileges for not completing homework.
4. Token economy–combining reward and consequence; the child earns rewards and privileges when performing desired behaviors; she loses the rewards and privileges as a result of unwanted behavior; for example, the child earns stars or points for completing assignments and loses stars for getting out of seat; the child cashes in the sum of her stars at the end of the week for a prize.
As the child’s primary caregivers, parents play a major role in behavior therapy. Parent training is available to help you learn more about ADHD and specific, positive ways to respond to ADHD-type behaviors. This will help your child improve. In many cases parenting classes with other parents will be sufficient, but with more challenging children, individual work with a counselor/coach may be needed. Taking care of yourself also will help your child. Being the parent of a child with ADHD can be tiring and trying. It can test the limits of even the best parents. Parent training and support groups made up of other families who are dealing with ADHD can be a great source of help. Learn stress-management techniques to help you respond calmly to your child. Seek counseling if you feel overwhelmed or hopeless.
Your child’s school is a key partner in providing effective behavior therapy for your child. These principles work well in the classroom for most students. Classroom management techniques may include:
-Keeping a set routine and schedule for activities
-Using a system of clear rewards and consequences, such as a point system or token economy
-Sending daily or weekly report cards or behavior charts to parents to inform them about the child’s progress
-Seating the child near the teacher
-Using small groups for activities
-Encouraging students to pause a moment before answering questions
-Keeping assignments short or breaking them into sections
-Close supervision with frequent, positive cues to stay on task
-Changes to where and how tests are given so students can succeed (For example,allowing students to take tests in a less distracting environment or allowing more time to complete tests.)
Your child’s school should work with you and your pediatrician to develop strategies to assist your child in the classroom. When a child has ADHD that is severe enough to interfere with her ability to learn, two federal laws offer help. These laws require public schools to cover the costs of evaluating the educational needs of the affected child and providing the needed services.
1. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA) requires public schools to cover the costs of evaluating the educational needs of the affected child and providing the needed special education services if your child qualifies because her learning is impaired by his ADHD.
2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 does not have strict qualification criteria but is limited to changes in the classroom and modifications in homework assignments and taking tests in a less distracting environment or allowing more time to complete tests. If your child has ADHD and a coexisting condition (i.e. learning disability), she may need additional special services such as a classroom aide, private tutoring, special classroom settings or, in rare cases, a special school. It is important to remember that once diagnosed and treated, children with ADHD are more likely to achieve their goals in school.
Dr. Jason Kalan
Posted in ADD/ADHD | No Comments »
March 10th, 2012
U.S. report finds pediatric “epidemic” of smoking
Almost 1 in 5 high school seniors regularly smoke and nearly 90% of adult smokers said they started smoking by age 18, according to a report released on Thursday by U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. Although rates of cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use dropped in the last decade, the report found that more than 600,000 middle-school students and 3 million high-school students smoke. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (3/8), HealthDay News (3/8
The most important factor pushing kids to smoke or chew is their peer group. They use their smoking to fit into the group. They know that smoking is unhealthy for them but they don’t care because they feel invincible and think the warnings do not apply to them. Many teens who smoke want to feel ”more grown-up” and enjoy taking risks. Once teens develop the habit of smoking they can quickly become addicted to smoking and for many teens and adults breaking the addiction can be very, very difficult. The key for every teen is to never start smoking so they will have a lower risk of developing lung cancer, emphysema or peripheral vascular disease and avoid the financial burden and social ostracism that the smoking habit brings.
David Roos, M.D.
Posted in General Information, Teens | No Comments »
March 2nd, 2012
Study: Children get 16% of daily calories from added sugar
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics finds children are getting 322 calories a day from added sugar, or about 16% of the calories they consume each day. The study found 59% of added-sugar calories come from foods and 41% from beverages, with about 63% of the calories from added sugars consumed at home. USA TODAY (2/29)
David Roos, M.D.
Posted in General Information, News and Updates | No Comments »
February 21st, 2012
Infants’ Tylenol recalled over bottle design problems
Johnson & Johnson on Friday recalled an estimated 547,000 bottles of infants’ Tylenol following complaints from parents about its new bottle cap and dose syringe. The company’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare division said that the drug was safe and that there were no reports of adverse effects. The Wall Street Journal (2/17),ABC News/The Associated Press (2/17)
Acetaminophen is one of the most common drugs given to kids and one of the hardest to give correctly, because it’s sold in many forms. This chart can help you choose the right dose for your child, from birth to 96-plus pounds.
View and print this acetaminophen dosage chart.
Take note! As of July 2011, infant concentrated drops are being phased out in the United States and replaced with less-concentrated form of the medicine. The concentrated drops are still safe to use as long as the dose is correct. They are three times as concentrated as the new infant medicine, so use caution: Know your child’s weight and follow the dosage chart.
Find out how to tell the difference between the old and new infant acetaminophen.
Whether you’re giving your child the old infant drops, the new infant liquid, children’s liquid, or another form of acetaminophen, bear in mind these important points:
- Don’t give acetaminophen to a baby under 3 months without the approval of one of our doctors’, nurse practitioner’s or physician assistant’s approval.
- The proper dose for your child is based on weight, not age.
- Always use the measuring device that comes with the medicine — not a spoon from the kitchen.
- Never give acetaminophen to a child who’s taking other medicines unless directed by a doctor. The other medicine may also contain acetaminophen, creating a dangerous overdose.
- Don’t confuse concentrated infant drops with infant liquid (called infant drops by some manufacturers, but not labeled “concentrated”) or children’s liquid. Concentrated infant drops are three times stronger than the infant liquid so the dose must be smaller.
Hint: Drops come with a dropper; infant liquid (or non-concentrated “drops”) comes with a syringe; children’s liquid comes with a cup.
- Don’t exceed five doses in 24 hours.
- Call our office if you have any questions about Tylenol dosing.
David B. Roos, M.D.
Posted in General Information, News and Updates, Safety Guidelines | No Comments »
February 3rd, 2012
Our office will be closed today, Friday, February 3, 2012 because of the major snow storm which has hit the Denver-Parker area. Call Monday, February 6 to re-schedule appointments, 303-695-7667. Our provider’s will be on call through the weekend if you have questions or concerns about your child. Thank you for your understanding about closing our office due to the storm.
David B. Roos, MD
Posted in Office News | No Comments »
